Welcome to 78ta.com!

Welcome to the newly redesigned website. Hopefully this site will be easier to navigate and also be easier to view on your PC, Apple or even Android device. I will try to do my best to keep this site updated and fresh and try to have the most complete collection of information regarding the Second Generation Pontiac Firebird Trans Am.
Information on Special Editions and more!

I will try to cover all the Special Editon Trans Ams from 1976 through 1981 including the Y81, Y82, Y84, and the Gold Y88. Plus I will also cover the Y89 10th Anniversary and the Y85 Turbo Pace Cars.
Pontiac Firebird Trans Am by the Numbers !

I will also try to list on this the most comprehensive list of decoding of numbers covering the VIN, Cowl Data, Engine, transmission, paint codes, RPO codes from the Build Sheet and more.
Also check out my Store

Don't forget to check out my store for great deals on restoration items such as door panels, seat covers, and carpets for the interior. Also, I carry decals, moldings, and emblems for the exterior. I have many more items such as collectibles and GM Service manuals too!

Newly Re-Designed Trans Am Website!

Fully responsive design that looks great on desktop or any mobile device.
Re-Desgined menu and pages that are easier to navigate on any device.
More information about the Pontiac Trans Am than before.
Aslo newly re-designed store that also works on any mobile device.
Cutting edge design that will allow for greater enhancements coming soon.
The one-stop-shop for all your Pontiac Trans Am questions.
All new an updated information regarding the Second Generation Pontiac Trans Am.

Smokey and the Bandit quotes!

When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the country you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.

Bo Darville | "Bandit"

Sheriff Buford T. Justice

And don't go home, and don't go to eat, and don't play with yourself. It wouldn't look nice on my highway.

Sheriff | Bufford T. Justice

Snowman Cledus Snow

Hoss, you ain't gonna believe this, but that crazy sombitch just tried to drive right up under my truck!

Cledus Snow | "Snowman"

Bo Darville

For the good old American life: For the money, for the glory, and for the fun... mostly for the money.

Bo Darville | "Bandit"

This Website

This is my 1978 Pontiac Trans Am webpage. I am trying to gather as much information as I can about mostly the second generation Trans Am's but I will also try to have some information regarding first generation, second generation, and some third generation cars as well. Now since I own a 1978 Pontiac Trans Am, then most of this site will cover that year and mostly the second generation Pontiac Trans Am. I will also try to cover information regarding any Firebird, Formula, Macho Trans Am, Trans Am, and/or any Special Editions. There is alot of information located in the Trans Am Information and FAQ section. Now in 2016, not only have I changed the look of the website, I am also starting to add different pages with even more information about the Pontiac Trans Am. There is a lot of information spread out over this entire site. There is the navigation bar on the top that takes you to the main areas on the site. You can also view the Site Map to see most of the pages on the site. Some of the new pages are under construction, but I will be adding more over the coming months. You can also go check out and register for the Trans Am Forum located here: Forum There are over 7,900 members there now and is also a great place for information and to talk with other Trans Am owners. In addition to the Information Sections above, I also have an area dedicated to the Y82 and Y84 Special Edition Trans Am's, which has information regarding the 1976 Y82 50th Anniversary Trans Am, Y88 Gold Special Edition, Macho Trans Am, the Y89 10th Anniversary Trans Am, the 1980 and 1981 Y85 Pace cars, the Skybird, Redbird and Yellowbird Edition cars. I have had so many people ask me about the Bandit Edition Trans Am so I posted up a page about that as well. I also of course have the Parts for Sale section and a newly renovated store that is also "mobile friendly". I have many different parts up there for sale such as decals and interior parts as well as a great Officially Licensed GM Pontiac Parts manuals for all Pontiac Firebirds and Trans Ams from 1967 to 1981 AND I also have the 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, and 1981 Pontiac Service Manuals on USB and Fisher Body Manuals. This is a must if you are in the restoration process of your car or even as just a handy reference chart if you need to replace a part. There is also a huge section now dedicated to Decals (direct from Phoenix Graphix), Interior Parts, Misc. Items, and More.

