Topic: 1978 trans am se w72 value

[bobg]

Hi everyone,

I am looking at a 1978 trans am SE Y88 W72 factory 4 speed.The car is gold with black interior. The car has 60,000 miles, the body is solid, except for a few spots of surface rust here and there and 2 small holes near the front of the rear wheels.The frame and floors are solid and the paint is fair. The previous owner did put a sun roof in it, but he does have the piece he cut out. He wants $3200 for the car. Does anyone know what the average worth of this car is.Sorry I don't have pics.

[Rebel 5150]

If its a documented SE car, you had better go buy the car before the guy comes off his high!

SE W72s are skyrocketing right now, and for a well preserved or restored version of the same car, you could pay nearly 10 times that much!

[brian c]

If its a true Y88 then the price is really good.

I would question the pedigree though as the Y88's weren't built w/o T-Tops which doesn't leave much room for a sunroof. Perhaps the roof has been transplanted from a donor car???

[trancelgic]

BUY THAT CAR NOW!   

What I would suggest, (and I'm sure others here will agree), make it a solid roof for the value...   Or, look for a donor car with a fisher t-top roof (the larger t-tops) and as long as the roof and the glass are in good condition, do a roof swap.  Then you'll have a Y-88 t-top car. 

You could always contact Hitman and send him detailed photos and talk to him about a restoration, he restores TA's for a living and his work is absolutely beautiful.  http://www.taspecialties.com/resto/restore.htm

That's my 80' TA on the top left which is currently being brought back from the dead..

I will say this, you found a diamond in the ruff, hurry up and buy that car before the seller gets wind of the actual value of the car.  Making it a hard top and restoring it would bring that car up into the $30k area.  Doing a roof swap with a t-top car and a restoration could bring it up into the upper $30's and low to mid $40's..

The important thing to consider is that it's a genuine SE car, no matter what.

Scott

[RENOVATIONS]

You should get the PHS report on the car to verify it's a true Y88, but regardless... $3200. is a good price.
If it is, someone also changed the interior as a Y88 would have a camel tan interior.

A restored Y88 would have good value though the above estimates seem a bit too high.

[logikfive]

I thought all Y88's were t-top cars?

At least I don't recall ever seeing a hardtop Y88.

[Rebel 5150]

Yep, tripped on my tounge there.  I misread the Y88 as being Y84, and still managed to miss out on the sunroof.

I've seen very nice Y88s trade hands anywhere from the high 20k to low 30k range depending on drivetrain options.

[rad400]

I also do not recall Y88 having black interrior, I that they were all gold/tan gold spoke wheel and gold dash bezel. Make sure it is a true Y88.

[brian c]

Conrad,

Supposedly you could order Y88's with interiors other than the camel tan. Reported examples have included black and (egad) red interiors. I think Joe Bays' website outlines this as yet another mythbusted on Y88's.

But as the others have said PHS that puppy to find out its true pedigree!

[kentuckyyeti]

I would have to have documentation if I was buying it for the Y88 factor, cause it doesn't sound like a Y88.  However,it sounds like a solid 78 with a W72 and would be well worth the money without the "Y" factor.  I've never seen a Y88 come close in value to a Y84 car though.

[Hitman]

I agree with above.... that car does not sound like a Y88 car so get the documents to prove it first.  But again like was mentioned above, any running/driving Trans Am for $3200 is a good deal Special Edition or not.