[Firedup6975]

Originally Posted by Baron Von Zeppelin

Pretty unique to still have the 2-1-2-4 exhaust system

If i were being microscopic on the white-glove inspection , the pictures lead to believe the driver door and maybe driver fender have been replaced at some point.

The bottom inner edge of driver door is refinish paint
bottom of passenger door is factory paint

It could be the passenger fender screen is still black, it isn't shown

What do you mean by 2-1-2-4 exhaust system?

[Firedup6975]

Originally Posted by 455Grandville

With few exceptions (except a diesel like a Mercedes or VW in that era) I thought they were required on almost all cars beginning in 1975.

My Daughters WS6 TA that was Chris Casspersons Car has.......of course PYPEs on it and I believe the cat is gone. And if you have antique registration inspection is no longer required so who would know? Just saying. I’d be transferring an old Antique plate off of a Vette we had, on to this car.

[455Grandville]

Originally Posted by 77 TRASHCAN

Those test tubes were fairly cheap to buy back then, few converters ever got re-installed though. if it's just got a test tube on it, that would be nice. My car has had a home made test tube since about the 20,000 mile mark. It didn't seem to run any better without the converter, or sound much different...

If I had the desire and $$$ AND the car passes all the rust tests, I'd consider it mine...The things wrong, as seen by keen eyes here are pretty petty things. I hate those stupid headliners!!!

JC Whitney used to sell those. I took mine off my 75 GV that had under 30,000 orig miles and I noticed a difference and I was told 70s GM converters were pretty restricted even compared to other makes.

Originally Posted by Firedup6975

My Daughters WS6 TA that was Chris Casspersons Car has.......of course PYPEs on it and I believe the cat is gone. And if you have antique registration inspection is no longer required so who would know? Just saying. I’d be transferring an old Antique plate off of a Vette we had, on to this car.

They used to check in these parts for that and they were really picky but I “knew” somebody (dont all us Italians ?) who would pass it.
Now they don’t check as the laws have changed.
Another truck was to bust out the honeycombs and make it a useless shell so it looked legal, but that was time consuming.

[mgarblik]

Originally Posted by Firedup6975

What do you mean by 2-1-2-4 exhaust system?

My guess is two down pipes to a Y pipe, into 1 catalytic converter, (if it had one), into a single pipe to a single muffler inlet with two outlets. Then a pair of splitters. Not sure why any of that matters. The catalytic converter elimination pipe isn't stock and the muffler is aftermarket as well as some of the hangers. Not sure about the other pipes. Agree with the likely repaint. The door striker pins on both sides are body color. They are typically natural.

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

Originally Posted by Firedup6975

What do you mean by 2-1-2-4 exhaust system?

2 exhaust manifolds with 2 headpipes
going into 1 exhaust pipe to the muffler
then 2 tailpipes splitting into 4 (the dual outlet splitters)

Practically 99.9% of these cars have had true-dual exhaust systems installed.
This one has not ... but I Would

Test-Tubes were hot sellers in the 80's
Folks thought it would increase performance/fuel mileage to eliminate the cat-convertor. AND you didn't HAVE to run stinky-burn UnLeaded fuel with the cat-vertor gone.

In the early 90's a lot of counties in NC started passing more stringent inspection procedures and folks were scrambling to find old catalytic convertors so they could pass yearly inspection.
I had to park 3 cars due to that , until i moved to another county about 6 months later that had not instituted the newer regulations.

[Firedup6975]

Originally Posted by mgarblik

My guess is two down pipes to a Y pipe, into 1 catalytic converter, (if it had one), into a single pipe to a single muffler inlet with two outlets. Then a pair of splitters. Not sure why any of that matters. The catalytic converter elimination pipe isn't stock and the muffler is aftermarket as well as some of the hangers. Not sure about the other pipes. Agree with the likely repaint. The door striker pins on both sides are body color. They are typically natural.