Oh yeah! Don't forget about our Products!

Click the button to view the newly updated store and the parts for sale!

Trans Am Store

All your Pontiac Trans Am Decals

I carry all the GM Authorized decals from Phoenix Graphix to complete your restoration project or just to freshen up the outside of your car.

Interior Parts

Here is a great place to get your new interior soft items such as seat covers, door panels, carpets, headliners, Hurst Hatch storage bags and more. I will be carrying both PUI Interiors as well as Legendary Auto Interiros.

GM Service and Body Manuals

If you are in the process or need to work on and restore your Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, I carry all of the GM Servide Manuals, Body Manuals and also the Parts and Illustration Catalogs to help you along in your work. These are all the manuals converted to .PDF format to easily view on any device. They are the GM Authorized original service manuals that break down everything you need to know about your car.

Firebird Trans Am Collectibles

Looking for that little extra to help finish up that Smokey and the Bandit Trans Am? Or maybe just looking for a nice diplay piece for your garage or Office, then check these items out.

Got Questions? Send an Email

If you have any questions about your Trans Am that is not covered on this site, please send an email with your question. You can use the contact form or send me an email directly. I get alot of questions each and every day and average about 108 emails a day. So bear with me if you don't get an answer right way.

Have a Question? Call Us!

Need a question answered right away? Give us a call or send a text. If I do not answer. please leave a message and I will get right back to you as soon as I can. A quick text might be responded to faster.

Featured Video

LATEST NEWS:

78TA.COM has been re-designed from the ground up with more flexibility to be viewed across any device or platform. The entire site and store has recieved a make-over. >>

I try to keep information fresh on this site, but with all the emails and questions and orders it is hard to keep an updated page. It may not look like anything is going on, but I am always here behind the scenes. So this site is never dead or abandonded. >>

If you have any questions or maybe you have some information that you think should be added to the site, send me an email and I will look into it and add it to the site. >>

Is your Trans Am a Special Edition?

I always have quite a few people ask me if their car is a Special Edition or not. So, I figured I would devote a section to help you find out if your car is a "Special Edition" or not. The first thing to look at is the Cowl Data on your Trans Am to see if it is stamped with a Special Edition code or not. This is the first place to look. Now, not all Special Editions had this code marked on it, but if it does, then you can stop right here because you already know that you have a Special Edition Trans Am. If there isn't a code marked, then continue on to see the other signs of having a Special Edition car.

1976 Y82 50th Anniversary

In 1976, they came out with the first Special Edtion Trans Am. It was labeled with the Y82 code to signify that it was a Special Edition (Sometimes called Limited Edition). It did not matter if it had t-tops or not, they were all Y82.

This Limited Edition would include the following:

Black paint with Gold striping and trim
Gold polycast Honeycomb wheels
Gold grille and headlamp liners
Gold anodized instrument panel
Gold steering wheel spokes
Gold bird emblems inside and out
Special Gold 50th Anniversary emblems on the quarter panels
Hurst Hatch T-tops
L78 Pontiac 400 (455 was optional)

Click here for more information

1977 - 1981 Y81, Y82, Y84 Special Edition

In 1977, they came out again with the Y82 Black and Gold Special Edition Trans Am. This was the year and the car that was immortalized in the movie "Smokey and the Bandit" If anyone ever asks you if your car is a "Bandit" Edition... this is the one to which they are referring. This Special Edition theme carried all the way through 1981, albeit with a small gap in 1978 when the Y88 came out (you can read more about that in the Y88 section).

This Special Edition would include the following:

Black paint with Gold striping and trim
Gold alluminum Snowflake wheels
Gold grille liners
Gold anodized instrument panel
Gold steering wheel spokes
Red bird emblems inside and out
Hurst Hatch T-tops (for Y82, cars without T-tops were labeled Y81

Click here for more information

1978 Y88 Gold Special Edition

The Y88 Gold Special Edition Trans Am was in 1978 only. So, if you have any other year besides a 1978, then you automatically know you do not have a Y88 Special Edition Trans Am.

