[165th]

Hi, I have a lead on a very rough TA that may be available. Here's the specifics:

Original motor, missing the intake manifold/carb. Motor has/did have standing water in it, but not water from a cracked block.
non original tranny, rearend.
missing hood, fenders, radiator support.
Probably significant rust. Had the trunk pan replaced in the '80's. Was running in the '80's, been off the road since.

Rare, but probably hardly desireable column shift.

Very low option car: AM/FM, 8 track, AC, SR glass.

Blue/White standard interior.

With this information and pictures, what would you think this 'jewel' is worth? I'm not sure I'm interested in it, but wanted to get feedback from members first.
Thanks, Greg

[LeighP]

Very rare car...but I couldn't even hazard a guess....certainly a restoration prospect for a car that not "everyone" owns.

[2manyT/A'S]

Interesting car.

Could be the ONLY blue on tuxedo column shift HO?

Looks like a 5 Year/50K project.

[165th]

2Many, I think you're right. I'm already doing one of those, so taking on a second is probably out of the question.

Leigh, I think you're on to something. There is a reason not everyone owns one, probably because nobody wanted one!

I know there's a red '72 with column shift that is well documented, and I think one member here has one too, but I'm not sure of the color combo.

[Lloyd-TX]

I'd love a column shift T/A, but that's just me . . .

WAY too much of a project for my tastes, but def worth saving IMO.

[RAIVJUMB]

Just my opinion but in todays market somewhere between 4-6 K depending on who is buying and condition of some of the other parts of the car. Still at that price it would take a specific person that wants that car to undertake a resto of that proportion in this economy. Mark

[keith k]

The blue on white color combo is tops, IMO. Not very many of those. The column shift makes it more desireable to me, too.... but I'm weird about stuff like that sometimes.

Agree it's a major project. Def not for everyone...

[bird72]

from owning a column shifter, I think they have a bad rap. They don't look cool, but you can get pretty good at manual shifting one on the one two D shifts.... The nice thing to me is the shift and indicator is right in front of you below the windshield view....

there I did my best to almost sound convincing that column shifts are cool. They aren't. People gawk at mine and think my Formula is a fake.

the open area between the seat can hold an ice chest. your girly can slide over when parked

rare but who cares is the best analysis....

personally I have grown to like mine in its weird oddness, and finally got rid of the floor shift conversion parts I had accumulated....

[Transamric]

I'll go out on a limb here & say it's likely worth less than $5K. Too much missing & way too rough for most to consider taking on. Column shift low option Formula,..... maybe. but not on a TA.

[se428bandit]

I think column shift cars are cool.And i would rather have one over a floor shift car just to be different.The reason i bought my 1st Pontiac ('69 Firebird) because i wanted to be different,i didn't want a Camaro or a Mustang like my friends did.

[aronhk_md]

After you spend big bucks on a restoration....if you ever decided to sell it most people will turn away. Some will turn away because they dont like the column shift (most people), while the rest will think the column shift is kinda cool and different but wont pay anywhere near what the car is worth because THEY know if THEY ever have to sell it its gonna be a tough sell (se428bandit, bird72, keith k, Lloyd-Tx).

Sure they SAY its cool and they'd like one better, but that doesnt mean they'll pay the same dollar amount for one....lol

[AkCamaro]

I must be cheap, I'm thinking $3500.
Im not digging the colum shift, the blue helps to make up for it, almost.

[PONTIAC-ONE]

I didn't think the column shift existed until I saw a '74 SD in the HPP mag a few years ago. My latest '73 has a column shifter (not a T/A) and I can't say I like it or hate it, it just seems like they don't belong in a F body...especially in a T/A.
I may convert it to a console, can't decide, having the open bare floor between the seats is nice too.

[165th]

I appreciate everyone's input here. It pretty much validates what I was thinking as well. However, I'm not sure it's worth less than the vin numbers that were selling earlier this summer. It seems like quite a few totalled and rusted out cars without engines were sold for $6~$7K over the last 9 months or so.

That column shift.... it definitely conjures up very different opinions.

Thanks again for your input and comments!

[x-bird2]

for what is there bodywise, it almost doesn't look that bad. Really looks like someone tried their best to protect it combined with the "one day ..." line of thought. The quarters look solid in the pictures, but of course one never knows what lies beneath. a lot more worthy of a resto than others that have been saved ...

[165th]

I got a call from the owner of this car today. He's a bit more motivated to sell.

Still not in the $3,500 ~$6K range noted here, but closer. At least he's under $10K now.

I found out a few more details. The car was repainted in '82, at that time only 10 years old. Since the last 30yrs of aging can be seen, then as x-bird mentioned, the shell may be pretty solid. Except that doesn't explain why the trunk pan replacement was done with the '82 repaint.

The original distributor and carb come with the car. The original tranny is gone, but the rear end is original, only the posi was changed out before.

The console delete + 8 track is interesting. I'm wondering how the 8 track is/was mounted. If anyone has a picture of a correct 8 track install on a floorboard, I'd appreciate seeing that.

Bird72, thanks for the picture. If anyone has pictures of the red '72 column shift TA, or other column shift TA's that would be helpful.
Thanks.

[aronhk_md]

Still not worth anything close to even 6K in my opinion. Theres too much out there nicer for a little more. For 12-14k you could get a driver that needs some work, and you are going to sink 5K into that motor at least just to get it running and right...if its usable. If that car were 5K I'd say its a serious possibility.

What you should do is give him this website, explain that this is where ALL the serious pontiac trans am guys hang out....especially the early years.....tell him to list it here until he realizes the price he is asking is too high, then he is welcome to come back to you for a more realistic offer. LOL

Just realized the front end is minus all the sheetmetal, grills, headlight buckets, trim rings, turn signals, inner fenders, bolts......The car is worth less actually. Theres a LOT missing from up front, then theres rear spoiler specific to early years, fender flares......ugggh.....be a good car to have around for parts.

The ONLY plus I see to that car is from the pics at least the sheetmetal thats there looks in relatively good shape.

[RAJ7395]

Hi Greg!

What's the cowl tag date on the car??

I'd love to find a lucy blue 72 TA built 12B.

[Formulabruce]

The car looks solid, just as a shell perspective, it is worth fixing

[bossbirdta]

Originally Posted by 165th

The console delete + 8 track is interesting. I'm wondering how the 8 track is/was mounted. If anyone has a picture of a correct 8 track install on a floorboard, I'd appreciate seeing that.
Thanks.

how about this......