Make:
Pontiac
Model:
Trans Am Bandit
Country:
USA
Region:
CA
City:
San Jose
Zip:
95116
Body Style:
Coupe
Year:
1978
Mileage:
22000
Miles
Transmission:
Automatic
Fuel:
Gasoline
Doors:
2
Color:
Black
Engine:
455
Condition:
Used
1978 Pontiac Trans Am.
If you have been searching for a BANDIT Trans Am that truly runs like a BANDIT…stop…You have found it.
The body and frame on this Trans Am has just over 22k original miles and the 520 horsepower 455 (stroked to 468) has less than 500 miles.
This Trans Am has spent its life in a garage as I only drive it on the weekends to a car show or car function then it gets washed, waxed and put back in the garage again.
Everything on this car works as it should, right down to the cigarette lighter.
It is amazing car !
PAINT / BODY
Was a 99.9% rust-free body
Stripped to metal
Painted in Diamond Paint 2-stage: 5 coats base black, 5 coats clear
Wet sanded / buffed
Phoenix Graphics special edition Trans Am stripe kit incl. Birds, Names, Stripes (preformed)
New nose arrowhead emblem
New 17 inch Year One wheels (snowflake)
New center caps
New lug nuts
New tires (less than 500 miles)
The paint on this car shines and looks a foot deep. There are no swirl marks in the paint or any scratches.
Some of the chrome trim on the car has been replaced. The glass has no cracks or bubbles and is as good as new.
The Phoenix graphics are amazing quality and were installed perfectly. The paint has a smooth feel to it and is easy to take care of.
INTERIOR
Reproduction front rear seats, seatbelts, console door, cup holders, door panels, carpet
New gold steering wheel
New dash cover
New Sill plates
New Stereo / speakers
New CD / IPod
Everything else in the interior has been professionally detailed.
The interior of this Trans Am appears as it did when it left the showroom floor. I installed a dash mat to protect the dash as these cars are notorious for cracking and splitting dashes and I refused to let it happen to this one. All the seats are brand new, new carpet, new OEM steering wheel, door panels, even new cup holders!! The only thing I have not replaced (yet) is the headliner. It does not sag, but will need to be replaced to match the new interior.
The trunk is clean and rust free with OEM grey covering. I included some photographs of the areas that usually accumulate rust on the T/A’s to show this one is rust free.
ENGINE
Olds 455 stroked to 468 - 60 over - Speed Pro piston and rods - Nodular crank 10/10
Cloyes billet 7 key way double roller timing set - Mark Remmel custom radical cam shaft
Trick flow heavy duty I-Beam rods - Edelbrock performer heads - Harland Sharp gold roller rockers
Saunders block hugger headers- Flow cooler water pump - Desert cooler 4-core radiator
Edelbrock intake / cut divider - Street Avenger 870 cfm vs. modified
Proform street / strip distributor (recurved) - High torque mini starter
10 mm DUI race wires - New GM alternator - Holley fuel pump
OK, so here is where the fun starts. If you know anything about the original 400 Pontiac engine, you know it was S-L-O-W. This one…is not. This engine is a BEAST and shakes the ground when it idles. No expense was spared building this one and it was done very, very tastefully. I never “hot rod” this car, but it will absolutely ROAST the back tires if you get in it. The cam sounds as amazing as the car looks and just the sound, turns heads. The compression is 11:1 and will run on 93 octane pump gas, but thrives on 110 (if you choose). I have run both and have had no issues with either. 110 smells good, so I run it once in a while! I installed a new red top Optima battery and it fires up first time, every time with no issues.
MACHINE WORK
Hot Tank - Align Honed -Torque Plate - Magnafluxed - Gasket match everything - Degreed cam shaft - Studded block ARP fasteners
Money was spent building this engine to do it right. A good high performance engine starts with good machine work.
TRANSMISSION
TH 350 -Rebuild to match - TCI super street fighter - TCI street / strip valve body - TCI street fighter 3500 / 3800 converter Redline synthetic fluid - B-M radiator style cooler - deep aluminum pan - Spicer high impact U-Joints / Yolk
REAR END
Total rebuild including bearings, 3.73 gears, seals, redline synthetic oil - Strange HD axles - Heavy duty clutches - Aluminum cover
BRAKES
Stock. New 1 year ago
GAS TANK
New
EXHAUST
2 ½ in duals
IMCO extreme mufflers (1 chamber)
New chrome TA tips
The car is 99 percent perfect however; it does leak just a few drops of oil each week as I believe the rear main seal is leaking just a bit. I have not bothered to replace it as I kind of expect a 38 year old car to show some signs of age.
These Olds engines are notorious for leaky rope seals so, I have not paid much attention to the drop here and there.
If you are a perfectionist as I am, you will want to replace the headliner. It is not saggy, but it is not new as the rest of the interior. I just have not gotten to it yet.
