Chesterfield Brown: 1978 Pontiac Trans Am
Pontiac offered 8 different color options for the Trans Am model in 1978. One of those colors was Chesterfield Brown which was different than the brown tones offered in 1977 and 1979. The Chesterfield brown had metallic flake and was more copper in color than brown. Here is a nice example that is well optioned with the two top performance options available in 1978 for the Trans Am. The car is listed here on Facebook Marketplace and is located in Austin, Texas. The asking price is a very reasonable $29,500. The listing has only been up for 3 days.
In 1978, Pontiac offered three engine choices for the Trans Am, varying depending on geographical location and ordering specifications. The standard engine was the L78 400 cubic inch V8, paired with an automatic transmission, delivering 180 horsepower. However, for residents of California, the exclusive option was the L80 403 cubic inch V8 engine, available solely with the GM Turbo Hydramatic 350 automatic transmission, producing 185 horsepower. For enthusiasts seeking enhanced performance, the W72 400 cubic inch V8 engine was the preferred choice. Equipped with new dual exhausts, this engine saw a horsepower boost from 200 in 1977 to a robust 220 horsepower in 1978. The W72 engine was available with either an automatic transmission or a Borg Warner T-10 4-speed manual transmission. This car was the 220 hp W72 engine mated with an automatic transmission. This must be an early 1978 car because mid year, Pontiac only offered the W72 engine with a 4 speed manual transmission.
This Trans Am is loaded with power windows, air conditioning and the deluxe cloth interior. Everything looks very nice on this car. The dash does not appear to be cracked and the console lid appears to have been replaced with the wrong color but that can be easily dyed the correct tone of camel. There appears to be an aftermarket radio installed int eh dash but all the plastic looks to be in nice shape as does the door panels.
This was the last year for this design of the bird (1973-1978). In 1979, the bird was enlarged to cover more of the hood. This example is reported to have 89,000 miles. It is equipped with 15×8 aluminum snowflake wheels. If these are the wheels that came from the factory, it indicates that the car has the WS6 handling package. I own a Chesterfield brown Trans Am just like this but mine is a 4 speed. This car is in excellent shape and should easily sell at this price.
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Comments
That thunder chicken on the hood was considered to be “over the top” by many, yet it sure helped to sell the Trans Am. This is a nice example that hasn’t been modified or cut up.
My older brother sat down at a dealership and ordered a new ’78 Trans Am. When it came to color choice, he wanted something different. He considered the brown color, but then spotted the Solar Gold color on the order form. He had one of the few gold Trans Ams that was not a Gold Special Edition
I used to have one of the holey spokes steering wheels out of a TransAm that was made from aluminum. I think all the others I’ve ever seen were steel. I always wondered why the difference.
Another plus is that it doesn’t have the leak prone T-tops.