Pontiac Power

Spotter's Guide
1979 Trans AM SE (Y84)

The Special Edition Trans Am was back again in 1979. Pontiac did not mess with a good thing and many of the special features that made the pervious SE's were once again part of the package. According to official documents all of the SE's had T-Tops. They were all Fisher T-tops and no longer made by Hurst. However, there are a few documented examples that prove that there were some built without the T-top roof. These are very few and far between. The Trans Am could be had with three different V8's the Pontiac 301 and 400 and the Oldsmobile 403. Most of the SE's came with the 403.

The 1979 Trans Am SE featured:

Starlight Black - Paint

Gold Hood Bird 5 shades of Gold with Yellow highlights

Gold Accented Grille

Gold Snowflake Wheels 15x7

Gold Snowflake Wheels WS6 15x8

Gold tinted swirl dash

Steering Wheel with Gold Spokes and Gold Bird in Center Cap

Gold Bird on door panels (pwr. windows only)

Gold Bird on Shifter knob (Automatic only)

Gold Pin-striping

Gold bird decal on c-pilar

Black-out Window Trim

Look for these items when looking for an SE. Many people call a black Trans Am a "Bandit", Anniversary or Special Edition, even though it does not carry these items. And even if the car has the special gold items, doesn't mean it came with them. People love the gold trim and it has found its way on to many Trans Ams over the years The SE shared the same font for the lettering as the non-SE cars. But only the SEs featured the gold pin striping. But these are readily available from Phoenix Graphix and Stencils & Stripes. Many times after a car is repainted they get the SE strips and lettering, so be careful.

If there is any documentation with the car look for the SE option on it. It should be on the window sticker and invoice for the car. It will also be on the build sheet as well. The Build Sheet is most commonly found in the rear seat back between the springs. Other common places are under the carpet, drivers or passengers side. Behind the kick panels and even between the gas tank and the trunk floor but are usually are in poor condition. The Build Sheet will show the Y84 Special Edition package. Also, check the body tag located on the top of the firewall just below the windshield. On some cars the "Y84" code may be on stamped on it. Just because it isn't there doesn't mean the car isn't a true SE, but if it is there, then the SE package can be confirmed.

If none of these items are present with the car, the only way to be 100% sure that the car is a true SE is to have it documented with Pontiac Historical Services (PHS). For a very small fee of $35 (or $45 for fax back) PHS will send you a copy of the original invoice or billing history, a letter decoding the car's options, a copy of a dealer order for that model year, a official photo of the year and model, and other miscellaneous info that may be available for that year and model. The information that PHS provides will show what options are on the car. Since the SE package is an extra-cost option it will show on the invoice and therefore provide the proof needed.

Production breaks down as follows:

Engine	Trans	Total
301 (L37)	Manual	213
301 (L37)	Automatic	360
400 (W72)	Manual	1,107
403 (L80)	Automatic	9,874
		Total	11,554

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