The Macho Trans Ams kept the muscle car era alive a bit longer

Close your eyes and picture “Macho Man” Randy Savage simultaneously snapping into a Slim Jim while powersliding across the infield at Daytona. Without even telling you the name of the car, this is the one you just imagined him driving, isn’t it?

A 1978 Macho Trans Am spotted by BarnFinds.com is on Facebook Marketplace for an asking price of $24,995. The rare bird seems to be in decent shape, although it’s not quite car-show ready just yet. The seller is among the most well-known collectors of Macho Trans Ams, a rare hot-rodded version of the F-body offered by Mecham Pontiac in Glendale, Arizona.

The Macho Trans Am was developed by Dennis and Kyle Mecham, two brothers who kept the muscle car torch burning by tweaking Pontiac Trans Ams they sold at their father’s dealership starting in 1977. The engine performance of the Pontiacs was restored to be more in line with the earlier days of muscle cars by adding headers, twin catalytic converters, an ignition tune-up, and by increasing airflow through the shaker hood scoop. The suspensions of the Macho Trans Ams also received some attention, with new shocks and a performance alignment. Most noticeably, the Macho Trans Am treatment included new graphics and DKM badging highlighting the package’s creators. Some Macho Trans Ams even included a turbocharger package.

With red accents over a black base, this Macho Trans Am has a bit of a Batmobile vibe. It’s certainly a striking combination, but late ’70s Trans Ams were never known for being understated. This Trans Am was originally equipped with the trademark phoenix on the hood, arguably the greatest graphic in the history of the automobile, but the current owner has yet to install the new decal after it was repainted. If you’re going to go big with a Macho Trans Am, why not go all the way?

This specimen is the 96th of 98 built for 1979, and it wears the number proudly on its fender. Just 304 were built in total over the four-year run, making them a rare sight at even Pontiac-centric shows. The demand for 1979 Trans Ams is just as high as it is for the two previous years that have all of the added Bandit charm, so the asking price is just above the #3 (Good) value for a standard-issue 403-powered Trans Am. The next owner will surely have a fun ride and an instant conversation starter.

As Macho Man Savage would say, “Oooh, yeah!”