guy on a local board has been extolling the virtures of his GTA over all other cars (including BMWs). While I will give that car some props.. I find it hard to believe it is "scca certified"? or what-ever that means...
anybody got the facts on this super firebirds?
http://www.gtasourcepage.com/ The GTA was the top of the line Trans Am, but I don't know anything about scca certification (other than the fact that Pontiac paid the SCCA $5 naming rights for each Trans Am they built.) Sounds like your typical Internet bench racing.
Just like any Pontiac top-line sports car, GTA or WS6 will get you all the extra handling goodies and a bit more power.
Early (2nd-gen) WS6 meant big motor, stiffer springs, bigger swaybars, urethane swaybar bushings, 4-wheel disc, wider tires, aluminum wheels and LSD all standard equipment.
Eventually this turned into the GTA package.
Shawn
All I know is that they are beautiful. The shape of the 3rd Gen Firebird was nice from the get go...but the GTA was just super clean. The dark maroon color they were available in with the gold lace wheels is downright sharp. The rare "non-fastback" rear end option is also way cool...espescially in white with the gold lace wheels. I think a few were sold with the 305 TPI and a 5 speed but most were 350 TPIs with an auto. I would love to own a clean maroon 5 speed one day. This is coming from a guy who has a thing for small, light cars...but there is just something about the GTA. 
I was reading up on them and that rare notchback.. I did not realise how badly the F-body was put together.
The company that built the notchback cover could never get them to sit right... and it was built "to the book" of the F-body... only problem was.. the F-body was an inch out of spec on the right rear corner and GM knew it but did nothing to fix it.
IIRC, there was a Turbo version available as well. The motor from the Buick GNX made its way ot the GTA platform if memory serves.
Yup.
Turbocharged 4.9 V8 in 1980 and 1981 and a tweaked version of the GN motor in 1989
Shawn
I have no experience with one but I've heard lots of bad things about that turbo 301. The 3.8 Buick motor on the other hand is awesome.
Tell him that his GTA was just an attempt to ride on the coat-tails of the real GTA
http://www.amxfiles.com/amc/gta.html
jrw1621 wrote:
I don't often say this...
But that car is hideous.
Trans_Maro wrote: Yup. Turbocharged 4.9 V8 in 1980 and 1981 and a tweaked version of the GN motor in 1989 Shawn
My dad has one of the '89's. Don't think he's even got 20k on it by now. Wastegate came unplugged once. Car ran pretty good like that.
Will wrote: I have no experience with one but I've heard lots of bad things about that turbo 301. The 3.8 Buick motor on the other hand is awesome.
Lot's of people like to say bad things about them. It's just symptoms of crappy owners of first gen turbo cars.
They need regular oil changes with the proper oil and they'll hold up fine.
The N/A 301 had a bad year in 1977. The tooling wasn't quite right yet and a bunch left the factory with non-functional oil galleries. The engine ran on assembly lube until it siezed. Some didn't even make it out of the dealer lot.
By 1978 the problems were sorted and in 1980 a beefed up block, crank and pistons were installed in the Turbo motors.
The really do perform well with some basic tweaks. They're only about 10hp and 25 lb/ft short of the 400 they replaced and were making 50hp MORE than the Z-28's 350.
The engine was supposed to be used in the 3rd gen cars (the even had the turbo hoods on the cars) but GM brought out it's "corporate engine" policy. If the 301T had ten years worth of development like the Buick 3.8 did it would have been an amazing engine.
The 301T and carbed 3.8 turbos have a lot of similarities in their systems. The 301 uses a T3 but it's the biggest T3 you've ever seen. The story from Garrett is that the T4 wasn't ready for production so a bigger T3 was designed (basicly a T3/T4 hybrid) and installed. They make more than enough air for these motors. Some guy have seen 20+ lbs of boost from the single turbo.
The fastest car in NHRA stock eliminator last year was a Turbo 301 car.
If you want more info, go here: www.301garage.com
I'm one of the moderators.
Shawn
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