Ohhhhhh ok that would make sense, just never heard it explained like that before. Seriously how you see the detail on the striker pins? WOW!

[71GP76TA]

My '75 still has its original exhaust.. sans the cat. I ordered a set of ram air manifolds and am going to dual it off using a 2 in 2 out transverse muffler. I already swapped out the intake for a non-EGR 72 unit. Desmogged.. but still look kinda stock.

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

Originally Posted by 71GP76TA

My '75 still has its original exhaust.. sans the cat.

I had a MINT original low mileage GM cat-vertor from a late 70's TA in my stash for a long time.
Sold it to a PY member several years ago and he was tickled to death to get it.
He was doing an ultra-faithful stock restoration on a Bandit and went back to 2-1-2-4 stock system layout.
That was intense

[400 4spd.]

Originally Posted by mgarblik

My guess is two down pipes to a Y pipe, into 1 catalytic converter, (if it had one), into a single pipe to a single muffler inlet with two outlets. Then a pair of splitters. Not sure why any of that matters. The catalytic converter elimination pipe isn't stock and the muffler is aftermarket as well as some of the hangers. Not sure about the other pipes. Agree with the likely repaint. The door striker pins on both sides are body color. They are typically natural.

I'll respectfully disagree with you on this minor point about the strikers. I looked for that detail myself. I'm attaching a link to an original paint '78 T/A that had painted strikers. My experience has shown that strikers and door latches/screws were installed prior to paint, beginning in 1968.



http://www.barrsrestoration.com/1978...-trans-am.html

[stuta]

Please correct me if I'm wrong!

After looking at the e-bay site, I thought the best rear gear in 77 would be 3.23....and the 3.42 was no longer available from the factory.

Also, the W-72 cars didn't have the round end shaker base going to the flexible air inlet hose. I've always looked at those as being on the lower hp 400's. I thought they were all the flat oval air inlet shaker bases, with the plastic adapter that attached to the flexible air inlet hose.

Thanks everyone, just trying to sharpen my TA knowledge : )

[77 Canamman]

The headliner is easily corrected, as is the shifter knob. If the car is as good as it appears in the photos, I'd buy it for $30k.

[77 Canamman]

Originally Posted by stuta

Please correct me if I'm wrong!

After looking at the e-bay site, I thought the best rear gear in 77 would be 3.23....and the 3.42 was no longer available from the factory.

Also, the W-72 cars didn't have the round end shaker base going to the flexible air inlet hose. I've always looked at those as being on the lower hp 400's. I thought they were all the flat oval air inlet shaker bases, with the plastic adapter that attached to the flexible air inlet hose.

3.23 was the best gear ratio in 1977. The round end shaker base air cleaner housing was used on all 1977 400's regardless if they were W72 or not. 1978 is when they utilized the flat oval unit on W72's.

[mgarblik]

Originally Posted by 400 4spd.

I'll respectfully disagree with you on this minor point about the strikers. I looked for that detail myself. I'm attaching a link to an original paint '78 T/A that had painted strikers. My experience has shown that strikers and door latches/screws were installed prior to paint, beginning in 1968.



http://www.barrsrestoration.com/1978...-trans-am.html

"400 4-spd" has better information and pics to show striker pins were painted body color. So, my observation that this is a repaint indication is WRONG. Sorry about that. The extractor fender grills being body color is the only other obvious repaint indicator that has been mentioned. If that car really has original paint and graphics, that would be pretty amazing given the body condition. Best of luck with your in-person visit to check this one out.

[F ROCK]

Just my opinion but you asked...
30K is lunacy.
My recollection of those cars:
cheap interiors that fall apart.
Good handling but terrible ride quality, and lots of rattles.
Slow. Maybe 200hp? Muscle? My 302 cid 1971 comet GT (grabber Maverick) smoked these cars, and I only had a 3.0:1 rear gear. My friends and I still laugh about that today. Then i bought a 351W 1969 cougar and beat them even worse lol. I think my friend was running 16 second 1/4's with his stock TA lol. Obviously amateurs but so is the average T/A owner.
I would pull up along side of those cars at a light and those drivers thought they'd have an easy win, lol. They were very wrong....And on the highway it was even worse, i could effortlessly pull away.

