nick418

Heres a video i found. Turbo Trans Ams are deff the best accelration Fbodies! This video is awesome, check it out.

http://videos.streetfire.net/Player....20vs%20LS1&p=0

mustbeatmopar

the row of white t/a's is alm ost as cool as the ls1 getting walked on!

1BADDAM

TTA did 0-60 in 4.6 seconds bone stock.

Thats what 380+rwtq will do.

nick418

are u serious man!? that much do u have any stock dyno test numbers from a TTA? I thought it did 0-60 in low low 5s. Wow thats even better

7plagues

iTrader: (1)

wowza thats fast

TBI92Camaro

Were ALL those TTA's?????? they all looked to have the pace car writing on the side.

anyways, I love me some TTA's

urbanhunter44

iTrader: (3)

I saw alot of tests that put TTAs 60 mph times at right about 5.0. I could see with a few mods that going down to a 4.7.

stu

So did he ever beat that Taurus?

87TPI350KID

Indeed

Stevo

iTrader: (45)

haha that an awesome video...i love the BOVs on the TTAs and GNs

tsh tsh tsh tsh

something like that

I remember the day my dad got his old GN he could not figure out if that noise was normal or not he knew what the car was but had no idea what the noise was lol...freind of his told him it was the BOV...I had to be like 13 at the time, until then i still think its so unique and ive only ever heard it on the TTAs and GNs

slohand

OUTSTANDING!!!

it is amazing how quickly he drove away from that LS1.

TTA one badazz car.

oh ya and thanks for the link.

1BADDAM

C&D June 89 - "Our test car scorched the drag strip with a 0-60-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 0-60 sprinter available in any US production-car showroom - at any price."


PAS, the company who assembled all the TTA's and did R&D for Pontiac, sent a letter to a TTA owner ( don't have the scan anymore ) stating performance #'s. 0-60 4.6 1/4 13.2 dyno 280/380

Mine with a $25 chip, cat-pipe and K&N, with a car that just came of of a five year hibernation, gummy injectors, no tuning, etc. , laid down 305/435. So I would believe the #'s PAS stated.

1BADDAM

GN/T-Types/GNX/TTA's do not have blow off valves, all had auto trans. Noise you are hearing (fluttering sound) is air backflowing through the air filter when you get out of the throttle quickly. Throttle blade closes and turbo is moving a lot of air.

stu

What does an automatic have to do with a BOV? I believe you, I'm just saying.

If that's true, you'd think they'd have planned better for that. That's just silly not to have one. Unless it's a turbo diesel....

nick418

its funny how the LS1 guys were like "Lucky" They thought prob cuz its a thirdgen they can smoke it. Little did they know.. Also 1baddam thanks for sharing those numbers. Very nice. I cant believe GM ranked them 250hp from the crank. They thought it would make the Corvette look bad. And the only L98 Corvette made 250hp was the last one in 1991. Its awesome how a dinky 231 cubic inch can smoke a 5.7 liter and still can compete with many modern cars. Those torque numbers really impress me from a V6 car (even from a turbo) No questions there the most badass Fbody. What about the 91-92 Firehawks? They had 375hp and i heard they run mid 4s in a 0-60 race? Its funny how ppl trash on thirdgens,even though they did build the fastest accelleration cars out of any Generation Fbody. Problem is they didnt stuff many of these under 3rdgens Also what was the base price of a 89 TTA? Back in the day my father bought his 1986 L98 Corvette for $ 28,000.. My 1991 Z was like 20,000... Was the TTA base price around 30k? Now you can actually kind of get them cheap in good condition and decent mileage! If you can find em..


they only made

1,555 (including test cars) Pontiac Turbo Trans AM (just in 89)

8 1991 Firehawks

17 1992 Pontiac firehawks


Very low production numbers as you can see...

stu

So this is a different motor than what was in the Grand National and the T-Type? I had a boss who was a chevy guy tell me that those cars (the TTA) was a pos. I guess he was misinformed. Or is it where just most of them weren't kept up well, so most surviving are pos cars?

nick418

From what i hear mostly its the same from the 87 GN. The 84-85 GNs were diffrent though. They didnt have the intercoolers. The TTA just made that 3.8 more useful then the GN (it had better aerodynamics and put that power to the pavement better then a GN would) All it is a BUICK 3.8 turbo engine Buick YIKES! Who would think buick would be a muscle car?

