Steve_Mack_CT Posted January 21, 2022 Share Posted January 21, 2022 Not sure about this dealer but they often have some interesting cars. What say you experts on this TA, seems like a decent price given color combo and number of pedals. https://www.hollywoodmotorsusa.com/vehicles/964/1976-pontiac-trans-am If you watch the video the narrator cracks me up, very enthusiastic. 👍😁 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted January 21, 2022 Share Posted January 21, 2022 (edited) I like it. And I hate red. But at 34,500 I've seen a lot worse. The later W72 Black cars and the anniversary cars seem to bring a lot more money. Edited January 21, 2022 by alsancle (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted January 21, 2022 Share Posted January 21, 2022 Maybe Kerry can jump in but I think there were 4 engine options in 76. This is not the 455HO. 976 PONTIAC TRANS AM 455 4 SPEED !!! 1976 PONTIAC TRANS AM NUMBERS MATCHING 455 4 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION ENGINE CODE WX 455 V8 RUNS SUPER STRONG SOUNDS GREAT FACTORY AIR CONDITIONING FINISHED IN BUCANNER RED PHS DOCUMENTS FACTORY BUCKSKIN INTERIOR PONTIAC SNOWFLAKE WHEEL CENTER CONSOLE COOPER COBRA RAISED LETTER TIRES VERY STRAIGHT BODY VERY NICE PAINT REPAINTED APPROX 5 YEARS AGO VERY CLEAN AND DRY UNDERNEATH (SEE PICS) POWER STEERING POWER BRAKES DISC BRAKES FINANCING AVAIL TRADES WELCOME 631-620-3330 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Mack_CT Posted January 21, 2022 Author Share Posted January 21, 2022 That would be interesting. I love the 75, 76 nose styling & I like the red. Same dealer has 71 Z clone for same money, exactly my vision for my 71 Camaro in hs, but I like this better actually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B Jake Moran Posted January 21, 2022 Share Posted January 21, 2022 Worth every penny. Own it, and watch it increase in value every year. These will be worth $50,000 in 10 years. In this case, partly because it's a 4 speed. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Luddy Posted January 21, 2022 Share Posted January 21, 2022 Good looking car. This one is a whole lot cheaper than buying a beater and trying to restore it! I've owned a few of them and up here in Canada rust killed a majority of them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avgwarhawk Posted January 21, 2022 Share Posted January 21, 2022 Great color combo. Great looking Pontiac. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted January 21, 2022 Share Posted January 21, 2022 Trans Am pricing is funny. The Y82 Bandit cars bring stupid money. Black cars bring a premium. The silver anniversary cars bring a premium. The 75/76 cars seem to be the nadir on pricing with 70-74 bring a lot and 77-79 W72 bringing a lot. 80/81 not so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted January 21, 2022 Share Posted January 21, 2022 I would go look at that but getting on to Long Island is a real pain in the ass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bryankazmer Posted January 21, 2022 Share Posted January 21, 2022 2 hours ago, alsancle said: The 75/76 cars seem to be the nadir on pricing and performance. Lots of gas turned into very modest power Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B Jake Moran Posted January 21, 2022 Share Posted January 21, 2022 41 minutes ago, bryankazmer said: and performance. Lots of gas turned into very modest power I agree but not sure it’s worth pulling motor to add hp. I’m not street racing anymore. It’s more of an artifact to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bryankazmer Posted January 21, 2022 Share Posted January 21, 2022 Agree 100% with keeping it original and representing its time. Just that there is a reason this period is called the malaise era Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Mack_CT Posted January 21, 2022 Author Share Posted January 21, 2022 Anyone who has owned a gen 2 F body knows the issue is more traction than power, right? Gotta think this would be a blast. @TAKerry enlighten us please on hp did it buck trends and increase in later years? I know 75, 76 were horrendous for vettes, but many have at least been given better breathing apparatus making for happier drivers. Just as EZ on a TA? Necessary? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAKerry Posted January 21, 2022 Share Posted January 21, 2022 (edited) 1976-2 engine options L78-400, L75-455. The W code can be one of several things on this car, Hood bird WW7, California compliant WX1 Trans Am WS4, there are other 'W' options but none motor related. Wrong colour for 1976, Bucaneer red was '77. 76 had Firethorn Red and Carousel Red (just splitting hairs here) only. Not a bad looking car, int. looks nice, 4 speed is the big bonus!! Underside and engine compartment dont look like a $35k car to me. 74-76 are what I call a tier 4. My ranking - 1. Anything Super Duty, 2. 