outstanding! mercedes E 500! get yourself behind a buick gn. tweak the engine a little.haul azz! love the gn, regal t type,cutlass supreme, ugly bubble sleeper taurus sho, trans am, camaro iroc z, all 80's cars... 88-90 honda prelude, nsx. mopar 69-70 challanger, boattail buick,69 charger fastback. 70 challenger,70 fury gt, i just love cars! dont mind my spelling. its happy hour!
I knew a kid back in high-school who had one and a lot of people laughed at him for having such an old beater car but I remember how weird/ neat it was seeing a Transam with a turbo while the other kids had civics with loud coffee can exhausts ha
Bought one of these in 91' for $16k. Previous owner was the VP of an oil company in Michigan. Every two years they had to get rid of their company cars. Still have it - along with an 87' Buick GN. These cars were king of the road in the 90's.
This is the fastest anniversary edition of any trans am. It was also the first Indy pace car that didn’t need any upgrades to be race day ready. I drove a 87 GN during my high school years and it’s still in the family. The LC2 engine was a true beast but Buick couldn’t release the real power numbers due to the Corvette having top billing. Buick engineers have dyno results of over 320hp to the wheels from 1987
I have always wanted a Grand National. I had a buddy who had one back in the early 90s and it was awesome. That long black coupe with the hood bulge that said 3.8 SFI on the hood...I loved everything about it.
Oh, and when I was in high school my first car was a 1990 Ford Festiva that I put a stereo system in, I also had a black 1990 Chevy Beretta GT 2.8 V6 with American Racing polished 5 stars, limo tint and two Image Dynamics 15s in the trunk. I shattered the rear windshield out front of my school one day and got out of school suspension for 3 days. Then I had a 1994 Eddie Bauer Explorer with a 302W swap, an Explorer Express Eaton M-90 supercharger kit, a 6" Skyjacker lift, and 33x12.50s with bullet hole wheels. I had a large inheritance that my parents gave me early because I was diagnosed with cancer at 16. I spent it stupidly unfortunately.
A few corrections… The engine is not the same as the GNX, it used the Grand National engine with FWD 3.8 heads for shock tower clearance. The engine was underrated so as to not step on Corvette’s toes, the Grand National was 2 years out of production when the TTA was released.
I own a 1988 Pontiac Firebird Formula with the 305 tuned port injection and a 5 speed manual with the Australian 9 bolt rear end. Most performance you could get with the manual transmission. (Besides a 1LE car) I have only seen one TTA on the hot rod power tour back in 2014 at the GM repair tent. Had some electrical problem. Looked clean though, Always wanted to drive one.
I have a 1986 Trans Am that I've 350 swapped and converted it to a 5 speed as well. I absolutely love these cars. I've had five. I even bought a 1991 Firebird shitbox for my girlfriend and I to work on together. I've never seen a TTA myself but I'd love to. It would be more interesting than all the LS swapped monsters you see around. These cars are awful pieces of shit but they're simultaneously amazing and so unique.
@@terrabnadia1793 I mean, they have reliability and decent gas mileage going for them. They just don't make sense for making power. It is a good engine though.
Great video. They are slowly gaining more and more recognition. It was my dream car as a teenager and was on a quest to own one of the 1555 made. I'm fortunate to be the proud owner of #551. Actually one just sold for over $80,000 a few days ago on Barrett-Jackson.
My dream car growing up. But now I'd be happy with a V8 3rd gen Trans Am because of the attainability factor (and lack of it w/this car). Never thought I'd see this car on your channel! Yessssss! I remember how this was touted as the fastest American production car of 1989 at any price. Maybe GM had some extra GNX engines and didn't know what to do with them...until they did. This was a such a wild but wonderful experimental era in which GM permitted their brands to be a little bit crazy.
I have two 1989 turbo Trans Ams that I run solid 11s all day long one of them will be in the tens very shortly it doesn’t take much to get them to the 11s and 12s I haven’t lost yet to anything new gray car fun and fast
Making me feel old today dude. I was born in 77 and remember seeing these as a kid. Granted they weren't everywhere, but once in a while as a kid I'd catch a glimpse of one.
If you feel " Old " and you were born in 77' with me being born in 71' should I feel ancient? LoL. We need Pontiac to come back and retake their propper place.
All you youngsters never heard of the Turbo T/A! Ha!! I'm 60 and had a '89 Firebird Formula 350. When I bought it there was a Turbo T/A in the showroom listing for over $30,000, that was about $13,000 more than what I paid for the Formula!
Throwback man… my dad has this car but w/o the turbo, “T” top, and leather seat. That steering wheel was one my favorite memories of that car. Felt like inspector gadgets car. 😂
Haha I should’ve said he has a car that is like this. 🤷♀️ I was a baby when this car was running so I don’t know the specs. I only remember the look and this car is similar. White exterior, same rims, and I also remember him saying it’s like a corvette engine. My parents still have it kept in a garage. They told me that my dad ended up buying the TransAm only cause my mom’s Camaro broke down off the side of a freeway and I asked my dad to buy a new car. I wish they kept the Camaro 🤦♀️ I’m into imports but I do appreciate classic American sport cars cause of my parents. 🥰 🚙💨✨
The 3rd Gen F Bodies are sex on wheels. They still look incredible compared to today's sports cars. I had a gorgeous white 1992 Formula. Sure it had the slow 305 TBI in it but it was actually a very nice car. It rode very well. It had strong brakes and surprisingly good handling. I used to image how awesome it would be with that turbo 3800 V6 in it. Unfortunately the car got rear ended by a diesel Ford truck. I would still love to be able to afford another 3rd Gen.
The "1989" Fiero GT should have gotten this 3.8T with that Getrag 5-speed but GM and the Slowvette tears killed it... I would still love to build and daily an '88 Fiero GT with that 3.8T with a manual!!! 😉😎
If I could suggest, the GM 2L LT3 Turbo engine that went into the Pontiac Sunbird Turbo (165hp). The old iron duke 2L could easily be up in the 250HP without to much problems. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_Family_II_engine#/media/File:90_sunbird_engine.jpg And it fits in the Fiero like a shoe (not the last year mind you), since GM used the entire front sub frame assemblies from the Sunbird (and GM equivalent) and bolt it to the rear of the Fiero. Last year Fiero got a dedicated sub-frame design. It was my favorite car as a kid. Great exterior design.
Even though 1988 was the last model year a 1989 model with a turbo V6 that would be carried over to the 1990 model would've been nice but you GM'S rule nothing in our lineup can outshine or upstage the Corvette.
