Hello everyone,

I have a 74 Trans Am sitting in my garage, its been sitting for over 20 years in the garage. Sitting on its tires, but is in still condition. It was put away because there was a rear axle problem with a "boot" of some sort. I was just a young kid when we put it away so I'm not exactly sure what is wrong.

The Engine, wiring, lines, the brakes will probably need to be gone through. what im asking is, what type of money would I be looking at to get the car running? I am debating about selling the car as well at keeping it. If its not too much to get it running I may want to keep it, but if its too much then I want to sell it. Does anyone know the way it is now, a ball park of a price that I could sell it at? compared to if I got it running?

Impossible to tell without knowing the conditions in the garage. You need new tires for certain. Even if they look brand new, the rubber in 20 year old tires will have deteriorated. There is no boot in the rear axle, so that remains an unknown. What engine is in it? 400, 455 or 455-SD? What shape is the body in?

Pictures would help.

Everything 2kg4u has said and mileage too. Not only the age on the tires but since the car wasn't on blocks they will be flat-spotted beyond bad. He'* right on no boot in the differential, count the bolts on the rear differential cover, if you have a 12 bolt differential they're very sturdy although I think BOP used a lot of 10 bolts. If the problem is simply rear axle seals or a pinion seal the repair wouldn't be all that costly and junkyard 10 and 12 bolts are readily available if the ring and pinion and/or bearings are shot in your differential. You might want to check out the NADA classic car guide on-line, it may give you a rough idea what your Trans-Am is worth, as 2kg4u has alluded to engine size will matter, a 4 speed is a big bonus too, maybe even more than in the NADA guides as 4 speed cars tended to not only be thrashed more but wrecked more often and are more rare now.

2004 Bonne SLE
1971 Chevelle SS

To make that car SAFE for the road after setting for twenty years would not take very much money.

Replace the steering shaft rag joint
Replace all brake pads/shoes
Replace all the rubber fuel lines
PROPERLY re build the brake master cylinder
PROPERLY rebuild the rear wheel brake cylinders
Replace all the rear drum brake hardware (springs)
REPLACE the front brake calipers
Remove the brake proportioning valve and clean it as if your life depends on it
Flush all steel brake lines
Replace the three rubber brake hoses (two in front / one in rear)
Replace all four tires

If you do all the work yourself, I think this could be done for less than a few hundred dollars.

Replacing these things will make the car SAFE.........not necessarily fun or reliable.
It will need every basic maintenance service performed.
The upholstery is gonna fall apart.
All the plastic surfaces are gonna flake particles off them.
All the weather stripping is going to be hard as a rock and begin breaking.
It'* going to have that lovely foul smell that classic cars get from sitting for so long.
The exhaust pipe hangers will break.
The front suspension bushings are gonna fall apart.


Safe is one thing.....reliability is another.

I had a 1974 Formula a few years ago. It had the 400 CID motor with A/T.......It too had been sitting for almost 20 years. It was kind of odd that it had all the Trans Am appearance package items including the rear stone guards (on the body in front of the rear tires) and it had the TA shaker air cleaner sticking up out of the hood......but being the Formula model, it also had the giant original "FORMULA" decal running down the side of the car and a FORMULA dash emblem. I got the car home and.............a tree fell on it. THE END

thanks for the replies guys! The engine is a 455-SD and the transmission is a standard Automatic with the shifter on the floor (P,R,N,D I am not sure about if it had 3,2,1 or not as well).

GM used the TH400 automatic behind their big block cars back in the day, a very stout and robust auto transmission. I would think that the gear shift indicator would show P,R,N,D,2,1. A little research shows that a true 455 SD has a X as the fifth character in the VIN and if this is what you have your wallet just got a little fatter as original pristine examples can fetch 6 figures.

I looked at my vin number and it shows a y as the 5th digit. Also to answer 2kg4u the body is in great condition, faded paint and a few cracks and missing plastic fender pieces.