Read my column on Autotrader.com/Oversteer for more about why this Trans Am is such a bargain! www.autotrader.com/car-video/1...
Commenti: 3 563
Arūnas Okunevičius
Personally for me, these 1977 and 78 Trans AMs are one of the most beautiful and badass looking cars ever made. A dream car.
krocialblack
Hats off for Burt Reynolds. Him and the Trans Am both are now gone, but not forgotten.
SouthTexasCollectables23
It's funny hearing rich people's definition of inexpensive
Right Wing Safety Squad
As of 1977, the Firebird was the most aerodynamic production car GM had ever built.
Travis Kraft
One of the coolest looking cars ever...and my T-tops never leaked.
Zeoinx
This is still the best muscle car in my eyes. It really is visually distinctive, I can see it being used "offroad" (Not like, mountiany offroad, but dirt roads and minor stuff) vs other cars of similar era. I would never for instance, try to take a Dodge Charger from a simlar era of muscle cars offroad in any capacity, or a challenger, they just dont look the part in my eyes. But a slightly dusty or dirty Firebird, just looks like it wants to keep going and burn through more. I think one would use the term... Rugged. Thats how I think of the Firebird. Rugged Muscle. Its not the most powerful, its not the most popular, But It has its own style that just fits with me, and that is the most important part of a car for a person, if THEY like it. If they feel cool in it. Hell with the rest of the world, and drive Your own path.
Brice Babcock
“It also has the aerodynamics of a brick.”
Rick Leuce
Totally agree this is one of the most affordable ways of owning a car like in the movies. I may be a Ford guy, but I'd take a late 70s Firebird over a late 70s Mustang.
Digital Magic Studios
220HP was no slouch in the smog control ridden, low tech, energy crisis plagued late 70s. New these things could run 15s in the 1/4 (14s if you powershifted and ran leaded gas). And the WS6 cars were some of the best handling cars around.
Renegade Show
the Radial Tuned Suspension was actually pretty good in these cars, as long as you have good bushings and shocks in them, it will perform fairly well and have way better road manners than about anything else of the muscle car era!
DustyBalz
First of all, the Pontiac 6.6 (Pontiac or Olds 403) had 180 hp, the optional W72 engine was a Pontiac special block with higher performance ignition, Rochester Q-jet carb and 350 heads that boosted the hp to 220, (NHRA stated that GM under reported and it was more like 260hp). The performance was limited due to Carter administration EPA choking adjustments. Its NOT a ram air, its a shaker hood. In 78 Pontiac offered the WS6 suspension option along with the W72, they were geared as torque monsters. Car and Driver tested the 78 Trans Am against the Corvette, the TA outperformed the Vette at the time.
Steve Jones
As an 8 year old in 1977, I clearly remember how popular the Trans Am really was, especially after the movie came out. I had a neighbor who owned the local pontiac dealership, and he drove a dealership Trans Am most of the time. My sister's boyfriend drove a '78 model, and the hellraiser down the street drove a Trans Am Formula. The cars seemed to be everywhere, along with the Camaro.
Richard Piet
Should be arrested for taking it through a car wash to begin with.
jeffslutz
Actually the 78 TA was a quiet and smooth driving car (I bought mine in 1980 with 17,000 miles on it). The one you are testing has been altered. Yours has the early 70s speedometer (the 1978 went to 100 mph, not 160) and based on your comments someone has changed the ring and pinion ratio in the rear differential (2.41 and 2.56 ratios were common). At highway speeds (55 mph back then) my engine only turned 1,500 rpm and was only 3,000 rpm at 100 mph. The T tops didn't leak 40 years ago....maybe you should replace the rubber seals? Your video is mildly interesting but lacks accuracy.
DustyBalz
The T tops were the most expensive option at around $600, next was AC at about $360, performance package $320 and AM/FM radio $230
Vajra Bhakti
The starters on these cars were mounted way too close to the exhaust pipes. This meant your starter had to be replaced regularly. The factory came out with a small lame heat shield as a band-aid.
RLJ.251
I was the 2nd owner of a hard top 78 T/A 6.6 with a 4 speed. Previous owner had made the shaker scoop functional. So you could hear the air just being gulped down into the carb. Cruising the highway and pulling up to pass, you could stay in 4th and just let the 4 barrels kick in like an automatic downshifts to pass. Fun car to drive. But high single digit gas mileage in town and not quite 20 mpg on the highway, meant frequent fill ups. But when you decided to have fun, you had fun.
ChrisM 🇦🇺
Doug, the kind of guy who can't handle a hellcat.
edwoll77
Not cheap anymore. The values of low mileage , clean survivors, and fully restored have skyrocketed in the last couple years. Now, the Gen 3 values are taking off as well.
