1979 Pontiac Trans Am 4spd With 400 Engine, Restored Car on 2040-cars

 1979 PONTIAC TRANS AM WITH T-TOPS AND 4 SPD TRANSMISSION

RESTORED

This is a 1979 Pontiac Trans Am.  The car is restored.  It has new paint and completely restored brand new interior.  The color of the interior is white which is a custom color I selected instead.  Also the car now has 400 cu in 6.6 liter Pontiac engine which is correct to 79 Trans Am but not numbers matching to this car.  I believe this car came with 301.  As part of the restoration process the engine was upgraded to the Pontiac 400 cu in engine.  The person restored the car indicated that he put in a 400 engine from early years and that the engine would produce somewhere between 350-400 hp.  I have never put this car on dyno.  As far as I was concerned when I drive this car which was not that often,  it had plenty of power that went along with its sporty look.  It has 4 speed transmission and there is a CD player placed in the glove compartment.  This car was finished about 3-4 years ago and since then I did not get a chance to use it a lot since I have been very busy and had many cars in my collection.  I am reducing the amount of cars I have and decided to let this one go as well.  These cars are becoming more and more collectible as the time passes.  There are show condition restored 79 Trans Ams close to or sometimes over $40K for sale on the internet.  This is not priced that high.  I am not representing that it is a show condition # 1 car.  It is a very nice and clean car and it has a new paint and very nice interior.  It is a restored car but the reserve is set appropriately and very reasonably.  The car has T-Tops and all the weather striping is replaced and new.  It has new carpets, restored dash and gages, new faceplates, new steering wheel, new or restored console, new headliner, all new weather stripping, restored wheels, and tires with minimal wear on them. 

Here is some information about this cars from Internet sources: 

1979 Trans Am

The hallowed halls of horsepower may have been desecrated in the Seventies by federal regulations and two oil embargos, but even as the muscle era dispersed into a vast sea of personal luxury coupes and compact commuters, performance lived on at Pontiac. By mid-decade, it had become apparent that the Trans Am was the sole survivor. Even in the brief period sandwiched between the demise of the Super Duty after 1974 and Burt Reynolds's silver-screen endorsement of the top-tier Firebird, sales of the Trans Am were on the rise; after the world met the Bandit, they exploded. The trend continued for 1979, when the second-generation Firebird concurrently received its last facelift and spent its last year with available 6.6-liter power. Pontiac was obviously doing something right, as 1979 saw an all-time-high Firebird production figure of 211,453 units, 117,108 of which were Trans Ams.

How could this be so? Consider the limited competition. The top engine in the 1979 Camaro Z28 was a 350 rated for 175hp; a same-year Corvette offered a more powerful 225hp 350, but it cost nearly $10,800 without other options. Trans Ams came equipped with a standard 403-cu in rated for 185hp, but it was the more powerful Pontiac-built 220hp 400 option, mandating a four-speed manual, that garnered attention. Throw in the required WS6 suspension/four-wheel disc brake package, and together they still added less than $1,000 to the $6,699 base MSRP. It was an incredible bang for the buck, further solidified when contemporary road tests revealed that the Pontiac fell just a few ticks short of the Corvette in acceleration, and actually outperformed the 'Vette in braking by 19 feet.

Today, the '79 Trans Am models, including the Special Edition and 10th Anniversary variants, have become prized among collectors for their combination of styling, power and affordability, which is bolstered by a healthy aftermarket parts supply that keeps them prowling the pavement.

ENGINES

In base configuration, the '79 Trans Am came with an Oldsmobile-sourced 403-cu.in. V-8 (RPO L80), which had already seen use in California-bound Trans Ams (and some Formulas) since the 1977 model year. It was only available with an automatic. Featuring a 4.351 x 3.385-inch bore and stroke, "4A" cast-iron heads with 2.00/1.55-inch intake/exhaust valves, hydraulic lifters and a Rochester Quadrajet four-barrel carburetor, the 7.9:1 compression engine was rated for 185hp and 315-lbs ft of torque.

Like most single-exhaust Oldsmobile V-8s, it used a crossover tube to connect the driver's-side manifold to the passenger side; a single pipe connected to a single catalytic converter, followed by a Y-pipe leading to twin resonators and twin tailpipes featuring "splitter" tips. Look for the letter "K" in the VIN, while the Shaker scoop should feature "6.6 Litre" decals.

First on the option chart, though off-limits to California residents, was the Pontiac 301 (4.9 liter). Those who selected RPO L37, which was effectively an economy engine introduced just two years prior, received a $195 credit; look for the letter "W" within the VIN and "T/A 4.9" decals on the Shaker scoop. Rated for 150hp and 240-lbs ft of torque, the powerplant's notable particulars included a 4.00 x 3.00-inch bore and stroke, hydraulic lifters, Rochester Quadrajet and an 8.1:1 compression ratio. Pontiac "01" heads employed 1.72/1.50-inch intake/exhaust valves.

