Hitman's Pontiac Trans Am Forum
Trans Am Photos => Trans Am Photos => Topic started by: Craig on June 30, 2007, 12:27:23 PM
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I'm a little confused. Don't the SE cars have gold birds with darker gold highlights and regular black TA's have gold birds with lighter gold highlights? Hitman I'm just wondering because in your decal section you have a picture of an SE car with the wrong decal desplayed on the hood. Am I wrong?
Also, the block style lettering ended in '78 and in '79 the longer lettering was used (except for the Y88).
So Hitman, your car is a regular '78 with the '79 style longer lettering?
Hope I'm not being offensive here, just trying to understand.
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Nevermind. Sorry. I kept digging through the site and found the answer.
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Sorry, I never even saw this post. I was going back through here to see what I have missed and I never saw this one. Yes, the SE cars had the hood birds that were gold with darker gold highlights. The Non-SE cars had gold with orange/yellow highlights. As far as me decal section, yes, that is a Non-SE bird that is in the photo on a SE car. It is just a photo of the hood bird that I had... it just happened to be taken on top of the hood of an SE car. So, it does not say the decals is correct for the car that it is sitting on.... it is just a stock photo of the hood bird decal. You are also right on the "Formula" Style lettering as well. I think you have found the answer already, but yes, my car IS NOT a SE car. The previous owner added the SE stripes to the car. I like the SE stripes and think it outlines the car nicely, so I left them. In 1978 they chnaged the style lettering. They left the hood bird the same, but the changed the lettering from the "Looping" style lettering found in 1977 and earlier and chagned it to the "Formula" style lettering found on 1979 and later. 1978 was a bad year for changes. Pontiac could not make up their minds about what to do with the cars. Changing decals, changing SE cars, changing t-tops, etc.
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Thanks for the info Brett. I seem to remember these differences from whem I was 15 visiting the Pontiac dealership to drool over the 'birds.
Looks like my '78 will look almost exactly as yours does because I like the SE pinstripes, but prefer the non-SE bird. My car also came with the gold 15x7 wheels where yours has the Argent wheels. Honestly, I've never been a fan of the SE 'birds. Way to much gold for me.
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So leading on form this, My 81 has the 77 german script decal package and as I understand it the 77 hood bird, which is fine as I really like this style.
So was 77 the only year for the german style or was it an order option ??
Cheers
Stu
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Can I guess first before Brett answers? lol
I'm going to say that it was available in '76 and '77 and into early '78? ???
I know there were a ton of changes that came about in mid '78 and I'm thinking that was one of them.
Now I'll wait for the expert to let me know what I won --- er --- if I'm close. lol
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Thanks SirL
From what Ive read since id say your right but I was a bit confused as to exactly when they ended as most of the decal periods seem a bit vague.
Depending on where you look there is different info, I think I'll go with whats on 78TA as to date every thing ive found here, has been pretty accurate.
Cheers
Bandit NZ
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I realize this is an old post, but users may still follow. I am interested in how the SE stripes go with the non-SE bird and looping font. I'm restoring my 78 with the stripes as well (I like the look), but prefer the looping font to the german. I'm concerned as to the different shades of gold/yellow/orange all look together.
Anyone have the non-se decals with the stripes, please chime in.
Thanks, Jim
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Thats what I did. I prefer the non-SE bird but I like the gold stripes.