alsancle Posted June 7, 2021 Share Posted June 7, 2021 (edited) I love this car. Somebody tell me what is wrong with it. I don't see the PHS docs.? Be better off with the W72? Not a 455HO? Kerry - what do you think? https://www.ebay.com/itm/1976-Pontiac-Trans-Am-/334027087945 76 PONTIAC TRANS AM and loaded with options ! • The most Iconic 70's muscle car • Pontiac High-Output 400cid V8 • Optional M-21 4-speed close ratio Manual Transmission • Pontiac Heavy Duty Rear Differential • Pontiac's Radial Tuned Suspension • Mirror Finish Firethorn red paint with Black and Gold Phoenix, professionally show waxed and detailed • Iconic Shaker Hood with "400" Callouts • Optional rear defroster • Original Carmine white bucket seat interior w/ factory console & deluxe door panels • Machine Turned Aluminum Rally dash W/factory gauges inc 8K RPM Tach & 100 MPH speedo • 3-Spoke leather wrapped Trans Am Steering wheel • Optional Ice-cold Air-Conditioning • Original Delco AM radio • Show ready detailed engine compartment • Power front Disc Brakes • Ultra-sharp Power Steering • Optional 15" "Honeycomb" wheels w/ raised white letter radials • Great sounding factory dual exhaust • Pontiac 400cid High-Output V8, 4-speed Manual, Firethorn red and that Iconic black and gold Phoenix! • Show or drive this collector quality, investment grade '76 Pontiac Trans Am Edited June 7, 2021 by alsancle (see edit history) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 7, 2021 Share Posted June 7, 2021 It must be iconic because he said it 3 times. 😄 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted June 7, 2021 Author Share Posted June 7, 2021 36 minutes ago, GregLaR said: It must be iconic because he said it 3 times. 😄 I think the seller is confusing it with the black SE edition. But I really like the colors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 Yes, it's sharp looking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted June 8, 2021 Author Share Posted June 8, 2021 I sent a message asking about docs. We will see what comes back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Luddy Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 Firethorn Red is a great color. Iconic??? not so much. Nice car without the hype! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
39BuickEight Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 You will have to point out where he said the red was iconic. All I see is him saying black and gold eagle is, which is true for many people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesR Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 Wow, beautiful. And I'm not even a T/A guy. Looks perfect to my eye, but it's eBay, so be careful. I also love the color. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 Here's a very similar car but with the 455 4 speed, sold seven months ago on BaT for $31K so the seller's asking price of $39K is probably in the ball park. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1976-pontiac-trans-am-8/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted June 8, 2021 Author Share Posted June 8, 2021 Thanks for reminding me to use BAT as a comp resource. This is a 76 in yellow that doesn't pop to me 1/2 as much but brought 55k. Loads of paperwork. The 455 is 30 more HP than the 400 in 76 so I guess that is gonna be a premium. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1976-pontiac-trans-am-10/ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryB Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 It’s great to see some 1970s cars getting noticed. Many cars of that era were boring but not all as we see here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingrudy Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 Beautiful car, really sharp looking interior. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Mack_CT Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 Love the 76 nose. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
95Cardinal Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 I don't know if there is anything "wrong" with it, but I do wonder why they didn't replace the shoulder belt loops on the seat backs. Those loops are available for less than $10 each from Ames Performance and other companies. I believe there should only be 2 screws attaching the lower (plastic) trim panel to the doors; one at the front of the panel and one at the rear. I wonder why there are several added screws on both door panels? I would also want to see detailed under-car and engine compartment photos, the engine ID number and the PHS docs. It certainly is a good looking car! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted June 8, 2021 Author Share Posted June 8, 2021 They don't have any of the paperwork. Here is a walk around video the seller sent me: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Mack_CT Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 7 minutes ago, alsancle said: They don't have any of the paperwork. AJ is out. 😁 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted June 8, 2021 Author Share Posted June 8, 2021 That’s what I told him. Paperwork is more important to me than the actual car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 Small unfinished details like those belt loops on an otherwise excellent looking car, are anathema to me. Like you said, Seller could correct for it for a pittance and not have to use the words "except for". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Mack_CT Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 Oh I don't know boys, seatbelt loops, impeccible paper trails... I might want to know more about the ability to smoke up those El Dorado radial T/A tires... 😎 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 9, 2021 Share Posted June 9, 2021 1 hour ago, Steve_Mack_CT said: I might want to know more about the ability to smoke up those El Dorado radial T/A tires... 😎 Of course you are absloutely right! 