I owned an '89 Turbo T/A from 1993-1998. With just bolt-ons and a 3800 stall converter, it was an 11-second ET car on Yokohama A-00RS street tires. I surprised quite a few unsuspecting people who didn't know what it was. It was a fun car, but the Buick V6 oil leaks were a pain in the ass. LOL
@@iDrive4fun93 I've had a '83 Regal Ttype, '86 Regal, '87 Olds 98, '88 Camaro, '99 Lumina, 02 Monte Carlo & '04 Impala that had the 3800 V6 & they were great little engines, the Lumina had 275,000 miles on it when I sold it, the Impala was pushing 200,000 & unfortunately the Monte got totaled by a drunk driver & it was the limited edition Dale Earnhardt SS where only 3333 were made!
@@SquirminHermanthe1eyedGerman yeah the one I bought has been sitting for a few years, only has 88k miles on it. I think that was part of the issue, was it was sitting. It runs fine for a week or two and breaks down again.
@@SquirminHermanthe1eyedGerman the engine has plenty of compression, and it’s strong when it runs. So far I have needed 2 intake manifolds, the second one because the EGR failed and the egr stovepipe melted the plastic upper manifold. Now it’s got a misfire some kind of bad, put a new map sensor and it smoothed out a little so now it’s getting new coil packs, air filter, and a new MAF
I was born in the mid '60s & my first car was a '67 Firebird 326 & after Smokey & the Bandit was filmed around my hometown area here in Georgia {2021 NATIONAL CHAMPS} I really became a Trans Am fan & have owned many the past 40 years! One of my buddies bought a new '89 TTA & thats when I learned about them! Same engine as the GNX but tweaked some to make more power & topped out around 160mph
I saw one of these at the Ocean City Cruisin. It was built with a full roll cage. These cars are awesome. This Trans Am and the early 80’s turbo models are always forgotten.
I’ve driven one. Had the Pace car stickers on it. It was a step above the gta ta. Such a great car. Way ahead of its time. Also the underrated the power because it was more than the corvette at the time. They didn’t want it to steal sales.
I worked in a Pontiac dealer when these came out. Fun car and very quick for the time. Turbo lag was a common complaint for which there was no fix, that drove us technicians crazy!
The late 80's TA's are still my fav body style to this day! The '89 20th Anniversary TTA was a rare one indeed, cuz of that turbo V6 from Buick. It was the best TA ever built up to that point, but Pontiac refused to build more TTA's cuz they didn't want a Pontiac to have a Buick engine. Plain & simple as that.
it's nuts to think that car in the 80s hit 60 in under 5 seconds with a turbo V6 and an auto (automatic transmissions were a lot slower than manual transmissions back then.) That car had to have well over 300 hp.
it would have been faster with a manual. It has the basic 3 speed + overdrive 700R4. The good thing about that transmission is that its really reliable not sporty lol
@@Adrian-mq5ld The TTA had a 200-4r and shifts noticeably quicker than any manual and did not have the steep ratio drop on the 1-2 shift. A manual turbo V6 would be quite a bit slower. The torque converter was matched very well. Even a powershifted turbo car loses boost and has to respool on the shifts.
This definitely was way ahead of its time. The Chevy small block V8s that were in the 3rd Gen F-Bodies were so damn anemic and I'm sure that the front to rear weight balance of the turbo V6 was way better than the V8. You also have to take into account the corporate GM policy that no performance car in the GM stable no matter what division it came from could outshine the Corvette no matter what even though only old rich guys could afford them. Which make these GM turbo V6 vehicles from the '80s like this Pontiac Turbo Trans Am, the Buick Grand National and GMC Syclone/Typhoon extra extra extra special.
While yes the turbo V6 is the one to have, I owned an 89 GTA with an auto and a 5.7, it's not a sports car, but I mean for the money it isn't exactly slow, and it drives alright, still has pop ups and t tops, its 80% of the fun for 50% of the money
I remember when that came out back in 1989 with the Buick turbo 3.8 and it was awesome. This in a day when the Pontiac GTA with the diamond spoke wheels were all the rage, the 20th anniversary was a real head turner and had that little something extra...arm on the windowsill, George Thorogood in the cassette deck, yeah baby!
Sick! I own the predecessor of this car (kind of) its a 1981 pontiac transam turbo thats a turbo v8 from the factory! You should do more American classics Keep up the good work!
That was a beautiful car. Not too quick but had a decent top speed. But it was one of that gen of Trans Amm that was the best looking for sure even with the off centered hood scoop with the lights in the rear facing the driver. Showing the turbo boost Level.
Back in 1988 I bought a new black & gold GTA Trans Am which was badass until my buddy got the new Turbo T/A the next year {my other friend had an '87 GNX} & that beast left me sitting on takeoff & was quick thru the quarter mile! We had so much fun in the '80s cruising the strips & boulevards of Hotlanta & I must say that chics really dug those cars over the girly boy slowstangs any day - PEACE LOVE n HIPPYNESS ✌☮
i never thought there were that many car folks that were unaware of this cool ta?!? ...maybe thats just cause ive always been a fbody guy, & im obsessed with em... but yeah, those things, much like their buick sibling, definitely "Hurt some Feelings" back in the day... beautiful car man, thanx
Buick did make a sporty car semi-recently. 2014 Buick Regal GS. It had Brembo brakes up front, with a 4cyl Turbo engine, with an optional 6spd Manual! Power was around 270hp give or take.
I’ve got a 4th gen with a gen 2 3800 turbo in it, on paper is should be epic, way lighter front end, way better balance, 400-600 hp, etc... just need to get it running😂
@@redlight3932 what's actually impressive about 70lbs is that an LS is all aluminum... a 3800 is iron block iron heads. That's a MASSIVE difference considering they're totally different materials.
@@CelicaDan Buick engines are always extremely light from the 455 being less than 100 pounds heavier than the small block Chevy, the sbb weighing as much as the aluminum ls, etc
@@redlight3932 there are a lot more aluminum block LS engines than just the ls1, there were versions of the gen 4 5.3 and I believe some 6.2's that were aluminum blocks along with the ls3, ls6 and ls7
I recently took ownership of one of these with only 18K miles. It's such a smooth ride and when you smash the pedal, it goes! Everywhere I go people stop and ask about it. Love your review BTW.
I’m a JDM fanboy & owner of an 01 2 2dr 2.5 RS w/ an EJ25 swap but I’ve always found these cars to be amazing and loved the looks and choice to use a boosted 6. Great upload!
That's really cool. Never knew these existed. I remember a friend in high school drove his uncles turbo grand national to school and we all thought it was so cool.
The 1989 20th anniversary Trans Am is the only 3rd gen Trans Am I want. I love the anniversary Trans Ams. The 1999 30th anniversary Trans Am is my dream car.
They are a neat car: 20th anniversary, Indy Pacecar, unique engine/trans in the chassis. One thing you didn't mention is that they were expensive new with a $32,000 sticker in 1989! My father bought a '87 GN new for $16,500 ($18,000 sticker), and for a long time on the used car market, the GN was worth more than the TTA. Good to see the TTA getting some attention.
