[gtohurstjudge]

I was looking at the latest Hagerty Collector Car Value Guide and the
prices they list for 79 Trans Ams are crazy in my opinion. They list a number 1 condition 403 Olds T/A at a value of 52K. These values are supposedly based on auction results. Has anybody actually sold one of these cars for that much? I'm wondering because I have a number one condition Olds 403 car and perhaps it is time to cash it out?

[T/A addict]

That's crazy..... I don't figure that is a real number at all honestly.

[FULZGOLD]

NADA has some wild values listed also. Haven't seen but a handful sell at those rates. Not sure what they are basing them on, but reality is a lot closer to the ground...

[Formulabruce]

Originally Posted by gtohurstjudge

I was looking at the latest Hagerty Collector Car Value Guide and the
prices they list for 79 Trans Ams are crazy in my opinion. They list a number 1 condition 403 Olds T/A at a value of 52K. These values are supposedly based on auction results. Has anybody actually sold one of these cars for that much? I'm wondering because I have a number one condition Olds 403 car and perhaps it is time to cash it out?

#1 is "Concourse" which is Perfect, better than original and cleaned down to the tire treads, no rust or spec of rust Anywhere, Hagerty says rust is "Banned". That said; the 79 T/A came off the truck at all dealerships with Underbody rust. I know, I set them up. Very limited paint on anything, and the rear ends had near Zero paint by then..
so #1 category can be tossed out.

[goatless]

There have been quite a few super low mileage and over restored '79s go through big auctions lately. There have been some crazy sale prices on them. That's what you're seeing reflected in the price guides.

[linden_gto]

Originally Posted by goatless

There have been quite a few super low mileage and over restored '79s go through big auctions lately. There have been some crazy sale prices on them. That's what you're seeing reflected in the price guides.

i simply can not believe what these cars are going for right now. i know it's hyped by all the bandit stuff and how they were so popular, but they also had little to no performance. they drove initially sales on 'image' and the interest now is driven by 'image'. i'm still SHOCKED by the auction numbers i'm seeing on these birds. i'd buy a '71 455HO TA or a GTO or a Judge way before i'd buy a slow, heavy '79 TA. everyone has the car of their childhood, etc. though. not everyone wants the same car - thankfully.

[linden_gto]

Originally Posted by gtohurstjudge

I was looking at the latest Hagerty Collector Car Value Guide and the
prices they list for 79 Trans Ams are crazy in my opinion. They list a number 1 condition 403 Olds T/A at a value of 52K. These values are supposedly based on auction results. Has anybody actually sold one of these cars for that much? I'm wondering because I have a number one condition Olds 403 car and perhaps it is time to cash it out?

if you truly have a #1 condition car, i'd SELL!!! take advantage of this hyped up market and get 3-4 times what you would have gotten 10 years ago. numbers right now are crazy. i have a widebody (aircooled) 993 and the hype was huge 18-24 months ago, but i held onto it because i think that market is very stable and i still love the car. i just don't see the same staying power in the late-2nd gen TA market and i'd jump in this market.

btw, i have seen these cars going for $50k and up - for a '79 that typically means the pontiac 400 and a 4 speed. SE (bandit edition) cars are bringing strong money also right now. burt's been doing the circuit for the last 2 years or so adding to the hype. this is the 40th anniversary of the movie. i think your perfect storm is now.

[gtohurstjudge]

yes it is a number 1 car.......frame-off resto on a car that was never driven in the rain and never had so much as a door ding in the body. It scored 400/400
points in POCI point judging winning the concours delegance award....the only 79 T/A to ever do that. Has won it's class at the T/A nats every time shown. On top of that, it has every option you could get other than rear window defogger.....it is more loaded than a tenth anniversary. At the T/A nats one year it beat a tenth anniversary with 300 miles on it. It was featured in Hemmings Muscle Machines magazine in 2013.

[linden_gto]

Originally Posted by gtohurstjudge

yes it is a number 1 car.......frame-off resto on a car that was never driven in the rain and never had so much as a door ding in the body. It scored 400/400
points in POCI point judging winning the concours delegance award....the only 79 T/A to ever do that. Has won it's class at the T/A nats every time shown. On top of that, it has every option you could get other than rear window defogger.....it is more loaded than a tenth anniversary. At the T/A nats one year it beat a tenth anniversary with 300 miles on it. It was featured in Hemmings Muscle Machines magazine in 2013.

DAMN!! and you live in PLANO?? i've got to see this car, if you ever drive it anywhere. i'm thinking you don't. i'm in west Plano, by Gleneagles CC.

[gtohurstjudge]

You can see it this July at the POCI convention at Texas Motor Speedway. It will be competing for it's senior Gold in point judging.

[gtohurstjudge]

here are some pics.......