Car Wizard
Very good guy. Love his videos. Original content. Refreshing to see his style of video creation versus some of the crap on youtube. This guy isnt following someone else's trail, he is blazing his own from scratch. Keep up the good work good buddy!
Personally for me, these 1977 and 78 Trans AMs are one of the most beautiful and badass looking cars ever made. A dream car.
Hats off for Burt Reynolds. Him and the Trans Am both are now gone, but not forgotten.
It's funny hearing rich people's definition of inexpensive
As of 1977, the Firebird was the most aerodynamic production car GM had ever built.
One of the coolest looking cars ever...and my T-tops never leaked.
This is still the best muscle car in my eyes. It really is visually distinctive, I can see it being used "offroad" (Not like, mountiany offroad, but dirt roads and minor stuff) vs other cars of similar era. I would never for instance, try to take a Dodge Charger from a simlar era of muscle cars offroad in any capacity, or a challenger, they just dont look the part in my eyes. But a slightly dusty or dirty Firebird, just looks like it wants to keep going and burn through more. I think one would use the term... Rugged. Thats how I think of the Firebird. Rugged Muscle. Its not the most powerful, its not the most popular, But It has its own style that just fits with me, and that is the most important part of a car for a person, if THEY like it. If they feel cool in it. Hell with the rest of the world, and drive Your own path.
“It also has the aerodynamics of a brick.”
Totally agree this is one of the most affordable ways of owning a car like in the movies. I may be a Ford guy, but I'd take a late 70s Firebird over a late 70s Mustang.
220HP was no slouch in the smog control ridden, low tech, energy crisis plagued late 70s. New these things could run 15s in the 1/4 (14s if you powershifted and ran leaded gas). And the WS6 cars were some of the best handling cars around.
the Radial Tuned Suspension was actually pretty good in these cars, as long as you have good bushings and shocks in them, it will perform fairly well and have way better road manners than about anything else of the muscle car era!
First of all, the Pontiac 6.6 (Pontiac or Olds 403) had 180 hp, the optional W72 engine was a Pontiac special block with higher performance ignition, Rochester Q-jet carb and 350 heads that boosted the hp to 220, (NHRA stated that GM under reported and it was more like 260hp). The performance was limited due to Carter administration EPA choking adjustments. Its NOT a ram air, its a shaker hood. In 78 Pontiac offered the WS6 suspension option along with the W72, they were geared as torque monsters. Car and Driver tested the 78 Trans Am against the Corvette, the TA outperformed the Vette at the time.
As an 8 year old in 1977, I clearly remember how popular the Trans Am really was, especially after the movie came out. I had a neighbor who owned the local pontiac dealership, and he drove a dealership Trans Am most of the time. My sister's boyfriend drove a '78 model, and the hellraiser down the street drove a Trans Am Formula. The cars seemed to be everywhere, along with the Camaro.
Should be arrested for taking it through a car wash to begin with.
Actually the 78 TA was a quiet and smooth driving car (I bought mine in 1980 with 17,000 miles on it). The one you are testing has been altered. Yours has the early 70s speedometer (the 1978 went to 100 mph, not 160) and based on your comments someone has changed the ring and pinion ratio in the rear differential (2.41 and 2.56 ratios were common). At highway speeds (55 mph back then) my engine only turned 1,500 rpm and was only 3,000 rpm at 100 mph. The T tops didn't leak 40 years ago....maybe you should replace the rubber seals? Your video is mildly interesting but lacks accuracy.
The T tops were the most expensive option at around $600, next was AC at about $360, performance package $320 and AM/FM radio $230
The starters on these cars were mounted way too close to the exhaust pipes. This meant your starter had to be replaced regularly. The factory came out with a small lame heat shield as a band-aid.
I was the 2nd owner of a hard top 78 T/A 6.6 with a 4 speed. Previous owner had made the shaker scoop functional. So you could hear the air just being gulped down into the carb. Cruising the highway and pulling up to pass, you could stay in 4th and just let the 4 barrels kick in like an automatic downshifts to pass. Fun car to drive. But high single digit gas mileage in town and not quite 20 mpg on the highway, meant frequent fill ups. But when you decided to have fun, you had fun.
Doug, the kind of guy who can't handle a hellcat.
Not cheap anymore. The values of low mileage , clean survivors, and fully restored have skyrocketed in the last couple years. Now, the Gen 3 values are taking off as well.
Very good guy. Love his videos. Original content. Refreshing to see his style of video creation versus some of the crap on youtube. This guy isnt following someone else's trail, he is blazing his own from scratch. Keep up the good work good buddy!