1978 78 Pontiac 'Bandit' Trans Am Pro-Touring

1978 Pontiac Trans Am Description

This T/A is one bad @$$ car. It has a 455 with F.A.S.T. fuel injection mated to a 6 speed transmission. She'll smoke the tires in three gears and still cruise 70mph at 1300rpm. The suspension is modified with dual adjustable coil-over shocks and big sway bars. She is definitely a pro-touring car in every sense of the word, with cold Vintage Air heat and a/c, Recaro seats, and cruise control. She started life as a T/A (not an SE) with a 400 and a 4 speed. In 2007 she was transformed into an SE (Bandit) clone. This bad-ass 455, the 6 speed, the suspension mods, cruise control, and the Vintage Air are recent additions.

The engine is bored .060 over, eagle crank, "H" beam rods, forged pistons, Total Seal rings, Comp Cams roller cam and lifters, Crower roller rockers, Kaufmann Racing High Port Heads, and a F.A.S.T. fuel injection system. It has a March Performance serpentine belt system running all the accessories on the engine.

The exhaust is a set of blue ceramic coated "Dougs" headers (good to 2100 degrees) mated to a complete 3" Spin-Tech oval system with an X-pipe and sportsman 3000 mufflers. It runs all the way to the over-sized factory style tips.

The radiator is a Rodney Red aluminum one with dual electric fans. It keeps the engine below 190 degrees even on the hottest days.

The transmission is a T56 6-speed that has been modified with a Viper input shaft. The clutch is a Center Force unit; the bell housing is a McLeod scatter shield. The clutch linkage has been converted to hydraulic.

The interior has Recaro front seats that have been reupholstered to match the original Pontiac interior. They are comfortable for the long haul but also keep you in place during hard cornering. I replaced the dash light bulbs with LED's. All the original gauges work properly. Sorry, but the clock doesn't.

The paint is about a 7 or 8 on a scale of 1 to 10. It has a few flaws due to being about 8 years old, but it is by no means in need of major repairs. The body is, and always was, rust free. The rear taillights are LED replacements. The wheels are original 15X8 Snowflakes that have been professionally restored.

Overall, this is a very fun car to drive. It gets a lot of attention everywhere it goes.