What is this car? I have never, ever seen one before! Can anyone provide some background/history on the body/hatch style?
Is it very desirable?!?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1988-...QQcmdZViewItem

 

That is a GTA Trans Am with the notch back hatch option. This was a 1988 only option. I believe that there were less than 1000 made. At one time you could buy a replica notch back hatch aftermarket, I don't know if it is still available.

Oddly enough, neither the firebird redbook or the Standard Catalog of Firebird mentions the notchback.

 

There was 718 Notchbacks produced in 1988, according to a Pontiac letter.

http://www.gtanotchback.com/document...iacletter1.jpg

I have pictures of other Notchbacks on my website:
http://www.gtanotchback.com

 

Are they worth/will they be worth a great deal now/later?

Were there any other options avilable that you couldn't get on a regular hatch?

 

Just noticed that that one is a 350 T-top car. Vin has an 8 in the eighth place.

 

It has C&C aftermarket T-Tops.

 

Hard to tell, but I think that you may be right. The space between the windshield and t - top is more than the factory ones.

Does anyone have a picture of the Notchback from inside? That is from the drivers seat looking back? Or with the deck lid up, the underneath of the notch back?

 

<img src="http://www.gtanotchback.com/gtanotchlid.jpg">

 

Yes it has C&C tops, the trim in front and rear of the tops gives that away, and the lock as well.

 

There is a local guy that has one, its White with the notchback...

He is even a member to the same Country club as I but have never spoken to him... I thought about seeing if he wanted to sell it because its so crappy looking, could really use some paint.

John

 

Wow... GTA... 350... notchback... 5100 miles! What a beautiful car. Wish I had $12,000!

 

Yea, I started drooling a bit as I got in to reading all the writeup and looking at the pictures.. Those t-tops are aftermarket, but they're still nice..

 

I know there is speculation of wether the C&C t-tops will be an issue for resaliability.... I am not convinced, this is how I see them

If you talk to Drew, he will say there crap and you shoudl avoid them like the pleague... and to a diehard collector they would make a difference, they might pass on the car, However if someone were to cut off the top and revert it back to a hard top I would find it hard to believe that would help the value either.

I think a C&C T-top car would be worth slitghlty less than a Factory T-top, but slightly more than a Hard top. The ones I have seen in junkyards seem to be well enough done, not to mention they have some special features that factory T-tops did not have llike the ability to pop up in some instance.

My thoughts on the style of the car and the value:
Convertable **** (4 stars)
T-top *** (3 stars)
C&C t-top **1/2 (2.5 stars)
Hard Top ** (2 stars)

It truely depends on the buyer and wether or not he cares...

John

 

really?

 

Yep. The rear part of the top will pop up, kinda like a sunroof.

 

The one set I looked at did not attach the the body like the factory unit. Where the Factory unit slips under the center bar and the pins or hooks latch the outside. IIRC the C&C tops actually mounted to the roof, along the front and the rear with some brackets, This alowed them to pop up, a really nice idea if you ask me...

John

 

The C&C T-tops on my 88 did not do that, but it could be option or a later model change.

My C&C T-tops are one of the main reasons I bought my 88 TA. I doubt I would have bought it if it had not been altered. I would deffinatly take a C&C Notchback before a hard top Notchback and would probably pay the same for a C&C T-top car vs a Factory t-top car.

 

I think it was an option...

John

 

Probably. A local 88 GTA has them.

 

I had a gta with those t-tops and hated them...the trim was too noticable..it didn't flow nice with the body.....just my opinion from owning one

 

My '88 notchback has C&C T-tops. Actually, I don't know if you could get a notchback with factory T-tops. I've never been a fan of notchbacks and never looked into it. If factory T-tops weren't available I would think that the C&C tops could be a plus down the road. They are not as good of a design as factory tops but they're not that bad either.

 

for me the t-tops ruin the cars collectobility (cc tops that is). but to each his own. i would much rather have a hard top car, especialy an 88 notchback that thing has been on ebay a few times now.

 

My '86 had C&C tops, didn't leak a drop of water, hard rain, power wash anything. My GTA has C&C tops, I put new weather stripping on them since the glass from my '86 was used, doesn't leak a drop either. IMHO the C&C tops are better quality than the originals.

I knew someone in '87 that had an '84 Z28 with factory tops, and they leaked like you were pouring water in the window when it rained, it was pitiful.