This Special Edition would include the following:

Solar Gold exterior with dark gold pin striping
Gold grille liners, I.P. engine turn, and misc. interior and exterior gold emblems
Black tail lamp housing, and black windshield and backlite moldings
Gold glass in Fisher hatches (CC1) with black molding
Interior trim restricted to base or custom camel tan vinyl or cloth
Formula steering wheel in camel tan with gold spokes
Gold 15x7 cast aluminum wheels (15x8 if the WS6 was ordered with it)

Click here for more information

1979 Y89 10th Anniversary

In 1979, Pontiac Released the 10th Anniversary Y89 Pontiac Trans Am to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of the first Trans Am that rolled off the line in 1969. This was a limited production run of only 7500 Trans Ams. Really, the only options that were available on the 10th Anniversary Trans Am was the powertrain options. You had your choice of either the Pontiac 400 with the 4-Speed transmission, or the Olds 403 with the automatic transmission.

This 10th Anniversary would include the following:

Custom two-tone silver and charcoal paint
A special 5 color hood-bird which wings extended over the hood and onto the side fenders
Silver (mirror) glass in Fisher hatches (CC1)
Custom Deluxe silver interior with embroidered birds and "shag" carpet
Special "Turbo" wheels seen on later Special Edition Turbo, Pace Car, and other Turbo Trans Ams
Special 10th Anniversary emblems on the quarter panels and rear spoiler
All of the 10th Anniversary cars were fully equipped with pretty much every option available at the time

Click here for more information

1980 - 1981 Y85 Turbo Pace Cars

The Indy 500 race choose the 1980 Turbo Trans Am to pace the race in 1980. This was the first year that the same car paced both the Indy 500 and the Daytona 500. Pontiac made 5,700 of these cars to replicate the car used to pace The Indianapolis 500.

This Pace Car would include the following:

Turbo-charged 301 motor and was standard with the WS6 handling package set off but the 15x8 inch turbo rims finished in white
Fully equipped with power windows, power locks, A/C, and more
A Special ETR AM/FM Cassette
Custom Oyster vinyl seats with hobnail inserts and the bird was embroidered on the center of the rear seats and on the door panels
"Indy 500 Pace Car" door decals or the "22nd Annual Daytona 500 Mile Race" door decals were an extra option
The Indy 500 emblem was located on the side fenders and the rear tail spoilers

Click here for more information

"Bandit" Trans Am

Now, there was never a Factory "Bandit Edition" Trans Am. But, to be truthful, there WAS a Bandit Edition Trans Am. Below is an article from Motor Trend Magazine in June 1981 about a company called Trans Am Specialties who did make a "Bandit Edition" Trans Am. As you will se below, the cost of a Trans Am in 1981 was around $8,700 and this Bandit Edition cost around $30,000. Just to clarify one more time......... There IS NO BANDIT EDITION TRANS AM BUILT BY PONTIAC OR GM ! !

The "Bandit" Trans Am could include the following (maybe):

Universal Studios granted rights to the name for that limited run to Trans Am Specialties, Cherry Hill, New Jersey, where new Pontiacs become Burt Reynolds signature models
455 Pontiac V-8
Doug Nash 5-speed gearbox
Blaupunkt 3001 4-speaker stereo, an Escort radar detector, a motion-sensitive theft alarm and the inevitable CB radio

Click here for more information

"Bandit II" Firebird

The Bandit II Firebirds were produced by a company called "Choo Choo Customs" (sometimes referred to as "Chattanooga Customs" or "The Custom Center") out of Tennessee. This Bandit II was strictly an Appearance Package that was performed on Firebirds from 1987 to 1992 and consisted of a "mock" shaker scoop on the hood, custom gold decals and striping reminiscent of the Special Edition Trans Ams, gold snowflake type rims, special ground effects, and custom embroidery on the front seat head rest signifying the "Bandit II", and a plaque on the dash signifying the serial number of the car such as #143 out of 500.

