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