![]() We first encountered the automobile on the flat terrain of General Motors' Mesa Arizona Proving Ground, where it appeared in the proud possession of Jack Turner, the Chevrolet engineer who headed the design team for the Z/28 project. Now it returns in a fashion that is sure to blow the lid off the entire world of fast automobiles and end, once and for all, the notion that Detroit and the American public have forgotten performance. ![]() Rather than let the proud name become just another plastic applique on the flanks of various ordinary cars-as happened to the Pontiac GTO and Plymouth Road Runner-Chevrolet yanked the car off the market. The Z/28 was last seen in 1974 when the power and speed that emanated from its light, high-revving small-block engine was in a state of seemingly terminal decline. Pontiac stylists were not totally immune to the temptations of littering its splendid contours with increasing acreages of cornball decals, but in general the Trans-Am remained what it was when introduced in its most recent form during the middle of the 1969-70 model year: the sportiest, most roadable four-place automobile built by an American manufacturer. As the years passed it lost some of the brutal acceleration it enjoyed during its 455 Super Duty era, but that lapse in power was more than offset by steady improvements in suspension and running gear that created a delightful American 2+2 Grand Touring automobile. The Pontiac Trans-Am turned into a hellishly successful car in the face of all the gloomy sales forecasts. (Automotive Darwinism is alive and well)! The vehicle comes with a decent price given its condition, as it’s listed for $12,000, but the owner has also enabled the “Make Offer” button should you be interested in other deals.Why Pontiac chose to keep the Trans-Am around in the face of the retreating competition is of little interest here, other than to note the irony that of all the machines of the species there is little debating the fact that the best of the lot was preserved. The VIN code also confirms this is a 1986 Trans Am with a 305 unit under the hood. ![]() ![]() On the other hand, this doesn’t necessarily mean the car is in mint condition, and the headlight motors, for example, would need to be replaced, according to the owner.īut at the end of the day, the car is fully original, and even the paint you see in these pictures is the one the Trans Am came with when it left the factory back in 1986. eBay seller thenarwh46 claims the car was found in a barn, but unfortunately, very little information has been shared in this regard, so we don’t know how much time the car spent in storage.īut judging from the photos included in the ad, the exterior looks pretty good, while the interior requires only minor fixes here and there. The Trans Am that we have here also comes with a 305 under the hood, though no further specifics on the engine have been provided, other than everything is running “ like a brand-new car.”Īnd at first glance, this isn’t necessarily a big surprise since the car has just 25,000 miles (40,200 km) on the block, as it has recently been pulled from storage. As far as the Trans Am was concerned, all models came standard with a new wraparound rear wing, with the engine lineup also suffering some changes, as the 305 HO L69 option was discontinued due to technical problems.
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