1979 PONTIAC Firebird TA 10th Anniversary- Volo Auto Museum and Sales

Photography and writing by and copyright D. S. Brown. GM and AMA documents copyright GM and AMA.

No one thinks of the Trans Am as a winter car. Back in the day none of the ponycars were considered a viable vehicle for snow and ice. Now with collectors driving these cars, storage in winter is mandatory. Ironically, the introduction dates for new models in Firebird/ Trans Am history recur in the winter. Each Firebird series of cars experienced their first drives in snow and ice on the way from the factory and onto the transport trucks. Obviously, when the Van Nuys factory began producing Trans Ams later on, those cars escaped this fate.  

The very first 1967 Firebird made (a white 326 convertible) rolled off the Lordstown, Ohio line in winter. The very first 1969 Trans Am was first available for sale in winter. The rebodied 1970 1/2 Firebirds were introduced in winter of 1970. In keeping with tradition, the Tenth Anniversary model Trans Am was released in winter. The third generation Birds were released January, 1982.

The winter pattern began because Firebird missed the September, 1966 introductory time slot most when most 1967 cars hit the showrooms. If Pontiac head John DeLorean had his way there wouldn't have been a Firebird at all.

When the 1967 model year began, the market was already flooded with Mustang competitors. Everyone wanted a piece of the Mustang action. Chrysler had actually beaten the Mustang to market by a few days back in Spring of 1964 with the fastback Barracuda but it never caught on like the Ford did. Chrysler reworked the 1967 Barracuda body as a all new standalone version. The previous slow selling Barracuda was clearly a Valiant with a fastback roof graft. Meanwhile everyone else rushed to develop completely new cars for the booming class of cars called 'the ponycar'.

In September, 1966 Chevrolet and Mercury released 1967 model year Camaros and Cougars. Pontiac didn't have a ponycar ready because DeLorean was locked in a fight to bypass the ponycar market up until the final moments of Camaro production. Pontiac entered the ponycar wars at the last minute, quickly modifying the existing Camaro platform with Pontiac styling. Even getting it out in Feb, 1967 was a miracle considering how late they entered the ponycar wars.

Pontiac's head John DeLorean had engaged in a war of wills with the higher ups at GM trying to get a Pontiac two seat sports car into production called The Banshee. DeLorean was determined to release his pet project as a Corvette competitor, and didn't want to compromise with a four seat ponycar. Pontiac remained uninvolved with the development of the Camaro until GM management forced him to drop his Banshee project.

The last minute Firebird was a success when it debuted Feb 23, 1967. The 1969 Trans Am was first announced with the GTO Judge back in Dec, 1968 but the TA didn't become available until mid winter 1969. When the second generation Firebird appeared, it was released as a 1970 1/2 in Feb, 1970.

Whether by accident or design the 10th Anniversary Trans Am wasn't announced when the 1979 Pontiac model lineup information was released Sep 21, 1978 as shown below.

The Tenth Anniversary Trans Am (sometimes referred to as the TA/TA) was announced on Feb 1, 1979. Pontiac planned to build 7,500 of the special cars sequentially numbered. The 1979 Firebird line had been revised for 1979 with new cut out headlights above larger, lower air scoops up front and a full width tail light lens out back. The TA/TA took the Trans Am package one step further, coming standard with the four wheel disc brakes and 15x8 aluminum finned wheels.

The four wheel discs were optional on other Firebirds. The special wheels didn't become available on other models at all until they were released as an option the following year for 1980 Firebirds.

The 10th Anniversary TA had a two tone charcoal/ silver paint scheme and a larger hood bird which flowed right off the hood across the fender tops. The photo below shows how the sticker was continued past the hood line. Also interesting to note here is how well this factory original application lines up. At this time, seams and gaps were pretty sloppy at GM, particularly on high volume cars like the Trans Am. At this time, the TA accounted for half of all Firebird sales. When you pump out 115,000 cars annually you get squeaky, rattling examples. It's likely that the 10th Anniversary package cars were given more attention on the line.

The silver theme was taken inside the car where silver door panels, rear seat center featured sewn in 10th Anniversary Bird logos. Note that the center of the seat is actually the driveshaft hump with carpeting.

The red pinstripe was picked up with red lit gauges. The automatic cars had a small insert of engine turned aluminum applique in the console to match the dash.

All TA/TAs had a full option load included standard in the package. The luxury items are surprising for a Trans Am: leather interior, lamp group, vanity mirror in passenger visor, power steering, power door locks, power windows, remote deck lid release, pulse cycle windshield wipers, signal seeking AM/FM stereo with 8 track and power antenna, air conditioning, extra sound insulation, and T tops with silver tinted hatches. Cruise control was available only with the automatic transmission.

The performance options included standard in the package were power four wheel disc brakes, heavy duty battery, halogen lights, tilt steering, WS6 suspension, and aluminum wheels.