Ten years ago a guy was selling two of these at the local gas station. One was black, the other white; both were real nice and the TWO of them together sold for 12K.
Cool car? yes.
30K? no not from me. Not even 15K. lol. i just dont see it.
Just an opinion.

[Firedup6975]

Originally Posted by F ROCK

Just my opinion but you asked...
30K is lunacy.
My recollection of those cars:
cheap interiors that fall apart.
Good handling but terrible ride quality, and lots of rattles.
Slow. Maybe 200hp? Muscle? My 302 cid 1971 comet GT (grabber Maverick) smoked these cars, and I only had a 3.0:1 rear gear. My friends and I still laugh about that today. Then i bought a 351W 1969 cougar and beat them even worse lol. I think my friend was running 16 second 1/4's with his stock TA lol. Obviously amateurs but so is the average T/A owner.
I would pull up along side of those cars at a light and those drivers thought they'd have an easy win, lol. They were very wrong....And on the highway it was even worse, i could effortlessly pull away.

Ten years ago a guy was selling two of these at the local gas station. One was black, the other white; both were real nice and the TWO of them together sold for 12K.
Cool car? yes.
30K? no not from me. Not even 15K. lol. i just dont see it.
Just an opinion.

I don’t consider myself an amateur TA owner.

[Firedup6975]

Originally Posted by 77 Canamman

The headliner is easily corrected, as is the shifter knob. If the car is as good as it appears in the photos, I'd buy it for $30k.

YOU STAY AWAY from it!

[F ROCK]

Originally Posted by Firedup6975

I didn’t ask to be called an amateur TA Owner

Right on MA; I should have worded differently.
i meant we were not racers; just kids messing around.

[Firedup6975]

Originally Posted by F ROCK

Right on MA; I should have worded differently.
i meant we were not racers; just kids messing around.

I get that I simply need a fair number to go off of and I’m pretty sure I now know what that will be......if I even make an offer after seeing it, driving it, inspecting it from top to bottom inside and out! I might wind up walking away from this one. Guess I’ll know soon.

[Firedup6975]

My biggest concern right now is why the Trans has been replaced with that kind of mileage on the car, and if it may have been hit and the driver side door and fender replaced. The other things are easy fixes even though I did price the shifter knob and it’s expensive. Tires seem ok but noticed some rust under one of the doors, so definitely checking that out.

[77 Canamman]

Originally Posted by F ROCK

Just my opinion but you asked...
30K is lunacy.
My recollection of those cars:
cheap interiors that fall apart.
Good handling but terrible ride quality, and lots of rattles.
Slow. Maybe 200hp? Muscle? My 302 cid 1971 comet GT (grabber Maverick) smoked these cars, and I only had a 3.0:1 rear gear. My friends and I still laugh about that today. Then i bought a 351W 1969 cougar and beat them even worse lol. I think my friend was running 16 second 1/4's with his stock TA lol. Obviously amateurs but so is the average T/A owner.
I would pull up along side of those cars at a light and those drivers thought they'd have an easy win, lol. They were very wrong....And on the highway it was even worse, i could effortlessly pull away.

30K? no not from me. Not even 15K. lol. i just dont see it.
Just an opinion.

Spoken from a true GTO snob. While they were blah performers stock, there is great potential there. Getting rid of the awful exhaust and some tuning, the heavy T/A would smoke your abysmal FoMoCo products.

As for pricing, you haven't kept up with the trends. $30K is fair for a really good 4 speed non black SE T/A. Oh, not everyone cares for '71 GTO's either. I personally hate 'em.

Just an opinion.