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1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am — 400ci V8, T-Tops, White over Red, Numbers-Correct Build Why This Car Is Special The 1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am sits at an interesting crossroads in American automotive history. By 1979, the Trans Am had become the best-selling version of the Firebird lineup, a remarkable reversal from its early days when it was a low-volume performance variant. That popularity was driven in no small part by the 1977 film Smokey and the Bandit, which planted the image of a black and gold Trans Am firmly into the cultural consciousness of an entire generation. But not every Trans Am from this era wore black and gold. This one wears white over a full red interior, and it carries the most desirable engine Pontiac still offered in 1979: the 6.6-liter, 400 cubic inch V8. By 1979, the emissions era had taken a heavy toll on American performance engines. Pontiac's own 400ci V8 was in its final year of production in the Trans Am. The W72 performance-tuned version of that engine — which this car carries, as confirmed by the T/A 6.6 air cleaner badge — was rated at 220 horsepower under the SAE net measurement standard used at the time, making it the strongest engine available in a 1979 Trans Am. The following year, the 400 was gone entirely, replaced by a 301ci Pontiac V8 or a Chevy-sourced 305. For collectors who want a second-generation Trans Am with a genuine Pontiac 400 under the hood, 1979 is the last year that was possible from the factory. The VIN on this car encodes the body style as a two-door sport coupe (position 4: 87) built at the Norwood, Ohio assembly plant, which was one of two facilities that produced Firebirds during this period. The model year code confirms 1979, and the engine position confirms V8 displacement consistent with the 6.6-liter 400. Features List - 6.6L 400ci V8 with T/A 6.6 Air Cleaner Badge - Factory Shaker Hood with Functional Ram Air Inlet - 3-Speed Turbo Hydra-Matic Automatic Transmission - T-Tops (Removable Glass Roof Panels) - Snowflake Aluminum Wheels - Dual Exhaust with Rear Outlets - Factory Tachometer and Full Gauge Cluster with RTS Badge - Radial Tuned Suspension (RTS) with Front and Rear Sway Bars - Power Front Disc Brakes - Power Steering - Tilt Steering Column - Air Conditioning (reported cold) - Center Console - Bucket Seats — Red Vinyl - Power Door Locks - Rear Window Louvers - Front and Rear Spoilers - Firebird Hood Decal - Sony Aftermarket Stereo Mechanical The heart of this 1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am is the 6.6-liter (400 cubic inch) Pontiac V8, topped with the T/A 6.6 shaker air cleaner that draws air directly from a functional scoop built into the hood. This setup — often called ram air — was unique to the Trans Am and drew in cooler outside air rather than recirculating hot underhood air. The W72 designation, identifiable by the T/A 6.6 badge, indicated a higher-performance tune relative to the base 400, with a specific camshaft profile and carburetor calibration. It was the engine Pontiac engineers used when they wanted to get the most out of what the 400 could still legally do in the emissions era. Backing the V8 is a 3-speed Turbo Hydra-Matic automatic transmission. While a 4-speed manual was available on some earlier Trans Ams, by 1979 the automatic was the dominant choice among buyers and is the more practical combination for daily driving and long-distance cruising today. The chassis is equipped with the Radial Tuned Suspension package, which Pontiac developed specifically to take advantage of the wider, lower-profile radial tires that were becoming standard on performance cars in the late 1970s. The RTS badge is visible on the instrument cluster of this car. The suspension package included specific spring rates, shock valving, front and rear sway bars, and steering calibration tuned for radial tires. Looking at the undercarriage in the photos, the floorpans appear solid and well-preserved, with no visible rust or compromised str
Body Style: Coupe
Condition: Used
Certified: 0

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