Dude, you just tripped me out. I iddn't think you were old enough to know what DOS is. Most people don't know it, but all Windows based computers still run on the DOS programing in the background today. Love the TA, didn't know they made a turbo model back then. I'm currently driving a 1994 Suburban with the TBI 350.
I had one brand new when I was in grade 12 mine was fully optioned but I left the stickers for the doors in the trunk . Loved that car darn I am old, this one in the vid is missing some options but brings back some great memories
I think it’s really cool. I took a Buick grand national to my senior prom and my buddy had the car for several years and sold it and now he’s wishing he still had it. I didn’t know they ever put the grand national engine in a Pontiac. Great video thanks for letting us know about this car.
I have a 1988 trans am GTA same color scheme and everything except I have the TPI 350 but it is my favorite color scheme out of all of the third gen Firebirds
Not just a cruiser! My friend had a 88' Formula 350 snd it would do 85 on old New England roads one time in rain and wouldn't slide! It saved us one night speeding way over speed limit came over hill deer in the middle of the road never slowed and practically wiped his butt with passenger window. And had a 89' GTA 350 and it cornered and was quick. And if you look back at cornering data in 80's was one of the best from around the world.
I almost bought this same car and was bummed when I found out it was a six cylinder, I really wanted a v8 at that time. Fun fact: they also made a 301 v8 turbo trans am in like 80-81 and it was a push button activated turbo with the button on the dash. Had almost an airbrushed look to the hood bird. Cool car It was really slow tho
@@MrJayo73 you are correct, my fault. There was a button tho, apparently it only worked the lights on the hood scoop for the turbo boost gauge. So not exactly the mad max design I was imagining LOL I’ve never heard of a push button activated turbo but have heard ppl say this about that ta before, I just imagined it controlled the waste gate or something.
Im from Portugal 🇵🇹, and you don't see top many of this.. i never saw one in person.. but ir looks so f**** awesome 😍😈🔥.. Love the old American look of the 70/80.. and this of the 90's
I had a 1980 V-8 301 Turbo TransAm, looked AWESOME, wouldn't run for SHIT. I was so sick and tired of being embarrassed and run outta town by 350 Z-28's and 280'z, and everything else for that matter I couldn't take it anymore and got rid of it. After 1979 the Trans Am was over. I assume because of it's looks everybody thought my Trans Am would run, it did everything but. Push the pedal to the floor we thought it was going to blow up, never again.
This was an awesome car when it came out. I saw a few of them around town but it was in fact the same car driving around town. Most people don’t realize the steering ratio these cars had, the corvette brakes, the suspension, this car handled extremely well back then and in fact today it could keep up with some new cars.
I remember this car, aways wanted one. It was the most powerful engine you could get in that body style with T tops. Their are a few T top GTA's with 350's, but 95% of them had 305's because of two much body flex.
I was a technical illustrator in the 80s and the shop that made these hired me to do the assembly drawings. The drawings were ink on mylar and went into a 3-ring binder. I would have to jump in between tests and do quick sketches often poking around the engine bay while the test cars were hot. I regret not keeping any sketches but is was really just a job for me; free-lance on top of my regular job. But the car is very cool and it was a good gig for a 20 year old. Thanks for the video.
A guy I used to do lawn mowing as a kid for had one of these that still had the pace car door graphics on the side and he ended up having an auction at his house to sell his cars and that was one of them that went … I have never seen one since but I always loved that car.
I remember my neighbor getting one exactly like this back in 2004,same color,same wheels,but with a 5.7 tuned port injection,drove it for 1 year, broke something in the suspension that was easy to fix and it sat in my alley for 15yrs,he recently towed it to his new house. I also remember seeing a few of the 3.8 turbo version like the one in this video for about 5k$$$ they are now $50k$+ depending the conditions and miles of course
@@SquirminHermanthe1eyedGerman yup, the trans am I mentioned that was in my alley for 15yrs is a GTA…the ones I saw for sale back in the days for 5k were the ones with the grand national motor, I can’t believe how affordable they were in the early 2000’s, no one had any idea how valuable these were going to be
@@petrolhead8851 I had a black & gold GTA bought new in '88, traded my '78 Ttop Z28 that I had since my senior year of high school '84 in for it & kept it until '98! Yea not many folks really paid much attention to many '90s cars but there were a few gems & I had a couple! My 1st car in 1982 was a '67 Firebird 326
My mom had a 2nd gen turbo trans am when I was a kid. It was factory turbo 301 v8. This one would def smoke it but regardless it was rare and cool. I saw 2 at mecum this year which are the only ones I've ever seen besides moms
I never knew about this either and I’m seriously happy to know about it. These rare gems are a beautiful bit of American nostalgia and that car is GORGEOUS even with the lol blue center console vs the tan and black everywhere else inside
I remember when they came out , it was my dream car ! I had heard people scooped them up to hold and sell 25 years later , and some were destroyed intancialy to boost cost !
Such a cool car that I didn’t know existed either. The owner need to put the wheel weights on the inside though before he ruins those beautiful factory rims. Besides that I’d keep that thing completely stock as far as the looks go. Maybe drop it an inch but the interior & exterior are perfect in my opinion. We all know what you can do to those engines thanks to the Grand Nationals. I’d have to assume that weighs less than the G-body Grand National though. Awesome informative video man, keep it up!
@@shelby4485 glad to hear…those rims are too nice to let them get ruined. Beautiful car though brother. If you do any engine upgrades you need to bring her back for an update video. I’m sure we’d all love to see it.
I used to street race in the 90s and a guy had one of these. Have video somewhere. I was running an 86 Mustang SVO back then so anything with a turbo caught my attention.
The stock GN and turbo regals were rated 245 hp. the 1987 GNX was at 275 hp. In 1987. I have owned my TR. 29 years. Love the car. Especially when you lay on the G pedal and hear the turbo spool. The turbo TA is an awesome car too.
@@t-jh4236 my close friend ordered the Syclone new in 1991 # 200 and something off the initial production run.That truck was awesome . when you got into the pedal the whole truck would rise up and go!! everyone at the track thought he modified an S10 pick up . He's the guy who got me into the Buick turbo cars . still own my 1987 T 30 years. the Turbo Trans Am was one of the only cars out of the box that did not have to be modified to pace the Indy 500 in 1989.
I love this car. My buddy had the 350 version and it would sit and do donuts all day. We grew up in Wisconsin and as teens in the early 90s he drove it year round. He didn't have heat cuz it was bypassed for some reason. So we would warm our hands near the radio tape deck. I wish I knew about this version. This is gonna go up up up in value for sure. It's awesome.