70-73 3. 77-79 (3+ Special Edition cars) 4. 74-76 and 5. 80/81. Personally I value in this 1-5 range when looking at Trans Ams. I dont know the h/p numbers off hand but the 1976 455 was rated right at the same as the 1977 W72 motor. 3 options for 1977 were the W72 Pontiac 400 high output, L-78 Pontiac 400 and the L80 Olds 403. Horsepower was taking a dive since '73. The exception being the '74 Super Duty. By 77 they were pretty much choked down to nothing. The W72 was rated a little over 200hp. '78 bumped up a bit and along with the '79 W72. '80 and '81 was the low point between the 301, 301 turbo and the chevy 305. Good for the day but horrendous now. The only other car that compared handling and performance wise to the '77 W72 was the Corvette. FWIW, on my '77 W72, I had the motor rebuilt. A bit of a cam, ram air exhaust manifolds (copy of the factory headers) and 2.5" exhaust (no cats). It was warmed over a bit. Estimated around 400hp but I have not had it dynoed. My '79 W72 4 speed is supposed to be being built with the above and over bored a bit. Edited January 21, 2022 by TAKerry (see edit history) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gearheadengineer Posted January 21, 2022 Share Posted January 21, 2022 6 hours ago, alsancle said: I would go look at that but getting on to Long Island is a real pain in the ass. Port Jeff ferry! Limited winter schedule but still running. You can relax and have a drink on the way over. I don’t think I’ve seen one in this red before. Nice to see something different. T/As (and red) aren’t my thing but the four speed is a plus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gearheadengineer Posted January 21, 2022 Share Posted January 21, 2022 I forgot to add - LI pricing is rarely at the low end. Or even the middle. Thorough inspection recommended. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAKerry Posted January 21, 2022 Share Posted January 21, 2022 Looking back at the ad, The wheels look horrible too. Def need restored! Looks like a re-sale red paint job. Its nice but the inside lip of the fenders was masked off, you can see the old at the edge. Also the shaker was taped off and painted and not very good! Again, it looks nice but not for $35k. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Luddy Posted January 21, 2022 Share Posted January 21, 2022 The "snowflake" wheels are from a later T/A. Probably came stock with Rallye II's or "honeycombs" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Luddy Posted January 21, 2022 Share Posted January 21, 2022 Also, that's not a stock color for 76. They came in "Firethorn" red. A metallic color. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted January 21, 2022 Share Posted January 21, 2022 (edited) We talked about a Firethorn red one a few months ago down in Maryland. About the same money but the car had no paperwork, which is strange for a Pontiac. At least to me. https://classiccars.com/listings/view/1547188/1976-pontiac-firebird-trans-am-for-sale-in-linthicum-maryland-21090 Edited January 21, 2022 by alsancle (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Luddy Posted January 21, 2022 Share Posted January 21, 2022 I do really like the round headlight cars now. That's a change for me as I couldn't wait to get a new style double square headlight one back in the late 70's ! I did get a 78 Starlight black/ black interior, gold pinstripe one in 79. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAKerry Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 15 hours ago, Ed Luddy said: The "snowflake" wheels are from a later T/A. Probably came stock with Rallye II's or "honeycombs" DUH! My mindset 77 and beyond. Yes, Rally II's were standard, honey comb wheels were extra cost item. 76 was the last year for the honeycomb wheels replaced in 77 with the 7" snowflake. (The wheels on this car still need restored😃) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Mack_CT Posted January 24, 2022 Author Share Posted January 24, 2022 So Bucaneer red was an earlier offering and came back later? Firethorn is ok, neighbor had a regular 75 or 76 Firebird in that color but not quite as fitting on a TA or formula model to me. I like the yellow on the TA that was offered in this time period as well. Seems like a fair amount out of whack on subject car. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Luddy Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 9 hours ago, Steve_Mack_CT said: So Bucaneer red was an earlier offering and came back later? Firethorn is ok, neighbor had a regular 75 or 76 Firebird in that color but not quite as fitting on a TA or formula model to me. I like the yellow on the TA that was offered in this time period as well. Seems like a fair amount out of whack on subject car. The Goldenrod Yellow is a rarer color than most. Hard to find today. Yes there are a few things out of whack for sure. If you are buying in that price range should be able to find a nice stock model without the modifications. