ORIGINAL OWNER, OOAK CUSTOM PAINT, 1979 TRANS AM ONLY 61K MILES,WITH BUILD SHEET

Price: - Item location: Berea, Kentucky, United States
Description:

1979 Pontiac Trans Am

Up for sale is my 1979 Pontiac Trans Am with only 61,710 original miles. I am the ORIGINAL owner of this car. It has been with me for 38 years.

At age 16, I ordered this car in June 1978. It originally had Starlight Black paint with the gold phoenix package, because I was a huge fan of Smokey and the Bandit. However, I wanted a blue interior as I hated tan. The salesman at Blake Pontiac on Grant Ave. in Auburn, NY told me it was notpossible to have a blue interior with the black/gold exterior. I remember the dealership owner Mr. Dodge (yes, that was his actual last name!) telling his salesman I could order it however I wanted. It took several months before my special order Trans Am came in.

I did not order t-tops, as they were notorious for leaking back then. My dad did not like Pontiacs, but he loved his Oldsmobiles, so we compromised by ordering the 6.6 Litre 403 engine. It has a 2:41 limited slip rear differential, giving it a fast top end. It hascruise control, factory air conditioning ( it has been converted to 134A), power windows, tilt wheel, and rear window defrost. All options still work well- including the analog clock!

It took until November of 1978 for my one of a kind car to come in. I had only a couple of weeks to drive it before I had to garage it for the winter. Living in Syracuse at the time, I did not want to drive it in snow and salt. When I took delivery, I breathed a sigh of relief, since I never evengot to test drive a Trans Am! They just were not in dealer showrooms. Thank goodness the carwas all I dreamed it would be!

The car has been through a lot with me. It has lived in several states as I married and moved often. Each time, the moving company would carefully and lovingly drive the car up into the tractor trailer for transport. We always had to look at houses that could accommodate my "garage queen". It has never seensnow, salt, etc., and has always been garaged. It has never been “abused” in any way.

Sadly, my priorities in life have changed. For years, I could not have kids, so this car was my pampered "child". I have children and horses now, both which take up my time and money. As much as I love the

car and the attention it gets, it bothers me to see it sitting there, unused and under-appreciated. It istime to let someone else enjoy this classic beauty.

In 1988 I had the car professionally repainted and made even more unique. There is no other car like it anywhere. It no longer has the gold decals, but instead it has a hand painted phoenix done by artistLenny Smith of Kolorcraft in Syracuse, NY.

It has 24karat gold leaf (yes, real gold) that was etched in acid to givea tie dye effectfor the lettering. It all blends so beautifully with the blue interior. It literally is ready for the shows or just to cruise around town,

turning heads everywhere you go.

The car was professionally appraised in August 2015 and I was given a replacement insurance value of $25,000. The value continues to increase each year as Trans Ams are getting scarcer with the passage oftime. I have the original window sticker, the original Pontiac brochure anda like- new owner's manual. I am also including a vintage Trans Am jacket, which would be great for car shows.

Through the years I have done some things to enhance performance and appearance. The motor is stock internally but does have an Edlebrock Performer intake and chrome valve covers. The carburetor is the original Quadrajet which has been professionally rebuilt. The car has Hedman headers and a true dual exhaust with performance catalytic converters.

Interior wise, the stock radio was replaced with an Audivox AM/FM/Cassette player along with aftermarket speakers. Otherwise the interior is all factory original and the velour seats are in very good condition as the car has never been smoked in. There are no rips, stains or tears. The dash pad is original with no cracks as the car has always been stored indoors.The headliner was replaced and looks like new.

If the buyer would like, I am including the original intake, valve covers, and stock exhaust manifolds, along with the original Pontiac Rally Wheels and chrome trim rings. I installed some Buick Rally wheels from a Gran Sport, just to add some chrome to the car and keep people wondering at car shows since the Pontiac center caps fit perfectly on the wheels.

Regarding the custom paint- the base color is Black Lacquer, however there is a custom blue fade coming from the front fender heat extractors which is subtle but really pops in the sunlight as you walk by the car. All the lettering on the car is 24K Gold Leaf acid etched which was then clear coated. The beautiful phoenix is the center piece of the car and when people see it, they are amazed at the detail and actually want to touch it to believe that it is not a decal due to the detail being that exact. Many hours were spent by Kolorcraft makingthis car unique yet true to the original design of the car. The car truly needs to be seen to be appreciated as photos do not do it justice.

The car starts and runs well, there are no issues with the motor, transmission or differential as would be expected by a car that is rarely driven and only has 61K miles. The front end was completely rebuilt in the late 2000’s (2008?) as the OEM rubber was dry cracked and the shocks were due to be replaced. I had the complete front end redone with polyurethane bushings so that will not be an issue again for the next owner. The rear sway bar has been upgraded to a larger size and the shocks are KYB gas filled units so the car handles better than new and hugs the curves without any drama. The fluids are up to date and the car receives oil changes even though it rarely gets driven and I have not even taken it to any car shows in the past few years.

I have the professional appraisal available that I can send via .pdf and the hard copy will be included in the sale. The replacement value of this car is $25,000 due to the custom paint and overall excellent condition. The report also details the items that need to be addressed at some point and are quite minor. Since the car is not driven on a regular basis, some gaskets are lightly seeping – this is that detailed and honest of an appraisal report. I did have the oil pan gasket done in the late 90’s and the engineDOES NOT have to be pulled to remove the pan and replace the gasket. The paint being Lacquer, it is due to be buffed out to bring back 100% luster but still shows very well as is (see pictures). It was hard to film due to the sun glaring off the shiny paint. As to be expected, there are some very minor scratches and nicks as the car was street driven after the being redone. There is a very small door ding on the passenger door that would be easy for a dent removal guy. There is NO rust inside the fender wells, floor pans, door edges, drip rails, or otherwise.The hinges are good and the doors do not sag and they close tightly as they should. I also have two front replacement speakers that I am including. Also, there is no interior odor- no pets, smoke or mildew smells.

Please look at all the pictures and feel free to ask any questions, I can provide additional pictures if there is something specific that you would like to see.Mechanicinspections are also welcomed. Please check out the video of this car at https://youtu.be/0s34ZjWbWJE

Please do not bid without permission from your spouse, parent, whatever...as your bid is legally binding. The car is located one mile off of I-75 in Berea, Kentucky, about 35 minutes south of Lexington. Buyer is responsible for pick up / shipping of car but I will be happy to work with your carrier of choice. Delivery is also available (for gas money) within 100 miles of 40403. Deposit through Paypal, the balance due at pickup by cash or bank check. This vehicle is sold "as is", no warranties implied orexpressed.My reserve is well below the appraisal price, so don't be shy! Thanks for looking and happy bidding!

https://youtu.be/0s34ZjWbWJE