1978 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am

- Blue over Gray
- 400 V8
- Automatic Transmission
- Screaming Chicken Hood

1978 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am



(Please note: If you happen to be viewing this 1978 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am on a website other than our Garage Kept Motors site, it's possible that you've only seen some of our many photographs of the car due to third-party website limitations. To be sure you access all of the more than 155 photographs, as well as a short start-up and walk-around video, please go to our main website: Garage Kept Motors.)

“… 1978 is the best year yet to buy a new Pontiac.” - Pontiac brochure headline

That dealer-brochure boast of “best year” is bound to get a rise out of enthusiasts of all stripes when it's applied to any make and model. However, for Pontiac in general, and for the Trans Am in particular, it's pretty hard to argue that 1978 was anything but a very special year for a very special car. The heat of the muscle-car wars of the late Sixties might have passed, but as late as 1978, Pontiac was still building plenty of excitement into the Trans Am.

Offered here is a well-maintained and refreshed 1978 Trans Am in blue over gray. This Trans Am has traveled 113,933 miles in all, or just over 2,600 miles per-year on average. The excellent condition of the car, inside and out, is a tribute to owner pride and attention to regular maintenance through the years.

The condition of the body panels and the refreshed metallic blue paint is excellent, free of damage, scrapes, and discoloration. Body-panel alignment (including fender flares) is similarly proper. Blue decals—notably the “screaming chicken” on the hood, but also the “Trans Am” identification on the rear deck and front fenders as well as the “TA 6.6” on the shaker hood—all retain their factory-new appearance. (To best assess the quality of the paint and trim finishes, be sure to view the close-up photographs of the car in the accompanying gallery.) The twin blacked-out front grilles and center Pontiac emblem are likewise free of damage; as are the Firebird emblems on the sailplanes. Chrome window trim and door handles show light patina from age. Cabin glass and all lighting lenses are clear (the left-front driving lightbulb is burned out). Gold-highlighted, lattice-design, 15-inch factory alloy wheels (with Firebird-logo center caps) are mounted with raised-white-letter Cooper Cobra® Radial G/T 245/60 tires.

Inside, seating surfaces are upholstered in gray velour fabric. No significant wear is present, and absolutely no rips or tears on the front buckets or rear 2-passenger bench. Door trim, the dashboard, and the console are all in blue (with the top of the driver's door showing fading from use). The original Firebird-branded sport steering wheel (in black) frames a black dashboard accented with turned-metal trim that surrounds both the tachometer and speedometer, as well as an array of stock engine-monitoring gauges. Four SunPro® auxiliary gauges are mounted below the dash. All instrument lenses are clear-faced; all graphic markings on instruments and other control surfaces are crisp and un-worn. The console-mounted shift lever for the automatic transmission shifter wears Hurst® Pro-Matic2 identification (the trim surrounding the shift lever has deteriorated); the power window buttons are also located on the console.

Under the hood, the 400-cubic-inch V8 lurks beneath its chrome, open-sided air cleaner and Moroso-embossed chrome valve covers. Engine-block paint is the original Pontiac shade of turquoise. All related components are properly located, and the engine bay is clean without being overly detailed. Viewed from below, the car's chassis—including the full-length dual exhaust system with racing-style headers—is free of damage. There is no evidence of too-aggressive or abusive driving styles.

The car's original build and identification tags remain as mounted at the factory.

While the more than 155 high-definition photographs and the short walk-around-and-startup video available on the GarageKeptMotors website showcase this '78 Trans Am in detail from every angle, including from below, we expect and encourage in-person inspections at our Grand Rapids, Michigan showroom. Please call to arrange an appointment in advance as our showroom is not open to the public. And feel free to get in touch anytime by phone or email if you have questions.

There are cars that absolutely capture a time in history. The Trans Am is one. Anyone around when these cars prowled the streets longed to own one; anyone who wasn't around then can still identify with the wildness of the late Seventies. Not only does this Trans Am deliver all that psychic joy, but its well-maintained condition and rare blue color make it a special opportunity; a chance to own a rolling piece of American performance-car history.