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Congratulations Big&BadGTA! You and your GTA Convertible have won TGO’s August 2020 Car Of The Month!
A fine month of cars and each one I’d be proud to own. We had a 5-speed convertible in the best color and interior combo I’ve personally ever seen (wink, wink). Very hard to find in the 88-90 updated styling with a stick. We had the ever popular LS swap with the power every Thirdgen should have had and the showcar looks to boot. We had a head turner of a Z28 with a tasty engine bay and real enthusiast love put into a trophy deserving showcar. The Thirdgen convertibles have exotic lines and I’ve even caught Mustang owners, exotic car owners, and people that claim “I usually don’t like convertibles” staring and remarking on the lines of the cars that seem more timeless than “80s”.
Only one could win. Only one company would dare put a 5.7L under the hood of a convertible. Only one car this month would hide it’s headlights in the name of aerodynamics. Big&BadGTA you have run for the office of Car Of The Month several times and had some close calls, but just like your story, the car eventually will come in. The car is clean and iconic with the enviable leather GTA seats, the desirable analog gauges and that great looking TPI under the hood. The rare gunmetal metallic and classic gold GTA wheels catch plenty of gazes. It’s when you tell them it’s an L98, N10 with a 3.27 rear that will have them catching bugs while their mouths hang open in awe! In the Camaro/IROC world the 5.7L convertible is a disputed myth. In the Pontiac world it’s a reality. And in your world it’s Car Of The Month August 2020.
Congrats!
*****Big&BadGTA 1989 GTA Convertible L98 *****
Originally Posted by Big&BadGTA
Thank you for the nominations, and your excitement over our Gunmetal Gray 1989 Pontiac / ASC GTA 5.7L ConvertibleI was just going to take some new pictures this month, so now have an awesome reason to get on that task. Stay tuned for those, and in the meantime, here's the background:
__________
This is my 2nd 1989 Gunmetal GTA, and I have a soft spot for these cars. I bought the first one, a T-Top 5.7L car, back in the summer of 1991 and kept it until spring 2005. Always wished I had kept it...
Anyways, other vehicles came and went, but the GTA stayed on my mind. I thought, if I got another, it would be the pinnacle of 3rd Gens - a convertible.
So to get a 5.7L GTA Convertible, it had to be an 89. I was on the hunt...
I travelled over 2,200 miles to look at one, and passed on another, but this one I found and bought, was a 4 year process. Allow me to explain...
Early Beginnings:
In 1991, I bought my first GTA. A 1989 Gunmetal Gray 5.7L T-Top car. It had 52k mi, and was parked on a hill of a farm w/ a 4x8 plywood sign, listing it for sale. As the car was under warranty until 75k mi, and the original owner had it, I rolled the dice and bought it. I had a Corvette at the time, which with two seats, wasn't very practical. So the GTA filled a nice void in my life. It turned out to be a wonderful car.
That one was highly modified and ran very quick. Spent a lot of time at the track, and made a lot of friends over those years, several whom I still speak with today.
In 1993, I met the lady who would become my wife. We went on our first date in the GTA, and later in life, many more firsts... It remained a memorable car, and pretty practical, all thing considered. Fast-forward to 2005, I had just bought another Corvette, so the GTA was sold. I was pretty bummed, watching as the taillights disappeared. I haven't seen that car since...
Since selling the car, I have thought about 3rd Gens. Watched the market closely, and decided, if I got another, which would it be?
Another 1989 5.7L car, as the engines are awesome, and IMO, the best of any TPI. I figured a Convertible would be unique, and the ASC cars being legitimate in their place of Pontiac history, would be a good option. But it would have to be Gunmetal Gray.
The Search For Gray:
Finding a Gunmetal Gray GTA which isn't a roach, is a tall order. Finding an ASC Convertible, even tougher... I could find Flame Red ones and white ones, all day long, but when it came to finding Gray, forget it... None seem to be out there... I was beginning to think these cars didn't exist in Gunmetal Gray!!
I looked online, and saw the silver car in Hawaii which based on the Gunmetal emblems, must've been gray at some point. I figured, based on the low production numbers and percentages of which Gunmetal makes-up overall 1989 GTA production, it was the proverbial needle-in-the-haystack. But I was determined...
I found a Gunmetal 1989 ASC 5.7L car in Nevada, looked at it, and found it was too much of a project. While the car was okay from a distance, two of the four windows were missing, the dash was a mess, and rear quarter panel damaged and repaired in haste. It was a cloth interior car, and 1 owner. It'll be a good car for someone who has time, but for the money, I kept looking...
Found a Gunmetal 1988 ASC Convertible in Harrisburg at the Mecum Auction, but it was a 5.0L/Auto w/ woodgrain dash, and other mods. Car sold for $11.5k, and while low mileage, the small engine wasn't for me. I kept looking...
Life Happens:
As they say, life happens... About severn years ago, I had come across an ad for a Gunmetal 1989 ASC 5.7L car. I reached-out to the seller, and because of the distance (car was overseas, actually), had it inspected. All this took time, and for whatever reason, maybe I was the only one looking at the time, but things were going in my favor. Then, life happens...
Right about that time, my father had gotten sick. He had been ill for some time, but things got bad with his health. Right when I was ready to buy, I pulled back from the deal. I needed to focus on family. My dad passed away not long after.