The TA/TA is a product of the times and like the last year Collector Edition 1982 Corvettes the silver interior and exterior colors and stripe stickers are permanently associated with the end of the Disco era. The musclecars of the 1970s took the 'stripes and scoops' of the 1960s musclecars as far as possible and merged them with the new aesthetics of the late 1970s. 1960s cars used primary colors and chrome. Paint schemes in the 1970s leaned towards tertiary colors, matte black trim, multi tone paint and stickers.

The appearance was exaggerated, and many lamented the fact that spoilers, spats and stripes adorned cars that were often significantly slower than their predecessors. A quick glance through the available engines as listed in the AMA stat sheet below confirms that most of the engine/ axle combinations were lacking compared to the glory days of the 1960s and the 1990s revival leading to the ultra fast current muscle cars of the 2000s.

A buddy of mine had a 1979 Firebird Formula that he bought as a used car just to get around town in the late 1980s. The car was very nimble through corners and had a terrific ride- not too harsh but very firm and controlled. The little 301 four barrel was great on gas and made the front end feel light and responsive. Although it was by no means a fast car, it didn't suffer from the muffled delayed agonizingly slow response of some smog small blocks of the time period. 

This same setup created the balance of handling and power that won the day for the Trans Am in a Sep 1979 CAR AND DRIVER competition between the TA, Camaro Z28, Corvette L88, Capri and Phoenix. The TA with 90 pounds less weight over the front wheels courtesy of the light 301 beat out the other cars, even the Vette. WORLD CARS 1979 says this engine was good for 103 MPH top speed with a four speed and 3.08 axle and 15 MPG. The original EPA window sticker on a 4 speed 301 was 15 MPG City and 24 Hwy. The new revised EPA system rated it lower at 14/27 MPG.

Adding one of the big blocks to that car would be just enough to qualify it as quick; not 1960s fast, but respectable at least. The big blocks of course come at the cost of deducting a bit from the handling.

With hindsight, we can recognize that these cars were more balanced performers than the 1960s musclecars. They still had some zip which combined with better handling and braking to produce overall performance unlike the one dimensional straight line rocket ships of the 1960s. As for looks, the classic era 1960s musclecars relied on clean styling lines and bold colors which hold up better today than the late 1970s look. Proof of this is found in the current batch of retro musclecars which visually reference 1960s or early 1970s cars. The current musclecars have taken the best of both worlds to create visually pleasing and fully balanced performance packages.

The Tenth Anniversary Trans Am ends the 1970s as a summary of all that was good and bad about this decade of muscle car remnants. The T/A had terrific handling and brakes and adequate power. The Olds 403 had decent torque and at 185 HP enough horsepower to retain some quickness. Pontiac used up the last of the 6.6 Pontiac built 400 engines this year. These 220 HP engines squeezed every bit of horsepower out of the smogged out carburetor engines of this time period.

Soon computer controlled fuel injection engines would equal 1960s ETs and eventually eclipse the earlier cars, but for 1979 getting 220 HP out of any engine was a sheer miracle. The driving experience of this car at the time was unrivaled by anything in its price class. Car magazines praised it as one of the best handling cars period, regardless of price.

On the downside, the pinnacle of TA performance for 1979 was a 4,000 pound car with 220 HP. The typical 403 example usually found on the streets would be running 185 HP. 1960s musclecars were lighter with a lot more power. Everyone looked back at their high compression catalytic free true dual exhaust, big jet, huge valve engines as the high water mark which this car fails to live up to. The other problem with the TA/TA is that it went so far with the styling that cliches and jokes about the Trans Am were inescapable. But for anything other than straight line performance, this car was miles away in handling and braking.

Collecting seemed to have hit a nerve everywhere in the late 1970s and early 1980s. To use one example, comic book collecting became huge. Back issues were getting very expensive because mothers the world over had thrown out comic books and paper drives in the war destroyed many more. Those old comics were not only classic issues, but in short supply. Collectors bought up new comics erroneously believing they would instantly inflate in value like the classics. Comic companies issued enormous print runs of first issues marked "Collectors' First Issue!" Guys would buy ten copies and keep them in Mylar plastic with the expectation of a huge return.

This process also occurred with cars. The seriously valuable collector cars of the musclecar era weren't recognized as such at the time they came out. As they rose in value, manufacturers created 'collectible cars' in the form of commemorative vehicles. Buyers hoarded these cars in the hopes that they too would escalate in value. People bought up the last Eldorado convertibles and the 1978 Corvette Pace Cars. So, not surprisingly, when the 10th Anniversary Trans Am came out people drove them sparingly or even stored them unused.

The 'collector status' of the manufacturers contrived collectibles never really materialized. The expectation of collector status had a side benefit however. The storage and low miles status of the cars that were saved for decades ensures that the cars are now valuable as historical pieces. With the shift to originality as the highest value in car collecting, unrestored untouched cars are collectible for this reason alone.  

