1989 Pontiac Trans Am, 25th Anniversary Indy 500 Pace Car. Car #249. Original, unmolested, unraced. Paperwork, PHS documentation. One of GM's all time super cars. Showroom condition, original untouched GNX type motor; imported as made for US market only. Rare. Please call for additional information. Emails will not be returned.
I would have to think that 99% of the folks in thsishobby wouldn't even know these cars came with the Buick turbo 6. I recall reading the Motor Trend test report on this car. I remeber that it went 154 MPH. in their test, one of a handful of Indy Pace cars that needed no modification to pace the race.
My friend told me under 500 bucks would put them into the 12's. Catalytic converter replaced with a "test pipe", 160 thermostat, computer chip and K & N style air filter was all it took to go 12.90's he said. Pretty amazing, the cars are not that light.
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars (now converted to a "factory" 4 speed)
When we were T/A shopping, if it wasn't a convert then an 89 Indy T/A was our next choice. I have always thought that was a great package. My friend got one new and modified the crap out of it! Fast car...
I wanted one badly but they were not sold new in Canada,so I had to settle for a 91 T/A 5 speed convert.
The 89 Turbo T/A was actually the fastest & quickest Pontiac built,if memory serves me.
The press was claiming low 13's in the quarter, 0-60 in just over 4 seconds & 160 top speed,as I recall.
I remember they were advertised as having tan leather in all of them, as well as T-tops. However, over the years there have been some exceptions to both show up in magazines. Seems to me a few had cloth and there's a few hardtops as well. There was a cloth one for sale in Canada a few years ago, I think in Edmonton.
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars (now converted to a "factory" 4 speed)
I remember they were advertised as having tan leather in all of them, as well as T-tops. However, over the years there have been some exceptions to both show up in magazines. Seems to me a few had cloth and there's a few hardtops as well. There was a cloth one for sale in Canada a few years ago, I think in Edmonton.
I had an '89 White Trans AM with black louvres on the back window. It was a sharp looking car and a fun drive. My plain one had grey cloth interior. I don't think I had that many controls in the horn area on the steering wheel though. They handled beautifully and got lots of looks. T-tops and white were a great combination for that year. After these ones, they did the '91 with the pointed nose....yuk! It was ugly. imo. That '89 was one of my favorite cars and it often goes into the "wish I'd have kept it" thought, lol.........
I was at the Indy 500 that year and i have a coupla pic's somewhere showing a group of them heading into the track with celebrities getting ready for the parade.
I was at the Indy 500 that year and i have a coupla pic's somewhere showing a group of them heading into the track with celebrities getting ready for the parade.
I'd love to see those pictures. My 89 TTA is Festival car #41 and was used for the parade as well as the Driver's race day parade.
Love the previous post comments about 99% of people not knowing what these cars were. So far every car show I've attended with it the reaction has mostly been, yawn, just another 80's Trans Am. Guess I better start buying Chevy's again for car show duty,,,,.
-- Edited by Snowman on Monday 23rd of July 2012 02:51:44 PM
-- Edited by Snowman on Monday 23rd of July 2012 02:54:21 PM
The sad part about about that car (89 TTA),was the fact that it was TOO GOOD.....
That's WHY it was was KILLED at the end of it's production run.
Pontiac R & D must have spent a fair bit of time (and $$$) grooming the extra HP from the Grand National V6 & doing the EPA certification testing etc.
It WASN'T just to sell 2000 cars...
That engine would have been the TOP engine option in the Trans am line-up for three more years,but unfortunately it would have DOMINTED & KILLED the Corvette & Camero market.
SO TYPICAL of GM,they will do ANYTHING to keep the fat old bald guys buying their overpriced Fibre-cans.
That was IT for Me & buying NEW Pontiacs....
I bought 5 NEW Trans ams in a 12 year period (78-90) & NEVER even bothered to test drive a 4th gen T/A because of what GM did with that 89 T/A.
No disrespect for chevvy engines,but they DON'T belong in Trans ams.....
With the Buick V6,the Trans am would have had some SERIOUS identity & BALLS!!!
And guess what.....we STILL have NEW Buicks to buy today.
General Motors is TRUELY brain dead.... STILL.
What did Pontiac do wrong?
SOMEBODY at GM just hated them & I'll bet it was Chevrolets general managers.....they couldn't keep up so they had to destroy the whole division.
