2,000 MILES IN A ’79 TRANS AM
“THERE’S NO WAY WE’LL GET PULLED OVER — we’re in a Trans Am!”quipped Chris Smith, 60 miles outside of Dallas, Texas. To some, a comment like that may not mean much, but when it comes from your buddy, the one who just found you one of the nicest Trans Ams you’ve ever seen, it means quite a lot.
For context, I met my friend Chris almost 15 years ago, while participating in a high-speed cross-country road rally. I was driving my 1968 Dodge Charger, while Chris was piloting a Cortez Silver 1978 Trans Am with a 461 stroker. His car was a beast, and as we were the only two muscle cars in a sea of exotics, we quickly became friends. Chris is a six-foot-nine Brit with a James Bond accent who now resides in Dallas. He specializes in the acquisition and sales of rare and exotic collector vehicles; thus, when an email popped up saying, “THIS IS THE ONE YOU BUY,” I knew I was in trouble.
The car in question was a Nocturne Blue 1979 Pontiac Trans Am, complete with the WS6 handling package. It was a non-T-top car with stunning paint, a perfect Camel Tan vinyl interior, gold 15 x 8-inch “snowflake” wheels, and A/C, and it was located just a few hours from Chris’ home. Now, I’ve no doubt that when he forwarded me the classified listing, he knew his life was about to get complicated. I was 2,000 miles away in Northern California, while he was basically within walking distance. Friends, however, are friends, and when they’re good ones, they’ll go above and beyond to help a buddy out.
I’d been looking for another second-gen Trans Am ever since I