Of note, two different camshafts were used: A manual transmission mandated a 274-degree/.374 lift cam with a 59-degree overlap, whereas an automatic-backed 301 received a 250-degree/.374 lift cam with a 38-degree overlap. While 4.9 Trans Ams had dual outlet exhausts, they did not have the twin resonators of the 6.6 models, instead using a single transverse muffler behind the axle with dual outlets.

For those who scoffed at economy, there was the RPO L78/W72 Pontiac 400, which--in its final year of use--was actually a holdover from the 1978 production run. The exact number of engines retained for the '79 models varies between 8,672 and 8,800 in several published reports; however, what is established is that 8,326 were bolted into Trans Ams (some of the balance was used for Firebird Formulas).

The 4.12 x 3.75-inch bore and stroke block was capped with "6X" heads containing 2.11/1.66-inch valves, a Rochester Quadrajet and hydraulic lifters that, along with an 8.1:1 compression, made 220hp and 320-lbs ft of torque. Unlike the 403, the Pontiac 400 used a Y-pipe to link its exhaust manifolds to the single catalytic converter, but used similar twin resonators and twin tailpipes with "splitter" tips aft of the cat. Californians were excluded from ordering this option. Check for the letter "Z" within the VIN and "T/A 6.6" Shaker scoop decals.

TRANSMISSIONS

Pontiac only issued two transmissions during the model year, the standard being the Turbo Hydra-Matic 350 three-speed automatic. Containing a first gear ratio of 2.52:1, it backed both the 403 and the 301. The governor cover features the transmission code ME or MJ against the 301, and LM or LP against the 403. A four-speed manual was optional against the 301 with a 10.4-inch clutch; however, it was mandated against the 400 with an 11-inch clutch. Although it was given the M21 code, this close-ratio (2.43:1 first gear) unit was actually a Borg-Warner Super T-10. Codes were stamped on the rear of the side cover face: "ZD" with the 301; "UH" with the 400.

DIFFERENTIAL

A corporate 8.5-inch 10-bolt axle assembly was pressed into service regardless of engine selection; it was durable enough to withstand any stock torque output. However, engine selection contributed to determining which final-drive ratio was in place. Those cars with the 403 received a 2.41:1 standard with 3.23:1 optional; "altitude" designated areas received a 3.08 ratio standard, with 3.23 optional. Automatic-backed 301 engines were paired with a 2.73:1 gearset while the four-speed/301 combo received 3.08:1. All 400-equipped T/As sent torque through 3.23:1 gears.

Factory service manuals indicate that a 3.42:1 ratio was offered, but it did not appear on option sheets. The Safe-T-Track limited-slip unit was standard in all Trans Ams.

CHASSIS

Measuring just a fraction over 108 inches between the wheel hubs, the second-gen unit-body platform was tried and true at Pontiac; it included the use of a front subframe, which mounted the independent coil-sprung suspension and the engine and transmission. Rear unit-body frame rails provided support at the other end, where leaf springs mounted the rear axle; an anti-roll bar was standard equipment.

The big news here was the continued availability of the WS6 High Performance Package upgrade. It replaced the standard T/A rear leaf springs with stiffer units while increasing the rear anti-roll bar diameter to .75 inches from .625. The front anti-roll bar remained at 1.25 inches in diameter, and nylon end-link bushings were installed instead of standard rubber. Tighter-valved shock absorbers were specified and the normal variable-ratio (15-13:1) steering gear box was upgraded to a constant-ratio 14.0:1 unit; 8-inch-wide wheels were also included.

New to the package for 1979 were rear disc brakes to go with the normal power front discs. As the model year progressed, however, rear disc brake component supply could not keep pace with demand, resulting in the WS7 package. This provided customers the WS6 package minus rear discs.

BRAKES

All T/As came standard with power front disc/rear drum brakes regardless of the engine/transmission combination. Rotors were of the 11-inch vented type, while the rear drums were finned to assist cooling; they measured 9.50 inches. Aside from the aforementioned WS6 package that automatically provided the rear disc upgrade, the same rear disc brake components could be obtained--minus the suspension upgrade--via the J65 option code, at a cost of $150.

WHEELS & TIRES

Every T/A rode on 15-inch wheels; in base form, the wheels in question were seven-inch-wide, stamped-steel Rally II (code HW) in two-tone argent or optional body color. Seven-inch-wide aluminum "snowflake" wheels were available with gray (code JR) or gold (code KH) accents, while the WS6 package mandated the installation of eight-inch-wide snowflakes, also trimmed in gray (JT) or gold (JF). Air Flow wheels, commonly known as Turbo wheels, were also made of cast aluminum; they measured 15x8 inches and were reserved for the 10th Anniversary T/A.

