TTA Questions

[TURBO1]

Just joined up with this group, I'm a fellow car nut, I currently have a 1978 Trans Am (Bandit Style) witch I'm thinkg of selling in favor for a 89" TTA.
I have a few questions on the TTA, here we go:

1. What to look out for when looking to purches a TTA? (known issues, areas of rust, oil leaking/burning, drivability issues, etc)
2. In the 1555 that were made, was there any production changes/updates to anything? (Meaning is there any thing better in the later build cars than the early cars?)
3. How is the parts availibilty for these special cars, is there stuff obsolete?
4. I have read in differant Trans Am books that the TTA cars came with the "1LE" special quick change brakes with bigger rotors/calipers, etc. But in the production numbers for all the birds built in 1989 it only shows 25 built with the 1LE package? Can anybody explain any better, I'm just curious.
And any other info that anybody could provide would be great. I've been a big fan of Trans Am's & Grand National's, & these special cars seem to be the best of both worlds.

Thansks
-Jason :thumbup:

 

[jarredsoon]

Hi
Things to look for when buying are a cracked spoiler, power antenna problems, hatch motor problems, popup light issues, oil leaks (from rear main seal) rust in the A pillar, drivers seat bolster is usually worn,

I would check the tranny shifting to be tight esp on a high mile car, I would make sure the boost goes to 16.5 on a stock car, check what computer chip is in the car, highly modified cars have probably been abused some what. If it is modded find out who did the mods and how well the car runs and is put together.

Some parts are readily available as they are same as grand national but some are tta specific like the cylinder heads. THings that changed during production are the T tops, some are lexan and some are glass.

Snoop around on the site and on turbobuick.com there is a link to a list of things to check when buying but I can't remember where it is.

Jarred.

 

[Jan Larsson]

For #2 there were some minor tweaks ... in general GM dropped the lexan t-tops and replaced them with glass ones. The cassete holder/storage was dropped half way through production. If I remember correct the plastic MAF pipe had the design tweaked at somepoint .... nothing really that would make you want to try to find a later one over a early built one

Make sure the car is complete with everything and not missing any TTA specific stuff and or interior related items as they are getting hard to come by these days. Alot of the parts as with any 3rd gen parts been discontinued and is getting harder to find specially if looking for new parts ...

 

[echostatic]

Some parts are readily available as they are same as grand national but some are tta specific like the cylinder heads.

and, let us not forget, the crankshaft. unless you get lucky, those can be a pain to find.

a word of advice if you buy an 89TTA. if you have the stock torque converter, under no circumstances should you burn out or brake boost from a standstill! you may be alright if you do, but you would be taking a chance of destroying that precious crankshaft. when you do something like that with a stock converter, it may cause it your converter to balloon and press against the crank, pushing it into the thrust bearing and destroying the precious crank. it sounds weird but it happened to me in my 89tta and my father in his 87 gn as well as someone elses local gn. im not saying it will happen to you, but it might :eeks: if anything its an excuse to upgrade converters :thumbup:

 

[TURBO1]

Thaks for the help!!!!! I did have a 4th question. Did these cars come with the "1LE" quick change bigger brake package? I've read in many books that they have a special package, but in the overall production of birds built in 1989 it only shows 25 to have this. Any info would be great, thanks!!!

-Jason

 

[Jan Larsson]

Thaks for the help!!!!! I did have a 4th question. Did these cars come with the "1LE" quick change bigger brake package? I've read in many books that they have a special package, but in the overall production of birds built in 1989 it only shows 25 to have this. Any info would be great, thanks!!!

-Jason

Yes they did, front is the 2 piston Corvette aluminium PBT calipers and rear are upratted rotors/calipers as well (same on all 89's I beleive) again from the Corvette