RKeats

So someone at my work told me months ago that there was a red Trans Am sitting behind a local body shop. He said it had been there for at least a decade, so I never even bothered to check it out as that usually means parts car. Yesterday though, curiosity got me and I stopped by to take a look, and here’s what I found..

It’s an 89’ GTA with about 100,000km (60k miles). Instantly I was excited, then I look inside and see a perfect interior (minus dash pad) including the original radio and floor mats. Doors also opened and closed as if they were new. Then I look underneath and it’s SPOTLESS, and I mean legitimately rust FREE, which is something you just don’t find on a car in this situation. So now as I walk hunched over to hide the fact that my tent is fully pitched, I open the hood and look around to see absolutely no signs of animals taking over or tampering of any sort. All wires are in tact, all factory stuff is present, and nothing looks out of place. I chatted with someone from the shop and apparently the car has been there for years, basically abandoned. It belongs to a friend of the shop, and I believe it was just stored there, not actually scheduled to go in the shop.

So as of now, I’m pulling a Carfax and trying to figure out how to buy this car as it’ll likely only be a few hundred bucks. I don’t know how I’ll do it, but I’ll have this car home somehow.

RKeats

2 owner car that’s weirdness free and hasn’t been registered since 2004!

Drew

iTrader: (58)

Usually that's a good indicator the owner wants to be buried in it. Maybe the Canadian custom is different. In the US when we don't want something we dump it on Ebay or throw it away. Parking it safely out of sight out of mind means we think we're "Gunna restore it one of these days, don'chu know them GTAs are worth tens of thousands of dollars?"

chevypower91

Great find. This car needs to be saved. It's has a 350 based on the vin. What's interesting is that it looks like the hood survived better than the rest of the car. The hood doesn't appear to have any fade. Is the owner of the car still around?

RKeats

The pics make it look better than it is, the paint’s pooched everywhere. I have the owner of the body shop trying to hunt down the owner, so hopefully we’ll end up with some luck! Based on the carfax, it hasn’t been registered since 04’

Bull333

This is a great find if you can get the owner to part with it.
5.7 L dual exhaust all original and Tims double double !!!! I’m sold!
Are all the panel clean and straight?
It sure would look amazing in black.

pg29

^Agree with what Bull said. That's a nicely optioned GTA you've found. I hope you can get the owner to part with it, as it would be going to a good home. Restore it, paint it GTA green, and you've got almost your dream GTA (minus the T-Tops and Banshee bumper). Honestly, the hardtops are less trouble, and better for handling anyways. Good luck on this, I hope you one day get to call it yours, and we get to go for a cruise on the back roads in our GTAs.

Bull333

I’d prefer the hard top for the reasons you mention pg29. And I hate leaky t-tops.
Green? Is this a GTA thing?
Black or charcoal grey unless thinkin something unique.

LAFireboyd

iTrader: (3)

Hard to believe it's been sitting there for years--it's clean, not dirty, tires aren't flat, etc., and you stated no varmint damage either. Mine goes neglected in my own garage for a few weeks, and it gets pretty dusty, but that one is outdoors. So either someone washes it regularly, or it was parked there more recently than you've been led to believe. You looked around? Didn't see any sights on you? No signs nearby saying, "If you can read this, you're in range?"

In my new home town in rural NV, there's a body shop on a side street that I pass regularly, and the property adjacent to it is a "junkyard." Not formally a junkyard, at least, it doesn't appear to be, not open to the public anyway, but just a yard full of trashed cars, lined-up in junkyard fashion, sort of, not awaiting their turn at the body shop next door. Among the stash sits a Z28 or IROC convertible. Nothing like what you found, but yeah, the grounds around body shops can house some interesting things.

This town features a lot of yards like that, but they tend to be peoples' front and back yards. They use their acreage for parking cars they're done with, I guess, and many have a 3rdgen in the mix. Amazed at how people go through so many cars! Seems more 3rdgens can be found this way, nowadays, more so than in formal junkyards, where they've gotten very scarce. So, yup, I always look.

