Vehicle Description
At RK Motors Charlotte, we work very hard to find the BEST
investment grade classics on the planet, and over the years we've
featured a whole slew of rare, super clean survivor Trans Ams that
simply can't be beat. This incredible, 65-mile Special Edition is a
highly optioned, reference grade gem that backs an amazing story
with a mountain of documentation and a Pontiac-Oakland Club
International Survivor Award. Owned by the same family for 33 of
its 38 years, the car has never been offered for public sale. And
if you're a savvy investor who's looking for a choice F2 that's
been immaculately preserved, it's a virtual time capsule that's
ready to be showcased and enjoyed!
HISTORY/CONDITION
Assembled at GM's Norwood, Ohio manufacturing facility in December
of 1978, this well-equipped 'bird was ordered by an 18-year-old
enthusiast named William Leland III. Naturally Bill Jr., as he was
known to his friends, was, like most other adolescent males at the
time, smitten with Smokey and the Bandit. However, what made him
different from other gearheads was the fact that he realized
pristine examples of these cars would eventually be hard to find.
And, additionally, he had the means to turn dreams of ownership
into vested reality.
If you know Detroit, you know that Leland is a very substantial
name. The great Henry Leland cemented the family's legacy by
founding Cadillac in 1902. Then, as if that wasn't enough, he
founded the Lincoln Motor Company just 15 years later. Being the
great-great nephew of Henry Leland, William Leland II, Bill Jr's
father, was a long-time, highly respected car collector. Bill Jr.,
being raised in the hobby, had already acquired a well-paying job
in the parts department of Westboro, Massachusetts' Pell Pontiac.
In other words, Bill Jr. had the desire to own the car, the means
to back his purchase, and contacts to get exactly the Trans Am he
wanted. One day he finally got up the nerve to ask his dad, Bill
II, to co-sign a loan. Bill II happily agreed as long as the loan
didn't exceed $10K. When Bill Jr. sat down with a dealer at Pell
Pontiac, he said he wanted as many options as he could get with a
$10K loan. And the result was this $10,009.45 Trans Am SE that
features a 2-page Window Sticker. Bear in mind, with $3,454 in
options, this Pontiac is so well equipped that its out-the-door
price was only $1,500 shy of a new Cadillac Eldorado. And that's
without the cool CB radio Bill Jr. decided to forgo because its
$621 price tag would break his father's $10K rule.
Bill Jr. thought he was getting a '78 Trans Am but, because his
order was taken so late, the factory had already transitioned to
'79 cars. Nonetheless, his intentions were the same: the Pontiac
wasn't to be driven or subjected to any undue wear and tear...
ever. So, when the car arrived at Pell Pontiac, he wouldn't allow
the dealership to do its normal prep process because that involved
water. They were also forbidden from installing the front license
plate bracket because that involved drilling holes in the bumper.
When Bill Jr. borrowed a dealer plate to drive his prized
possession roughly 20 miles to his parents' house, the car had six
miles on its odometer; and roughly 26 miles is as far as the
unregistered Trans Am was driven for the next several years. Bill
Jr. eventually married and bought a place of his own, so he once
again borrowed a dealer plate and drove the car roughly 20 more
miles to his new residence. And that's where the Pontiac stayed,
being periodically idled and ran through its gears for the next 17
years.
Sadly, Bill Jr. was diagnosed with terminal melanoma cancer and
would pass at the young age of 42. Before he passed, he signed the
Title of the Trans Am over to his father, Bill II, who was
understandably overwhelmed with grief. Bill II borrowed a tag and
brought the car back to his home where, after being driven only 65
miles in 24 years, it would be parked and covered amid an
impressive collection of Cadillacs. Far from forgotten, the car was
fired and shifted about once a month over the next decade as Bill
II maintained it as a unique shrine to his son. In 2013, the car
was passed to its third owner as a reference grade, 65-mile
survivor that had never been washed, never been rained on, and had
benefitted from yearly fluid changes that included fresh oil and
distilled water. And in 2014, it made its public debut at the
Pontiac-Oakland Club International All GM Car Show where it earned
a much-deserved Survivor Award.
Not as polarizing as the Gold Special Edition Trans Ams, and not
quite as 'loud' as the 10th Anniversary cars, this slick Special
Edition combines typical Pontiac attitude with attractive
aesthetics that virtually define the term "muscle car". At the
front of the car's Starlight Black body, a pliable urethane bumper
centers pristine headlights and a standard chin spoiler on a
color-keyed arrowhead and gold-trimmed grilles. Behind that bumper,
a traditional Shaker Hood proudly displays regal "6.6 LITRE"
call-outs between a 5-color Screamin' Chicken decal and correct
Soft Ray glass that's trimmed in correct black frames. At the edges
of that glass, tinted T-tops shade correctly decaled door handles
and correct, optional sport mirrors. Beneath those mirrors, a
gold-lined profile stretches optional bodyside moldings and
optional door edge guards between correct fender vents and correct
wheel spoilers. And at the back of the car, a correct remote
decklid balances a "TRANS AM" branded spoiler over correct,
black-trimmed taillights.
ENGINE
Under the car's brilliant war paint, 6.6 liters of GM power mixes
friendly manners with a sporty demeanor. Factory spec and virtually
untouched, this coupe, like the vast majority of factory-accurate
1979 Trans Ams, is equipped with a 403 cubic inch V8. And, it's
pretty easy to identify that original block since "403" is cast
right in to the passenger's side of its iron casing. A big 4-barrel
carburetor feeds 4A heads that are equipped with 83cc combustion
chambers. A standard High Energy Ignition system is a welcome
addition. Decals and brandings, including labels detailing the
car's first owner and GM dealer information, appear original to
1978. Everything is neatly wrapped in an original combination of
Satin Black and GM Corporate Blue paint. And, while horsepower
numbers aren't exactly off the charts, 320 lb./ft. of torque is
more than enough oomph to make this 'bird fly!
DRIVETRAIN/SUSPENSION
At the bottom of this Trans Am a solid, 38-year-old undercarriage
tells the story of low miles and excellent caretaking, with
undercoated floors framing an original WS6 suspension that still
maintains a factory paper tag. Behind the 403, an original
Turbo-Hydramatic 350 3-speed sends power to a correct 10-bolt axle
that's accented by an original chalk mark and an original
maintenance tag. Factory power steering and power disc brakes are
present and accounted for. Original single-into-dual exhaust
centers throaty mufflers and a correct catalytic converter in front
of polished side-splitter exhaust tips. And power meets the
pavement through 225/70R15 Uniroyal Steel Belted Radials, which lap
requisite Special Edition Snowflakes.
INTERIOR
Between the doors, an original Special Edition interior looks
fantastic! Optional velour seats are comfortable pieces that give a
stylish nod to mid-century luxury, and fade-free carpet looks great
under correct foot pedals and GM-themed floor mats. At the center
of that rug, a Trans Am-branded console founds chrome switches for
the car's optional power windows behind a chrome Slapstick shifter.
In fro...for more information please contact the seller.
