Nevada United Airlines pilot flew for 35 years but never stopped missing the Pontiac he once sold at 22

This Pontiac proved to be the ultimate symbol of nostalgia for this pilot as he snapped up this 1978 relic.

The muscle car was an icon back in its heyday, and now one TransAm is set to be given a whole new lease of life.

From original doors to the engine that perfectly ticked over, the car had clearly withstood the test of time.

Spoiler: the tale behind the purchase may pull on your heartstrings ever so slightly.

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This pilot flew back in time to his high-school days

After flying the globe with Nevada United Airlines for 35 years, this pilot was reunited with a classic car from his youth.

Pilot Mat’s father bought the car when he was 15, not long before his 16th birthday, and the special edition TransAm clearly had a very special place within his childhood memories for the car enthusiast.

Mat went on to explain that his friends had Smokey and the Bandit 1977 Trans Ams, but he simply fell in love with a gold edition instead.

He drove the Pontiac for years on end before eventually selling it to make way for a more practical vehicle, a decision that he clearly regretted.

“I was an idiot and sold my car to get a pickup truck,” he continued.

But, after receiving a call from the team over at Restore a Muscle Car, he came face to face with a 1978 Pontiac Y88 Trans Am that was almost a carbon copy of the pilot’s first ever rendezvous into the car world.

“Thus was my high school car, so I’m just psyched to get it back,” he said.

Here’s what the 1978 Pontiac had to offer

Of course, there were some aspects of the muscle car that were different from the original, but it was a perfect match for pilot Mat.

His new set of wheels ran on a manual system and a four-speed W72 engine, but he described it as driving ‘just like he remembered’.

Also different from the original model that he once drove in his teens, the car had a refresh of the interior with legendary seat covers and a new console.

But the original door panels and dash were in outstanding condition, along with the repainted bird on the hood.

Cleverly, before the car eventually made its way back to Mat’s home, he visited the garage with the muscle car experts, and after a test drive, he wanted to make some adjustments to his new Pontiac to really make it perfect.

His list consisted of seat extenders, further work on the undercarriage and the clutch, and a new gas tank.

The muscle car was symbolic in more ways than one, with the pilot ready to reminisce.

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