TTA vs TGP

[SpeedDemon]

The 89 TTA ran 0-60 5.5 seconds, a 2002 Firehawk runs 0-60 in 5.2 (remeber this is SLP's version of the Trans Am). And the TTA did break 13's in the 1/4, but I don't know 100% what the numbers are for the LS1 (not trying to put down the LS1 because I've driven a 2002 Trans Am and that succker THROWS YOU INTO YOUR SEAT). http://www.89tta.com/ this has some good info on the 89 TTA. But back to being the quickest I heard them say than on "American Muscle Car" or one of those other shows on Speed Channel. But they had a special on it and quoted the TTA as being the "quickest production Trans Am," and that was after the 2002 model production year. I'll try to find out which episode it was to back myself up.

[GangstGP]

I drove a LS6 pork rind persuit Camaro that was retired. My friend picked it up at the city auction and tricked it all out with a rollcage and its getting a NOS bottle hooked up to it today.
But I drove it one time, DAMN it THROWS you back in the seat. I don't know how the tranny (or anything else) hold up to that power on a regular basis.  
I don't see why the GN boys are doing 12s and the TTa is the same motor right?  You should definately look into that.(I know you already thought of that :roll: )You probably could run 20 psi or more on that T-3 if it has a 3-bar, correct me if I am rong. :)

[TurboGTU]

The GN was "unaffically"  desighend to be a drag only car.

I can say the same for the Sy/Tys.

Our cars are more of a Rally type or oval track type.

[pvt num 11]

You can run 20+ PSI on these cars - but there's a lot of stuff that needs to be changed out in order to do so reliably.  Countless owners have done turbo swaps, as the stock turnbo isn't bad, but there's better ones in the aftermarket.  Some move their intercooler to be in front of the radiator for more cool airflow, and some upgraded theirs to a better design - when the aftermarket carried one, which they don't right now, I think.  If you love changing headgaskets, you can run as much boost as you want.  Alky-injection kits are also highly reccomended if you run more then just a few pounds over stock.  There are some GN's running nines, but they're pretty much track-only cars.  You can get a TTA into the twelves for not a lot of money - not that I've tried with mine, yet.

The 3-BAR MAP sensor is strictly used for running the boost gauge and that information isn't fed to the ECM, unless you wnated to run a totally different EFI computer set-up - the car uses MAF to determine how much air it's feeding, and the MAF is mounted (in stock form) before the turbo, so air is sucked through it, not blown through it.  Besides that, the stock boost gauge is inaccurate, so many owners change that out for an A-pillar one if they're really serious about monitoring how much boost they're running.  That and a knock light.  Detonation totally kills these cars.  I assume it's the same thing for a TGP?

[GangstGP]

The TGP is actually not oo bad in the detonation dept. Just so long as you got a good knock sensor. but it doesn't have that problem because I have the Top Gun 160 chip which only uses like 10- 11 psi. and if I ever get overboost, the computer pulls timing. It is way better than stock chip but the safety features are all still built in, so that is nice.

The way most of us run TGPs they are pretty well under check by the computer.

Our stock boost gauge kinda sucks, I got one on my pillar.

Do they have a copper head gasket for higher boost for those.Thats what I would recommend.

[mfewtrail]

Do they have a copper head gasket for higher boost for those.Thats what I would recommend.

TTA's likely have any and every type of gasket they want whether it be MLS, graphite, copper, etc. judging by how many upgrades there are out there for them.

[Chris A]

I guess since this is GN/T-Type (Turbo regal or TR) and TTA related I'll offer my bi-yearly comment.

TTA's are rare, 1500 numbered ever. They were tested to be the fastest STOCK production Trans Am. Even to the LS1. I recall the show that did the race with 3 stock TA's

The Turbo 3.8 LC2 is easily modified to produce way more power than stock. If stock is the mid to high 13's, in any of the 3.8L Turbo cars, very little money can get you reliably into the 11's. Nobody really concerns themselves with stock ratings. I have much more on my 02 TA and am only down to 13's (but it is lconvertible, lowered with short hard tires so I don't get much traction). Problem with the TTA is, well, it's rare.  So  are the upgrade parts that are specific to it (intercoolers etc.)  Underhood room is more limited than the G-Body cars. The GOOD TRs were produced in some quantity for two years, 1986 and 87 and are very popular 1/4 cars. So there are several vendors who offer parts and upgrades for them. Even with extensive suspension mods I wouldn't recommend them for anything else. The chassis is way too flexy.  Drag only car though? No more than the 125 hp 17 second normally aspirated base 3.8 regal. Just ends up that way because of what the car is. W-bodys and F-bodys were designed to be sporty and handle "well". The GNX tried to fix that with the redesigned rear that helped to plant the tires during acceleration from corners etc.


