[i4abuygto]

Hi guys,
I just purchased a 79 trans am 2W87K9L car with the original Olds 403 built to run strong with a high 3s posi rear end, bolted on sub frame connectors and traction bars.
I know very little about Trans Ams as I am a GTO guy and am asking some opinions.
I was told it was painted about 15 years ago- it was last licensed in 2010. I drove it an hour to get it home and it runs strong. I received many thumbs up and nice car statements on the way home (especially when I stopped for fuel). Brakes need to be bled but are okay.

Here is the good-
Doesn't appear to have been driven in any Mn winters.
Body is in excellent shape - passed the magnet test. Some small paint bubbles in front of rear wheels.
Frame is in excellent shape with bolted on frame connectors and traction bars.
Built original 403 Olds- I am still waiting on the internal specs - I know cam and internals were beefed up and it was stated to have 400 hp but I believe it to be less than that. It does run strong.
Two brand new black door panels are installed and rear armrests are new black. The original interior color is an off-white. It has an off white headliner.

Here is the Bad.
Not original paint color, no badging or graphics and a less than high quality paint job. Some body panel gaps are uneven (I am not sure that this is typical or not).
No back seat and the front seats are not original to a Trans Am - not sure what they are out of.
Missing AC compressor and I would like to get the AC working.
Dash board has a "teenage" carpet job done to it. I am hoping that the panels are good underneath the carpeting.
Tach doesn't work - any ideas on a fix or where to start looking. I was told that the tach worked the last time it was started - not sure.
Turn signals don't flash but light up when activated - hazard lights flash and work. - Any ideas - is it just a turn signal flasher?
I have ordered a hood release cable for it.
Here are some photos.
What is it worth?
I will send a photo of the cowl tag but it is a chore to get the hood open.
More to follow
Let me know what you think.

[TAKerry]

Nice looking car, congrats on the new ride. Wont comment on the 'whats it worth', if you are happy with the purchase then its worth what you just paid.
What are your plans? Paint and body work are expensive. If you want original colour then what you have isn't an issue. As far as gaps, no they weren't that good to begin with. If the doors sag when opened then they need hinges rebuilt which is an easy diy Saturday afternoon.

I wouldn't fret over the motor stuff if you like the way it drives, sounds like youre ahead of the game a bit. If youre not a motor guy (like myself), I would take it to someone that knows these cars and have a once over. Also I would go over the brakes, fluids etc. just because.

A/C, cant help you, mine doesn't work either! but unless I decide to sell dont really care. There are aftermarket companies that probably work better than original, but any of this stuff is expensive.

I would be willing to bet money that the dash top is trashed, if there is carpet on top. Very few originals are good.

Tach-no idea

Signals, if you checked all of the bulbs, maybe theres a loose ground somewhere.

Good luck with the hood, those things are def a pia when not working properly. If the cable is not pulled ALL of THE WAY the release hook wont go back far enough to allow clearance.

[78w72]

nice looking car, looks like the body is solid. the chevy stripes are not my thing, dont know why so many people do that to firebirds & t/a's. but since the body looks solid, a basic repaint will not cost "that" much money, can usually get a base/clear spray for a few grand that will look very nice, then buy the correct decals of your color choice to match the interior & it will look like a real trans am. & find some snowflakes to replace those wheels if youre not set on keeping them, can probably sell them for the cost of used snoflakes.

yes gaps werent that good when new but there are adjustments that you can usually do to tighten them up. can find correct used seats for decent prices.
a/c would need to be checked over to be sure all other parts are in good shape, they make rebuilt compressors for decent prices.
dash is probably cracked, they make caps that look better than the cracked up or carpeted dash for pretty cheap or ask takerry about repairing yours with a filler & texture, or look for a decent used one.
turn signals could be a bad flasher or blown bulb, just gotta check those & make sure all grounds are good, there should be a little pig tail ground at each corner for the blinkers.
tachs "usually" work & it could be a wire issue, make sure the tach wire is there under the dash & hooked up to the fuse block power & that the connection at the distributor tach lead is connected.
for teh hood, make sure the latch is adjusted right, sometimes after the hood is pulled they dont get it adjusted right & it can hang up. a trick on these later 2nd gen hoods is to pull it one time to pop the hood, then pull it again as far as you can while using your other hand to lift up the hood, that usually releases the safety catch. & make sure the cable has all its locking clips in place.

look likes a good starting point to make into a nice car... just get rid of them stripes!

[Grand73Am]

Congratulations. Looks like a straight, solid car to start with.

Looks like most of your questions have been answered. To add further, the hood release is normally a 2 pull situation, as was mentioned. First pull, it should pop up a bit. On the right side of hood center under the front edge, you'll see a couple of reliefs in the flange. If necessary, that's where you can put your fingers to lift the hood up a little bit more. Then pull the latch fully once more, while lifting, and the hood will open.