Nate86

I would agree with the statement hat your boss was misinformed or probably just ignorant. The TTA is pretty rare find, although not as rare as third generation Firehawks. The going rate for a mint condition TTA is ~$20,000-$25,000 USD compared to any other mint condition thirdgen that would sell for $7,000 to $10,000 depending on what all has been done to it.

nick418

Im starting to read more about the TTA. And it is similar to the 86-87 GNs. Some things were diffrent however. The TTA heads were better and improved combustion chambers and had better flowing exhaust. On the site it states that it has "quicker boost build-up and added performance". Pistons are diffrent, it also had the cross drilled for the crankshaft which means "extra lubrication for dealing with "stressful" performance situations." That means if you race and it and beat the **** out of it They also came with 3 to 1 stainless steel headers, which is pretty neat. GM rated it 250hp but put it on the machine and made 301hp (prob 275 or so at the wheels)


If the TTA really made 300 HP why did GM rate it at "only" 250 HP?

The generally accepted explanation is GM's unwritten rule which states no passenger vehicle shall have a higher horsepower rating than that year's Corvette.

In 1989 the Corvette was rated at 255 HP.


Also all TTA came automatics. They did have prototypes.. (prob didnt want to make the vette look more bad)

stu

I remember a girl at my work getting the Firebird one (it had that ugly bird on the hood and everything) and it was just a piece of crap. He was telling me how since it was her first car and she was a girl, he wouldn't give her crap about it, but if it were me, it'd be a different story. I think it must have been just because her car was a piece. He likes and knows his Chevy's. He has some C4 Vette that runs mid thirteens at this altitude with a 100 shot and mid 14's on just the motor. It also had all the suspension worked over, it was cool, I rode in it a few times. This was also back before I was even 18 though and didn't know as much about cars.

nick418

its probably just a LT1 Corvette then if its in your altitude. They made several ones for the Vettes. CFI in 84, 85-91 L98 (including Twin Turbo L98) 92-96 LT1 ( 96 had optional 6000 LT4s. Also you have the LT5 for the Zr1. This guy seems to be a typical Vette owner. Thinks his car is the best cuz its a "VETTE"

slohand

hey Stu.......

could that guy have been talking about the TTA from back in 80/81 and not the 25th anniversary TTA?

those POSs from back in the 80s were pretty slooooooooooow.
on the other hand the 25th TTA was a monster in F-body clothes.

not sure about the differences in engins between the 25th TTA and the GN or GNX but the times were close. if memory serves me, the GN was 0-60 in 4.9 and GNX was 4.6.

1BADDAM

You don't normally let off the throttle on every shift in an automatic do you ? Like I said when the throttle blades close turbo builds up instant pressure in the intake track, it backlfows back to the turbo, trying to make the turbine spin the other way, while exhaust gas is still trying to make it spin its current direction, i.e. not good for the bearings on the turbo. On a manual trans car this can will take place on every shift under a certain load. Thousands and thousands of times a year = phucked turbo. Auto under normal driving conditions, it won't take place all, unless you put the under load and imediately let of the throttle. Major difference is frequency.

urbanhunter44

iTrader: (3)

Actually, the TTA is the 20th Anniversary.. My car is a '94, and it's a 25th.

stu

Yeah, her car was nothing special, just some piece of crap.

He indeed had a '91 LT1. He wasn't like the typical Vette owner, he just knew her car was crap. She was just some white trash living in a mountain town that couldn't have afforded anything good anyway.

It doesn't matter if you don't let off the throttle between shifts, because you still let off the throttle any time you're not on the throttle. You do that much more than you actually shift so I doubt the frequency argument really stands up all that much. I know what compressor surge is by the way.

slohand

oops ur right.......20th. now let me go get my wife to spank me again.

nick418

\


If it was 1991 then it was a L98 TPI. If it was a LT1 then it prob is a 1992. Theres a big diffrence from a LT1 to a L98 Vette performance..

1BADDAM

I wish they came with stainless steel headers.

