This Code 50 Solar Gold Trans Am is on the edge between being a driver and a project. Tony Primo found this 1979 Pontiac Trans Am for sale here on Craigslist. It is listed for $11,000 and appears to be a Z code car which means it left the factory with a W72 400 cubic inch V8 engine, 4 speed, WS6 suspension and 3.23:1 rear end ratio. The Trans Am is located in Weatherford, Texas just west of Fort Worth along I-20. It has a lot of needs but is a running, driving car.
The interior shows the car was optioned with the deluxe camel interior including hobnail cloth seats. The car has power windows, power locks, air conditioning but much of it is not working. The dash is cracked, the seats are worn but it does have new door panels. Some custom items have been installed including cup holders in the console and gauges where the stereo sits. The base engine for 1979 was the 403 cubic inch V8 that came with an automatic transmission. A buyer could also order a 301 cubic inch V8 engine rated at 155 horsepower that came with a 4 speed or automatic transmission. The high performance engine option that year was the W72 400 cubic inch V8 engine that was manufactured in 1977 and stockpiled for installation in 1977-1979 Trans Ams.
Under the hood is a 455 cubic inch V8 engine that replaces the original factory 400 cubic inch V8 engine. If this car had the factory transmission it would be a Borg Warner T-10 4 speed but the ad states that it has been upgraded to a Tremec 5 speed. In 1979, Pontiac changed the W72 designation to L78. The L78 code was the engine code for the weaker 400 cubic inch V8 from 1973 to 1978. However, all 400 cubic inch engines in 1979 Trans Ams and Formulas were W72 motors. The W72 400 cubic inch engine was different because it was built with a 800 cfm 4 barrel Rochester carburetor, high capacity 60 psi oil pump, special cam, baffled oil pan, special piston rings, and 8:1 compression heads.
Pontiac produced over 117,000 Trans Ams in 1979 out of 211,000 Firebirds that left the factories in Van Nuys and Norwood. This car has a lot of needs including bodywork, interior and lots of little things like seat belts. It has had some rust repair so an in person inspection is a good idea. The second generation Trans Am has timeless looks and style. There are a lot of other cool cars in this guys driveway to look at when a buyer makes a visit!