[gtohurstjudge]

Just wondering, what kind of reaction do you get with your late
70's T/A at car shows? I own several no. 1 condition show cars of the muscle variety,
but the last few years when I show my 79 T/A at an all makes show or even a Pontiac Show
I sometimes feel like the Maytag repairman! (loneliest guy in town). Usually one or two people
at a big show will go nuts over it and stare at it for twenty minutes because it is the nicest one they've seen, but these people are always previous owners of a 79 T/A back in the day.
The other folks other than previous 79 owners look at the car like it's a rusty Volkswagen
Beetle. As a point of reference, this car is a POCI 400/400 points concours D'elegance winner
and has beaten all the stock 79's on the showfield at the T/A nats the two times it was there.
When I show my GTO or Chevelle SS they have a crowd around them all day. Does anybody
other than previous owners of the cars give a flip about them? Just wondering what kind
of reactions you guys get at shows. Personally I love my 79 T/A and think that nobody
ever built anything better looking or cooler to cruise around in, but Joe public just doesn't care. I've owned my T/A a long time, and this attitude from the general car show public
seems to get worse every year than the last in my experience. What do you guys think?

[Ram4king]

I have the exact opposite reaction from people. When they come over all they want to do is talk about how they always wanted this car in high school. And when they find out its the original 8 track player thats playing that Deep Purple song they freak out!!!

[Formulabruce]

1979 was the most Firebirds ever made in a year, and Trans Ams for sure. Thats over 1/4 million. So these cars got plenty of visual on the public.
Aside from the 301, I think that the 79-81 are the pinacle of the TA, and with the right equipment has the best of all worlds.
I never showed mine ( ws6 400 4 speed), but everyone loved the blue hood bird and blue leather interior.
I always stop and look at them, especially the Esprit and formulas for odd options.
beautiful car, just not that "old" in peoples mind I guess?

[Don 79 TA]

honestly.... i try to avoid being around my car at all costs
i never in my life get so depressed about the stories people tell about these cars, which then leads to life

as far as being the loneliest one, i sorta agree with ya
i think part of the problem is its not a chev/ford so alot of people dont understand about pontiac torque/power

[PMDJIM]

I usaully have people comment on how nice my T/A looks. Even though it clearly has Formula in big letters on both doors. lol

[tony maddox]

there isnt any at the shows around here. i would love to see them i get tierd of all the chevelles and camaros

[bonneville Joe]

My car, '78 BRE Clone, the reaction....

Hey, thats wunna dem dere bandit cars!!! I had wunna dem with a factory 455..... or my favorite.... Nice Camaro!!!

Around here if it's not a Chevelle or a Mustang it's a Camaro no matter what it is..

[1977blackta]

Originally Posted by Formulabruce

I always stop and look at them, especially the Esprit and formulas for odd options.
beautiful car, just not that "old" in peoples mind I guess?

Yes! Like FormulaBruce said! I guess you could take it another way too. The styling on these years has stayed , IMO very fresh and even up to this day they look sooo cool. So maybe some don't realize they ARE as old as they are!

[78 TA KID]

Originally Posted by gtohurstjudge

Just wondering, what kind of reaction do you get with your late
70's T/A at car shows? I own several no. 1 condition show cars of the muscle variety,
but the last few years when I show my 79 T/A at an all makes show or even a Pontiac Show
I sometimes feel like the Maytag repairman! (loneliest guy in town). Usually one or two people
at a big show will go nuts over it and stare at it for twenty minutes because it is the nicest one they've seen, but these people are always previous owners of a 79 T/A back in the day.
The other folks other than previous 79 owners look at the car like it's a rusty Volkswagen
Beetle. As a point of reference, this car is a POCI 400/400 points concours D'elegance winner
and has beaten all the stock 79's on the showfield at the T/A nats the two times it was there.
When I show my GTO or Chevelle SS they have a crowd around them all day. Does anybody
other than previous owners of the cars give a flip about them? Just wondering what kind
of reactions you guys get at shows. Personally I love my 79 T/A and think that nobody
ever built anything better looking or cooler to cruise around in, but Joe public just doesn't care. I've owned my T/A a long time, and this attitude from the general car show public
seems to get worse every year than the last in my experience. What do you guys think?

People will stare for hours at my '69 Oldsmobile W31 and my '70 Oldsmobile Rallye 350 bench 4spd car.But when it comes to my '78 martinque blue W72,4SPD,WS6 with48K they walk right by it like it doesn't even exsit.

