Lot #658 - 1981 Pontiac TransAm

LAST CALL!!  For the Classic Muscle Car

In 1981 the Pontiac TransAm marked the Grand Finale of the legendary 2nd Generation “Bandit” era body style. Representing the beautiful twilight of the Bandit era, 1981 is the year Pontiac perfected this machine, marking the very last time Firebird featured the massive apex of the muscular long-hood design and the swan song of the heavy steel body style. Leaving the assembly plant optioned to the hilt, this TransAm is a factory-documented, numbers matching Y84 Special Edition, the absolute end of the iconic second-generation made famous by pop culture and the movie franchise of Smoky and the Bandit I and II with Burt Reynolds and Sally Field.  While Burt had the charisma and gave the Bandit his smile, it was the TransAm that gave the legend its soul.  In the end, Hollywood provided the story but it was entirely about the car. 

Red Clay, Black Steel

Already an aficionado of performance muscle cars, my husband owned a 1968 Dodge Charger R/T Magnum 440 with 4-speed Hurst shifter when I met him in 1970.  After we were married, rooted in his passion for muscle cars and the Smoky and the Bandit franchise, we came into possession of this 1981 TransAm SE.  My husband and I were then 31 and 28 years of age.  When we drove this car, we felt like we were part of that secret club and the most famous pursuit-evasion car in pop culture history…pure unadulterated American Freedom on 4 wheels.  In the dead of summer 1984, my husband and I proved the car’s mechanical mettle with a road trip of Route 66 kicking off this leg in California. Blasting through the blazing heat, we got caught in an afternoon monsoon in the region of the Colorado Plateau – rich in iron oxide - with the classic Southwestern red clay and silt.  The baking desert soil instantly transformed into slick, heavy red mud.  By the time the desert air evaporated the moisture, the brilliant red clay had bonded to our car’s polished glossy black finish, clinging with magnetic intensity.  When we finally throttled into Albuquerque and first locked eyes with the striking clash of dramatic of red-against-black, the sheer impact of that contrast made us feel like true road warriors.  Pulling into a gas station, the car drew stares and comments like “you brought half the desert with you that a garden hose isn’t going to wash off.”  My husband and I had just enjoyed the ride of a lifetime together in that car.

Peak of the Muscle Car Era
1981 Pontiac Firebird TransAm  Y84 Special Edition
Unmolested Survivor Vehicle
“Smokey and Bandit” Body Styling - 1 of 947 Units Manufactured

Vehicle Overview

Document Source: Original Factory Build Sheet
·        Y84 Special Edition - Factory Coded Black and Gold  ”Bandit” Package
·        Exterior: Original Factory Starlight Black Paint, Gold Trim
·       5.0 Liter (305 ci) 4 – barrel , V8,  4-Speed Manual Transmission
·       Original Interior Factory Black Sierra Grain Vinyl Upholstery
·        15x8 Cast Aluminum Snowflake Gold Wheels
·       Suspension:  Factory WS6 Performance Package
·       4 – Wheel Disc Brakes
·       Shaker Hood Air Cleaner
·       Classic “Rising Phoenix” Hood Decal
·       Roof:  Fisher Factory T-Tops, 2 Factory OEM Storage Bags   
·       Manufactured in Van Nuys, CA/Originally Delivered to Central Pontiac in Seattle, WA

Known Current Conditions
·       Mileage: 156600.9
·       Drivetrain:  4-speed manual transmission.  Note the reverse lockout/linkage is stiff. 
·       Exterior:  Note the front grille section around the driver’s front headlight is broken. 
·       Mechanical/Electrical: Minor seepage at the power steering gearbox.
·       The windshield wiper arms have a flaw/alignment issue.
·       Dashboard: ‘Check Engine’ light is currently illuminated and has been for years. 
·       Interior: Passenger side window regulator does not roll up easily. 
·       Cracked Exterior Window Moldings
·       Vehicle has been in heated garage for last 8-9 years, since 2017-2018. 

Service/Maintenance Records for 1981 Pontiac TransAm Y84 Special Edition

Present owner purchased vehicle in November 1982
1983
·       Installed Left Front Shock – Under Warranty

1984
·       Recall: General Motors Corporation Pontiac Motor Division Recall of Potentially Restricted Catalytic Converter.  To Ash Pontiac -GMC in Tacoma for assessment and remediation.

