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I Had To Get It

RR Fan Dan

If it ain’t broke, fix it till it is.
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Some of you may have been following some of my threads and know I am looking to purchase another collector vehicle. I was focusing my search on a 64 Sport Fury or a 67 Charger. Well I ran across this and after a little research, I had to have it. No haters please, at least it’s not a Ford.



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So in 1989 GM resurrected the V6 turbo from the T-Types, Grand Nationals, and GNX’s and did a few modifications and tweaks on the motor and put it in a GTA Trans Am. The last Grand Nationals GNX were built in 1987 and were considered the best year and fastest model. They were speed limited to 127 mph due to tire rating.

The Trans Am turned out to be faster than the GNX and handled better. Only 1550 were produced. Here is an excerpt from Car and Driver test.

“Our test car scorched the drag strip with a 0-to-60-mph blast of 4.6 seconds and a quarter-mile run of 13.4 seconds at 101 mph. That means, as we go to press, that the turbocharged Trans Am is the quickest 0-to-60 sprinter available in any U.S. production-car showroom—at any price.

Achieving such stunning times doesn't require high-rpm clutch drops or other test-track trickery. Just pop the automatic transmission into drive, hold it with the brake while you raise the engine speed to 2100 rpm, release the brake, and floor the throttle. The turbo Trans Am instantly shoots forward like a runaway rocket sled. The roar from under the hood builds as the boost-gauge needle dances around the 16.5-psi mark. And the Turbo Hydramatic T200R4 four-speed automatic snaps off shifts crisply at just over 5000 rpm—without a nanosecond of lost thrust. The rush is so strong that the turbo Trans Am reaches 130 mph in just 30.2 seconds.

You'll recall that Buick engineers calibrated the engine-control computers in the turbo Regals to douse the fires under the hood at 124 mph. The speed cutoff was necessary to keep the old Regals within their modest handling and braking limits.

No such precautions are needed with the turbo Trans Am. Thanks to its performance-oriented platform, the turbo TA can run without a speed limiter. Thus freed, the turbocharged 3.8-liter V-6 is able to push the Trans Am all the way up to 153 mph. At last: straight-line performance that delivers on the promise of both the Trans Am and the Buick V-6.“
 
I saw one at the car show a couple weeks ago, it had a tan convertible top with a turbo and sounded really good when he started it up.

Can’t really tell, is it a Targa top or T tops?
 
I saw one at the car show a couple weeks ago, it had a tan convertible top with a turbo and sounded really good when he started it up.

Can’t really tell, is it a Targa top or T tops?
T Tops. They didn’t make a convertible as far as I know. T-Tops and Tan Leather were the only options. Most all came with those options. It’s rumored only 15 were built without. You could also choose to have the 20th anniversary pace car decals deleted. I also read it was the only Indy Pace Car, at the time, that didn’t require any modifications to make it fast enough.
 
Nice. Those are pretty rare. I worked with a guy who had one which is why I know a little about them. Curious if maybe he was the previous owner?
 
Very nice. There's a Typhoon near me that I'm avoiding looking at...love those old turbo sixes. Tons of aftermarket out there, too, if you have to have more power...good luck!
 
Nice, 153 mph :thumbsup:
I would check the date code on the rubber.
:lol:
 
Nice turbo T/A. I have always liked those along with Buick GN's. I have looked at and almost bought 3 GN's over the years, but always talked myself out of it each time.
 
Very, very nice. I like these so much better than the prior gen F-body, and the 3.8 is an awesome engine.
 
Nice score. I briefly considered one of those in 1989, but ended up buying a new Bonneville SSE in the name of practicality as a work vehicle. That 3.8 V6 was a sound platform. I drove that car 150,000 miles in three years with no issues. Sold it to my boss for $2500, and he drove it another 100,000.
 
Nice turbo T/A. I have always liked those along with Buick GN's. I have looked at and almost bought 3 GN's over the years, but always talked myself out of it each time.
Me too on the GN’s. I kept talking myself out of buying one back when they were decent priced. What I like about this TA over the GN is no digital dash, way better suspension, not speed limited, and looks good.
Very nice!!!! This one has been for sale here for a while now. I thought the price was not bad due to how rare they are

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Hagarty is valuing a #2 at $53k and a #1 at $75k. I got this for way less than the one you’re showing. Asking was $45k, I got $40k out the door.
 
1,155 made, 1 convertible was made by PAS, and iirc 1 in black, may have been maroon.

Door/windshield decals came in the black TTA kit box, along with a Keychain, not the one in the video, a cassette tape, and ppwk.

Could also get decal kit in a GM cardboard box with the blue GM print. Most came with nothing else on them but the part #. I have one with a vin, plate #, dealer name, and owner's name on it, very odd.

Rear bird emblem should be white, looks like there is a cover over it, maybe.

PAS sticker should be on the driver door, and all body panels had a vin sticker, like any GM of that era.

PAS sticker should be on rad support, blue fuel sticker inside fuel door. They came on one sticker strip, I think I still have one.

Specific 20th plug wires and exhaust tips.

There is a 20th Anniversary sticker on the a/c line near the intercooler. I've only seen it on a few.

TTA 3.8 had Pontiac heads.

TTAs had grey valve stem caps.

Blah blah blah, I could go on and bore everyone.

I had one for 20 years, sold it recently and bought 3 Mopars.

Stupid fast in stock form, I ran a 13.1 out of the box completely stock on a hot summer day.
Even with the 4 wheel disc, it was difficult to bring down to a safe speed.
Modified mine over the years and made it stupider fast.

I have an actual window sticker, not from mine, maybe it's from yours?

Also have the box, press kit, other TTA and 89 Indy stuff.

Fantastic cars, congratulations!

Check out my old plate.

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