1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am W72 400 4 spd T-Top WS6 4 wheel disc PWH 1of 2917

1979 Pontiac Trans Am Description

1979 Trans Am 400 4 speed T-Top 4 wheel disc brakes 3:23 Posi WS6 Suspension pckg W72 Performance pckg ALL #'s MATCHINGOriginal Paint 38yr Old Survivor99% RUSTFREE CALIFORNIA CAR TURN KEY PROJECT 1 OF 2,917 BUILTORIGINAL FACTORY BUILD SHEET BUILT IN VAN NUYS,CA-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------RUNS AND DRIVES - HAS EXHAUST LEAK (d/s manifold)
LOTS OF NEW PARTS
I DO HAVE THE SHAKER LID - UNCUT-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------T/A 6.6 RARE FACTORY OPTIONS
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W-72 PERFORMANCE PACKAGE
220hp HI-OUTPUT 400ci PONTIAC MOTOR (PWH CODE)
6X - 4 HEADS - W72 only
800 cfm carb not 750 (W72 only)
ORIG satin chrome valve covers (W72 only)
MOTOR GOOD RUNS STRONG - NO LEAKS
NEW CLUTCH - NEW BRAKES - NEW BATTERY
IT DOSE RUN AND DRIVE WELLSPEEDOMETER READS 34,000mi BUT I CAN NOT CONFIRM IF IT IS TRUE AND ACCURATE
BEFORE I PURCHASED IT IT HAD BEEN SITTING SINCE 1998
I HAVE GONE THRU THE CAR AND EXCEPT FOR THE EXHAUST LEAK I WOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM DRIVING IT ANYWHERE
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BORG-WARNER M21 4 speed (Z-CODE IN VIN) only avail with W72 performance package

NEW clutch - shifts beautiful like butta

all orig HURST shifter w/orig shift knob
orig reverse lockout linkage all intact (you must put in reverse or you cant lock the column and remove key)works just like it should
no grinding or sloppy shifting

3:23 POSI REAR END - STANDARD WITH W72
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BRAKES -4 wheel disc brake Package

full system flush new calipers/pads - master cylinder - power booster - brakes work awesome!

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W-S6 SUSPENSION PACKAGE
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WS6 SNOWFLAKE WHEELS(wider)
wide front & rear sway bars - close ratio steering gear box - stiffer springs and shocks
RTS radial tuned suspension

TIRES ARE LIKE NEW - ORIG STAINLESS CENTER CAPS w/NEW GOLD BIRD EMBLEMS
WITH THIS SUSPENSION/WHEEL/BRAKE PACKAGEIT MADE THIS CAR FEEL LIKE A CORVETTE

WAY BETTER RIDE THAN YOUR STANDARD TRANS AM
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the VIN and the serial # on the engine block and on the trans and are all correct!
THE MOTOR IS THE L78/W72 HI OUTPUT 400CI PONTIAC MOTOR (PWH CODE)
ONLY AVAIL WITH 4 SPEED IN 79
PONTIAC SAVED THESE SPECIAL W72 MOTORS FOR THE 4 SPEED ONLY CARS

THEY WERE NO LONGER (AFTER 1979) PRODUCING THE 400ci OR LARGER ENGINES
THIS IS ONE OF THE LAST OF THE 400's EVER PRODUCED!
the motor and engine bay are 100% complete everything original and intact

original radiator - fan shroud
orig shaker is un-cut it is black and i have the hold down ring to install it

air cleaner was media blasted - prep'd primed and coated factory pkg black with new decal

air cleaner still has vacuum switches and hoses
flex tube and plastic air intake ducts with flex intact

vacuum hoses still have orig paint markings red/blue/white/yellow/EPDM
emission lines have orig paint markings also

orig carb - orig choke tubes are good and the choke works

one pump and turn the key and it fires on a dime - warms up and kicks down like it should

orig satin finish chrome valve covers(W72 only)
all original wiring un-cut
A/C all intact - needs compressor and belt
smoked taillights - very nice with good gas door hinge

sequential turn signals (trans am only)

orig exhaust w/dual chrome tips
all plastic bumpers spoilers wheel flares and air dam are good restore-able paint able condition

38 year old factory orig plastic!!!!!