As if that wasn't enough, as things cleared-up from that, my wife got sick. Really ill. I felt like history was repeating itself. She's fine now, thankfully. But it took two years to get to the point of relief. Life continues...
The Accident:
A little over three years ago, as I'd been riding a bike for fitness, I had my own ordeal, as the whole "health" thing tried to kill me. I had an accident. It left me a mess on the side of the road, and thankful good samaratins stopped.
If you grew up in my era, one didn't wear a bicycle helmet. That's something I wish I had considered, as I went head first into the pavement. Anyways, sometime between thinking I might never recover, to where I am today, I decided to reach-out to the seller from years ago, on the chance they might still have the GTA. I figured the car was long sold, as it had been years...
BUT, It hadn't... They not only owned the car still, but would consider selling. We struck a deal, and the rest is now history... It took about a month to get the car, including time at both shipping ports, plus a couple weeks at sea - but the car landed back in the USA just fine.
If you look closely, the red fog light is still visible under the rear fascia. That was due to the laws in the country it came from. Neat stuff!!
If you read this far, I hope you found the story of interest. It's the "Cliff notes" version, and while there is much more, it's probably a good summary of how we ended up with the car. My wife can't wait to go on a "date" in the GTA again, and wind-back the clock 25+ years.
Since buying the car, I've enjoyed every moment behind the wheel. Driving the car is like a trip down memory lane, and it's an awesome feeling. Seems everyone I encounter has a story about a GTA they had, or the one they always wanted. This car is an absolute time machine. When I take it out, people go nuts over the car - they all wish they had kept their 3rd gens, and enjoy the story of ours.
Since getting the car, I have replaced all 4 tires (from the ones which were dry and cracked from age), a few of the hard emissions lines, the fuel injectors, and then new o-rings on the fuel system. Other than that, just replace gasoline as I burn it. It's such a fun car!
The car is 100% stock, with an added alarm system only. It has some rare Pontiac options including the super-rare 1989 Factory CD Player, and is quite possibly, a One-of-One, as built.
Thank you again for the nomination, and hopefully for your vote.
Last edited by 88IROCvertZ; 07-25-2020 at 08:29 AM.
Only one could win. Only one company would dare put a 5.7L under the hood of a convertible. Only one car this month would hide it’s headlights in the name of aerodynamics. Big&BadGTA you have run for the office of Car Of The Month several times and had some close calls, but just like your story, the car eventually will come in. The car is clean and iconic with the enviable leather GTA seats, the desirable analog gauges and that great looking TPI under the hood. The rare gunmetal metallic and classic gold GTA wheels catch plenty of gazes. It’s when you tell them it’s an L98, N10 with a 3.27 rear that will have them catching bugs while their mouths hang open in awe! In the Camaro/IROC world the 5.7L convertible is a disputed myth. In the Pontiac world it’s a reality. And in your world it’s Car Of The Month August 2020.
Congrats!
Thank you for the writeup, for the nominations, the competition (some really nice cars) and for the VOTES!!!
This car has been a time machine for me to own, really takes me back 30 years to when I had my other Gunmetal T-Top GTA.
I promise for more pics, but still digging out of the broken garage door spring, and other house woes (broken AC this week, etc.).
I'll persevere.
Very nice. Never knew Pontiac put 350's in convertibles.
Congratulations.
Thanks.
With ALL the Convertibles starting life as T-Top cars (so you have the proper finish on the top panel above windshield, then ASC cut the T-BAR and B Pillars out of the Camaro and Firebird models they were based upon, 1989 was the only year one could get the 5.7L in the T-Top configuration for the GTA (for the US Market). So that's why it was a 1 year only deal.
It was an overdue win... It’s a special and rare car for sure!
They made convertible Formula 350s as well. Only Pontiac had 350 convertibles but they are very hard to come by. To find one in this condition could take years and years.
Cheers to the other competitors as well. Great month of convertibles! You guys represent Thirdgens with the very best!
It was an overdue win... It’s a special and rare car for sure!
They made convertible Formula 350s as well. Only Pontiac had 350 convertibles but they are very hard to come by. To find one in this condition could take years and years.
Cheers to the other competitors as well. Great month of convertibles! You guys represent Thirdgens with the very best!
Thanks. It did take years to find one in Gunmetal Gray, and then once I did, it nearly slipped through my fingers.
The tires were so old from storage, when it came off the ship and picked up at the port, I drove it home about 70 miles - in that time, the sidewalls disintegrated. So replacing the tires was a priority once it arrived home.
Congratulations BIG&BADGTA . Awesome car and story. I got a kick out of just see my car even compared to these three beautiful cars. A well deserved win!
Not sure what I like better, the incredible third gen or the story behind it. Thanks for giving us a slice of its life here on the boards.
Thank you very much.
I drove the car last Sunday, what a blast!!
then, that eve, after putting it back garage, the other side garage spring broke. Now, back to needing to replace the garage springs. This time, a matched new pair. Lol. Thanks again
07-25-2020, 07:58 AM
I was just going to take some new pictures this month, so now have an awesome reason to get on that task. Stay tuned for those, and in the meantime, here's the background:
This car is an absolute time machine. When I take it out, people go nuts over the car - they all wish they had kept their 3rd gens, and enjoy the story of ours.