1992
·       New Tires (4) Eagle Radial GT’s  225/70 R-15
·       New Autolite PowerSeal Spark Plug Wire Set
·       New Sorensen Rotor

1990
·       New Muffler LifeTime Warranty (Walt’s Radiator Muffler Brakes)
·       Installed Left Front Shock

1991
·       State Farm Insurance : Repair Front Bumper, Repair Left Grille, Replace Stripes OEM Replace/Add Flex
·       Muffler Revision Lifetime Warranty (Walt’s Radiator Muffler Brakes)   

1992
·       Check Valve
·       Tacoma Frame & Axle: “Straighten Right Front subframe above right rear control arm mount.  Straighten siderail buckle and reinforce.”    
·       New Monroe Rear Shocks - Warranty

1993
·       Top End Valve Repair – Work performed by Friend/Diesel Mechanic for Peninsula School District

1994
·       Wiper Motor with Delay
·       Pontiac GM Truck Inc: Replace 1 Wheel Center Cap
·       Sorensen Distributor Cap and Distributor Rotor
·       Formal Appraisal by Auto Ideas of Port Orchard: June 12. 1994

‘Good Running Engine, Original, Dual Exhaust, New Muffler & Tailpipes, New Clutch, Minor Door Scratches, Very Straight for Age, Original Dash, Very Clean Original Interior, No Rips, Tears, or Badly Worn Areas, Original Wiring, Aftermarket Add-on: AM/FM Stereo Cassette.  Condition: (1-6) 2-3

1999
·       New Tires: Goodyear Eagle GT RWL 225/70-15 with Front End Alignment. 

2000
·       Oil Change: Oil from Costco 10W 30
·       New Battery Costco

2002

Continental Tire & Automotive Service  - June 2002

R & R & Rebuild Transmission and Replace Clutch

Continental Automotive & Transmission – July 2002
·       Throw out Bearing Noise – Clutch Pack Replaced  ”Äs a Matter of Preventative Measure”

Continental Automotive & Transmission – August 2002
·       Lube, Change Oil & Filter
·       Remove & Replace Front Brakes
·       Remove & Replace Rear Brakes
·       Install Master Cylinder

Continental Automotive & Transmission - November 2002
·       Remove & Replace LR Caliper & Bleed – Warranty Claim
·       No Charge for New Master Cylinder Under Warranty for Defective Part F104513
·       Install New Manifold & Gaskets
·       Make & Install Exhaust Y Pipe
·       Rear Brake Hose

2003
·       Exhaust Work: Muffler, Tailpipe Welds – Walt’s in Gig Harbor

2007
·       Replaced Power Steering Pressure Hose
·       Gear Lube
·       Change Engine Oil and filter
·       Cap and Rotor, Spark Plugs and Wires Replaced
·       Replaced Radiator with New Performance Radiator
·       Choke Coil Assy Replaced

2009
·       New Starter – Lifetime Warranty
·       New Smog Pump
·       New Heater Core

 2010
·       New Power Steering Hoses, P/S Pump, P/S Fluid, V Belts

2012

Walt’s Auto Care Center – Gig Harbor August 1, 2012
·       FlowMaster Muffler Installed

Walt’s Auto Care Center – Gig Harbor August 22, 2012.
·       Customer wanted a quieter muffler.  FlowMaster removed, IMCO Muffler installed.   

2013
·       Replace Shocks Front and Rear with Monroe – Under Warranty

2015
·       New Battery -  Costco (Mileage:  151042)
·       New Headlight Switch – Limited Lifetime Warranty

2017
·       Disc Pad Set
·       Brake Proportioning Valve
·       New Parking Brake Cable
·       Brake Caliper Front Left, Brake Caliper Front Right, Brake Fluid  - DOT 3-4

2018  
Owner took a break. Enjoyed summer with the boat, did the summer antique cars circuit…. Had FUN! Housed the TransAm undercover in a heated garage for a time. 

2026 Recommissioning Maintenance on the TransAm

New Battery - Costco

Brakes: All Calipers, Proportioning Valve, Master Cylinder and Both Front Brake Hoses Replaced. Fresh Brake Fluid. 

Fuel Tank Drained and Flushed.  Replaced with Non-ethanol Fuel. 

Cooling System Flushed.  Replaced with Fresh Coolant.

Engine Lubrication: Old Oil Flushed/New Filter, New Mobil 1 High Mileage Full Synthetic 10W-40. 

Ignition:   8 New NKG Iridium Spark Plugs

4 New Cooper Cobra 225/70 R15 Radial GT RWL Tires

2 New Halogen Sealed Low Beam Headlights