1976 Trans Am - The Big 5 - 0

Keith Peck is about to reach a milestone birthday. Like the decals read on the fenders of his beloved '76 50th Anniver-sary Trans Am, he too will soon be 50 years old. "The Big 5-0!" Keith, a sheriff's department sergeant in the Sunshine State, has heard all the variations on this theme--his patrolmen referencing his upcoming birthday, the neighborhood kids' code-speak for police, or the one that brings the largest smile, the reference to his 50th Anniversary Trans Am.

He originally set out to find a '77 Bandit Trans Am after "falling in love" with it that year like so many of us did, courtesy of Smokey and the Bandit. He tried several times back in the day to purchase a Black and Gold S/E Trans Am new, but from 1977 to 1979 was told that people were paying over invoice for the Black and Gold when they could find one.

Years passed, and then in March 1997 Keith answered an ad for an original Y82 '76 Starlight Black 50th Anniversary Trans Am equipped with the factory 185-horse 400/Turbo 350/2.41 Safe-T-Track rear drivetrain combo. The best part? It had only 7,000 miles on it. After a 20-year search for the right B&G T/A, Keith found it, even if it predated the Bandit's Bandit by a single year.

Once it was tucked safely in his garage, he quickly joined several organizations including the National Trans Am club and the Bandit Trans Am club. Keith's 50th has been to the track at Daytona several times for shows and swap meets, but he says, "Sometimes the swap meets are boring because the T/A needs nothing, and I won't ever take it from it's original state."

Keith's Trans Am is original down to the shocks, and it has garnered every local accolade in the area. Recently it took First Place in Tipp City, Ohio, in the Anniversary and Special Edition category.

A true survivor in every sense of the word, the Trans Am's documentation is as impeccable as its appearance. The impressive package includes complete PHS paperwork, and the original order form, invoice, and bill of sale. Even the original dealer key ring is part of this package-bliss for any Pontiaddict.

Initially purchased by a couple at Gene Carlyle Buick-Pontiac in Leavenworth, Kansas, the Trans Am had a sale price of $7,201.62 and was chock full of comfort options.

Keith has kept every piece of documentation on the Trans Am since he paid $12,500 that fateful day in March. To this day, the 50th boasts only a little over 10,000 original miles on the odometer. In nearly nine years, Keith has added just 3,000 miles to the total count. It's the tenth Second-Gen Trans Am he has owned, and currently his cadre includes a black '96 Trans Am WS6, a '91 Firebird, and a '93 Pontiac Grand Prix.

Keith recently turned down an offer of $25,000 for the 50th because as he says, "Where am I going to get another one like this one?" Where indeed? As he reaches his 50th, Keith seems to be a man content to protect and serve and enjoy his weekends with his family and his other 50th.