1979 Pontiac Macho T/A
Not satisfied with the performance of late 70's Trans Ams, a pair of brothers whose dad owned a Pontiac dealership in Phoenix, began offering Trans Ams with non factory performance packages. Think Yenko style customization, only specifically for Trans Ams. DKM Design and Performance altered the handling of the cars and tweaked the jetting, intake, and replaced the restrictive exhaust manifolds with headers. Custom paint and graphics help identify Macho T/A's and around 400 were built between '78 and '80.
For consignment, a 1979 Pontiac Macho T/A with 72,389 non-actual miles and a numbers matching 4-speed manual transmission. This is car #39, (1979), and was featured in the book, "Trans Am and Firebird Restoration 1970.5-1981". A binder with history and the build sheet will accompany the car which has been gone through and freshened in preparation for a new caretaker. Firebird aficionados can issue a "rare bird alert" as these rarely come up for sale.
Exterior
Cameo White is the base here for specific, desirable, and rare Macho T/A delineation via gold stripes and trim. The chin spoiler sends up a strip of gold around the nose piece which begets an ever expanding ribbon up the hood, taking in the iconic hood scoop with it, then splits to wrap the side windows, then over to the rear window and around the spoiler and tail. If you're a Trans Am fan, this demarcation is holy grail type stuff. Then of course, the rocker panels wear a MACHO T/A banner and DKM with car number is on the front quarter panels to confirm your birdwatching I.D. Gold lined 15-inch snowflake rims are a fantastic match for the exterior paint scheme which is in excellent condition. In fact, we could not find a feather out of place on this rare bird.
Interior
In another great color choice, the interior wears Camel, starting with the vinyl door panels with a tan carpeted kick panel. Lovely camel hobnail cloth covers the front bucket seats and rear 2+2 with no wear apparent, straight camel piping, and sharp delineation of the "nail" heads. A tan leather wrapped steering wheel includes the DKM logo on the horn cap and black sport spokes emanating from the hub, leading to a picture perfect dashboard with the inherent machined metal applique glistening around black faced gauges. An original AM/FM radio is in place over a cubby hole that is part of the center console where a Hurst shifter stands tall in a rubber boot base, and everything is clean and free of mars. GM rubber mats cover clean tan low pile carpet, the trunk is fitted with a plaid vinyl mat, and the fleece-like headliner is smooth and undamaged.
Drivetrain
The spotless engine bay houses a 400ci V8, circa 1971-1974 and is topped by a 4-barrel carburetor and exhausted with the use of headers. The T10 is a numbers matching 4-speed manual transmission which sends power to the rear 10 bolt axle and 3.23 gears with Safe-T-Track. Power disc brakes are found front and back. This is one bay you could eat off of, as gramps used to say.
Undercarriage
No runs, no drips, no errors. The underside is clean with only hints of usage in the form of gentle patina. The dual exhaust comes off polished headers and meets even shinier glasspack style muffler, finally its place at unmistakable Trans Am splitter tips in chrome. Suspension includes coil springs up front and leaf springs in the rear.
Drive-Ability
This is a good running car, clean inside and out, and so we did not expect any surprises on the drive and in fact, it performed flawlessly. Shifts are crisp, acceleration is good, handling is characteristic of this generation F-body which means very nice, and the car sounds fantastic. All of the functions work as they should and there's no complicated computers on board to mess things up! While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your purchase.
Our resident Trans Am lover has only seen one other Macho T/A in person and we're guessing many of you who have a passing interest have only may have never seen one. Or even knew they existed. And unlike the factory special editions offered to the public in this era, this one was modified for performance. And it comes from a time when machismo was a valued trait and even became the topic of pop songs. Well, Macho is back, baby, and this rare bird doesn't hide its potency! But you don't have to be macho to recognize the highly collectible status of this car, just smart.
2W87Z9L138775
2-Pontiac
W-Firebird Trans Am
87-2 Door Hardtop Sport Coupe
Z-400ci 4bbl Pontiac V8
9-1979
L-Van Nuys, CA Assy Plant
138775-Sequential Unit Number
TRIM TAG
12D-4th Week December
79 2FS87-1979 Firebird 2 Door Hardtop Sport Coupe
L120414-Van Nuys Body #
62B-Camel Deluxe Cloth
11L 11U-Cameo Ivory
W-Water Based Paint
A51-Bucket Seats
A31-Power Windows
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8 acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person. There is no guarantee of mileage. A $299 Dealer Administrative fee is not included in the advertised price.
With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and automotive professionals about amazing cars and their history. Tune in each week to the Classic Auto Mall Podcast wherever you enjoy listening. You can also watch on YouTube!
