The Pontiac Trans Am

I don't want to call it a guilty pleasure like wanting a Gremlin, but I've always liked the screaming chicken version of the Trans Am. that would be 1981 and earlier. Production started in 1969 when all the manufacturers came up with a car for the Trans Am series. Chevy had the Z28, Plymouth had the AAR Cuda, AMC had the Javelin Ford had the Boss 302. Pontiacs entrry was the Trans Am which stayed in production until 2002 when the GM retired the F-Body platform.

The one I like is the 1979 version with the W72 engine option and of course the Y82 Black/Gold paint. The W72 was the last real musclecar engine and was rated at a legit 220 HP. The "special edition" Y82 is the famous Bandit black/gold scheme that Burt Reynolds made famous. I'm not stuck on the Y82 but the W72 which only came with the four speed is non-negotiable.

Anybody else like the Trans AM?

Oct 28, 2026

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Replies (29)

· 5d

There were 4 generations in total.

Evolution Across Four Generations

• First Generation (1969):  The debut with only  697 units. All were finished in Cameo White with dual blue racing stripes and 400 cu engines.
• Second Generation (1970–1981): This version ran the longest and included functional "Shaker" hood scoop that vibrated with the engine's idle. Introduction of the "Screaming Chicken" hood decal and gold "snowflake" aluminum wheels.
• Third Generation (1982–1992): For me,  things went sideways here  with complete departure from the heavy muscle look. Featured pop-up headlights and improved fuel efficiency.  Remeber the talking supercar "K.I.T.T." in the 1980s television show Knight Rider?
• Fourth Generation (1993–2002):  Back to a more aggressive design with the corvette-derived 5.7-liter LT1 and LS1 V8 engines. Production stopped  2002 with a special Collector Edition.

· 5d

With the 79, I'm not stuck on the Y82 paint scheme. There are other colors I like including the silver anniversary cars. This blue is nice.

· 5d

Speaking of the anniversary cars here is one. You could get them with the W72 four speed and that would be the way I would want it.

· 5d

1976 was a good year with the soccer ball wheels and last year of the 455. Only available with the four speed it was actually rated lower than the coming W72 400 at 200 HP.

· 5d

Not a horrible movie and Sally Fields was cute. The four speed sounds in a car they clearly show is an automatic required me to suspend disbelief.

YouTube ↗

· 4d

Burt had a great personality on screen.

· 4d

When I was in fifth grade we did a project to write letters to celebrity's. I wrote to Burt and got his autograph. No idea what happened to that.

· 5d

For me the one to have is the 69. Lowest production, you never see them, ever. You will see 10 Z28s before you see a Trans Am.

· 4d

I had a bunch of them.
My favourite was my 1981 Turbo T/A. 210 hp, 345 lb/ft of torque and the WS6 handling package.
Great car for canyon carving.

The T/A was always the Camaro that had grown up. They came standard with things you paid extra for on the Camaro.
Bigger swaybars, stiffer springs, better handling. A Hurst Competition Plus shifter, rather than the sloppy ITM shifter that came in the Camaro. If it was an automatic, you got a sport shifter.
Pontiac's aero package was developed in a wind tunnel. Chevrolet's was a "me too" add on done more for looks.
Someone was drunk when they decided where to put the heater controls in the Camaro.

They stopped being Pontiacs when the 3rd gen cars arrived.

(edited)

· 4d

Makes sense right? Pontiac was a rung up the GM Hierarchy so it would have more standard features. I know we talked about the 80 vs 81 Camaros and I'm sure the Firebird had the same issue with electronics? Good mention the WS6 and I should do a call out on that too.

· 4d

A.J. the issue with the 81 F-body cars was the ECM GM introduced under the dash wired to an early electronic version of the Rochester Quadrajet carburetor (E4ME) and an electronic distributor. Any tuning/messing with stuff under the hood results in your check engine light (also introduced in 81) being lit all the time.

· 4d

Thanks. I think I remember @ShawnG mentioning something like that.

· 4d

I’ll admit that they’ve never been my cup of tea, though I think it has more to do with the era that they were a product of than the cars themselves. I have always liked the snowflake wheels though.

· 4d

I like the 76 - 77 - 78 T/As better than the 79 upcars but basically like them all.

· 3d

Steve, I'm not expert but I think 79 is a highwater market because of the nose. We need TAKerry here to explain for us. You could get the W72 engine which was the most powerful american engine you could buy since the SD455.

· 4d

3rd gen guys. 😂😂

· 4d

😂 A kid in my shop class in high school had a 3rd gen Z28 that he painted bright blue and put a ridiculous wing on the hatch. Even as an 18 year old kid, it made my skin crawl.

· 3d

Memes often have much truth to them.

· 3d

Just saw this today. I wonder what his favorite kind of car is.

· 3d

Me circa 1988.

· 3d

Is that “The Hoff”?!

Also, is that a legit Member’s Only jacket?

· 3d

We used to call it "pleather" back in the day. Don't believe I have a picture of me in my full length leather trench coat . Somehow I was still able to attract girlfriends.

· 3d

😂 No animals were harmed in the making of that jacket.

That would be a great photo for one of those “caption this” contests.

· 3d

😂

· 4d

https://app.rumbleseat.com/rumblefeed/post/15630/the-macho-trans-am

· 2d

I really like these burnt orange 76 cars with the honeycomb wheels. This one is on ebay for 52k.

1 / 4

· 1d

LOVE that!

· 1d

I'll admit, but only on here, that I'm a sucker for these as well. I was an impressionable pre-teen car guy when they were new (and everywhere) and in high school when they were used but still decent and sort of affordable for guys just a few years older. Much later, as an actual adult, I considered buying one, but was cured of that when a co-worker took me for a ride in his newly acquired low mileage '79 Z-28 (yes I know this is a T/A thread). Wow, are they small inside! And I'm not a big guy.

· 1d

Its funny what seems spacious as a 16 year old seems awfully small as a full fledged adult. Friend of mine's dad had a 80Z28 with the 350/ 4 speed. He would drive 3 teenagers with hockey equipment to the game. Looking at those trunks I have no idea how they stuffed all the equipment or kids in to that car.