staleycornell

iTrader: (6)

Ok guys, here is the deal. I have a 2001 WS6 with just under 16,000 miles on her in near mint condition with a 6 speed. The car rarely gets driven and is a garage queen. Well I have stumbled upon a 1979 "Bandit" Trans Am...

The 79 has 44,000 original miles on it and has been restored. It is the 6.6 with the auto. tranny. The car is an all numbers matching car. The guy has the original paperwork from the dealership showing it is a true SE and Y84 model. The paint on it is 3 years old and the car just looks amazing. The owner is an older guy and he took his time restoring it for 10 years. The dash and seats are original and it does have an aftermarket cd player. He does have a new dash and new t tops to go with the car, should I choose to swap them out.

Now I am not set in stone on trading but it does seem like a pretty good opportunity to own a nice piece of T/A history. I am not really familiar with the pricing of these Bandit cars and would love some feedback so i can decide what I would like to do. Either way, whichever car I choose will continue to be a low mileage immaculate weekend driven car.

BadBadGirlfriend

1. is it a real 79 SE or is it a copy?
2. you really need alot more details about the 79. all matching numbers, all stock, is the interior correct (ie velour or vinyl) or is it a aftermarket replacement interior to frshen it upo and if so is it the cheap everyday vinyl or is it the high end made from original material ( ie $500 interior or $2000 interior). are the snowflAKES corrct for the year and options (yes different ones made through out production and all vary slightly). lots say the seats are original, some are, but very few are truly the ones that came in the car.
3. does he have pictures of the resto?
4. your 16k mile car is obviously a desireable car that will go up in value as they have to be close to bottoming out.
5. I'd be very cautious, lots of 79 trans am's and they made a ton of SE's in 79. actually 79 SE's are not the most desireable. If you want a black trans am, go for the 77/78 SE, thats the car that is probably more of a fair trade for yours. wont be perfect and maybe not as nice as the 79, but it will be the one everyone will notice.

I know as I own a 81 turbo ta and an 02 CETA vert, everyone notices the CETA!

tuske427

iTrader: (1)

I would NOT make this trade. But, if you're still considering, please consider the following:

1- '79 T/A's were the highest production TA's ever made. I think they made more than 100k of them in that year. They're anything but rare as a result...

2- It will feel like a turd driving compared to your '01. Everything about it will be worse. acceleration, braking, handling, responsiveness, fuel economy, even the "quality" will feel worse, etc.

3- why would a 44k mile car need a restoration? That kind of mileage should have been a garage queen, and should have been well preserved. I would really question/ examine a car with that low miles needing a full restoration. As mentioned, you should thoroughly go through that car to make sure it has the correct, or good quality parts.

4- Which engine does it have? There were at least 3 engine options available, (an Olds block- considered the lowest value, and two Pontiac engines) and all 3 have lower hp than your '01.

5- Is it a WS-6 car? WS-6 cars have 4 wheel discs as well as other goodies (again, make sure it's original if you are looking for resale value)

This site talks more about what the WS-6 gave you in 1978/79:

http://www.78ta.com/ws6.php

6- 4 speeds are worth more. the auto is yet another check against its value.

7- If you really like this car- run a PHS documentation on it.

http://www.phs-online.com/

You can also read this:

http://www.pontiacpower.net/spotse79.html

Again, as mentioned, I'd recommend an earlier 2nd gen if you're really looking to get into a 2nd gen. (1970-73 are the best years, 1973 being the best, imo) If you want an SE "bandit" style car, I'd recommend to you the car based on the first movie- a 1977 SE with the "Hurst hatches" and 4 speed trans and Pontiac engine.(Y82)

http://www.2gta.com/


Incidentally, the movie showed an automatic trans car, but dubbed in manual trans sounds (I read somewhere they used a chevy engine)

I hope this is helpful.

NC01TA

Excellent points brought up but this is a very personal choice for you, not anyone else. Your car sounds very desireable off-hand and probably worth in the $16,000 and up area if as nice ('stock') as you state. 1979 Trans Am prices vary greatly so you really need to know the history very well on this particular car. You seem to be comfortable with the owner which is a good thing, but you still need to research it as much as possible.
Where does it fit in among the below examples?
Only you can decide if the price comparison is close enough to make the trade if you really want to consider it.
Best of luck and enjoy whatever ride you want!
Here are some recent Barrett Jackson auction prices from last year and a photo of one of them. I hope it helps a bit.

1) Lot 17, 1979 Pontiac Trans Am SOLAR GOLD METALLIC
403 cid V8, auto, WS4 suspension, power everything
Price: $12,925

2)Lot 327, 1979 Pontiac Trans Am SOLAR GOLD with tan interior
403 cid V8, auto, 59,000 original miles
Price: $11,000

3)Lot 331.1, 1979 Pontiac Trans Am BROWN
403 cid V8, 4 speed manual, 46,483 original miles, one repaint, PHS Documented
Price: $24,200

4)Lot 345.2, 1979 Pontiac Trans Am 10TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
403 cid V8, 4 speed manual, T-tops, 10,331 original miles, PHS Documented
Price: $33,000

staleycornell

iTrader: (6)

Thanks for the responses guys. Here is a link to the car in question..

http://nashville.craigslist.org/cto/3189027277.html

He also sent me a video of the car inside and out. First off in my mind it seemed like a hand down thing..but I remember I had a couple of books about the Trans Ams through the years and did read there 1979 was the high production not only for T/A's but also for Pontiacs in general. I very much am a bigger fan of the 1st and 2nd gens, but this car just seemed to capture me. Im more leaning towards not trading..The price on these rides do vary greatly. To me all of the T/As look great and honestly think they were the best looking series of american muscle ever made from start to finish. As of now i think i am going to hold on to what i got. Every time I get it out, it never fails to get "thumbs ups" and "redlight chatter" with the guy in the car next to me. Thanks for all the input!

eseibel67

iTrader: (10)

Some great points made above. As of today, 2nd gens are more valuable, but it is an inferior car to what you have now in every way. It has the less desirable Olds engine, and it's an auto which for a "fun" car, makes it sigificantly less fun. You would be trading the lowest prouction year (14k for 2001) for the highest (211k for 1979). And if you're really looking for a Bandit, it would be a 1977, for which a 1978 could be mistaken, but not a 1979.

I wouln't make this deal.

Nathan C

The question is, which car would you rather see parked in your garage?

staleycornell

iTrader: (6)

Thats a good point. A 325 hp 6 speed is more fun to drive than a 220 hp automatic very underpowered car.

Nathan...a '73 455 Super Duty

Wild Cobra

I had a '78 Esprit with the Old 350 in it as the original engine. Had the trans am body parts and repainted. Loved that car. I would trade my WS6 for a '78, but not a '79. I like the '77/'78 grill better.