My brother had this car in the late 90’s. 5,000 original miles. I believe he bought it for $15,000 and sold it for the same a few years later. The prices on these have gotten quite high but I don’t know if they actually are selling for that. If I remember correctly cloths seats were super rare.
How did anyone not know about this car? It was very very widely publicized. If they are super rare then I guess everyone of them sold were purchased near me cuz I have seen a lot of them since the day they were originally sold
Always wanted a GNX; I have one of these turbos instead; the brakes are corvette 1LE racing factory. Great review; when you put your foot in it, i describe it as it pulls forever.
Way ahead of its time. It was putting up insane numbers for its time: 0-60 in 4.6 seconds and 1/4 mile in 13.4 seconds (matching or besting the supercars of its day). It was an intercooled turbo V6 when everything was a V8 (especially from American car manufacturers). It had 4 wheel disc brakes (1LE brake package) which were great for its day. I could go on and on.
I had a 89 firebird with the WS6 package in Malibu blue. Put in new rear end, Flowmaster, shift kit, throttle body and chip. Felt like a million bucks driving into High school everyday. The only variable that could hang with me back then was a Mustang 5.0 in stick, which destroyed me but I had better handling. Wish I kept that bird.
@@thomasmacgruber6701 pretty much all Formulas in 89 had the WS6 and arrowing. Trans am or GTA had flat hoods all Formulas had the power bulge hood. The 1LE was really the only rare option which gave it dual piston front brakes and rear disks. Some non 1le had rear disks. So nice car but not that rare.
I love the F body, and yeah, I always think how little changed in the interior between 2, 3, and 4th gens, but for the coolest most attainable sports cars of their time, WHO CARED.. Right. I got a red 94 V6 in 98 for a first car, I was in love with it, handled great too. I loved it so much I let it go after 4 years of having a winter beater too. Every time I see a clean 4th gen at Mecum, I kick myself for not owning one again, regardless of my Procharged Chally.
Holden down under made 473 units of the CV6 Monaros with the L67 supercharged 3800 V6. America only got the rebadged CV8 Pontiac GTO for fear the V6 wouldn't sell. The 3800 was detuned considerably and only fitted with a slow shifting auto transmission when it was discovered the V6 outperformed the V8.
I think that trans am is awesome,and the fact that its factory turbocharged is way ahead of its time. I would love to get my hands on one or build one with a sequential transmission and a more race inspired suspension
The heads are different on the GTA compared to the GNX. I believe GM used the FWD 3800 heads so the plumbing for the turbo would have enough room under the hood. But I also think they flowed better as well.
This cars performance really fits what it's supposed to be. The fact it feels like a C4 is deliberate. The Trans Am was marketed as a mid-ground between the camaro and the corvette, and they achieved it
When I was 19 I had a 89 gta L98 car. It was black on black leather and lowered. What's crazy is the car is still alive today. When I sold it the car had well over 240xxx miles. L98 was a strong motor. I have seen the turbo cars but not many around at all.
At the time it was a cool experiment. There is one on TH-cam where the turbos were tuned and it took on a GTR and won, so it's capable. But it a cool 80's TA. Thanks for sharing captain.
One of the rarest American gems! What’s a rare American car you guys love?
outstanding! mercedes E 500!
get yourself behind a buick gn. tweak the engine a little.haul azz! love the gn, regal t type,cutlass supreme, ugly bubble sleeper taurus sho, trans am, camaro iroc z, all 80's cars... 88-90 honda prelude, nsx. mopar 69-70 challanger, boattail buick,69 charger fastback. 70 challenger,70 fury gt, i just love cars!
dont mind my spelling. its happy hour!
The Pontiac G8 or later the Chevy SS isn't as rare, but it's still a good GM rarish car.
Bro pls review the Solstice GXP
You just profiled it. 😀
Awwe man now im nostalgic lol i bought a 1989 2.8 v6 firebird in 2016 as my first car😅😅😅
I knew a kid back in high-school who had one and a lot of people laughed at him for having such an old beater car but I remember how weird/ neat it was seeing a Transam with a turbo while the other kids had civics with loud coffee can exhausts ha
Those laughing probly didn't even have a car..lol
Weird to see a TA with a Turbo? They had turbo 2nd gens too.... the more weird thing is a V6 in a Trans Am...
@Foggy Yep, so true..lol
a lot of really stupid people maybe........
And the kids that were laughing didn't have shit to ride in
Bought one of these in 91' for $16k. Previous owner was the VP of an oil company in Michigan. Every two years they had to get rid of their company cars. Still have it - along with an 87' Buick GN. These cars were king of the road in the 90's.
This is the fastest anniversary edition of any trans am. It was also the first Indy pace car that didn’t need any upgrades to be race day ready. I drove a 87 GN during my high school years and it’s still in the family. The LC2 engine was a true beast but Buick couldn’t release the real power numbers due to the Corvette having top billing. Buick engineers have dyno results of over 320hp to the wheels from 1987
@@SquirminHermanthe1eyedGerman he had a Grand National. Not a GNX
I have always wanted a Grand National. I had a buddy who had one back in the early 90s and it was awesome. That long black coupe with the hood bulge that said 3.8 SFI on the hood...I loved everything about it.
Oh, and when I was in high school my first car was a 1990 Ford Festiva that I put a stereo system in, I also had a black 1990 Chevy Beretta GT 2.8 V6 with American Racing polished 5 stars, limo tint and two Image Dynamics 15s in the trunk. I shattered the rear windshield out front of my school one day and got out of school suspension for 3 days. Then I had a 1994 Eddie Bauer Explorer with a 302W swap, an Explorer Express Eaton M-90 supercharger kit, a 6" Skyjacker lift, and 33x12.50s with bullet hole wheels. I had a large inheritance that my parents gave me early because I was diagnosed with cancer at 16. I spent it stupidly unfortunately.
A few corrections… The engine is not the same as the GNX, it used the Grand National engine with FWD 3.8 heads for shock tower clearance. The engine was underrated so as to not step on Corvette’s toes, the Grand National was 2 years out of production when the TTA was released.
I did hear they used left over GN blocks among other parts in the TTA though...
Fwd?? But isn’t the tta rwd?
@@EVANDANE777 yes but the 3.8l lived on in fwd models
@@EVANDANE777 The TTA uses a RWD block with FWD heads.
@@joshuaking34 yeah heads or block that doesn’t matter. Is it rwd or fwd drive train that’s what I’m askin.
I own a 1988 Pontiac Firebird Formula with the 305 tuned port injection and a 5 speed manual with the Australian 9 bolt rear end. Most performance you could get with the manual transmission. (Besides a 1LE car) I have only seen one TTA on the hot rod power tour back in 2014 at the GM repair tent. Had some electrical problem. Looked clean though, Always wanted to drive one.