Tire selection was much simpler: 225/70R15 blackwall tires were standard; 225/70R15 raised white letter tires were optional, yet were mandated by the WS6 package.

BODY & INTERIOR

Although the overall body shell retained its basic shape throughout the 1970-'81 run, '79 models featured freshly redesigned nose and tail sections, both molded from a new, softer plastic material (this also included the front and rear spoilers, as well as the wheel opening spoilers). The new nose piece sported quad headlamps recessed into individual tunnels, while the blacked-out split grilles were repositioned below the lamps; turn signal/running lamps were recessed into the grilles. The tail panel appeared to be one continuous blacked-out unit; it was actually a three-piece assembly, with the taillamp lenses flanking the centrally positioned fuel-filler door, cloaked in matching trim. Air extractors remained on the front fenders as they had since the '70 model, while T-tops and a new, updated version of the large Firebird hood decal were still on the option chart.

Interiors were updated with new door panels and thin-shell buckets, available in standard Oxen vinyl, optional Doeskin vinyl, or Hobnail cloth. A center console, simulated leather-wrapped Formula steering wheel (now color-keyed where appropriate) and an engine-turned instrument panel inlay completed the look. Another carry-over was the standard Rally Gauge cluster, which included both a clock and tachometer.

As for upholstery and paint colors, some limitations were levied against special-ordering contrasting combinations; however, a long list of power and comfort accessories could have easily pushed the discriminating buyer's bottom line beyond $10,000.

Special Edition (Y84)

As in previous years, the SE T/A, often erroneously referred to as the "Bandit edition," was available once again finished in a black paint/gold trim combination. T-tops were a deletable feature, whereas gold-trimmed snowflakes and white-letter tires were standard. Also standard was the 403, and like the base T/A, the full line of engine/transmission options was available, regional restrictions notwithstanding.

The production breakout is as follows: 9,874 featured the 403; 1,107 had the 400; 573 had the 301 engine (213 of which were equipped with the four-speed). Items such as the WS6 package, air conditioning and other power accessories were still optional.

10TH ANNIVERSARY TRANS AM (Y89)

Perhaps the most notable T/A of the year, this specially prepared model paced the Daytona 500 while celebrating an F-body milestone. The package was only available in two-tone silver and dark charcoal, trimmed with red, silver and gray striping. An enlarged, differently designed, color-keyed hood decal spilled onto the top of each front fender, effectively making it a three-piece motif rather than a standard one-piece decal.

Interiors were finished in silver, including the leather seats, the material of which--according to one published report--was left over from the '78 Corvette pace car effort. Another standout was the instrument panel, lit in red. As a top-of-the-line model, nearly every option was included standard, as was a Y89-only electronically tuned digital-display AM/FM/8-Track stereo with seek/scan features.

Beyond the appearance items, engine selection was limited to the 403 or the 400. The Y89 also mandated the installation of the WS6 package and the 15x8 Turbo wheels, which were produced by the Appliance Wheel Company. Total cost exceeded $10,600, yet it still attracted 7,500 buyers. 5,683 cars were equipped with the 403; 1,817 with the 400. Pontiac would release an anniversary edition every five years thereafter.

RESTORATION & PERFORMANCE PARTS

Each passing year, aftermarket parts suppliers continue to add reproduction items to their catalogs to facilitate maintaining or restoring a second-gen T/A. Most body panels and floorpans are available, while small trim items such as window cranks, emblems and decals complement upholstery and floor carpet. Performance upgrades are just as plentiful, permitting owners to upgrade suspension, drivetrain and exhaust systems with relative ease.

Engine

An 185hp Oldsmobile 403 was standard; however, Pontiac's 220hp 400 and 150hp economy 301 were optional (in 49 states). Don't fear the 403--it's torquey and reliable; it's also more affordable.

Brakes

By 1979, every T/A came with power front discs complemented by finned rear drums. This arrangement was effective, yet played second fiddle to the newly offered J65 four-wheel power disc option, also included with the WS6 package.

Transmission

Two were offered: the Turbo Hydra-Matic 350 and the Borg-Warner Super T-10 four-speed. The 403 mandated the automatic, while the 400 required the four-speed; the 301 could be had with either. Both can be easily serviced by professionals today.

Interior

Every T/A had a vinyl or cloth bucket seat interior, complete with a racy engine-turned dash insert, Rally Gauge Package (tach and clock), center console and Firebird emblems; 10th Anniversary editions were finished in silver leather.

Chassis

The T/A did not deviate from its original architecture, retaining a front subframe that was bolted to the unit-body. An independent front suspension and rear leaf springs could have been upgraded with the WS6 Performance Package.

Body

A distinctive change for '79 was the restyling of the nose and tail. Each headlamp was recessed into its own tunnel, while running/signal lamps were positioned behind the lowered, blacked-out grilles; taillamps gave the impression of a single blacked-out unit.