[Grand73Am]

18K mile 79 Y84 SE with 403/auto, Camel hobnail deluxe interior, without A/C, just sold several days ago at Barrett-Jackson for $83K.

I think it was the end of last year that a low mile TATA survivor brought over $100K.

Link to the Y84: https://www.barrett-jackson.com/Even...RANS-AM-206401

[linden_gto]

Originally Posted by Grand73Am

18K mile 79 Y84 SE with 403/auto, Camel hobnail deluxe interior, without A/C, just sold several days ago at Barrett-Jackson for $83K.

these numbers are just hard to believe. think of the pontiac options you could buy at that figure... for me, i just can't see spending that amount on a 403 TA.

[gtohurstjudge]

You guys can't imagine how I'm kicking myself right now. I was the original
owner of a 1979 Trans Am Special Edition that was ordered by a specialty car
lot in Dallas with every option and it was a 400 4 speed car one of 1107 built. I
used it as a show car and for car show cruises. It had the black hobnail interior.
It had all the options that the TATA's had plus it had door edge guards, halogen
headlamps and engine block heater. The window sticker was two pages long.
I used to show it at the Dallas Autorama back in the 80's and it would have a crowd around it all weekend. For some reason which I don't know why I decided to sell it in 1991 when it had 10,000 miles on it at the Leake Auction in Dallas. It
sold for 13,000 dollars, which was all the money back then. When I sold it at the auction it was probably the cleanest nicest car in the building. Believe me if I had known what these cars would be worth today that car would never have left my garage! A few weeks later, I decided I had made a mistake and tried to buy it back from the guy who bought it. He informed me that he had flipped it to a guy who lived
in Tokyo, Japan and it had been shipped out of the country! I still have the VIN on the car memorized....
it was 2W87Z9L170829. The specialty car lot that special ordered the car with the 400 4 speed and every option actually ordered two of them built identically. The other one was totaled a few months after it was sold.

[FULZGOLD]

Originally Posted by gtohurstjudge

You guys can't imagine how I'm kicking myself right now. I was the original
owner of a 1979 Trans Am Special Edition that was ordered by a specialty car
lot in Dallas with every option and it was a 400 4 speed car one of 1107 built. I
used it as a show car and for car show cruises. It had the black hobnail interior.
It had all the options that the TATA's had plus it had door edge guards, halogen
headlamps and engine block heater. The window sticker was two pages long.
I used to show it at the Dallas Autorama back in the 80's and it would have a crowd around it all weekend. For some reason which I don't know why I decided to sell it in 1991 when it had 10,000 miles on it at the Leake Auction in Dallas. It
sold for 13,000 dollars, which was all the money back then. When I sold it at the auction it was probably the cleanest nicest car in the building. Believe me if I had known what these cars would be worth today that car would never have left my garage! A few weeks later, I decided I had made a mistake and tried to buy it back from the guy who bought it. He informed me that he had flipped it to a guy who lived
in Tokyo, Japan and it had been shipped out of the country! I still have the VIN on the car memorized....
it was 2W87Z9L170829. The specialty car lot that special ordered the car with the 400 4 speed and every option actually ordered two of them built identically. The other one was totaled a few months after it was sold.

My next car should be a Delorean. Then we could find this stuff out...

[linden_gto]

Originally Posted by gtohurstjudge

You guys can't imagine how I'm kicking myself right now. I was the original
owner of a 1979 Trans Am Special Edition that was ordered by a specialty car
lot in Dallas with every option and it was a 400 4 speed car one of 1107 built.

trust me, you're not the only one who has sold way too early on certain cars.

my worst 3:
'78 euro 928 5-speed (1st year)
'95 M3 LTW
'93 RS America

i did okay on the cars, but they are all WELL beyond those numbers today. the thing is, each one was a stepping stone, so not much to complain about, i guess. still would love to have all of them back.

[Warren Seale]

Originally Posted by gtohurstjudge

here are some pics.......

Hmmm, sort of looks like my 79 even with the unusual gold wheels on a white car (that I requested when I ordered the car).

[gtohurstjudge]

Yes Warren, the cars are quite similar in equipment other than
the gold wheels. My car was specifically ordered with black seat belts instead of red with the thought
that they wouldn't show dirt as bad. Also my car was ordered without the chrome trim on top of the doors.

[FULZGOLD]

Here is the NADA price guide for my Y88. Pretty much think this is WAY off.

It should say:

"I'm fast enough. I'm shiny enough. And dog gonnit, people like me".

[ta6point6]

Not bad for a Disco car of the 70's huh. All that being said I think the Trans Am is riding some of the publicity from recent TV shows and all the exposure. If someone offered me 56k for my SE 403 I would probably have to sell it. I don't care what anyone says the 2nd Gen Trans Am is one of the best looking cars ever built.