1978 Pontiac Trans Am

Coupe

400 CI/ 6.6 L

Automatic

2W87Z8N133868

Clear

Gasoline

The first 2 photos are the current configuration. If you put the original headlights and wheels & tires back on which also come with the car, the other photos show that look. THIS CAR COMES WITH TWO ENGINES (One out is original 78 Trans Am 400 CI, One in is 73 Formula 400 CI with approximately 10,000 miles), TWO SETS OF WHEELS (One is original), TWO SETS OF NEW TIRES AND ANY OTHER ORIGINAL PARTS I TOOK OFF FROM THIS CAR! This car SHINES with mostly original paint, never any damage, everything works and there has NEVER been any rust ANYWHERE! Original interior with no rips or tears, under hood great condition and in trunk immaculent! And best of all... It rides and handles like NEW! My NADA should be high retail..... Original MSRP Low Retail Value This vehicle would be in mechanically functional condition, needing only minor reconditioning. The exterior paint, trim and interior would show normal wear, needing only minor reconditioning. May also be a deteriorated restoration or a very poor amateur restoration. Most usable ‘as-is’. This value does not represent a ‘parts car’. Note: Some of the vehicles in this publication could be considered ‘Daily Drivers’ and are not valued as a classic vehicle. When determining a value for a daily driver, it is recommended that the subscriber use the low retail value. " hoverIntent_t="undefined" jQuery1380327796356="42"> Low Retail Average Retail Value This vehicle would be in good condition overall. It could be an older restoration or a well-maintained original vehicle. Completely operable. The exterior paint, trim, and mechanics are presentable and serviceable inside and out. A ‘20-footer’." hoverIntent_t="undefined" jQuery1380327796356="43"> Average Retail High Retail Value This vehicle would be in excellent condition overall. It could be a completely restored or an extremely well-maintained original vehicle showing very minimal wear. The exterior paint, trim, and mechanics are not in need of reconditioning. The interior would be in excellent condition. Note: This value does not represent a ‘100 Point’ or ‘# 1’ vehicle *. * ‘100 Point’ or ‘# 1’ vehicle is not driven. It would generally be in a museum or transported in an enclosed trailer to concourse judging and car shows. This type of car would be stored in a climate-regulated facility." jQuery1380327796356="44"> High Retail Base Price $5,889 $10,350 $16,100 $27,500 Options: (edit options) ADD-400 V8 ENG 15% 15% 15% ADD-AIR CONDITIONING 10% 10% 10% TOTAL PRICE: $5,889 $12,937 $20,125 $34,375 I had originally sent the following information with pictures to Tom Demauro on August 6, 2005. I also made a couple of phone calls to him and he had said he would put a story in High Performance Pontiac with my first call. The second call he said he did not see information with the pictures, but I told him it was there and he said he would look. But nothing was ever published, so I thought I would share the story here. I worked at the Vermont Air National Guard with the 158th Fighter Wing and the 158th Security Forces Squadron and retired in June of 2006 after a lengthy career of 34 years. In the month of March, 1991, I was visiting Russell, brother-in-law to my ex-wife's brother, with my ex-wife's brother at Russell's home in Richmond, Vermont. Russ asked me if I had ever seen his ‘78 TA, to which I responded no and had only heard about his nice TA. He proceeded to take me to his garage, pulled off a car cover from his TA and there appeared before me this incredibly gorgeous white ‘78 TA. I looked it over with awe, finding the exterior, interior, under the hood and in the trunk in perfect immaculate condition, with the odometer reading 36,004 miles on it. I asked him if he was selling it, to which he replied “no, but for the right price I might sell it”. I called my ex-wife, Lori and asked her if she wanted to be the owner of Russell's TA. She knew the car and was understandably pretty excited and of course said yes. On March 20th 1991, I purchased the TA for $7000.00, for Lori to drive during summer months, from Russ and Lori became the proud owner of a TA. Lori drove it that one summer of ‘91 