BIRD91ZRAG

iTrader: (1)

The body shop owner can do a mechanics lien against it, a few bucks in paperwork and you should be able to get a title

RKeats

Good to hear the positive input fellas. The car is in astonishingly good shape considering the circumstances. I was told about it by a friend from my work who has been dealing with that shop for at least a decade, which is how long he said that car’s been there. The tires look fine in the pics but they’re completely destroyed and I think only one had a bit of air left in it. The thing about this car is the lack of rot though.. there’s literally none. I crawled right underneath and it’s BEAUTIFUL. I’m not giving up until I find a way to buy it. It’ll need everything under the sun mechanically, but finding a third gen of any sort that’s as clean as this car is damn near impossible in Ontario.

Also if I get this car, she’s being returned to her factory colour as it’s my favourite next to green. Besides, even being essentially the same car, that green wouldn’t look right on anything prior to 91’

chevypower91

Keep us updated. Love to see it if you end up getting it. You are in oakville if I recall? I'm in Milton

Tibo

iTrader: (15)

So, I think that either Drew is correct and it belongs to some guy who thinks he will restore it someday or there is a part of the story that you don't yet know. Most people don't just forget that they own a car. This isn't a farmer that owned four barns, parked a car in one of them then died and his children didn't even know there was a car there type deal. Chances are the shop knows exactly whose car that is. Automotive repair shops and tow companies can put a lien on a vehicle and have a title in their name quickly and easily. They wouldn't allow this vehicle to sit on their property for years if they didn't personally know the owner. Believe that I have my fingers crossed for you but be sure to manage your expectations and especially your enthusiasm for the car. Last thing you want is for the respective owner to find out they've got a Thirdgen fanboy on the hook!

Bull333

How long has the front end been sitting up on blocks I wonder.

RKeats

I didn’t notice Drew’s post, you guys both have points that are more than fair. No denying it’s an odd situation, especially seeing as the car probably looked gorgeous years ago before the paint faded. Maybe the motor’s blown, or the trans, and someone just left it. Or maybe the owner died, or who knows really. If it gets offered to me for thousands, or the owner’s “planning on restoring” then I’ll just say no and the car will continue to sit right where it is

Billgluckman

That thing is nice. May the force be with you. These things never work out in my favor. Lol

Jbuchanan

Dual cats, 350, not bad milage. I'd jump on it

88IROCvertZ

iTrader: (1)

Good Luck! Looks like the car has potential! 60k miles! What could have happened to have this car abandoned at 60k miles? That’s like the prime of these cars lives! A lot of these cars seem to end up sitting when people blow the motor or even something as stupid as a fuel pump or a head gasket...

There’s people all over the internet looking for Flame Red GTA hardtops... it’s a desireable car with good options!

RKeats

Still no word back as to whether or not I can buy it, but I'm staying adamant until I get a solid answer. I don't really care if there's a vital mechanical issue honestly, because it's so incredibly clean that any price under $1000 is really a home run. To you southern guys, this car may seem like a typical find, but up here, even the bigger money third gens usually have some kind of rust issue somewhere. I'll keep you all posted!

RKeats

Well to those interested, the body shop apparently got a hold of the owner and sure enough, it isn't for sale. They may have just told me that to get me to stop harassing them, but either way it looks like she'll continue to sit there until eventually getting vandalized or scrapped.

427seven

or just rust to death....

RKeats

Likely a combination of all of the above. What a shame

Drew

iTrader: (58)

Never would have guessed in a million years... Oh wait.

It has all the ear marks of "not for sale at any price."

Third

Similar situation here where I live but it's an IROC at someone's house. Thing is, its in rough shape. Tires flat, window that doesn't close right. Asked about it and was flat out told, "Oh no, this car is worth lot's of money."

RKeats

I had hope, but was missing confidence

RKeats

Oh ya they always are. "Ya know they sell for $40K when they're clean!"

Drew

iTrader: (58)

That's when you counter with "I know, I have lots of money and want this car". Or just walk away because they're crazy.

skinny z

I know the Ontario rust belt very well. Finding a clean car of this vintage is next to impossible.
I was fortunate in that the impound yard at a local towing company near where we took our annual golf holiday in Virginia (near Richmond) had a very clean 86 coupe with a blown, as in exploded, V6. The yard owner's brother WAS interested in selling and I picked it up for next to nothing. Now returning to pick it up with truck and trailer added up what with the 1500+ mile round trip obviously added to the expense but it still came out cheaper than anything I could find locally. Even with crossing the border.
Seems the little Camaro didn't have a lot of cache in the heart of NASCAR country.