34,581 Actual Mile Trans Am SE 400 V8 4 Speed Bandit

So the guy has a truckload of illegal beer he needs hauled across the country and asks Burt Reynolds what he needs to get the job done. Burt says: "Speedy car."

The guy puts a pile of cash in Burt's hand.

"Speedier than that" Burt emphasizes. The guy sighs, and then gives him all his cash.

For the next two hours, Burt raced and abused a spectacular black-on-black 1977 Pontiac Trans Am across the southeast United States, and to my 7-year-old heart, there was nothing more badass than that screaming 'bird.

Now Burt could have purchased a Corvette or a Mustang or even gasp! a Porsche 911 with that pile of money, but no, he had to have a wicked black Trans Am complete with a gold 'screamin' chicken' decal on the hood. At that moment, pop culture history was written, history which to this day still makes people my age smile a warm smile.

This 1977 Pontiac Trans Am is just like the one used in Smokey and The Bandit, and if you grew up in the 70s like I did, it still makes your heart flutter every time you see one. Not only is it like the one Burt Reynolds drove, but it is a real 4-speed car, has just 34,581 original miles, is fully documented including Pontiac Historic Services paperwork and full ownership history, and is loaded with more than $2800 in original factory options, including A/C. If there's a nicer one out there, I'd like to see it.

Check out the options list (which added a whopping $2614.60 to the cars $5456.06 base price):

4-speed manual transmission
GR70x15 white letter steel belted radials
Custom air conditioning
Front and rear seat belts, front shoulder belts

Remote deck lid release
Door edge guards
Soft-Ray glass all around
Acoustical insulation
Lamp group
Dome/reading lamp
Front and rear floor mats
Illuminated visor mirror right hand side
Power door locks
Power windows
AM/FM stereo radio
Special Edition package (includes removable glass roof panels, gold cast aluminum wheels, gold interior and exterior appointments, gold stripes and emblems, hood decal)
Tilt steering wheel
Stereo 8-track player
Custom trim group (vinyl bucket seats, vinyl rear seats, door handle ornamentation, pedal trim package, custom interior appointments)
T/A 6.6 liter (400 CID) 4-barrel V8 engine

And nice this one is that inky black paint is orders of magnitude better than any 1970s factory job, which it should be since the car was treated to a show-quality repaint in 2008 by a shop that specializes in 1975-1981 Trans Ams. The gaps and panel alignment are excellent the decals, which are EVERYWHERE on this car, are in outstanding condition. The big one on the hood, obviously, is new, and the rest feature cool gothic-style lettering that spell out TRANS AM on the rear spoiler and front fenders, as well as T/A-6.6 on the hood scoop. The gold pinstripe is crisp and I can't find any substantial wear anywhere on the car. There can't be many Bandits out there nicer than this one, restored or otherwise. And in case you're wondering just how nice this car is, note that the engine compartment and trunk are completely untouched, not restored. This car is simply off the charts spectacular!

There isn't much bright work, but what remained after the factory blackout is in great shape. Check out the chrome exhaust turn-downs in that totally Trans Am twin pipe style. Glass is OEM all around, including the T-tops, and is in excellent condition as well. Lenses and plastic bits are undamaged and look as good in our showroom as they did on the big screen. The gold bezels around the headlights help break up all that black paint and are in great shape, too.

The motivating force behind this famous ride is the 6.6 liter V8 under the hood (that's a 400 to us old-school muscle car guys), and the numbers-matching lump in this Poncho is as close to factory fresh as a car can be after 34,000 miles. All the correct bits and pieces are there, from the hoses and clamps to the air cleaner's fresh air hose. Notice the factory A/C and GM Corporate Blue paint, total vintage 1977 equipment. It starts and runs perfectly, although it's awfully quiet. I'm pretty sure the sound effects in the movie weren't made by a stock Trans Am because it sure sounded NASTY. I'm guessing this one is just a muffler upgrade away from a full Bandit soundtrack if that's what you're into.

Behind the engine you'll find a genuine shift-it-yourself 4-speed manual. If you watch the movie, you'll know Burt had an automatic, but if you listen to it, you'll swear it was a 4-speed. Either way, the gear shift on this one is 100% manual. The rest of the chassis is par for a 34,000 mile original clean and well maintained, but not super-glossy like a restored piece. The exhaust looks good, the brakes work properly, and the machined snowflake wheels with gold inserts sport 225/70/15 BFGoodrich T/A radials (how appropriate!).

Inside there's a tan interior in place of Burt's black upholstery, and I think I like it better. First of all, black gets seriously hot when cruising with the T-tops off and the sun is shining. And second, it's like a black hole in there. The tan guts on this car are bright and airy and contrast nicely with the black and gold exterior. Looking at the driver's seat, there's just no question that this is a low-mileage piece; there's not a fold or crease anywhere, the pedals show no wear, and the steering wheel looks like new. The engine-turned dash looks new, and the odometer reads correctly at 34,581 original miles. Dig the AM/FM stereo radio with stereo 8-track player (which was a pricey $134.00 option) located below the dash.

As I said, we have substantial documentation on this car as well. First there's a copy of the original window sticker, build sheet, production information, photographs, and press releases from PHS. Then there are copies of titles dating back to the original owner, the original Owner's Manual, original EPA window sticker, warranty booklets on the car and Uniroyal tires, receipts for maintenance, and a super-cool maintenance booklet that the original owner kept showing the date, location, and quantity of every fill up, oil change, and routine maintenance item. He even calculated miles per gallon during each tank, ranging from a dismal 9.44 MPG to a reasonable 18.44 MPG. Heck, he even noted where he traveled using that tank of fuel (Galveston run), and what types of fuel the car preferred (Car pings less on Shell unleaded.). Too cool! This car is also registered with the Bandit Trans Am Club, and has been since the year 2000.

Customers ask us: if there was one car you would buy right now and hang onto, what would it be? Here's our current reply: this 1977 Trans Am. This car has all the right stuff (paperwork, original drive train, original sheet metal, color, a 4-speed) that forms the basis for an investment grade car. Most importantly, it is arguably the most desirable single model of THE iconic car of the 70's generation.

Prices on Trans Ams are going up dramatically right now as the late 70's/early 80's generation joins the hobby. And let me give you some sage advice: they don't care about muscle cars. They are going to buy Trans Ams, lots of them. They are going to restore Trans Ams lots of them. If we had 100 bucks every time a casual hobbyist said "Y'all will never get x amount of dollars for that there Trans Am", we could retire. In short, if you are looking at your price guide right now, be prepared to join the long list of guys who enter the hobby and are always a day late and a dollar short because they can't see the forest for the trees. If you are a smart buyer, call on this one NOW, lock it up and thank us later.