Williamsville native tracks down the love of his life; his 1979 Trans Am

Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) Think about your very first car. Would you like to have it back?

For Joe Gransden, who grew up in Williamsville, and now lives in Atlanta as a professional trumpet player, he had to have his car back and went on a quest to find the love of his life, his 1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am.

"I had this car when I went to Williamsville North High School in 1988 and '89. It was a black Trans AM, like the "Smokey and the Bandit" car. I didn't realize when I bought it, that it was one of only a thousand or so made. It was a special edition collectors Trans Am and part of my identity growing up. I drove that car every single day," he told WBEN.

Joe had to sell the car when he went to college in Atlanta. He called it a horrible decision that he always regretted.

Fast forward 30 years, he decided he wanted to try to find his car. He didn't have the vehicle identification number or any paperwork on the vehicle.

"I always wanted it back. I always missed it. It was everything to me," he said. "My father and I would work on the car. My best friend Tony Scire, who's gone now, would be with me in this car.

It was 2013 or 2014 when he and his young son were watching a show featuring a similar Trans Am.
His son turned to him and said "Dad, you have to get that car back!".

Gransden said it hit him, that he had to find it.

He enlisted a private investigator and with the help of a shop in Miami called Trans Am Specialties of Florida, and some social media posts, a former owner of the car supplied the VIN number. The car was found in Alabama. It had been sitting under a tree for 25 years.

"It took a year and a half to find it, and a year and a half to buy it back, and another two years to restore it. It's in my garage now," Joe said. "It's looks brand new, like it came from the factory."

The only difference is that it has a brand new engine, a Corvette engine, because his original engine was gone when he found the car.

How did he know it was his actual Trans Am?

Gransden said, "Back in '88, I was buffing the car and left the buffer on the right front fender for too long. I burnt some of the paint off. It had a scar that looked like the car was winking at you. When I went to Alabama to see the car,
the first thing I saw was that buff mark. I almost cried when I saw it," he added.

By the way, Gransden said he was planning on keeping the buff mark, but at the last minute, when he was having it repainted, he decided to remove the flaw.

"It's in my garage. I drive it constantly. I take it to car shows and the golf course. It's going to be in the family forever. My son will eventually get it. When I drive it now, I can almost see my best friend Tony Scire sitting there. It's such a thrill to have this thing back."