I have a 1986 Trans Am that I've 350 swapped and converted it to a 5 speed as well. I absolutely love these cars. I've had five. I even bought a 1991 Firebird shitbox for my girlfriend and I to work on together. I've never seen a TTA myself but I'd love to. It would be more interesting than all the LS swapped monsters you see around. These cars are awful pieces of shit but they're simultaneously amazing and so unique.
Man it’s too bad the 305 is a dogshit engine
@@terrabnadia1793 I mean, they have reliability and decent gas mileage going for them. They just don't make sense for making power. It is a good engine though.
@@terrabnadia1793 Back then the 305ci. 5spd. run just about as good as the 350ci. did!
I want what you have. 87 or 89 or 90 is good too! LB9+MM5+CC1=😎
Great video. They are slowly gaining more and more recognition. It was my dream car as a teenager and was on a quest to own one of the 1555 made. I'm fortunate to be the proud owner of #551.
Actually one just sold for over $80,000 a few days ago on Barrett-Jackson.
My dream car growing up. But now I'd be happy with a V8 3rd gen Trans Am because of the attainability factor (and lack of it w/this car). Never thought I'd see this car on your channel! Yessssss! I remember how this was touted as the fastest American production car of 1989 at any price. Maybe GM had some extra GNX engines and didn't know what to do with them...until they did. This was a such a wild but wonderful experimental era in which GM permitted their brands to be a little bit crazy.
Couldn’t agree more. I had an 89 w tpi 5.0 but always wanted one of these.
Had a 88 gta 5.7 sold it at 21 when my first kids come along trying to be responsible but wish I had kept even if it I was still working on ot now
@@ruffnready91 the 5.7 was so much faster than my 5.0
On paper it may have only been 15hp difference but it had to be more like 40-50.
I have two 1989 turbo Trans Ams that I run solid 11s all day long one of them will be in the tens very shortly it doesn’t take much to get them to the 11s and 12s I haven’t lost yet to anything new gray car fun and fast
They are ok...I have 5 of them 😂🤣
Way ahead of it's time, pitted against 959s, F40s, Sledgehammers, Countach's, AMGs, et al.. Held it's own! A BADASS car!!!
Making me feel old today dude. I was born in 77 and remember seeing these as a kid. Granted they weren't everywhere, but once in a while as a kid I'd catch a glimpse of one.
If you feel " Old " and you were born in 77' with me being born in 71' should I feel ancient? LoL. We need Pontiac to come back and retake their propper place.
All you youngsters never heard of the Turbo T/A! Ha!! I'm 60 and had a '89 Firebird Formula 350. When I bought it there was a Turbo T/A in the showroom listing for over $30,000, that was about $13,000 more than what I paid for the Formula!
Throwback man… my dad has this car but w/o the turbo, “T” top, and leather seat. That steering wheel was one my favorite memories of that car. Felt like inspector gadgets car. 😂
So not this car lol 😂
So he had a slow ass V6?
Haters in here all mad your dad bought a car he wanted 😂
@@theeoddments960 No one wanted a V6 3rd Gen.
Haha I should’ve said he has a car that is like this. 🤷♀️ I was a baby when this car was running so I don’t know the specs. I only remember the look and this car is similar. White exterior, same rims, and I also remember him saying it’s like a corvette engine. My parents still have it kept in a garage. They told me that my dad ended up buying the TransAm only cause my mom’s Camaro broke down off the side of a freeway and I asked my dad to buy a new car. I wish they kept the Camaro 🤦♀️ I’m into imports but I do appreciate classic American sport cars cause of my parents. 🥰 🚙💨✨
Never heard of it. But it was definitely ahead of it’s time. Every other car/truck now is a turbo V6.
The 3rd Gen F Bodies are sex on wheels. They still look incredible compared to today's sports cars. I had a gorgeous white 1992 Formula. Sure it had the slow 305 TBI in it but it was actually a very nice car. It rode very well. It had strong brakes and surprisingly good handling. I used to image how awesome it would be with that turbo 3800 V6 in it. Unfortunately the car got rear ended by a diesel Ford truck. I would still love to be able to afford another 3rd Gen.
The "1989" Fiero GT should have gotten this 3.8T with that Getrag 5-speed but GM and the Slowvette tears killed it... I would still love to build and daily an '88 Fiero GT with that 3.8T with a manual!!! 😉😎
If I could suggest, the GM 2L LT3 Turbo engine that went into the Pontiac Sunbird Turbo (165hp). The old iron duke 2L could easily be up in the 250HP without to much problems. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_Family_II_engine#/media/File:90_sunbird_engine.jpg
And it fits in the Fiero like a shoe (not the last year mind you), since GM used the entire front sub frame assemblies from the Sunbird (and GM equivalent) and bolt it to the rear of the Fiero.
Last year Fiero got a dedicated sub-frame design.
It was my favorite car as a kid. Great exterior design.
lots of the fwd ls swaps happening in the back of them....fucking monster with the ls
Even though 1988 was the last model year a 1989 model with a turbo V6 that would be carried over to the 1990 model would've been nice but you GM'S rule nothing in our lineup can outshine or upstage the Corvette.
Loved the looks of the Fiero GT with the fastback (86-88). That was my dream car in HS.
These used a BOP bellhousing, the getrag wouldn't have mated.
I owned an '89 Turbo T/A from 1993-1998. With just bolt-ons and a 3800 stall converter, it was an 11-second ET car on Yokohama A-00RS street tires. I surprised quite a few unsuspecting people who didn't know what it was. It was a fun car, but the Buick V6 oil leaks were a pain in the ass. LOL
I have a 1999 Grand Prix GT with the 3800 in it and it’s definitely been a problem child.
@@iDrive4fun93 I've had a '83 Regal Ttype, '86 Regal, '87 Olds 98, '88 Camaro, '99 Lumina, 02 Monte Carlo & '04 Impala that had the 3800 V6 & they were great little engines, the Lumina had 275,000 miles on it when I sold it, the Impala was pushing 200,000 & unfortunately the Monte got totaled by a drunk driver & it was the limited edition Dale Earnhardt SS where only 3333 were made!
@@SquirminHermanthe1eyedGerman yeah the one I bought has been sitting for a few years, only has 88k miles on it. I think that was part of the issue, was it was sitting. It runs fine for a week or two and breaks down again.
@@iDrive4fun93 sounds like it may need a rebuild since its been sitting
@@SquirminHermanthe1eyedGerman the engine has plenty of compression, and it’s strong when it runs. So far I have needed 2 intake manifolds, the second one because the EGR failed and the egr stovepipe melted the plastic upper manifold. Now it’s got a misfire some kind of bad, put a new map sensor and it smoothed out a little so now it’s getting new coil packs, air filter, and a new MAF
Born in the 60’s, first car was a firebird but never knew about this gem. Thanks for taking me along for a ride!
