Crazy Time Auction Action 77-81 Firebird & Trans Am
 

This time: Crazy Time auction action @ Houston MECUM

This mint looking '79 was a no-sale @ $52,000 bid

https://www.mecum.com/lot-detail/HA0...Am-SE/4-Speed/

But then this '78 (correct w 8" Y88 style painted wheels?) sold for $56,000 + 8 to 10% buyers auction premium?

https://www.mecum.com/lot-detail/HA0...-SE/Automatic/

Looks like late second Gen prices are creeping up, up, up?
Maybe only of you follow this mantra? "Pick any color you'd like, as long as it's black!"

This mint looking '79 was a no-sale @ $52,000 bid
http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...2&d=1428761167

This '78 (correct w 8" Y88 style painted wheels? :noidea:) sold for $56,000 + 8 to 10% buyers auction premium to a guy named "Smith" bidders tag.

Announcers stated: "only 68 of these build w automatic transmission in 1978" (Time for fact checking - no mention if Van Nuys or Norwood built?) "this has got the W72 Performance Package as well..." Funny - no mention of WS6? But mentioned 8-Track Tape player... :rolleyes: Nice looking car.

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...8&d=1428762514

Seller http://www.transamflorida.com/

The Y88 8" rims are 1978 rims. They were all like that when first introduced for any model with them. I prefer the machined face.

Nobody's talking Auction results from Arizona. and Kissimmee. What happened , value wise, to these cars in the last month or so? Seems to me, their hyped up time has stabilized? Any thoughts?.

Go here.

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...d.php?t=812856

Ahh yes.. the thread where the '70-'73 owners are all pissy that the "inferior" '77-'78's are selling for good money.

I get it. The '70-'73 production numbers were lower, and the stock performance was better. Therefore the value should be consistently higher.

However, I, like others, like my '77 far more than the earlier cars. I could have owned a sweet '73 for similar money. I super tuned my smog 400 to get good performance from it. I have zero plans to "upgrade" to an earlier F body.

as an owner of both, i just dont see why the 70-73 only crowd doesnt get it i feel the 76-81 se cars will surpase
the 70-73 in value simply because the 70-73 cars were just not popular cars when new. however every high school guy wanted a trans am from 76 thru 81 whether they would admit it or not.

Since the 70-73 crowd feels their cars are superior, lets just keep this thread a secret. Whenever I tell people I own a Trans Am, first question they ask is , Is it Black and Gold.

The 78 looks nice, I’m surprised the seller did not let go of the 79. The 4 speed is attractive, but I think most people look for the black interior.

I think the 70-73 crowd thought the end was near, see pic ;) Having owned (and miss) two W72, WS6, 4 speed TA's, I know these are amazing cars. Outhandle a 70-73TA. So when they were being portrayed as lesser diluted versions of the heritage, I had to say different in that thread. I got priced out of the good 70-73 Formula cars when I was shopping for a car a few years ago, hence where I am. Priced out of a 77-78 TA it appears now :) oh well. Kind of wish I would have pursued the 77-78 TA market when I bought. So good to see them doing well, really.

Simple question: is it easier to get a 74-79 tuned to perform like a 70-73 or easier to add all the options, 4 wheel disc and handle as good as the later cars?

I've owned, driven and worked on more 2nd gens early to late than most. Making later models run like any 71-4 round port will cost more than suspension and disc brake swap. A ws6 car really handles no better than the early cars with the same tires and the rear disc are marginally if any better than drums. All of them are fun to drive, some more than others. Much like '64-5 mustangs, the high production numbers combined with everybody dragging them out to restore for profit will soon drive the prices of the later cars back to reality. Just because well heeled buyers who grew up with smokey and the bandit are throwing money at them does not make them as good an investment as early ones. That being said, I don't care about the monetary value as much as I enjoy the cars, if I did I would have sold my '71 a couple of years ago for what most would call "stupid money".

Round ports are kind of over-rated and I own one. My RAIV cammed, 96 headed D Port 455, with headers made same power about as roller HO I have now (no headers). So they are not some unattainable power thing. After 40 years, they all get rebuilt, and balancing, CR, camming happen on most all these rebuilds, so stock HP numbers are a goofy comparison in a way. Many (most?) do not do spot on stock rebuilds anyway.

And I disagree with above post on WS6 cars handling "no better". Yes they do! (IMO of course). They all handle good, as the F body is a great design. WS6 was a refined package though.

Comparable builds or hop-ups the RP will always win ,sorry but more airflow does that. Compare sway bar sizes but then look at the rear bushings. The early cars don't have as much deflection in the bushing and they oversteer more. Oversteer is faster through curves. WS6 cars although great handling lean towards understeer which is more comfortable for average drivers.

Easily my favorite look of the 1977-78 Y81/82/84 cars is with the Y-88 style 8” snowflakes. So cool! ��