1979 Pontiac Firebird

1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am — 403 V8, T-Tops, Platinum, Florida Car with Solid Undercarriage

The 1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am sits at the peak of the second-generation Firebird's popularity. By 1979, Trans Am sales had exploded thanks in large part to the Smokey and the Bandit film franchise — Pontiac sold over 117,000 Trans Ams that model year, a record for the nameplate. That cultural moment is now four decades in the rearview mirror, and clean, honest examples like this one have become increasingly difficult to find. What separates this car from the pack is not just its factory-correct Trans Am equipment, but where it spent its life. Florida cars avoid the salt, the rust, and the rot that end the stories of most late-1970s muscle cars. The undercarriage on this one bears that out in photographs, and you can confirm it in person.

The VIN decodes this car as a Norwood, Ohio-assembled 1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, body style 87 — the standard coupe. The engine code in the VIN confirms the 403 cubic inch Oldsmobile V8, which was the automatic transmission engine option for the Trans Am in 1979. Buyers in states with stricter emissions requirements, including California, received this engine rather than the Pontiac 400. The 403 was built by Oldsmobile and is a well-regarded unit with good torque characteristics and a strong parts supply today.

This is a complete, honest, driver-quality 1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am with all the right factory features — T-tops, the Screaming Chicken hood decal, Snowflake wheels, the T/A 6.6 air cleaner, and a black interior. It wears Platinum exterior paint, a color that photographs as a cool silver-gray and suits the Trans Am's long hood and aggressive body lines particularly well. If you were a teenager in 1979, this is exactly the car that was on your bedroom wall.

Key details
Exterior: Platinum
Transmission: 3-Speed Automatic
VIN / chassis: 2W87K9L184945

Offered by Skyway Classics, 10420 Portal Crossing, Bradenton, FL 34212. Taxes, title and fees not included.

Photos courtesy of Skyway Classics.