15k: Bandit Twins: Two 1979 Pontiac Firebird TransAms
These two identical-ish black and gold Smokey (not Smoky) and the Bandit
Trans Ams went up on SF Bay Area craigslist and are only a
couple of miles apart. That deserves a compero… except, hang on, these are 79’s and Smokey’s TA
was a 77. Unless you mean SatB2, but that was an 80 (and forget about
SatB3…okay, an 82). Tip from KBZ.
First up is this 1979 Pontiac Firebird TransAm for sale in Burlingame, CA for $15,900 via craigslist. This one is classy black-on-black with a big gold thunderchicken on the hood. The seller claims it is a one family owned car and has only 46k miles on the odometer.
This one is powered by the 6.6 liter V8 and is all numbers matching. The 400 cubic inch V8 is good for 185 horsepower and 315 ft-lbs of torque and can push the 3500 lb Banditmobile from 0-60mph in 7 seconds.
Next up is another 1979 Pontiac Firebird TransAm, this one located in Belmont, CA and offered for $24,000 via craigslist. This one is also has a marvelous deep black paint job with the golden winged thunderchicken preparing for flight on its hood.
This TransAm is also powered by the same 6.6 liter V8 from the previous car, so performance will also be good for a 70s car, but slow compared to modern traffic.
See a cooler car for Smokey burnouts? email us here: tips@dailyturismo.com
I made a deal with an old friend that if I bought him on of these, he would grow a mullet and rock it for a minimum of 1 year. I hope I win the megamillions tonight 🙂
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Thunder Chicken. Try repeating that word out loud three times and NOT smile.
All hail the THUNDER CHICKEN!
Beware the THUNDER CHICKEN
What's for dinner? The THUNDER CHICKEN
This post made my day.
THUNDER CHICKEN
Agreed! THUNDER CHICKEN is probably the best automotive nickname IN THE WOOOOORRRLLLLDD!!!
Really, what other automotive nickname is better?
Ford Exploder?
If the market will bear 24k for this thing, I officially give up on the used "classic" market. If it was Burt Renolds personal T//A, maybe, and even that is a stretch.
I put this in the same catagory as the 80's Corvette pace car, unloved, worthless and for good reason. Bleh.
The first car posted is mistakenly referred to as, "400 cubic inch V8." IF this car is a numbers-matching original AND the 6.6 Litre decal is original/correct, then this is, in fact, the 403 C.I. Oldsmobile power plant. Further evidence is the slushbox, which was always paired with the Olds 403 motor.
As for the second listing, IF the car is correctly identified by the T/A 6.6 decal on the hood scoop, then it is not "the same 6.6 liter V8 from the previous car" as you mention. In this case, again, assuming the decal is original/correct, this would indicate the presence of the MUCH more desirable 400 C.I. Pontiac motor. Head-scratchingly enough, the Pontiac mill was typically paired with the 4-spd manual tranny, which this car is listed as not having…go figure.
Ah, the Oldsmobutiacolet engine swap years at GM, when they figured as long as it was close, no one would give a crap what was under the hood… until someone tries to sell it 30 years later when two of the divisions don't even exist anymore. BTW please note that I am Annoynamous, not Anonymous.