1BADDAM

True, but were not talking about an small displacement import with a hair dryer size compressor that goes under boost as soon as you touch the gas.

fly89gta

iTrader: (1)

The chip is also different allowing 16.5#'s of boost. They came with higher ratio rocker arms(so the rumor states)

Also, where did you read the manifolds were stainless? The TTA motor I had didn't seem to have stainless manifolds..

iroc22

The heads were 89 production FWD 3.8L heads (LeSabre/Park Avenue). The main reason for using these heads is for A/C clearance in the tighter F-Body engine bay.

fly89gta

iTrader: (1)

N/M

stu

I understand that. My car didn't build boost until around 3,500 and I had to listen to that compressor surge all the time before I had a BOV, even when I wasn't tramping on it.

fly89gta

iTrader: (1)

N/M

nick418

from what im reading your right. They did have the FWD buick 3.8 heads

also i found this from the TTA site Maybe i read wrong and the GN has them? I think TTAs had em tho

http://www.89tta.com/ttaheader.htm

BlueZee28

iTrader: (30)

i want a turbo now...

tpivette89

actually the Vette in 89' was rated at 240hp for the base coupes and all verts, and 245hp with 3.07 geared coupes. so in actuality the TTA was rated higher

not to mention for the 86' AND 87' model years, the GN was rated higher than the Vette as well

that silly myth about Vette #s MUST be the highest just wont die will it?

nick418

I know 89.. I know my C4s... I was wondering the same. I know the 89 Vette was rated 240hp. But i got that off a TTA site... weird isnt it? the TTA was still rated more.... That 255hp myth came from a TTA site.. The highest NA L98 that came from the factory was 250hp in 1991 (last L98)

nick418

Speakin about Vettes being the highest HP car GM puts out. How much HP was the non intercooled 1984 Grand National? I know in 1984 the C4 debut and came with the 5.7 CFI which came with 205 hp... Was the 84 GN more?

fly89gta

iTrader: (1)

I don't think they did but I don't know that much about the hot air motors.

tpivette89

the hotair cars put out 200hp/300tq. crossfire Vettes had 205hp in 84'. the hotair had more torque, but was rated 5hp lower than the Vette

it wasnt until the intercooled cars came out that Buick started playing hp games with Chevy

TTA 1387

The reason for the "low" HP rating was for warranty of the trans. Hydromatic wouldn't warranty the trans with a higher rating.

Mine put up similar numbers when dynoed with a Thrasher92, 160 t-stat, ATR MAF pipe, and cat pipe. 318/455 locking the converter. I was able to run 12.1@111.09 at that power level. But it was on the ragged edge, especially with 100 octane. Injectors were maxxed big time.

I believe that video is from Michigan a few years back.

fly89gta

iTrader: (1)

...and then you sold it

80smetalfan

Well......I love thirdgens as much as you do, but I'm fairly certain a 1969 427 ZL1 Camaro with modern tires would totally destroy a TTA or Firehawk....

nick418

dude those things kick ***. My fav camaro all time! Im not sure tho... They said the TTA was the fastest 0-60 Fbody stock..

7plagues

iTrader: (1)

stock, and tires back then blowed. so get some modern tires and its still "stock". then race'em

80smetalfan

Exactly. Bias-plys were all they had in the 60s to work with. These things were recorded as turning 11.6s with slicks and headers. Read the last paragraph on the 1969 model year on this site for more info.

With (underrated) 430 horsepower and BBC torque and something like 275-50-15 directional radials, I can't help but think our beloved TTA or Firehawk would be pretty well annihilated by one of those.

slohand

maybe a stock TTA would loose but then with slicks and headers the zl1 ain't exactly stock. next the zl1 really wasn't a ture "street car" either.

you can drive the TTA all day with the windows up and the ac on in traffic. wanna try that in a ZL1?(oh ya, no ac)


you can mod the TTA to get her into the 11s without a lot of work. so while i LOVE and admire the ZL1 i feel the TTA is worthy of an enormous amount of respect too.

we havn't even mentioned corning, braking, and top speed.


just my

slohand

lol corning........how bout cornering.

80smetalfan

the point is that a TTA will not run a 11.6 with headers and slicks. ZL1 69 > TTA/Firehawk.

And FWIW, the ZL1 wasn't something that would ruin your handling. It weighed the same amount as a 327 SBC. Granted, a TTA would way outhandle a first gen, but you get what I'm saying