[Greg Reid]

You should have gotten one with the Olds engine. At least that's what one guy told me at a show. He says "Yeah, some of them cars came with Oldsmobile engines, now that's the ones ever'body wanted"

Originally Posted by 1977blackta

The styling on these years has stayed , IMO very fresh and even up to this day they look sooo cool. So maybe some don't realize they ARE as old as they are!

I actually think you have a very valid point there. The quad headlight TAs just don't look like old cars.

[77 TRASHCAN]

My car looks terrible in it's current state(compared to when it was new), but is still recognized a a 77 black T/A. When I putt around town, I get thumbs up, and nice car compliments, more often that I'd think.
I had a cheapo paint job done on it around 10 years ago, to help preserve the car, the old paint was getting thin, had some rust spots repaired, and all decals removed...

I've never really raced (or WOULD race them) anyone, but went for a ride in a 403 T/A. The owner told me how much more powerful his car was, than mine.....LOL

I then took him for a ride in my 180 HP base T/A, automatic......it shut his big yapper up, no more bragg'in...

I guess some of you are just getting comments, from the "fringe", I guess. Teenagers recognize my car....

Someone asks me about the Olds engine deal, I might just ask them if they are gay...

[Ben M.]

Originally Posted by 77 TRASHCAN

I then took him for a ride in my 180 HP base T/A, automatic......it shut his big yapper up, no more bragg'in...

I went to look at a '77 yesterday that has had zero done to it with 60k miles on it as a base model 400... and it was REAL quick off the line, quicker than most cars I've ridden in before. It's quite amusing!

[ChrisTransAm78]

I get the opposite reaction....

[opnwide]

Dude, I get more attention in my trans am than in my Viper with a GT2 wing! I have to walk away at the local drive in carshow, or I won't be able to talk to my wife! The car might as well be a freakin' lamborghini!

I took my car to the Pontiac Southern Nationals in Dallas. Everyone loved it! Lots of attention and girls getting their photo on the fender, etc. But the judges HATED it. I didn't even place out of 5 cars in my class! Go figure. Maybe they wanted a quadrajet under the hood instead of that Demon...

[gtohurstjudge]

Another interesting tidbit............my wife has a new 2010 camaro with the
ralley yellow /black stripe transformers package and 20 inch wheels, and I drive
the car occasionally, and when I do, everybody comments on it all day long. I can drive
my 79 Trans Am around and it might as well be invisible!

[tr709]

opnwide, I was at PSN and thought your car was awesome! Over the top!

You want no reaction, try driving a turbo formula. I don't care, I didn't buy it to impress others

[Grand73Am]

What color is it? Some colors were more popular than others. You got decals? Other than those things, I can't think of why it's not getting more reaction. Maybe it's your neighborhood .

I agree with what FormulaBruce said about the 79-81 style being the pinnacle. The 79 is the best looking inside and out to me. And his point about them not seeming old enough to the public might be valid. It's the newest car I own .

And as far as car shows are concerned, a lot of those people don't consider anything newer than 72 as being worthy of attention, with the exception of something like a Super Duty, if they even know what an SD is. If it's not considered high performance, it's not as "popular". But, I don't pay much attention to their cars either, since I collect the cars I like, and I don't have any of those.

I have a 79 TA with the old worn out gold paint on it and cracked up hood bird decal and dents, and worn out interior, but people still want to talk about it at gas stations, or wave on the road. Maybe it's because my 79 does look old . Hard to believe that I'll get less attention when I restore it.

[gtohurstjudge]

The car is white with red decals and interior

[bigborehunter]

I have both kinds, a 1981 dark metallic blue TA hardtop, rally IIs, no hood bird, no radio but custom blue doeskin int and a/c. The car is immaculate survivor condition. It gets lots of attention from firebird fans but not many questions asked. My 72 GTO is a 455 hardtop with lots of popular goodies from the factory and Cardinal Red with black int. Condition wise its an older resto done with mild day two touches. People love the car, it gets waay more attention than it deserves. I've been very lucky that the attendees at cruise nights don't get into b*&tch slapping owner's cars. I don't do it myself and I lose respect instantly for anyone who does.

[js1977]

Originally Posted by opnwide

Dude, I get more attention in my trans am than in my Viper with a GT2 wing! I have to walk away at the local drive in carshow, or I won't be able to talk to my wife! The car might as well be a freakin' lamborghini!

I took my car to the Pontiac Southern Nationals in Dallas. Everyone loved it! Lots of attention and girls getting their photo on the fender, etc. But the judges HATED it. I didn't even place out of 5 cars in my class! Go figure. Maybe they wanted a quadrajet under the hood instead of that Demon...

Was this yours!!!! This car was freakin awesome!!!! I can't believe it didn't place let alone take home 1st.... Great car man, the drool you probably found on it was from me, sorry....