and word got back to me that she was not too timid a driver with it and laid down her share of rubber on the roads. Well, I put the TA away for the winter of ‘91 and ‘92 and sometime during the winter Lori confided in me that the TA was eating to much gas and she could not afford it. My thought processes started to kick in. I already had a pretty sharp 1978 Camaro at the time with approximately 186,000 miles on it that I had owned since it was brand new. Would I actually sell my Camaro to make our winter car Chevette a car she would drive in the summer and me take over the TA for my summer car? Yes I would! Yes she wanted to! In the spring of ‘92 I had the Chevette repainted, put on a little hood scoop, chrome wheels and a set of Good Year Eagles and she was very pleased and I was also very pleased with my TA and we had enough money left over for a Florida vacation. Woo Hoo! I have the following documents with the TA. The 1978 Pontiac Owners Manual, the Pontiac Maintenance Schedule (which has never been written in, but don't let that fool you, it has been well maintained), the ECP Corrosion Proofing Certificate from MAY of ‘78, the Manufacturer's Statement of origin to a Motor Vehicle (this shows the Pontiac Motor Division General Motors Corporation has transferred this 1978 Trans Am Pontiac to Traynor Pontiac Inc. in Danbury CT. on December 20th where it was transferred to Green Tree Pontiac Corporation, also of Danbury, on March 31st ‘78 then to its first owner, Marcle Gingue of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, on May 2nd ‘78) and a certificate showing on May 2nd ‘78 PolyClyCoat was laid on this vehicle when new. Price for this car new was $7,500.00. Well, I blew the engine late in the summer of 1996, umm, doing about 140 MPH plus, on the interstate and I swear that was the only time I went that fast with it. In February of 1997 I found a 1973 Firebird Formula 400 engine with approximately 400 HP, in the newspaper, that was rebuilt for racing on oval tracks. I paid $400.00 for it, took out the original engine from my TA, which I now have stored in the corner of my garage, which will go with the car if it sells, and had David Wimble of Georgia, Vermont install the engine in the TA. I called GM Pontiac for advice and had Dave put on the original manifold, carburetor, distributor and spark plug wires from the ‘78 engine. I also had a local machine shop cut me a one inch thick aluminum spacer for under the carburetor. Obviously setting all that from the original '78 engine and the spacer on the ‘73 engine makes it more powerful then its original state when it was in the ‘73 Formula. In February ‘98 I installed a K&N air filter. In 1999 I installed, from Custom Auto sound Mfg. Innovative Audio, a Model USA-6 Electronically Tuned AMFM Receiver CD changer Controller, Custom made for “THE GREAT AMERICAN CAR”. It is a 6 CD changer hidden in a corner of the trunk and the radio looks pretty much authentic like it was the original radio. The two speakers are 100 watt Jensen's located on the back window dash, which were popular in 1978. While on vacation in Florida in Aug of ‘99, Mieneke put on rear Gabriel Air Shocks. Then I did the next unthinkable in July 2000. I took out the perfect original exhaust! Now, 2 pipes come out from the engine, I eliminated the catalytic converter, to the newer x-pipe system, to two Thrush Glass Packs from Jeg's and out the original tail pipes for the total original exterior look. In July of 2001 I did a complete cleaning, 29 hours worth, inside and out of the TA and entered my first ever car show. I entered the Vermont Classic Car Show and got a third place! I, personally, was thrilled. In August ‘03 I installed a Flame Thrower coil and Accel Racing 300+ spark plug wires. In early 2004 my brother-in-law, Scott Lavigne changed my Shaker Hood Scoop, which was non functional, to a functional Scoop, just like the ‘69 and ‘70 TA's. The grill is a cross hatch arrangement, painted low gloss black with chrome bezels. A “Pontiac” logo is bolted to the grille on the left side. Chromed Firebird emblems are mounted on the c-pillars. Standard equipment: Dual Body Color OSRV mirrors, LH remote; Power assisted front disc