• The Oakland Automobile Company produced the first Pontiac in 1926: it was a five-passenger coach and made its debut at the New York Auto Show. The Trans Am made its debut in a 1976, but its presence in the movie "Smokey and the Bandit" ensured that the Trans Am would become the car to have. More than 46,000 Trans Ams were sold by 1981, according to Pontiac. The 1979 Trans Am has the style of its original edition.
  
  

General Description

• The 1979 Pontiac Trans Am is a rear-wheel drive car that weighs 3,550 pounds.
  
  

Engine Information

• The 1979 Trans Am has an engine that's configured in a V and has eight cylinders. The carburetor has four barrels and is a Rochester Quadra-Jet. The valve lifters are hydraulic -- the engine is classified as a OHV, or overhead valve. The engine produces 185 hp at 3,600 rpm, 320 foot-pounds of torque at 2,000 rpm. The compression ratio is 7.9:1. There are five main bearings. The car takes regular fuel, and has a four-port Rochester carburetor. The block and head are both made from cast aluminum.
  
  

Transmission

• The 1979 Trans Am come with three options for the transmission: three gears with a manual transmission, three gears with an automatic transmission and turbo, and four gears with a manual transmission.
  
  

Style

• The 1979 Trans Am comes in Starlight Black. The hood has a Firebird decal and the wheels have snowflake aluminum rims. The exhaust splitters are chrome.