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivguy Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 My brother had a 'red 76 with auto, it was couple of years old at the time. It was great fun to drive with effortless performance. I don't know that it was particularly fast, I wasn't racing anyone, but it was fun. He later bought a used '77 Camaro Z 28 with a four speed. That wasn't as nice to drive, the transmission didn't shift like an import. I think that it detracted from the experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAKerry Posted January 28, 2022 Share Posted January 28, 2022 Figure I would post here so as not to 'dillute' a thread. There is a lot of discussion about the 'Rain Man' roadmaster selling for stupid money. I believe that BJ is going to auction a Trans Am that was owned by Burt Reynolds. To the best of my knowledge this was a promotional gift. I doubt he was running blockade for anyone in this particular car. As far as the movie "Smokey and the Bandit", NO movie cars were salvaged. There had been some rumors over the years but all disproven. They had very few cars at their disposal for filming and it was reported that a car had to dragged into the final filming scene it was in such bad condition. SO, this car being sold is NOT a movie car, NOT a car that Burt went out and bought because he thought they were cool, Just a gift. I bet it sells for close to a million! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted January 28, 2022 Share Posted January 28, 2022 I’ll bet it is an automatic too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Mack_CT Posted January 28, 2022 Author Share Posted January 28, 2022 I think an exception to my "not into celeb cars" stance could be a James Garner Firebird. I know he was a car guy and I understand he was actively involved with the signature car for the Rockford Files series. I believe he kept at least the last car when the show ended. That would be cool. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted January 28, 2022 Share Posted January 28, 2022 The only celebrity or movie car I would want is the Hannibal Eight. Maybe the Leslie Special. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Mack_CT Posted January 28, 2022 Author Share Posted January 28, 2022 2 hours ago, alsancle said: The only celebrity or movie car I would want is the Hannibal Eight. Maybe the Leslie Special. No Chitty AJ? Too whimsical? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gearheadengineer Posted January 28, 2022 Share Posted January 28, 2022 I can think of only one movie car I would want to own. Does anyone remember the movie “Bullitt?” With Steve McQueen’s character driving the green 1968 Mustang GT, being pursued by the Dodge Charger in the long chase scene? I want the green Volkswagen that shows up multiple times. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAKerry Posted January 28, 2022 Share Posted January 28, 2022 6 hours ago, Steve_Mack_CT said: I think an exception to my "not into celeb cars" stance could be a James Garner Firebird. I know he was a car guy and I understand he was actively involved with the signature car for the Rockford Files series. I believe he kept at least the last car when the show ended. That would be cool. One of the Rockford cars sold a couple of years ago. It was documented, still had switches and gear inside for microphones and such. I think it went for close to 100k. I have loved Firebirds since my first ride in mom's 67 400 when I was about 5. I watched Rockford every friday night, started to just because of the car. I have read that James Garner did not like the front end styling of the 79 cars so the last season he kept a leftover 78. If you watch the show (I have it on dvd) each season the car is upgraded to that years model. As tv shows go though, watching some chase scenes they mixed in old footage with new. Although all the same colour you can see the diff. in the years of the car within one scene at different times. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Mack_CT Posted January 29, 2022 Author Share Posted January 29, 2022 Yep I was a fan as well Kerry. Caught some reruns recently, but had to concede the acting was much worse than I remember as a kid. I wonder if Rocky's GMC was periodically updated as well. I liked Cannon also, as every third episode had some chase scene with his humungus Mark IV Lincoln. 😁 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted January 29, 2022 Share Posted January 29, 2022 22 hours ago, Steve_Mack_CT said: No Chitty AJ? Too whimsical? Steve, you know I can have a ride in one of those whenever I want. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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