Special Edition Trans AM's

[Deez Nuttz]

Originally Posted by Drover

My all-time fave is still the 1989 Indy Pace Car version with the turbo 6.

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n255/StealthSi/89TurboTA_Ad.jpg (broken link)

Yep...same here...I like it because it was a turbo car that actually had some grunt to it...unlike the doggy laggy 1980-81 Turbo Trans AM with the carbed turboed 301, the 1989 Turbo T/A was in intercooled, fuel injected V6 that actually had some real power. In fact the '89 Turbo T/A was running 13.4's stock in the 1/4 mile back in 1989!! Quite a feat considering that back then, most of the newer V8 powered cars like Mustangs, Camaros and Corvettes were only running 14's and 15's in the 1/4.

Of course to those wondering, the 1989 Turbo Trans AM was a 1 year only option, that was powered by the same turbo V6 that was previously used in the Grand National and the GNX. They only built 1,555 Turbo Trans AM's, all of them in white, all of them with a tan interior, all of them automatic. Some had T tops, others did not. This was also the Indianapolis 500 pace car used that year.

As much as I love the late 70's Trans AM's even if they are a bit slow, I think my next turbo car will be a n '89 Turbo T/A.

[Drover]

Yeah, that car was a showcase for how far forced induction and engine management technology had improved inside the space of a decade. A turbo V6 that could absolutely, embarrassingly murder a turbo V8 produced just 8 years earlier...

[Deez Nuttz]

That turbo 6 could murder a lot of V8's....big blocks, small blocks....the early Buick turbo 6's only made 175 hp while the Pontiac 301 turbo was making 200 hp and 205 hp, all back in 1980 and '81. Then in '84 fuel injection and a distributorless ignition replaced the carb and the rotary distributor, and the turbo 6 was upped to 200 hp and 300 ft lbs of torque...then in '86 intercooling was added and it was upped again to 235 hp and 355 ft lbs of torque. By then it was the most dominating American car in a class by itself. Mustangs and Camaros and even Corvettes all the sudden didn't want to play with the monochrome black grandpa cars anymore.

Buick got it right and Pontiac never did.....then Pontiac recruited Buick's turbo 6 for a 1 year run in the '89 TTA. The Poncho purists probably still can't get over that one.