I was born in the mid '60s & my first car was a '67 Firebird 326 & after Smokey & the Bandit was filmed around my hometown area here in Georgia {2021 NATIONAL CHAMPS} I really became a Trans Am fan & have owned many the past 40 years! One of my buddies bought a new '89 TTA & thats when I learned about them! Same engine as the GNX but tweaked some to make more power & topped out around 160mph
I love watching you review 3rd gen camaro and firebirds. So glad to see this in my subscription feed
I saw one of these at the Ocean City Cruisin. It was built with a full roll cage. These cars are awesome. This Trans Am and the early 80’s turbo models are always forgotten.
I’ve driven one. Had the Pace car stickers on it. It was a step above the gta ta. Such a great car. Way ahead of its time. Also the underrated the power because it was more than the corvette at the time. They didn’t want it to steal sales.
I worked in a Pontiac dealer when these came out. Fun car and very quick for the time. Turbo lag was a common complaint for which there was no fix, that drove us technicians crazy!
A bigger stall converter will fix that
The late 80's TA's are still my fav body style to this day! The '89 20th Anniversary TTA was a rare one indeed, cuz of that turbo V6 from Buick. It was the best TA ever built up to that point, but Pontiac refused to build more TTA's cuz they didn't want a Pontiac to have a Buick engine. Plain & simple as that.
But that didn't matter in entry level cars with olds 307 or chevy 305 in BOP and chevy
Nice review. Always wanted one of these. I’ve always loved them!!
I had no idea some of the trans ams came with the turbo v6. Pretty cool car. Thanks for the review my good sir!
it's nuts to think that car in the 80s hit 60 in under 5 seconds with a turbo V6 and an auto (automatic transmissions were a lot slower than manual transmissions back then.) That car had to have well over 300 hp.
it would have been faster with a manual. It has the basic 3 speed + overdrive 700R4. The good thing about that transmission is that its really reliable not sporty lol
@@Adrian-mq5ld The TTA had a 200-4r and shifts noticeably quicker than any manual and did not have the steep ratio drop on the 1-2 shift. A manual turbo V6 would be quite a bit slower. The torque converter was matched very well. Even a powershifted turbo car loses boost and has to respool on the shifts.
This definitely was way ahead of its time. The Chevy small block V8s that were in the 3rd Gen F-Bodies were so damn anemic and I'm sure that the front to rear weight balance of the turbo V6 was way better than the V8. You also have to take into account the corporate GM policy that no performance car in the GM stable no matter what division it came from could outshine the Corvette no matter what even though only old rich guys could afford them. Which make these GM turbo V6 vehicles from the '80s like this Pontiac Turbo Trans Am, the Buick Grand National and GMC Syclone/Typhoon extra extra extra special.
A turbo 3.8 weighs about the same, maybe a bit more than a tpi V8.
imagine if the Fiero kept up through the 90s..
@@DrewLSsix the 231 V6 weighs around 380, the 305 around 410 & the 350 at 435
@@hank1556 I know, I had an '86 GT V6 that was a bad ass little ride
While yes the turbo V6 is the one to have, I owned an 89 GTA with an auto and a 5.7, it's not a sports car, but I mean for the money it isn't exactly slow, and it drives alright, still has pop ups and t tops, its 80% of the fun for 50% of the money
I remember when that came out back in 1989 with the Buick turbo 3.8 and it was awesome. This in a day when the Pontiac GTA with the diamond spoke wheels were all the rage, the 20th anniversary was a real head turner and had that little something extra...arm on the windowsill, George Thorogood in the cassette deck, yeah baby!
Sick! I own the predecessor of this car (kind of) its a 1981 pontiac transam turbo thats a turbo v8 from the factory!
You should do more American classics
Keep up the good work!
That was a beautiful car. Not too quick but had a decent top speed. But it was one of that gen of Trans Amm that was the best looking for sure even with the off centered hood scoop with the lights in the rear facing the driver. Showing the turbo boost Level.
my mum had one of these when I was a kid and it was super super rare as I live in Australia and I've been trying to track it down ever since
You have a cool mom. Happy hunting.
Back in 1988 I bought a new black & gold GTA Trans Am which was badass until my buddy got the new Turbo T/A the next year {my other friend had an '87 GNX} & that beast left me sitting on takeoff & was quick thru the quarter mile! We had so much fun in the '80s cruising the strips & boulevards of Hotlanta & I must say that chics really dug those cars over the girly boy slowstangs any day - PEACE LOVE n HIPPYNESS ✌☮
My dad has a grand national so I was always told about this special trans am..... nice to see a good review on one!
Im so glad you covered this car. This is my favorite car of all time.
So glad Donut gave this channel a shout out! Have so much content to watch now. I want one of these so bad. Didn't know that they made these
i never thought there were that many car folks that were unaware of this cool ta?!? ...maybe thats just cause ive always been a fbody guy, & im obsessed with em... but yeah, those things, much like their buick sibling, definitely "Hurt some Feelings" back in the day... beautiful car man, thanx
Thank you!
Buick did make a sporty car semi-recently. 2014 Buick Regal GS. It had Brembo brakes up front, with a 4cyl Turbo engine, with an optional 6spd Manual! Power was around 270hp give or take.
I’ve got a 4th gen with a gen 2 3800 turbo in it, on paper is should be epic, way lighter front end, way better balance, 400-600 hp, etc... just need to get it running😂
Ls is 70 lbs heavier nice savings
@@redlight3932 what's actually impressive about 70lbs is that an LS is all aluminum... a 3800 is iron block iron heads. That's a MASSIVE difference considering they're totally different materials.
@@CelicaDan Buick engines are always extremely light from the 455 being less than 100 pounds heavier than the small block Chevy, the sbb weighing as much as the aluminum ls, etc
@@CelicaDan are you speaking of the 5.7 found in the ls1 Corvette because every other LS motor is iron block aluminum head
@@redlight3932 there are a lot more aluminum block LS engines than just the ls1, there were versions of the gen 4 5.3 and I believe some 6.2's that were aluminum blocks along with the ls3, ls6 and ls7
I had Pontiac 1985 Trans Am T tops 5.7 Tune Port injection loved it Pontiac 350 Orange Gagges
I recently took ownership of one of these with only 18K miles. It's such a smooth ride and when you smash the pedal, it goes! Everywhere I go people stop and ask about it. Love your review BTW.
I’m a JDM fanboy & owner of an 01 2
2dr 2.5 RS w/ an EJ25 swap but I’ve always found these cars to be amazing and loved the looks and choice to use a boosted 6. Great upload!
White Firebird GTA was my dream car for the first 20 years of my life. Love seeing this content.
That's really cool. Never knew these existed. I remember a friend in high school drove his uncles turbo grand national to school and we all thought it was so cool.