The OOCC 10th Anniversary Trans Am fell into the new wave of intentional collecting. The first owner of this car took possession at 400 miles and only put 11,900 miles on the car taking the total mileage to 12,336 miles. He stored the car the entire time he owned it, thus keeping it pristine in the process. The OOCC T/A falls into the ONE OWNER category because it has only been titled to one person, despite having a 'limbo' period in 1979 when no one technically owned it.

The story begins back at the dealerships where speculation and demand had created a mini version of the Corvette Pace Car fever all over again. No one could buy a 10th Anniversary car for list price. Dealers competed to get one as a prestige showroom piece. This particular Trans Am was delivered to Terry Shaver Pontiac Inc, in Highland, Indiana. To see a story about this dealer, check the DEALERSHIPS section of this website.

The OOCC Trans Am was being driven by the wife of the owner of the dealership and was sold as a 'demo' to its first owner with 400 miles on the odometer. The first owner took possession on Oct. 14, 1980. Up until that point the car existed in the twilight zone as a dealer demo car.

This isn't the longest case of an untitled 1979 TA/TA car floating about. See the story about Kitterman Motor Co. in the DEALERSHIPS section of this website. They had a showroom floor 1979 Tenth Anniversary Trans Am that didn't sell until 2011! Interestingly, that 6.7 mile car didn't appear too much different than this lightly used 12,000 mile example.

A story from the 1960s illustrates this phenomenon quite well. An old lady bought a 'brand new' Buick and experiencing brake failure. Investigation proved that the car was a demo with a turned back odometer. It had 12,000 miles on it at the time of sale as a 'new car'. It seems that the first 10,000 miles of use on a car don't leave much of a mark on its appearance. Below is a shot of the driver's seat. The leather hasn't developed cracks and the silver hasn't become muddied.

The appearance of this car seems to be factory fresh. The first owner didn't put noticeable wear on his TA. He was a savvy kid who recognized the great combination of options provided standard on the 10th Anniversary package. He also assumed that the car would escalate in value.

Despite being on top of things back in 1980 he couldn't buy or title the car of his dreams. Our first owner wasn't old enough to qualify for the necessary loan. He needed his father to sign for him. The car was titled to his father Joseph Blandford of Schererville, Indiana. As of this moment the car remains titled to his father and is still a one owner car.  

The Trans Am remains in all original condition right down to the factory tires with three exceptions. The first owner had to replace the brake master cylinder. He also replaced the cigarette lighter. The third item changed is the only deviation from stock made to the car. The factory 8 track was switched out in favor of a Pioneer cassette player, the top technology back in 1980. This was a typical Day Two upgrade of the time.

When the TA/TA was consigned decades later Volo performed a detailed inspection. The seldom used Trans Am was perfect except for the alternator which had to be replaced.

As shown above this Trans Am has the four speed which is hooked to a 3.23 posi and the most powerful engine available for the 1979 Trans Am, the Pontiac built 6.6. The 6.6 badges on the shaker hood scoop seen below indicated the Pontiac 400 instead of the Olds 403. 

Back in 1979 the 6.6's 220 HP was impressive. Years of catalytic convertors and leaned out carburetor settings had lowered everyone's expectations for the current crop of cars. The 400s installed into these 1979 Firebirds were leftovers from 1978 when production ceased and were just being used up. This was the end of the line for big block engines. The 400 can be compared to the more commonly found 403 Olds engine in the AMA specs below.

HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES compared a pair of well maintained Trans Ams containing a 403 in one and a 400 in the other. HMM didn't find as much difference as might be expected. Partly this is explained by the fact that street launches are relying on torque and both engines are well matched at the low end. It's only when fully winding out an engine that the high end kicks in.

WORLD CARS 1979 says the Olds 403 Olds Trans Am with automatic and 2.41 axle has a top speed of 112 MPH and gets 14 MPG at 67 MPH with a medium load over a varied run. They said the "6.6" 400 with 4 speed and 3.23 axle was good for 118 MPH and 12 MPG. Once again, the WORLD CARS figure seems conservative. Even though CAR AND DRIVER in Jan 1979 ignored the 5000-rpm tachometer redline, it seems doubtful that they found an extra 14 MPH in a mere 400 RPMS when they managed to pull 132 mph out of a 220 HP TA while revving at 5400 rpm.

CAR AND DRIVER did agree with WORLD CARS that the 220 HP TA was good for 12 MPG which also matches the EPA City rating. The EPA rated the 6.6 at 17 Hwy MPG. Interestingly, the 403 Olds hooked up with auto had an EPA of 14 City which agreed with the WORLD CARS overall figure of 14. The EPA rated the Olds at 19 MPG Hwy.

The generally accepted figure for the 6.6 down the quarter mile is around what CAR AND DRIVER attained: 15.3 at 96.6.