The original white vinyl interior was called Oyster white. One of my cars came with Oyster white interior, and a gray dash and console. Photo below.

I agree with removing the stripes. And unless you just really like the wheels on it, Pontiac Snowflake wheels do look best to most of us, since they were original. Pontiac Rally II wheels were also original and look good too. I like the original 15" wheels, but there are 17" versions of Snowflakes and Rally II's available from Year One, if that interests you.

If you want to look at some cars and look for some parts, I suggest joining some Facebook groups and looking in the Facebook Marketplace. Here are some groups I belong to that I'd recommend:

TRANS AM LOVERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1970-81 Trans Ams and Firebirds - 2nd Generation Car Club

2nd Gen Firebird / Trans Am Parts and Cars for sale

Second Gen Graveyard


IMG_4219 by grand73am, on Flickr

[TAKerry]

I wasn't going to bust on the stripes, but I agree with the others. I had a TATA I was working on before the one I have now and it was only a shell. I had toyed with the idea of a far out resto mod and painting it like a 69 ta which is what the op's looks like. Now that I see it, not so crazy on a later model 2nd gen.

[i4abuygto]

Thanks for your comments and opinions- It looks like I have some shopping to do.
The hood release cable is down to about a 6" piece of cable and a vice grip to pull - I have a new cable coming.
Also - any ideas on the speedo as it runs fast with the new rear end- at 70mph the speedo reads 90mph approximately.
Thanks for your opinions and help - keep it coming.

[Aus78Formula]

There's a reason the dash is recovered, and if it wasn't trashed, it is now. Consider it no good.
You already know the rear ratio isn't original, it could have any combination of speedo gears at present.
Are the stripes painted on or decals? You may want to get the splitters tweaked as well, the outlets should match the fender angle. Otherwise, looks neat, just need to make it your own!

[Grand73Am]

Originally Posted by i4abuygto

Thanks for your comments and opinions- It looks like I have some shopping to do.
The hood release cable is down to about a 6" piece of cable and a vice grip to pull - I have a new cable coming.
Also - any ideas on the speedo as it runs fast with the new rear end- at 70mph the speedo reads 90mph approximately.
Thanks for your opinions and help - keep it coming.

Sounds like you'll need to change the speedo gears in the transmission. They're plastic gears, and come in different colors which designates the number of teeth on the gears, so you can choose the ones to suit your situation to show the correct speed. There's a large gear on the tail shaft of the transmission that's called the "drive" gear. You have to remove the tail housing of the transmission to change it. And there's another gear where the speedo cable screws on. You have to disconnect the speedo cable and remove the gear holder, called the "bullet", to change that gear. It's called the "driven" gear. Sometimes you only have to change the driven gear to correct the speedo. But if the difference is too great, then the drive gear must be changed too. Here's a site with a speedo gear calculator that helps you know which gears to get to correct your speedo: https://www.tciauto.com/speedometer-gear-calculator

[i4abuygto]

Thanks guys, your help and thoughts are greatly appreciated.

I stumbled on this car by shopping craigslist looking to find a nice car (Trans Am GTO or Lemans) that I could put a fresh 68 GP 400 XH engine and Muncie M21 setup I had sold to a local guy. Deal fell through, now I have two motors and transmission setups for my 67 GTO convertible.
The 68 400 that I have has never been in a car- built by a local race shop and dynoed at break in to 425hp. After driving this car and experiencing the current engine I am not sure I will make the swap. However a 4 speed would be nice.

I will look into the speedo gear change and start with the little things first.
The stripes are painted on and it is interesting that those that have commented - no one likes the stripes.
I know the TA graphics are a staple and eventually this bird will wear them.
The previous owner was obviously thinking a black interior as door panels rear panels and console are new black. I kind of like the original color interior as pictured above and that would save me a headliner.
Any chance I can get the carpet glue off the existing dash.
I know it needs a glove box door as the door is only hinged by the carpet that holds it.

What do you guys think about a preferred color combo.
Is it better to stay original on colors.
I think maybe I will drive it this summer- fix the little things- try to find good original seats and rip her down this winter.

[i4abuygto]

It is amazing how many thumbs up this car gets while driving it. Fun car.

[TAKerry]

Glad you are having fun with it. If the carpet is glued, I would imagine they used a contact cement. The best thing to get rid of that is a reducer. There is a specific contact cement reducer that at least used to be available. Paint thinner will work but not as effective, will take some more elbow grease. I dont think either will damage the dash plastic, but i would use in small areas. Acetone may work as well.
Thumbs up are always fun. I trailered my project home from FLA many years ago. It was a presentable looking but rough car. Travelling through the Jax area a cop got behind me for a few miles. Nothing to hide but I always get nervous when they are around especially following. He then decided to pass, when he got beside me he evened out at my speed and riding beside me, I got that UH-OH feeling when I glanced over at him, he gave me a big smile and a thumbs up then sped off!