The "Bandit II" Trans Am would include the following:

"Mock" shaker scoop on the hood
Custom gold decals and striping reminiscent of the Special Edition Trans Ams
Custom embroidery on the front seat head rest signifying the "Bandit II"
Plaque on the dash signifying the serial number of the car

Click here for more information

Macho Trans Am

The Macho Trans Am from DKM Design and Performance. Here is a little of what I know about the DKM Macho Trans Am. Dennis and Kyle Mecham back in 1977 wanted to improve the breed of Trans Am that were coming out of the Pontiac Factory. They turned out a limited number of Macho TA's in 1977 and were sold through their father's Pontiac dealership and moved very quickly out the door. Due to their tremendous success, they formed DKM Design and Performance, Inc. in 1978.

The Macho Trans Am would include the following:

Macho Name decals and badges inside and out
Plaque in the center console to signify the car was modified by DKM
DKM Logo on the center steering wheel button
Each Macho Trans Am was numbered from the year

Click here for more information

1977 Skybird

I always have quite a few people ask me about the SkyBird Edition Firebird Esprit. So, I figured I would devote yet another page about the SkyBird Edition Esprit that was introduced in 1977. Here is a little of what I know about the SkyBird. Unfortunately, there wasn't any production numbers of how many of these cars were produced. Pontiac had a hard time keeping track of cars in 1977 let alone what color the cars were..

"SkyBird" Edition Firebird had for options:

LOMBARD BLUE EXTERIOR (COLOR 21)
LOWER ACCENT STRIPES
LOMBARD BLUE GRILLE LINER
DARK BLUE SKY BIRD GRAPHICS, FRONT, REAR AND SAIL PANEL
LOMBARD BLUE CAST ALUMINUM WHEELS

Click here for more information

1978 - 1979 Redbird

Here is a little of what I know about the RedBird. The RedBird Edition Firebird Esprit was released in 1978. It replaced the SkyBird Edition Firebird from 1977. Unfortunately, there was any production numbers of how many of these cars were produced.

"RedBird" Edition Firebird had for options:

ROMAN RED EXTERIOR (COLOR 72)
RED BIRD RED LOWER ACCENT
ROMAN RED GRILLE LINER WITH RED BIRD GRILLE TEXTURE
BRIGHT GOLD RED BIRD GRAPHICS, FRONT, REAR AND SAIL PANEL
GOLD FRONT END PANEL V CREST

Click here for more information

1980 Yellowbird

The YellowBird Edition Esprit that replaced the RedBird Edition from 1978 and 1979. Here is a little of what I know about the YellowBird. The YellowBird Edition Firebird Esprit (Code W73) was released in 1980 and was the last of three color schemes for the Esprit.

"YellowBird" Edition Firebird had for options:

YELLOWBIRD YELLOW EXTERIOR UPPER (COLOR 56)
YELLOW ACCENT LOWER (COLOR 37)
BLACK LENS TAILLAMPS W/ YELLOW HORIZONTAL RIBS
BRIGHT GOLD YELLOW BIRD GRAPHICS, FRONT, REAR AND SAIL PANEL
YELLOWBIRD CAST ALUMINUM WHEELS

Click here for more information

Quotes To Live By

"The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place."

– George Bernard Shaw

"Nothing fixes a thing so intensely in the memory as the wish to forget it."

–Michel de Montaigne

"For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don’t believe, no proof is possible."

–Stuart Chase

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."

–Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Always dream and shoot higher than you know you can do. Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself."

–William Faulkner

"The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your own riches but to reveal to him his own."

–Benjamin Disraeli

Hitman's Pontiac Trans Am Site

Welcome to 78ta.com!

Information on Special Editions and more!

Pontiac Firebird Trans Am by the Numbers !

Also check out my Store

Newly Re-Designed Trans Am Website!

Smokey and the Bandit quotes!

Sheriff Buford T. Justice

Snowman Cledus Snow

Bo Darville

This Website

Oh yeah! Don't forget about our Products!

Have a Question? Call Us!

Trans Am Information

Featured Video

LATEST NEWS:

Is your Trans Am a Special Edition?

Quotes To Live By