28k Original Miles: 1984 Pontiac Trans Am 15th Anniversary
There was a party being held at Pontiac in 1984. After all, the company was celebrating fifteen years since the launch of its iconic Trans Am. What better way to celebrate the occasion than to release a special edition? Thus, the 1984 Trans Am 15th Anniversary Edition was born. In keeping with the milestone, 1,500 of these classics rolled off the line. This car is a stunning survivor needing nothing but a new home. It is listed here on eBay in Albertville, Alabama. Bidding currently sits at $20,000, and with the reserve met, that new home is only days away.
Ordering a 15th Anniversary Trans Am brought the buyer White paint, a selection of unique blue graphics, and color-coded 16″ wheels with a Blue pinstripe around the outer edge. The hood featured a functional Ram Air, and the body received a selection of what was referred to as “ground effects” aerodynamic additions. This Pontiac is in excellent condition for a survivor. The paint is free from significant defects, with any flaws too minor to show in the supplied photos. It is a similar story with the stripes, and the wheels haven’t become stained by brake dust or other nasty substances. I can’t spot any signs of rust or corrosion, and the seller doesn’t mention any problems in their listing. The only aftermarket addition I can spot is the “Pontiac” decal across the windshield top, but removing that to achieve a stock appearance would be child’s play. The T-Top is in good order, and the remaining glass looks flawless.
All 15th Anniversary Trans Ams came equipped with the “HO” version of the 305ci V8. This motor produces 190hp and 240 ft/lbs of torque. Buyers could select from a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission, and this car is 1-of-1,000 where the original owner specified the self-shifter. Manufacturers were still struggling to extract respectable performance from cars like the Trans Am in the early 1980s, although the ¼-mile ET of 15.9 seconds and top speed of 140mph demonstrated progress was being made. However, the ET didn’t match the glory days when the first Trans Am hit the showroom floor. This car is in excellent mechanical health, which is unsurprising considering it has a claimed 28,000 genuine miles on the clock. The seller doesn’t mention verifying evidence, but the car’s overall condition makes it plausible. It recently received new tires and a new factory carburetor and is ready to hit the road for some relaxed weekend classic motoring fun.
The first thing the new owner will experience with this Trans Am is the wonderful feeling of sinking back into a beautiful set of Recaro bucket seats trimmed in Gray cloth with White leather bolsters. They will grip a White leather-wrapped tilt wheel, faced by a group of sports gauges that keep them up-to-date with the car’s health and their progress across Planet Earth. Other creature comforts include air conditioning, power windows, cruise control, and an AM/FM radio/cassette player. Pale interior trim is prone to marks and stains, but there are no genuine issues inside this classic. The upholstered surfaces are excellent, the plastic hasn’t cracked or crumbled, and there are no aftermarket additions. There are a couple of aspects of this interior that seem to support the mileage claim. The lack of wear and marks on the White shifter and wheel leather is a positive sign, and if both are original, they don’t exhibit the deterioration we might expect if the odometer has rolled over.
The relative rarity of a classic doesn’t necessarily translate into a high market value. Pontiac produced 55,374 Trans Ams in 1984, but only 1,500 were the 15th Anniversary Edition. The market has shown a surge for these cars, which could see this one top $25,000 before the hammer falls. However, there have recently been some relatively low mileage survivors that have failed to top $20,000. That suggests this one may not climb much higher before the hammer falls. I’m not sure I would bet the farm on it, though, because the classic market can be a funny old place!
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Comments
Eveeyone wants to compare/contrast back to the musclecar heydays of 64-72, but by thjs generation the Trans Ams main goal was to be more of a boy racer U.S sports car. And it did it fairly well, handling better than any TA before. The same year Z28 topped out at 135 which is much more realistic than 140. The interior and dash were a bit less hardened looking than the Chevy, and the 190 hp i believe was a 200hp rating with premium and the knock sensor like the Z28 had.
“”what was referred to as “ground effects“”
I’m genuinely curious to know if they are called something else these days?
A beautiful car for sure, but I’d really love a 77 Grand Prix, white with T tops. Been missing mine since Christmas night of 95.
It’s hard to give up, Jon, I know. I’m still carrying a torch for Eva Gabor, lost to all of us that same year.
A 15th anniversary stickered probably around 16 in 84 here in Canada. So even at 20g’s its worth it. The white upholstery is wow and the steering wheel is spotless and the engine bay vety nice, even the fluid bottles aren’t that shade of yellow so common. Save for the 700r-4 that was not the most reliable unit in its beggining this is a beautifull machine. As auto enthousiasts we all have one that we consider the holy grail and this one is my hands down fave.
So ugly it’s cute!
The FLOPPER ☠️ very pretty, however as the IROC series demonstrated to deadly effect the design is VERY flawed.
At speed an aero condition happens front end gets light even with air dams & even a slight bump in road track surface it goes airborn end over end hence the FLOPPER moniker.
Keep it under 100 your ok at 110+ aero dynamics turn it into an unpredictable ☠️ trap.
It’s why it was short lived model.
Knight rider TV show put plenty of guys in the hospital.
GM made this car for ELEVEN years. Lol. Ive never once heard of”the flopper” moniker. You are telling some stories now. Ps Car & Driver took a stock body Trans Am of this era to 200 mph on Mrs.Orcotts driveway with a Banks Twin turbo engine and very few exteeior mods. By the late 80s this car was achieving 145mph top speeds and ALSO chosen as the Indy 500 pace car,topping 150mph…chosen for its top speed stability and overall aero design.
Forty years ago? Wha…! Nice looking car that’s going to conflict with so many folks. Sure looks clean. Trying to emulate the ’69 back in ’84 took a little visual and a lot of imagination. It brings back memories of good times and younger days. BTW, that white steering wheel was not pretty then or now.
Strangely enough I like it, I had a 86 IROC and I wouldn’t buy another one and I know deep down this is basically the same as the Camaro but I like it
I had a black 84 with the bowling ball hubcaps ( just like kitt). What a fun car. I can remember watching the stock car races on TV and one of these went side ways down the track till the wind force against the side of the vehicle picked it up and flipped over like a sheet of paper in a wind storm. Wow!
I love it, especially the graphics on the hood bulge. Love the 80s!
Too bad this one has the base engine and automatic transmission. Slow…
The 190 hp L69 was a $500 upgrade back then. Was close to buying one back in the day and would want the L69, 5 speed, and 4 wheel Disc brakes.