[Grand73Am]

Yes, I remember when I bought my first TA, a 79 gold hardtop. It was a great feeling to finally own one. It was fun to drive and people liked seeing it, even though it needed, and still needs, work.

Something you might like to know is that they made more 1979 Trans Ams than any year in history...about 117,000. The next closest year was 1978 with about 93,000.

What color was your car originally? Once the car is modified, it doesn't really matter what color you paint it. So, I suggest painting it whatever color you like best. Search the internet for pics of 79 TA's to see what appeals to you.

Personally, I like black, which is probably the most popular, due to Smokey and the Bandit. Even if it weren't for the Bandit, I think black just looks great on them, with the gold decals. And I also like Gold. I like a Camel interior in either one them. But there are a number of good looking colors to choose from. Even though the chosen color may be different from the original color on the car, I still prefer to keep an original 79 color combination, because I'd still want it to look like a 79.

You should be able to remove any glue from the dash with some adhesive remover. 3M makes some in a spray can, but since you probably have a lot of glue to remove, a quart can would probably be better.... 3M General Purpose Adhesive Cleaner, 08984, 1 Quart.

For your info, the interiors came in 2 styles. The white interior shown in my pic above is a "standard" interior. It only came in vinyl, and had that seat cover pattern and plainer looking door panels. Then there was the upscale "Deluxe" interior, which had a different seat cover pattern, and nicer looking door panels. The Deluxe seat covers were available in a nice looking cloth called Hobnail/Lombardy, or in vinyl. If re-doing the interior, I'd do the Deluxe interior. The same seats are used for either interior, but the front seat cushions have to match the style of seat cover used. For example a Deluxe seat cover has to have a Deluxe cushion installed on the seat. And the Deluxe seats have the large plastic seat back cover, that the standard seats don't get. Pic of Deluxe interior in Camel tan below:

673_ht9 by grand73am, on Flickr

[i4abuygto]

Help with decode of the data tag
79 12B
N 15L 15U W
A51 --- A 34079957

[Grand73Am]

Of course, 79 is the year. 12B means it was built the 2nd week of December (1978).

The 15's mean the color was Platinum Poly (Silver). L and U just means Lower and Upper body.

I know from your VIN that you listed in your first post that it was built in Van Nuys (LA). So, the W means it was painted with Waterborne paint, as Van Nuys cars were in 79.

The N appears to be incomplete. Since you said it has white interior, it must be 12N. The 12 indicates Oyster white, and the N means it had Deluxe vinyl interior.

A51 means buckets seats, which they all had.

The meaning of the rest of the numbers is unknown.

[78w72]

definitely repaint it silver, one of the best looking colors on these cars IMO.

& the white interior could have been changed at some point, lots of things got changed on these cars over the 40+ years. ive never seen a silver t/a with a white or mix matched tuxedo interior.

if you are going back to black interior the silver would look great, but black works with any color so its really your choice at this point.

[Grand73Am]

Originally Posted by 78w72

ive never seen a silver t/a with a white or mix matched tuxedo interior.

My 79, in my earlier photo above of the white interior, is an original silver with white interior. So, if you saw that picture, you have seen one . I agree that it's not common. I have seen maybe 2 others on the internet.

It's a clean look, but I'm not that big a fan of silver and will be changing mine to something I like better eventually.

Here are some pics of a 79 silver with white that I saved from the internet. This is probably what the original poster's car looked like originally. It even has the Deluxe vinyl interior, like his body tag appears to say his car had. Even though he doesn't have the original front seats, his back seat may still be original and have this seat cover pattern. The grab strap above the glove box on the dash is another clue to a Deluxe interior, plus those door panels.

a by grand73am, on Flickr
e by grand73am, on Flickr
h by grand73am, on Flickr

[78w72]

cool, never saw one before but that doesnt mean much... white just wasn't a popular combo on silver, usually the interiors were red or black.

my silver preference is more for the 78's with the WS6 snoflakes, 79-81 with rally wheels dont do much for me... but as they say, to each their own, almost every color combo of 2nd gens looks good.

[i4abuygto]

Thanks for your help.
After reading these posts I looked further and the 12N is correct. The "12" is faint and partially covered by the fastener on the left side.
Apparently the previous owner or someone wanted to change to black as the side panels and console are new and black.
I have none of the stock seats available front or rear.
I am tempted to go black on the interior as cost is a factor and the existing new black panels look good. I would have to locate a set of seats and recover them in black or replace the side panels with white and then recover the seats in white and replace the console or dye it to match and it is tough to die black to any color.

On another note does anyone know where the turn signal flasher is located?

Thanks
Mark

[i4abuygto]

Also - is there a way to polish the dash bezel aluminum? it is in good shape just dull.

[i4abuygto]

Thank you Grand73Am for posting the pictures of the correct color combination. That is a good looking car and I would not be wrong in building it back to that.