one of fifteen?
 

Any truth to that?


http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/81-Tr...item257a02f208

I don't know if it is really one of 15 or not but even if it was it looks like they pulled the original engine and trans so it's now none of 14 you might say...

I thought "BANDIT" cars were all T-Top cars and had no clue Pontiac made a 305.

The 305 was the last real Pontiac V8, unfortunately. I don't know about "Bandit" cars but there were certainly plenty of black and gold SE's out there without T-tops. I think to have it called a real "Bandit" (and I don't know what that is, I don't keep up on the later TA's) it would have to be a turbo 305.

P.S. Edit: Oops! I screwed up! :rolleyes: 301 not 305! I'm getting senile... :old: Chevy is 305...

Good catch The last V8 pontiac made was the 301, the 305 is a chevy motor.

Don't know about the numbers...but a 305 4 speed would be fairly rare.....must have been a CA spec car???
I don't know the 81 models that well, is that VIN tag right? It looks completely different to how previous 2nd gen VIN tags are mounted.
Theres no code on the trim tag for T-tops, so not having them wouldn't be wrong....but I'd PHS the car to be sure....anyone could make up that document they show at the end of the photos.

Good point. There were 305's made. They were CA emissions cars. I knew a guy in high school that had a 305 Firebird and it was a CA car.

And there again, it doesn't have the 305 so it isn't a #'s car anymore so it isn't worth a thing based on that. It's worth what someone thinks the shape/condition of the car and the modifications add up to.

P.S. Edit: From the add, "so back he came wanting more power , so we sent out to a very well known
engine builder a 400 ram air 111 68 motor and had it rebuilt with all mew parts
and blueprinted and balanced with Edelbrock heads single plane intake quick
fuel carb and ram air exhaust manifolds."

Wasn't the first year of RAIII '69? I'm not sure... There are a LOT of things about this add that worry me including the "mew parts...". Hmm...

is the vin tag glued on or what? maybe a piece of bubble gum? 81's you could see the rivets. something fishy there.

Looks to me like the window sticker is a very good copy. All that I ever saw were red and white. I see no Bandit decals anywhere. If it was a true Bandit Edition they'd have them back on it.

All that work and they didn't bother to change out that crappy looking carpet.

As for the CB/AM/FM... I've never seen one in a T/A of any year. Not saying it's wrong as it is possible that was and ordered item, or change out and it was put in. I did deliver Olds and Pontiacs in the 80s with them in it but they were Cutlasses and GPs.

305 swapped out for a 400? Didn't the 305s come in the 3rd Gen Birds from 82 on up, except for the California cars? I don't have VIN card handy to tell what plant it was built in.

No cat converter either. Have fun getting it thru emissions inspection in certain states. Wheels are wrong too... but that could be from the original owner.

Like Uneasyrider says, it's no longer a #s matching car. IMO it's not worth 45,000. Something about it just doesn't seem right to me.

I think, not positive, but there were second gen cars that came with a 305. I'm pretty sure a guy at when I was in high school had an '80 Firebird from CA with a stock 305. It's been a long time ago but it sure sticks in my head. I remember thinking, "What the hell is that Chevy doing in a Pontic?". lol It could be he swapped it and I've got my memory screwed up.

P.S. I'm setting here cruising Crag's List. If I were to start spending money in the range they are asking for that TA I can tell you there are a TON of cars that are a far better value for your money. Here's an example, not a Pontiac but just making a point. This is a sweetie and half the money and a real value holder in my opinion.

http://olympic.craigslist.org/cto/3560865478.html

look in the for sale section.....
I have an AM-FM-CB for sale

Chevy 305/4spd was an option on '81s, seems I read the production # of just over 7000 built that year. Add the SE option and I suppose 15 cars is a reasonable number. However a chevy built Firebird is rare for a reason........I do like the wheels!

There were only 15 non T-tops SE cars made with the 305 in 1981. The trim tag does show it's a Y-84 without the CC1 (T-tops) option.

Things got "weird" in 1980 and 1981 on the Firebirds from what most Pontiac folks were (and still are) used to. Long gone was the 455 and the 400 was gone after 1979. The 403 Olds was gone too after 1979. That left the 301 for 1980-81 production for a "traditional" Pontiac engine. Pontiac also installed the 305 Chevy in certain models of the Firebird.

In 1981, per production numbers available on the 'net, Pontiac did in fact build only 15 S/E Trans Am coupes (ie - no T-Tops) with the 305/4-speed combination...but there is one small problem here:

All 1981 S/E Trans Ams have an "X" in the VIN, not a "W" (ie - the 5th through 7th digits should read "X87" in this example). Could this be one that doesn't fit, and is actually an S/E Trans Am with a "W" instead of an "X"? I don't know, but it throws a red flag. Since it is an undesirable year and combo (from a collector point of view), I don't think it matters, unless there's been a VIN swap somewhere in the cars life to cover a theft, etc.

Nonetheless, it's a super nice driver I would be proud to have in my garage. 400, 5-speed manual, 3.73 gears, and that sweet rim and tire combo speaks to me.

looks like the driver door was originally white as evidenced by poorly sanded/taped area around the GM info sticker.

The Chevy 305 wasn't all that rare, it was an option in 1980-1981 up until April 1981, when the 4.9 was discontinued. After that, all 1981 Trans Am's received the Chevy 305. I've seen many sellers call their Special Edition cars "Bandits", and of course they were never called that by Pontiac. And many times I see reference to a rare "t-top delete" on the Special Edition. The t-tops were always an option, not standard.

Hood scoop decals were "T/A 5.0" on the Chevy 305 equipped 1980-1981 Trans Am's, and on those cars, Pontiac used regular tailpipes from the Z/28, not splitters.

It's a cool looking car though, I like the wheels too.

Our drivers-ed teacher had a brand new 81 TA with the 305 and a 4 speed, bought from the local dealer, so I'm sure it was a 50state option. (Living in North Dakota at the time). I was brown, and looked nice, but not the fastest by a long shot. A 305 4 Speed may be fairly rare, but that doesnt' mean that it has much value with the collectors. Like everything in life, if you can get it for what you feel is a good price, then you should be happy!

A class mate of mine in high school had a 305 4-speed T/A, either an 80 or 81. It was the only other Second gen, T/A aside from mine, that was in the school. Looked just like that car there, save for the mags - it had gold air-flow wheels.

He sold it, and bought a full size blazer so he could go hunting. Don't know what became of it. Later he would make the news as a part of an "Infamous Choppers" drug ring.

Yes, is a rare bird, but, the fact that it has the 305 in it, makes it a lot less desirable. Don't see 45k for it.

As someone above pointed out....No RAIII engine in '68.
I really like they way they painted the wheels. Never seen spokes painted Gold on that style of wheels.
By the way, I saw a '79~'81 style TA for sale fairly near me that looked about as nice as this one for $5500 just last week. White with blue Chicken.