😄 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted June 9, 2021 Author Share Posted June 9, 2021 (edited) I think what I have learned here is the Firethorn red looks great with the white interior and honeycomb wheels. But this car is not the 455HO or the W72 400 and is missing paperwork which holds it back. Also, in the TA market, the Y84 "Bandit" cars rule for value. Edited June 9, 2021 by alsancle (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAKerry Posted June 10, 2021 Share Posted June 10, 2021 4 speed is the value, car looks to be in great condition. With a car like this, or most trans ams, paper work doesnt mean that much. The vin and body tag will tell you most of what you need to know-if its a real trans am, what motor came with it, colour. Most of the time you will need paperwork to verify if it is a true Special Edition car, which have higher values than non s.e.'s. In this case they are not claiming the car to be one so no harm no foul. Although I have PHS for my cars, they really dont tell all that much. For a 76 t/a a 455 (final year) is the prime target. I would have to double check but I dont think the w72 option came out until 1977. I am thinking the 77 w72 had the same or comparible h/p-torque specs to the 76 455. Yea, they could have added the shoulder strap guides for a few bucks, kinda silly not to. As to 'all of the screws' in the lower door panel, looks like they have 1 extra. Stock should be something like 4 of them. Those lower panels are repro'd now but just recently. The originals warp pretty bad along that seem, get brittle and crack easily. Explains the extra screw. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Luddy Posted June 10, 2021 Share Posted June 10, 2021 On 6/8/2021 at 1:19 PM, alsancle said: That’s what I told him. Paperwork is more important to me than the actual car. 15 years ago I bought a 1976 Pontiac Trans Am. Ordered and sold new less than 5 miles from where it spent it's time with the original owner until he passed. He ordered it with the 455, 4 speed manual, A/C, no console, very sparse. White with red vinyl interior/ multi color screaming chicken decals. I bought it out of the barn on his estate farm that it sat in far too long with a leaky roof. Car was near scrap, but paperwork, GM Vintage Vehicle documents and local folklore around the "last of the 455's" sold in our area made me buy it. It was only a mile down from my place so I was 1st there. Had to buy a good solid Western dry car to get decent body panels, and many other parts. Before I could get it in a shop for resto a local guy came to the door who had a much closer connection to the car. He had been driving past it in my driveway and when he seen me show up driving the donor car he ended up buying the pair. Buying one like this feature car is far less expensive and most of all, turn key. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted June 11, 2021 Author Share Posted June 11, 2021 (edited) 54 minutes ago, Ed Luddy said: 15 years ago I bought a 1976 Pontiac Trans Am. Ordered and sold new less than 5 miles from where it spent it's time with the original owner until he passed. He ordered it with the 455, 4 speed manual, A/C, no console, very sparse. White with red vinyl interior/ multi color screaming chicken decals. I bought it out of the barn on his estate farm that it sat in far too long with a leaky roof. Car was near scrap, but paperwork, GM Vintage Vehicle documents and local folklore around the "last of the 455's" sold in our area made me buy it. It was only a mile down from my place so I was 1st there. Had to buy a good solid Western dry car to get decent body panels, and many other parts. Before I could get it in a shop for resto a local guy came to the door who had a much closer connection to the car. He had been driving past it in my driveway and when he seen me show up driving the donor car he ended up buying the pair. Buying one like this feature car is far less expensive and most of all, turn key. Understood. My reasoning on cars in the muscelcar era is that you can fix anything but missing paperwork and non-matching vin stamped components. You are correct, that in the end you are underwater, but you can make the same mistakes on car without the provenance and matching pieces. I figure, at least start with the right car. Edited June 11, 2021 by alsancle (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Luddy Posted June 11, 2021 Share Posted June 11, 2021 14 hours ago, alsancle said: Understood. My reasoning on cars in the muscelcar era is that you can fix anything but missing paperwork and non-matching vin stamped components. You are correct, that in the end you are underwater, but you can make the same mistakes on car without the provenance and matching pieces. I figure, at least start with the right car. Yes exactly that! Start with the right car. The restoration cost is going to be the same as a "clone" or "recreation" 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tmann Posted June 14, 2021 Share Posted June 14, 2021 I love the color and the 76 nose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted June 14, 2021 Author Share Posted June 14, 2021 (edited) I watched "Smokey and the Bandit" last night for the first time in 25 years. Burt Reynolds acting seemed to basically consist of smiling and laughing - but he was good at it. Sally was cute. It has always bugged me they used an automatic but made the sounds and action seem like a stick car. But otherwise you walk away from the movie thinking, "I would like one of those Bandit SE cars". Somebody correct me, but apples to apples doesn't the Y82 option increase the price by 50-100%? Edited June 14, 2021 by alsancle (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAKerry Posted June 17, 2021 Share Posted June 17, 2021 50% anyway. I have heard that the soundtrack from two lane black top was dubbed in for the motor. Movie is def campy, But I still watch it whenever its on. The cars in the move were supposed to be 76's with 77 noses applied. In a couple of scenes you can def see that the car is a 76 with honeycomb wheels. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Mack_CT Posted June 17, 2021 Share Posted June 17, 2021 Watching movies can make one do stupid sh**. Got this at age 13 or so, for spending a Saturday afternoon or two helping a family friend cut firewood. Right out of the barn. It was already filled where emblem would go, I stripped and did that. Wish I let it be 45 years on... Back to 'birds. Watched a couple of Rockfords recently, great cars, Garner was a car guy...but horrible acting!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted August 3, 2021 Author Share Posted August 3, 2021 Still available. Dealer was pretty sure it was going to be gone in 48 hours but maybe not. I still like it but won't buy a musclecar without paperwork - even if it is over kill on a Trans Am (thanks Kerry). https://www.ebay.com/itm/1976-Pontiac-Trans-Am-/334099300216 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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