Do it For Burt: ’79 Trans Am Surfaces on BringATrailer
Think you’ve got what it takes to make it to Texarkana and back in 28 hours? Time to put your money where your mouth is.
Today’s feature presentation features Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, country music star Jerry Reed, and the inimitable Jackie Gleason. No, this 1979 Trans Am we found on BringATrailer isn’t LS powered. However, it’s your chance to live out all of your Smokey and the Bandit fantasies, and isn’t that all that really matters?
Yes, yes, we know that the original “Bandit” Trans Am was a ’77, but a black and gold ’79 is a more than suitable stand-in. Powered by a recently rebuilt Oldsmobile 403 V8 backed up by a 3-speed automatic, this Trans Am’s performance wouldn’t impress anyone today. In the fuel-starved and emissions-choked late 1970s, though, this was the machine to have. While the somewhat-strangled 6.6 liter V8 only produced 185 horsepower, it pumped out an incredible 320 lb/ft of torque.
The car is offered for sale by the third owner, who acquired it in 2017. Since then, it’s been subject to a comprehensive overhaul. From rust repair and new paint to the aforementioned drivetrain refresh, this Trans Am is ready to run block for whatever illicit cargo you’re trying to bootleg. Not that we would condone such a thing, of course.
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This may not be a 100-point concours restoration, but attention was paid where it mattered. The car was fitted with fresh weatherstripping, new brake lines, and a new exhaust system. The interior was restored as well, and the camel cloth seats look like a nice place to spend 28 hours or so with the speedometer pegged. Naturally, the famous “screaming chicken” hood decal is present, along with miles and miles of gold striping. It was all replaced when the Trans Am was repainted, and looks as fresh as the rest of the car.
Driving this car must be like taking a trip back to 1979. Just imagine staring out over that long, black hood, with The Knack’s “My Sharona” on the radio, and the shaker scoop doing its thing. Time machines may be science fiction for now, but we’d have to say that this ’79 Pontiac Trans Am is pretty damn close.
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