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Questions on a car purchase

A

at t 2d

Well-Known Member
I am seriously thinking about buying a TTA and I have a few questions. I see people here referring to the "car number" they have. Is that information on the vehicle somewhere?

What is the typical life expectency of the original motor & transmission? Any idea of what an engine / transmission would cost to have rebuilt?

Are there any particular trouble prone areas one should look at when purchasing a TTA?

My first new cars were an 85 TA & 87 GTA - I really miss having one and I look forward to finding one and participating on this forum in the future!

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
 
Some common things that go wrong with a tta are as follows....
power antenna fails, rear hatch motor fails, I have four tta/ta's and all have had those problems. Also you never know what the last owner has done, my car I found metal shavings in the oil filter and through out the motor. I had that motor rebuilt and dynoed and now it is good. The stock cars are usually a safer bet, then you know the car was not abused too much. Almost all these cars seem to leak from the rear main seal.
But man,... they sure are fun!!!! I love my cars. Please keep in mind I am by no means an expert on these cars, just tellin you my experience. No matter what when you buy one, expect to put some money into it. Others on this forum can give you more advice.
Jarred.
 
Inspect the heater core area (passenger side under dash) for leaks. Spoilers are almost always cracked, unless they've been replaced. Engine/Trans life depends on how they were driven. If the car was driven hard and has more than 50k mls plan on a trans rebuild.
T-top leaks are fairly common too.
...after all of that, they're fast and more fun than a roller coaster!
 
The last two posts have a lot of good information and give you a lot to look at. The motors are fairly solid and will take a beating. Expect some wear on the outside, the TTA paint is was very thin and quality was pathetic. It's common to find a clear drip on the rear hatch, primer showing in areas under the hood, scraped front bumpers, cracked spoilers, and cracked paint on the rear bumper. The interior also wears very fast, if you get in and out properly by not rubbing against the bolsters the seats will last a decent amount of time but most people don't pay attention to it and the leather will begin to rip, even as early as 20k miles.

Keep in mind you're looking at a car that is almost 20 years old and was built during a time that quality was just about at it's lowest.

Also, keep in mind any memorabilia that comes with the car when looking at the. Things like the owners box ($500), press kit ($100), jackets ($250), and other merchandise is sometimes included can quickly add up.

Some mods that should be done to every TTA and in my opinion don't take away from the value are a chip, MAF pipe and filter, and subframe connectors. The chip will help the TTA run much smoother, pick up a little power, and get rid of any possible lean conditions on the top end. The MAF pipe is a good idea since the stock pipe is made out of some dryer duct tubing pretty much and is known to collapse or leak allowing unmeatered air into the system. Subframe connectors just help stiffen it up, get rid of some squeaks and rattles, and it'll help keep the panels lined up as the car ages.

If there are any stock parts missing also keep those prices in mind if you're wanting to put the car back to stock. Some stock parts are extremely hard to come by and can cost a pretty penny.

The best idea is to post up some information when you find a car and ask as many questions as you want and I'm sure someone can help you on here.
 
Thank you every one for your replies. Does any company sell the parts to replace the front seat leather? I found one site that has reproduction seat covers, but they did not have leather or covers for the seats with the side bolsters that move. I am trying to get an idea of the cost and if they are available.
 
Have read that those who used the Jax were very happy with the color and quality and fit. Suppose to be heavier too.
 
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