NEW CREST EMBLEM AND FRONT LOWER GRILLS
full trim package stainless around roof/doors and hood
all glass is good - nice factory smoked T-TOPS

BODY IS VERY NICE
minus a couple bolt on parts that need replacement (d/s fender/door)the main body shell/tub has never been hit
it is very straight with no dents just a couple tiny dings
the rockers - rear quarters and roof are very nice
factory pinch welds - nice gaps
PERFECT TAIL PAN
DOORS OPEN AND CLOSE LIKE A NEW CAR

INTERIOR - DELUX CAMEL TAN HOBNAIL STYLE

NEEDS UPPER BACK SEAT AND PLASTIC SIDE PANELS IN BACK TO BE 100% COMPLETE

ITS OTHERWISE COMPLETE WITH NEW -

CARPET - DOOR SILL PLATES - WINDOW FELTS - DOOR PANELS - DOOR PANEL CUPS

PACKAGE TRAY - A/C DASH VENTS - HORN PAD EMBLEM - SEAT BACK TRIM & CONSOLE GLOVE BOX LID

THE ORIG HEADLINER COMES WITH BUT NOT ON CAR - WAS HANGING

ALSO TILT STEERING AND PULSE WIPERS

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TRUNK

TRUNK LID IS BLACK - NEW WEATHERSTRIP

NEW TRUNK MAT

ORIG AIR CANNISTER - JACK - JACK BASE - FRONT BUMPER ATTACHMENT- J HOOK WING NUT AND HOLD DOWN BRACKET ALL THERE - NO SPACE SAVER TIRE

ORIG KEYS AND LOCKS - EVEN THE GLOVE BOX LOCKS

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ADDITIONAL HISTORY ON HOW SPECIAL THIS CAR REALLY IS!!!!

The Pontiac W72 Engine: Some Codes and Numbers
By 1977, it must have seemed as though muscle cars were dead and gone in Detroit. The 455 Pontiac Trans Am was history. Chrysler’s 440 big block was checking out for the last time at year’s end and Chevrolet’s 454 was just a truck engine. For those who looked hard, performance was still around. You just had to know your way around the option book. Pontiac for instance, introduced their new high performance engine package in 1977 Trans Ams, Formulas and select Can Ams. It was called the W72 high performance package.
What Pontiac did was create a new casting number for their 400 engine block and added some nice pieces to improve the engine. The W72 package engines were cast in Engine Plant 6 and assembled in Pontiac plant 9 which was a state of the art facility with precise machinery. Both were in Michigan. The builders were also trained with the latest in reliability and quality control standards. The engines weren’t hand assembled or blue printed, but they were better than average castings with better tolerances.

The W72 engine had satin chrome finish valve covers, used special 350 cid Pontiac cylinder heads with smaller combustion chambers to increase static compression ratio to about 8.2:1. The pistons also received chrome moly for upper compression rings instead of the regular cast iron rings the L78 400s got. W72s had unique camshaft grinds for automatic and manual transmission usage and their own distributor with better vacuum and mechanical advance timings. The oil pump was a 60 psi unit paired with a baffled oil pan to control violent surging against the walls during cornering which could leave the pump dry. The vibration dampner was unique, weighing a bit more than the standard L78 piece. One odd thing about W72 engines is they were all cast during the same one year period at the foundry. It doesn’t matter if your car was a 1979, 1978 or 1977. The W72 engine used was cast between September 1976 and November 1977. The actual casting numbers changed for 1978 but the blocks were all cast at the same time. The unsold castings at the end of 1977 were used for selected 1978 and 1979 W72 cars only.

Production totals for W72 Firebirds aren’t accurate for 1978 due to flawed record keeping. It is known that 26,177 Firebirds had the option in 1977. For 1979, the W72 sales are mixed with L78 numbers and 1978 is harder still to figure out due to the bundling of W72 with WS6 suspension package through part of the calendar year. Eventually the W72 engine was made available separately.

For 1978, Pontiac improved the W72 by changing the specs on their camshafts. Essentially, they added more duration and added 1:50 ratio rocker arms. The cams were also installed slightly retarded to spread the horsepower across a wider rpm range. In cam tests, the W72 grind was every bit as good as the fabled 067 Pontiac grind. Half way through 1978, the automatic transmission version of the engine was cancelled. In 1979, the W72 was heavily promoted as journalists lined up to test ride the last of the 400 powered Firebirds. Dealers experienced a rush on orders. The Trans Am and Formula bodies were given a facelift that year that carried them successfully to the end of their 12 year run. The new front end eliminated the grille and pushed all radiator ventilation under the one piece molded nose. An air dam and two turn signal lamp grilles fed cool air to the rad. The tail lamp system was given a dramatic black out treatment of the entire bezel under normal operation. When the brake lights went on, the whole deck lit up. It was sensational, flashy and ate light bulbs for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Tenth Anniversary Trans Am package was produced using a 403 Olds as the base mill and W72 TA motors with four speeds as the top mill. The W72 was the last Pontiac high performance car engine.
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This option came out in 1977 to help people who were grieving the loss of the 455. With continued refinement it became sort of a legendary late 70's Trans Am feature, and was temporarily combined with and absolutely required on 1977-79 400 4-speed Trans Ams. W72 engines gained a little extra horsepower through higher compression and a different cam. W72 is not an engine code, and cars with W72 engines will have the L78 engine code. This causes a lot of confusion when looking at build sheets.

In 1978 the exhaust was also revised. Horsepower was rated at 200 in 1977 and 220 in 1978-79. In 1977-78, The factory ratchet shifters were fitted only to W72 automatic cars, which also received 3.23 axles.

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