The 1989 20th anniversary Trans Am is the only 3rd gen Trans Am I want. I love the anniversary Trans Ams. The 1999 30th anniversary Trans Am is my dream car.
They are a neat car: 20th anniversary, Indy Pacecar, unique engine/trans in the chassis. One thing you didn't mention is that they were expensive new with a $32,000 sticker in 1989! My father bought a '87 GN new for $16,500 ($18,000 sticker), and for a long time on the used car market, the GN was worth more than the TTA. Good to see the TTA getting some attention.
I saw a 2.8 that was converted over to a 3.8 turbo. He kept the 2.8 badges and his license plate read "I8YUR50"... lol
One of Fastest and most expensive Trans Am’s made. It’s also 1 of maybe 3 third gens I’d ever want to own!
Dude, you just tripped me out. I iddn't think you were old enough to know what DOS is. Most people don't know it, but all Windows based computers still run on the DOS programing in the background today. Love the TA, didn't know they made a turbo model back then. I'm currently driving a 1994 Suburban with the TBI 350.
I had one brand new when I was in grade 12 mine was fully optioned but I left the stickers for the doors in the trunk . Loved that car darn I am old, this one in the vid is missing some options but brings back some great memories
I think it’s really cool. I took a Buick grand national to my senior prom and my buddy had the car for several years and sold it and now he’s wishing he still had it. I didn’t know they ever put the grand national engine in a Pontiac. Great video thanks for letting us know about this car.
I have a 1988 trans am GTA same color scheme and everything except I have the TPI 350 but it is my favorite color scheme out of all of the third gen Firebirds
Not just a cruiser! My friend had a 88' Formula 350 snd it would do 85 on old New England roads one time in rain and wouldn't slide! It saved us one night speeding way over speed limit came over hill deer in the middle of the road never slowed and practically wiped his butt with passenger window. And had a 89' GTA 350 and it cornered and was quick. And if you look back at cornering data in 80's was one of the best from around the world.
Nice to see a newer review/highlight on our TTA’s. 👍🏼💪🏼
I almost bought this same car and was bummed when I found out it was a six cylinder, I really wanted a v8 at that time. Fun fact: they also made a 301 v8 turbo trans am in like 80-81 and it was a push button activated turbo with the button on the dash. Had almost an airbrushed look to the hood bird. Cool car It was really slow tho
Man I'm glad I read your comment because I'm sitting here thinking I thought the turbo trans ams were v8s
...had the boost gauge outside on the hood scoop!
Was not push button operated. That sounds like mad maxs' supercharger on a switch
I owned a '81 turbo t/a and no button for the turbo. Black on silver with silver bird and 4 wheel disc. Man I miss that car!
@@MrJayo73 you are correct, my fault. There was a button tho, apparently it only worked the lights on the hood scoop for the turbo boost gauge. So not exactly the mad max design I was imagining LOL I’ve never heard of a push button activated turbo but have heard ppl say this about that ta before, I just imagined it controlled the waste gate or something.
Im from Portugal 🇵🇹, and you don't see top many of this.. i never saw one in person.. but ir looks so f**** awesome 😍😈🔥.. Love the old American look of the 70/80.. and this of the 90's
I had a 1980 V-8 301 Turbo TransAm, looked AWESOME, wouldn't run for SHIT. I was so sick and tired of being embarrassed and run outta town by 350 Z-28's and 280'z, and everything else for that matter I couldn't take it anymore and got rid of it. After 1979 the Trans Am was over. I assume because of it's looks everybody thought my Trans Am would run, it did everything but. Push the pedal to the floor we thought it was going to blow up, never again.
This was an awesome car when it came out. I saw a few of them around town but it was in fact the same car driving around town. Most people don’t realize the steering ratio these cars had, the corvette brakes, the suspension, this car handled extremely well back then and in fact today it could keep up with some new cars.
I remember this car, aways wanted one. It was the most powerful engine you could get in that body style with T tops. Their are a few T top GTA's with 350's, but 95% of them had 305's because of two much body flex.
I was a technical illustrator in the 80s and the shop that made these hired me to do the assembly drawings. The drawings were ink on mylar and went into a 3-ring binder. I would have to jump in between tests and do quick sketches often poking around the engine bay while the test cars were hot. I regret not keeping any sketches but is was really just a job for me; free-lance on top of my regular job. But the car is very cool and it was a good gig for a 20 year old. Thanks for the video.
A guy I used to do lawn mowing as a kid for had one of these that still had the pace car door graphics on the side and he ended up having an auction at his house to sell his cars and that was one of them that went … I have never seen one since but I always loved that car.
I remember my neighbor getting one exactly like this back in 2004,same color,same wheels,but with a 5.7 tuned port injection,drove it for 1 year, broke something in the suspension that was easy to fix and it sat in my alley for 15yrs,he recently towed it to his new house. I also remember seeing a few of the 3.8 turbo version like the one in this video for about 5k$$$ they are now $50k$+ depending the conditions and miles of course
If it had the 350 then it was the GTA Trans Am! An '87 GNX went across Barrett-Jackson last week for $100,000
@@SquirminHermanthe1eyedGerman yup, the trans am I mentioned that was in my alley for 15yrs is a GTA…the ones I saw for sale back in the days for 5k were the ones with the grand national motor, I can’t believe how affordable they were in the early 2000’s, no one had any idea how valuable these were going to be
@@petrolhead8851 I had a black & gold GTA bought new in '88, traded my '78 Ttop Z28 that I had since my senior year of high school '84 in for it & kept it until '98! Yea not many folks really paid much attention to many '90s cars but there were a few gems & I had a couple! My 1st car in 1982 was a '67 Firebird 326
My mom had a 2nd gen turbo trans am when I was a kid. It was factory turbo 301 v8. This one would def smoke it but regardless it was rare and cool. I saw 2 at mecum this year which are the only ones I've ever seen besides moms
I never knew about this either and I’m seriously happy to know about it. These rare gems are a beautiful bit of American nostalgia and that car is GORGEOUS even with the lol blue center console vs the tan and black everywhere else inside
I remember when they came out , it was my dream car ! I had heard people scooped them up to hold and sell 25 years later , and some were destroyed intancialy to boost cost !
Such a cool car that I didn’t know existed either. The owner need to put the wheel weights on the inside though before he ruins those beautiful factory rims. Besides that I’d keep that thing completely stock as far as the looks go. Maybe drop it an inch but the interior & exterior are perfect in my opinion. We all know what you can do to those engines thanks to the Grand Nationals. I’d have to assume that weighs less than the G-body Grand National though. Awesome informative video man, keep it up!
Previous owner did it
I will be changing them back to correct fitment soon.