brakes, Saf-T-Track differential, Power steering, Front and rear stabilizer bars, Rally II wheels in excellent conditon will come with the car, vinyl bucket seats, Rally gauges with clock and tachometer, Formula steering wheel, Front seat floor console, Rear air spoiler, Cigarette lighter, Shaker hood and Front air dam. The Trans Am decal colors are Black-Red-Charcoal-Red. This car does have AC & an electric rear window defroster. The car is an automatic thus is WS6 equipped and has the obligatory stiffer rear springs (25-lbin higher deflection rating) that in Detroit-speak means “tuned” and it says on the dash above the steering column “radial tuned suspension” which is rare. The rear stabilizer bar is .75” and all stabilizer bars have polyurethane link bushings. The steering gearbox has a ratio of 14:1. The rubber on the wheels, which are 15 x 8 inch wide snowflake in excellent condition, are P22570R15 BF Goodridge T/As which are new. This vehicle of course, has positraction. I read an article from 1978 that referred to this vehicle as handling like the 1978 corvette. I can attest to that. I always use full synthetic oil in the engine and use Water Wetter, a fluid in the radiator to help keep the engine cooler, as the Pontiac 400 6.6L is known to easily run too hot. My engine never gets too hot. Under the hood and in the trunk and the interior are in like new condition with barely over 69,000 miles on it. I hope all reading this will appreciate my car along with me. Thank you. The bad... I scratched the top of the right rear quarter fender badly enough by mistake and had to paint that quarter over the roof to the left rear quarter because blending the new paint with the original paint on just the right rear quarter did not work with slight blemishes around the chromed Firebird emblems on the c-pillars due to just taping around them intead of taking them off for the repaint if you study it close enough.... the car is still great looking however as you can not see this unless you hunt it down. Update for 2011... Chrome brake fluid cover, chrome thermostat elbow w/ a free flowing thermostat, chrome rear end cover, replaced chrome tail pipes, poly bushings for traction bar & sun visor mirror for the passenger. Added chrome pedal trim. All of these parts except the poly bushings & thermostat could have been ordered with the car in '78. Update for 2012... New 17 X 9 Black Snowflake Wheels w/ New 275/40/17 Federal tires. The excellent original 15 X 8 Gray Snowflake wheels & new P22570R15 BF Goodridge T/As tires will go with the car if sold. Installed a Flame Thrower distributor module to compliment the 45,000 volt Flame Thrower coil that was already installed which I found out was actually needed to to make the additional voltage. Added polished stainless steel hood stops, chromed hood hinge bolts, a chrome power steering cap cover and a Chrome Transmission Dip Stick. Added a machined turned shifter plate cover which matches the one on the front dash. Installed Chrome trim around the edge of the bucket seat back covers. Added black projector headlights. Keep in mind, all original parts will be saved & always stay with the car. 2013: Added new octagon center wheel covers, octagon Trans Am Screaming Chicken valve stem covers & space saver spare tire cover. Added a Rear seat floor console. The first 2 photos are the current configuration. If you put the original headlights and wheels & tires back on which also come with the car, the other photos show that look. Once again as a reminder THIS CAR COMES WITH TWO ENGINES (One out is original 78 Trans Am 400 CI, One in is 73 Formula 400 CI with approximately 10,000 miles), TWO SETS OF WHEELS (One is original), TWO SETS OF NEW TIRES AND ANY OTHER ORIGINAL PARTS I TOOK OFF FROM THIS CAR! This car SHINES with mostly original paint, never any damage, everything works and there has NEVER been any rust ANYWHERE! Original interior with no rips or tears in immaculent condition, under hood great condition and in trunk immaculent! And best of all... It rides and handles like NEW! Questions/ Call after 11 AM Eastern 802-489-4079 I would swap for a '58 full size Chevy car in Super Condition. The car would have to be exceptional like mine.