Get Hotcars Premium. Start your free trial today

Sat parked for nearly three decades, this classic Pontiac finally got its first thorough cleaning and some much needed TLC.

If you love watching hours of YouTube videos on car detailing, cleaning, and restorations, then this one is surely going to tickle you. AMMO NYC is known for its array of car cleaning and detailing products. Larry Kosilla has been enjoying bringing neglected cars to their glory days with his years of expertise in the car detailing industry. And he also manages to entertain us while doing so.

In a recent YouTube video of his, we saw a dusty old Trans Am being revived back to its shiny days. But this wasn't a normal clean-up and detailing task. The car had been stowed away in a home garage for more than 30 years. As usual, Larry went to check on the car. But during the inspection, he fell in love with the Pontiac.

We think that this newfound love of his has a lot to do with his memories of KITT from the iconic show - Knight Rider. He buys it, brings it back, does his magic, and some more to help this cool 80s American icon bask in its former glory. But things got more interesting when a hardcore Trans Am fan came over as a potential customer. His mechanic friends tried to bring the engine back to life, and the results were shocking.

Larry Kosilla from AMMO NYC was shocked when this Pontiac Trans Am that sat for nearly 30 years, but the question remained if all the hard work to clean it up would pay off. Would the Trans Am even start? Read on to find out.

Larry from AMMO NYC has had a heightened interest in going after stacked-away cars and restoring them to their former glory. And this 1982 Pontiac Trans Am happens to be one such specimen. Kevin from Atlanta sent over an e-mail with images of this stacked away Trans Am. It is his grandfather's car that has not moved an inch for the last thirty years.

He goes over to take a look and get clarity on if the person would sell it or just want to detail it for himself. During the inspection round, Larry falls in love with the Trans Am and pitches in the idea of buying it. The owner wants $5,000 for the Trans Am, but they finally shake hands for $4,500 and Larry brings home a dusty but well-preserved '82 Trans Am.

Related: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly: We Can't Help But Stare At This Pontiac P-1500 Pickup

Larry then embarks on a mesmerizing wash and detailing session for this untouched Trans Am. After a pre-wash, he soaks the whole car, including the inside of the engine bay with AMMO-induced foam. It is impressive what a simple wash can do to a car.

He, however, struggles with getting the front right side wheel off. That's when his experienced neighbor steps in and helps him. (Remember this neighbor guy. He helps again later!). The underbody was surprisingly in good shape, albeit with a fair share of duty and debris.

But a simple wash was enough to clear the field. After the thorough clean-up, it was time for detailing. But Larry had a challenge at hand. The single-stage paint was way thinner, and he needed to be very careful and quick with the polishing.

Or else, the paint would scrub right off the surface. He utilized a mow-down technique to bring about the shine without damaging the thin paint. The before-after comparison shows the impressive transformation. He also polished the very wheel caps that are rare commodities in the Trans Am world.

This 1982 Pontiac Trans Am had another special feature, in the form of original wheel caps. These were notorious back in the day for being flimsy and falling off. So, most of the owners would either tuck them away or lose them. Thankfully, this Trans Am owner was the prior type, and he had all four of these prized wheel caps safe and sound. The interior was in good shape as it was thankfully closed away for all those years from nature's wraith.

There was mold and a few minor damages, but those were repairable. The major repair which was required included the upholstery pieces that had come off from behind the seats. It was patched back using fabric spray adhesive. The t-top cover was also in a salvageable state with just mold on it. A complete interior vacuum and disinfection were enough to bring the cabin back to life. Related: 1985-1991 Pontiac Tojan: Costs, Facts, And Figures

After the car was ready, the first person to come over and have a look at the Trans Am, came in a Trans Am! By the looks of it, he was a hardcore Trans Am fan. He even had a custom t-shirt for the purpose! He was impressed by the visual appeal, but then he bought over two of his mechanic friends to check on the '82 Trans Am's engine.

After a bit of tweaking, putting in a new battery, and refreshing the fluids, they managed to fire up its 305 Chevy V8 with a single crank. And the shocking part was, the start was quick, a little too quick for a car that has been sitting idle for 30+ years! The guys then stretched all of its 145 horses with a standing burnout and lots of tire smoke. It is truly mesmerizing to see a dusty old icon spring back to life with such vigor.

Sources: Instagram.com/ammonyc, Youtube.com/c/AMMONYCdotcom

Tijo is an engineer, mechanic, gamer, and an avid content creator. He is a grease-monkey who loves tinkering with automobiles every now and then, when not busy penning down his passion for them. He has always had a soft spot for JDM and is keen on diving deep in for anything that involves wheels and engines.