I would not hesitate for a moment to drive this car hundreds of miles. It is that reliable. As you could imagine, it likes to drink the gas, but that is the price you pay for 520 horses under the hood.
If you have been searching for a BANDIT Trans Am that truly runs like a BANDIT…stop…You have found it.
The body and frame on this Trans Am has just over 22k original miles and the 520 horsepower 455 (stroked to 468) has less than 500 miles.
This Trans Am has spent its life in a garage as I only drive it on the weekends to a car show or car function then it gets washed, waxed and put back in the garage again.
Everything on this car works as it should, right down to the cigarette lighter.
It is amazing car !
PAINT / BODY
Was a 99.9% rust-free body
Stripped to metal
Painted in Diamond Paint 2-stage: 5 coats base black, 5 coats clear
Wet sanded / buffed
Phoenix Graphics special edition Trans Am stripe kit incl. Birds, Names, Stripes (preformed)
New nose arrowhead emblem
New 17 inch Year One wheels (snowflake)
New center caps
New lug nuts
New tires (less than 500 miles)
The paint on this car shines and looks a foot deep. There are no swirl marks in the paint or any scratches.
Some of the chrome trim on the car has been replaced. The glass has no cracks or bubbles and is as good as new.
The Phoenix graphics are amazing quality and were installed perfectly. The paint has a smooth feel to it and is easy to take care of.
INTERIOR
Reproduction front rear seats, seatbelts, console door, cup holders, door panels, carpet
New gold steering wheel
New dash cover
New Sill plates
New Stereo / speakers
New CD / IPod
Everything else in the interior has been professionally detailed.
The interior of this Trans Am appears as it did when it left the showroom floor. I installed a dash mat to protect the dash as these cars are notorious for cracking and splitting dashes and I refused to let it happen to this one. All the seats are brand new, new carpet, new OEM steering wheel, door panels, even new cup holders!! The only thing I have not replaced (yet) is the headliner. It does not sag, but will need to be replaced to match the new interior.
The trunk is clean and rust free with OEM grey covering. I included some photographs of the areas that usually accumulate rust on the T/A’s to show this one is rust free.
ENGINE
Olds 455 stroked to 468 - 60 over - Speed Pro piston and rods - Nodular crank 10/10
Cloyes billet 7 key way double roller timing set - Mark Remmel custom radical cam shaft
Trick flow heavy duty I-Beam rods - Edelbrock performer heads - Harland Sharp gold roller rockers
Saunders block hugger headers- Flow cooler water pump - Desert cooler 4-core radiator
Edelbrock intake / cut divider - Street Avenger 870 cfm vs. modified
Proform street / strip distributor (recurved) - High torque mini starter
10 mm DUI race wires - New GM alternator - Holley fuel pump
OK, so here is where the fun starts. If you know anything about the original 400 Pontiac engine, you know it was S-L-O-W. This one…is not. This engine is a BEAST and shakes the ground when it idles. No expense was spared building this one and it was done very, very tastefully. I never “hot rod” this car, but it will absolutely ROAST the back tires if you get in it. The cam sounds as amazing as the car looks and just the sound, turns heads. The compression is 11:1 and will run on 93 octane pump gas, but thrives on 110 (if you choose). I have run both and have had no issues with either. 110 smells good, so I run it once in a while! I installed a new red top Optima battery and it fires up first time, every time with no issues.
MACHINE WORK
Hot Tank - Align Honed -Torque Plate - Magnafluxed - Gasket match everything - Degreed cam shaft - Studded block ARP fasteners
Money was spent building this engine to do it right. A good high performance engine starts with good machine work.
TRANSMISSION
TH 350 -Rebuild to match - TCI super street fighter - TCI street / strip valve body - TCI street fighter 3500 / 3800 converter Redline synthetic fluid - B-M radiator style cooler - deep aluminum pan - Spicer high impact U-Joints / Yolk
REAR END
Total rebuild including bearings, 3.73 gears, seals, redline synthetic oil - Strange HD axles - Heavy duty clutches - Aluminum cover
BRAKES
Stock. New 1 year ago
GAS TANK
New
EXHAUST
2 ½ in duals
IMCO extreme mufflers (1 chamber)
New chrome TA tips
The car is 99 percent perfect however; it does leak just a few drops of oil each week as I believe the rear main seal is leaking just a bit. I have not bothered to replace it as I kind of expect a 38 year old car to show some signs of age.
These Olds engines are notorious for leaky rope seals so, I have not paid much attention to the drop here and there.
If you are a perfectionist as I am, you will want to replace the headliner. It is not saggy, but it is not new as the rest of the interior. I just have not gotten to it yet.
I would not hesitate for a moment to drive this car hundreds of miles. It is that reliable. As you could imagine, it likes to drink the gas, but that is the price you pay for 520 horses under the hood.
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