Real or fake? I can’t for the life of me find much out about this so-called “Bandit Edition” 1994 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. Given the popularity surrounding Burt Reynolds and his exploits from Smokey and the Bandit, it’s of little surprise that we see an abundance of memorabilia and trinkets still littering the marketplace; however, you have to be far more careful with actual vehicles portrayed as some kind of a factory tribute model. Find the Trans Am here on craigslist for $8,200.
The fourth-generation Firebird remains one of the more affordable modern muscle cars out there, and I doubt it will ever appreciate all that dramatically. Seeing the “Bandit” logo on the lower front fender may make this Trans Am more interesting, but it will not affect its value in any meaningful way. I am happy to be proven wrong, but I have to believe this is some sort of dealer special trim. The good news is they have the colors correct, going with a black finish and gold badges.
Aside from some aftermarket wheels finished in gold and the aforementioned badges, this looks like a stock Trans Am inside and out. Standard-issue bucket seats, automatic transmission, stock steering wheel – there’s not even a set of Bandit-branded floor mats inside! Still, let’s look at this car for what it is, which is a Trans Am in decent condition with a 5.7L V8 under the hood. Mileage is pretty average, ringing in at 147,000 on the clock.
Listen, if I’m wrong about this being some sort of legit, special edition model authorized by the factory or a variety of dealerships, I’m willing to suffer that shame of being mistaken in a public forum. However, I do believe this is a one-off creation, or at the very least, a special edition offering that was concocted by a solitary dealership group. Do you think this “Bandit” edition is a factory-authorized creation?
I’m going with home made; a new logo stuck on an old car.
Yep Never seen this option. And I’m a Pontiac guy…
Well I for 1 see a classic car at a affordable price & like it! All the LS fans should be shaking a stick at nothing to see here comments! I thought this time frame to be a LT-1 but that intake looks LS to me anyone know the specs on this Gator special?
It’s an LTI 280HP, 320 Ft-lb Torque at 2400rpm. Might want to get a few spare water pumps/Optisparks, you’ll need them. (probably needs them now)
Just a standard Trans Am….There is NO factory Bandit edition 4th gen…The LS engine in the F-body started in 1998…All 1993 to 1997 V8 powered Camaro/Firebird came with the LT1 engines…The ultra rare 4th Gens are the 1993 to midyear 1999 RPO 1LE cars (Factory Street legal Race cars offered to the public to homogulate them for racing in the IMSA/SCCA stock classes) With single digit production numbers in some years (Firebird) with NO more than 28 produced in any given year was only Available on the Firebird Formula..Requires WS6 on the 1996 and later models the only way to get one new was to do a COPO type special order…..The second sticker cars (SLP cars 2000/2001) with 1Le are completely different cars and are not in the same league as the earlier Factory RPO 1LE cars…
Gonna need a CB and a big whip 📻
Shame its a auto magic! But I always liked these.. tho seeing the interiors now, they look about as good as the grand am’s or sunfires lol
The logo looks more like the Skoal Bandit, maybe you got a year’s supply of dip with it.
Anyways, offer him $7k and I think you can get a lot of car for the money.
I hope it’s a home-grown thing. It’s far too weak an effort for someone to pay a dealership. Where’s the screaming chicken? The shaker hood? The gold snowflake wheels (they’re available for this generation of Firebird)?
Not even a Pontiac dealership that would sell rustproofing on a Fiero would create this.
Factually, their never was a “Bandit” Edition T/A… the black and gold was referred to as “Special Edition” by the factory, so this seller is just trying to make a buck off the name.
True enough, but with Burt Reynolds in costume featured prominently in advertising and brochures (sitting on a Trans Am with a “Bandit” front license plate in the 1981 brochure), it’s easy to understand the confusion.
Ok, it’s not a home grown as I’ve seen another one in much better condition. My recollection was they were done by a customizer, maybe Choo Choo? Doubt it helps value but it definitely isn’t a one off.
A quick Google Image Search for “bandit edition logo” turns up an outfit selling decals and badges exactly like the one shown here, so literally anybody could buy those and stick them on their car.
Also, maybe it’s just the photo angle and/or contours of the body panels fooling my eye, but doesn’t the decal pictured on this car look a wee bit off-kilter, like someone just eyeballed sticking it on there?
Not home grown the 3rd and 4th gen firebird “bandit” editions were produced by Choo choo customs not much more than tacked on body parts and emblems my neighbor has a white “bandit” edition that has a fake shaker hood scoop glue on it only a few were sold rare but not valuable
Nobody including the seller is stating your going to have to buy a windshield for that one off car) but you can see in one of the pics that it’s broke, probably all the way across.
Love the car, hate the wheels.