@@shelby4485 glad to hear…those rims are too nice to let them get ruined. Beautiful car though brother. If you do any engine upgrades you need to bring her back for an update video. I’m sure we’d all love to see it.
What an Incredible unicorn in these crazy car-times!💯
Love it!
From my teenage era, know everything bout that car, absolute beautiful example.....
My car
Thank you!
I used to street race in the 90s and a guy had one of these. Have video somewhere. I was running an 86 Mustang SVO back then so anything with a turbo caught my attention.
Your review makes me want to finally get mine off jack stands. Mine’s not a 3.8 turbo though.
Love your car, wish I was doing a blower set up in mine, but too many other projects!
Yes one of my buddies who has worked for snap on for 30+ years has one and it will roast the tires all day long from any speed
well up to 45-50 lol
The stock GN and turbo regals were rated 245 hp. the 1987 GNX was at 275 hp. In 1987. I have owned my TR. 29 years. Love the car. Especially when you lay on the G pedal and hear the turbo spool. The turbo TA is an awesome car too.
Too? Lol. The turbo TA smoked everything this side of the pond with the exception of the GMC Syclone and just because of it's traction advantage.
@@t-jh4236 my close friend ordered the Syclone new in 1991 # 200 and something off the initial production run.That truck was awesome . when you got into the pedal the whole truck would rise up and go!! everyone at the track thought he modified an S10 pick up . He's the guy who got me into the Buick turbo cars . still own my 1987 T 30 years. the Turbo Trans Am was one of the only cars out of the box that did not have to be modified to pace the Indy 500 in 1989.
I love this car. My buddy had the 350 version and it would sit and do donuts all day. We grew up in Wisconsin and as teens in the early 90s he drove it year round. He didn't have heat cuz it was bypassed for some reason. So we would warm our hands near the radio tape deck. I wish I knew about this version. This is gonna go up up up in value for sure. It's awesome.
Had a 90 firebird in dove gray with the t tops back in the early 00's. Loved that car
Great Review. This is a bucket list item!
My brother had this car in the late 90’s. 5,000 original miles. I believe he bought it for $15,000 and sold it for the same a few years later. The prices on these have gotten quite high but I don’t know if they actually are selling for that. If I remember correctly cloths seats were super rare.
So awsome you have a 3rd gen bird on. Really underappreciated car by most people. The 89 is the better turbo t/a of the two different ones they did.
How did anyone not know about this car? It was very very widely publicized. If they are super rare then I guess everyone of them sold were purchased near me cuz I have seen a lot of them since the day they were originally sold
Always wanted a GNX; I have one of these turbos instead; the brakes are corvette 1LE racing factory. Great review; when you put your foot in it, i describe it as it pulls forever.
Way ahead of its time. It was putting up insane numbers for its time: 0-60 in 4.6 seconds and 1/4 mile in 13.4 seconds (matching or besting the supercars of its day). It was an intercooled turbo V6 when everything was a V8 (especially from American car manufacturers). It had 4 wheel disc brakes (1LE brake package) which were great for its day. I could go on and on.
My uncle had one in the early 00's.
He let me drive it, I was 17 at the time and never drove anything as fast as that.
It felt like a 9 sec car lol.
Heck yeah, glad i didn't read you crashed it..lol
Love the third gens man my formula is such a fun car to drive
One of 1,555 built in 1989 and the only Trans Am to come with a V6. I'd love to have one.
It's also the fastest Tans Am GM ever sold.
I had a 89 firebird with the WS6 package in Malibu blue. Put in new rear end, Flowmaster, shift kit, throttle body and chip. Felt like a million bucks driving into High school everyday. The only variable that could hang with me back then was a Mustang 5.0 in stick, which destroyed me but I had better handling. Wish I kept that bird.
Oh, and my car had this hood and wing package as well, really unique spec.
@@thomasmacgruber6701 pretty much all Formulas in 89 had the WS6 and arrowing. Trans am or GTA had flat hoods all Formulas had the power bulge hood. The 1LE was really the only rare option which gave it dual piston front brakes and rear disks. Some non 1le had rear disks. So nice car but not that rare.
The 5.7 liter tuned port fuel injected is my favorite engine in these.
The interior has a lot of design elements found in my 2000 Z28. For better or worse, GM really kept the F-Body formula over the years.
I love the F body, and yeah, I always think how little changed in the interior between 2, 3, and 4th gens, but for the coolest most attainable sports cars of their time, WHO CARED.. Right. I got a red 94 V6 in 98 for a first car, I was in love with it, handled great too. I loved it so much I let it go after 4 years of having a winter beater too. Every time I see a clean 4th gen at Mecum, I kick myself for not owning one again, regardless of my Procharged Chally.
My favorite trans am. Love my 80s retro muscle
I’ve known about these for a long time. They are truly a gem.
News to me. I never would've thought.
Holden down under made 473 units of the CV6 Monaros with the L67 supercharged 3800 V6. America only got the rebadged CV8 Pontiac GTO for fear the V6 wouldn't sell. The 3800 was detuned considerably and only fitted with a slow shifting auto transmission when it was discovered the V6 outperformed the V8.
I think that trans am is awesome,and the fact that its factory turbocharged is way ahead of its time. I would love to get my hands on one or build one with a sequential transmission and a more race inspired suspension
ahead of its time might not be the right phrase lol the buick v6 that's in it was being turboed from factory since the late 70s.
First factory turbo was the 1962 Oldsmobile Jetfire. Lots of turbos made through the 70s and 80s.
I grew up in the 80s and I can share with you that everyone wanted a TransAm. This car as well as the Iroc Z were the ones to have 😊
I remember this car like it was today, Loved it than and now 👍
I have three of these. Most awesome cars in my collection.
Great review, I’ve been searching for a old school firebird but if I had the money I’d get this one in a heartbeat!
One of the coolest 3rd gen F-bodies ever!
Hell it gives that vibe of a white version of KI.I.T. with the buttons. Needs the red light.
pretty cool didn’t realize this car existed and my dad had a 84 Grand National beautiful car
The heads are different on the GTA compared to the GNX. I believe GM used the FWD 3800 heads so the plumbing for the turbo would have enough room under the hood. But I also think they flowed better as well.
This cars performance really fits what it's supposed to be. The fact it feels like a C4 is deliberate. The Trans Am was marketed as a mid-ground between the camaro and the corvette, and they achieved it
When I was 19 I had a 89 gta L98 car. It was black on black leather and lowered. What's crazy is the car is still alive today. When I sold it the car had well over 240xxx miles. L98 was a strong motor. I have seen the turbo cars but not many around at all.
At the time it was a cool experiment. There is one on TH-cam where the turbos were tuned and it took on a GTR and won, so it's capable. But it a cool 80's TA. Thanks for sharing captain.
I still remember this new in a dealership lot. Thought they were cruisers. Great drive Dude.