At $10,000, Would You Flip Your Lid Over This 1980 Pontiac Firebird Trans-am Convertible?

According to nan seller's online research, today's Nice Price aliases No Dice Trans-Am is 1 of astir 55 convertible conversions done by a institution called National Coach Engineering. That makes it rare. We'll person to spot whether nan magnitude of activity needed to bring it backmost from nan dormant makes its value DOA.

Fuel prices are skyrocketing to unprecedented highs present successful nan States owed to... reasons. In response, nan car-buying nationalist is, arsenic expected, shifting attraction from thirsty crossovers and SUVs to smaller hybrids and afloat electrical vehicles. It's excessively bad galore caller electrical models person been cancelled this twelvemonth by carmakers, a business besides owed to... reasons.

It's not each bad news, however. For those seeking a spot of nosy pinch their substance system and who don't mind an earlier-vintage automobile, nan 2008 Volvo C30 T5 that came our measurement connected Thursday could beryllium conscionable nan ticket. No, it's not going to walk state stations pinch nan aforesaid consciousness of smug assurance arsenic a Prius, but past nary Prius ever came pinch a six-speed stick. At $8,700, galore of you thought nan Volvo could beryllium cheaper, but that didn't guidelines successful its measurement of earning a coagulated 65% 'Nice Price' triumph successful nan voting. Way to go, small Volvo!

If you want to execute nan eventual successful substance economy, past today's Pontiac Trans-Am will beryllium correct up your alley because, while nan seller claims nan motor turns over, it doesn't run. Looking astatine nan asking value for this seemingly long-neglected Firebird raises nan mobility of whether it would beryllium a amended scheme to walk a spot much connected 1 that tin really move nether its ain powerfulness and doesn't look for illustration it's hosting a Black Widow convention. Few of those, however, would apt beryllium 1 of nan fistful of Trans-Ams from nan precocious 1970s to person been professionally convertible-converted by a Coachbuilder.

This 1 is said to beryllium number 9 of 55 cars built by National Coach Engineering, a limousine and civilization car builder founded successful 1977 and based successful Port Sanilac, Michigan. NCE engineered not only nan manually-operated apical that mirrors nan fastback lines of nan Firebird's metallic roof, but besides nan important bracing betwixt nan beforehand and rear subframes that serves to quell nan flexing inevitable erstwhile a unibody car gets its apical chopped off. The vanished cars were offered done a mates of Midwest dealers, pinch nan activity warrantied for 12 months aliases 12,000 miles. NCE is agelong gone, but its activity survives (barely, successful this case) successful nan cars it converted.

Okay, first off, location are immoderate discrepancies successful nan advertisement regarding this Pontiac's exemplary year. The listing connected nan correct says it's a 2018, which, arsenic we each know, isn't a thing. The remainder of nan advertisement assures that it's a 1980 edition. It besides claims nan motor to beryllium a 6.6-liter Pontiac V8 pinch its celebrated Shaker hood scoop, a gift from a 1979 Trans-Am. That's a perk, arsenic nan 6.6 wasn't disposable successful 1980, and nan earlier cars were much commonly fitted pinch nan Oldsmobile 403 (also 6.6 liters). In nan Trans-Am and smog-choked by nan '70s, nan Pontiac 6.6 made 185 horsepower and 320 pound-feet of torque. Yes, those were acheronian days indeed.

The remainder of nan mechanicals are beautiful simple. A three-speed Turbo-Hydramatic transmission handles cogwheel changes and feeds a coagulated rear axle. The Trans-Am's brakes are a humble motion to modernity, featuring discs astatine each corner. Those beryllium down immoderate of nan ugliest aftermarket alloys known to man, truthful this Pontiac's restoration checklist should see a group of replica snowflakes.

There's a heck of a batch much activity needed connected this car than conscionable sprucing up its instrumentality arches. Based connected nan pictures, this Pontiac needs beautiful overmuch each seed and bolt to beryllium addressed. Fortunately, GM's F-body duo, nan Chevy Camaro and Pontiac Firebird, has a important instrumentality guidelines and a patient ecosystem of aftermarket and OEM parts. That should make this uncommon Bird's restoration a batch little painful.

According to nan ad, it's a coagulated guidelines for specified an effort, and comes pinch a cleanable title and conscionable 90,000 miles connected nan odometer. That's apt owed to nan truth that, arsenic evidenced by its condition, it hasn't seen a roadworthy successful years, having past been driven successful 1988. That's right, this Trans-Am has been near fallow for almost 40 years, meaning it spent only 8 years connected nan road. There's sewage to beryllium a communicative down that.

We don't person clip for a history lesson, though, arsenic we person activity to do successful nan present and now. First and foremost, we request to judge nan $10,000 asking value for this drop-top Pontiac. Then, this being Friday, we request to tally astir shouting "TGIF!" to everyone we see. It's conscionable communal courtesy.

But first, backmost to nan Bird. What's your return connected this uncommon convertible conversion task and that $10,000 value tag? Does that look to beryllium adjacent fixed nan car's unsocial position and history? Or does nan daunting task of each nan activity needed to bring it up to snuff request a little constituent of entry?

You decide!

Los Angeles, California, Craigslist, aliases spell here if nan advertisement disappears.

H/T to Don R. for nan hookup!

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