All TR/TTAs are Mass Air Metered. They Do NOT have closed loop boost control which makes the computer issues different from the LG5 which has closed loop boost control (read, the ECM knows the boost level). While it is directly not neccesary for the LC2 to know since it measures the air flow, it can run into problems as the octance level can't keep up with the knock tendancy at higher boost levels.  I've rarely seen a melted pistons, usually the head gasket fails. I've seen some stock unopened engines run upwards of 25lbs of boost with few problems with 400 or more HP to the wheels and careful tuning.

Finally, lets face it guys. The TGP is cheap. With few exceptions, most are in poor shape. Very few people know they are rare, or care really. I didn't. Oddly it seems 88 fieros are more desireable. THey are neat fun cars with cool gadgetry and decent looks. That is why I bought my original one (see message board banner). It was sitting on a car lot and I had no idea what it was, except a myth. It would have been a really nice car if other things hadn't gotten in the way. There are a lot of beater TRs out there too, they'll still spank your ass though. Sometimes the uglier they are the faster they are. In my opinion, other than being numbered the TTA and the TGP could be in the same desireability category. Rare, not always well known, with signifigant historical aspects (indy and daytona pace cars in 89), but there are people who will drive both everyday as if it were a honda civic and treat it like it was worse to the point some just aren't worth restoring. I know guys who have parted out super rare GNXs... go figure.

[Invasion1]

CHRIS A in the House!!!!!!!!!

:headbang:

[mfewtrail]

CHRIS A in the House!!!!!!!!!

:headbang:

8)

[Invasion1]

Topic related there are  two Turbo 3.8 TA's on Ebay right now.......buy them up guys  :wink:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Pontiac-Trans-Am-TTA-1989-Pontiac-TURBO-Trans-Am_W0QQitemZ4574537151QQcategoryZ6427QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Pontiac-Trans-Am-TRANS-AM-1989-20TH-ANNIVERSARY-TURBO-9K-MINT-SHOW_W0QQitemZ4574968177QQcategoryZ6427QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[mfewtrail]

Topic related there are  two Turbo 3.8 TA's on Ebay right now.......buy them up guys  :wink:

Loan me $25K so I can get the low low mileage one..... :wink:

[pvt num 11]

I'd like the higher mileage one - I wouldn't feel guilty driving it as much.  I'd then relegate my 'beater' TTA as full-daily driven status, and keep the nicer one as a weekend/carshow vehicle.  I remember seeing a TGP on Ebay some time ago, only 1500 bucks!

[GangstGP]

damn thats pretty good for a TGP. I want that mint one to drive around in the summertime 8) under 10K miles, brand new basically. Yea, I only want 4 cars for 4 seasons. TGP in the spring, TTA for summer, and you all know what for fall/winter. 8)

[dbtk2]

I'd like the higher mileage one - I wouldn't feel guilty driving it as much.  I'd then relegate my 'beater' TTA as full-daily driven status, and keep the nicer one as a weekend/carshow vehicle.  I remember seeing a TGP on Ebay some time ago, only 1500 bucks!

My dad bought his TGP on ebay a few years ago (fall or winter of '03).  It had 103k on it and was pretty much mint.  Its a pretty damn nice car.  I paid $1800 for my TSTE in Dec. of '03 with 69k on it, and it was pretty much mint (it did need a few little things).

Shawn

[GangstGP]

and the maroon tste is a very desirable car for a few reasons. that is insanely sweet you got it for that much! what a wonderful time we live in where it is right before all these cars become extremely hard to find.

a lot of them are going to be crushed, and a lot will be saved because of the internet. but with the price of steel going up drastically cars will be dragged across the scales more and more here soon. The muscle car era had the same thing happen to them in the 80s, the government used to pay people incentives to get their old gas guzzlers crushed.

I just hope it doesnt happen that way to the turbo era cars. kinda scary, but will be interesting to see the prices for desirable turbo era cars like the pace car muscle turbo movie star type.