The second-gen GM F-body was on the way out in 1980. Both the Pontiac Firebird and the Chevrolet Camaro were very long in the tooth and on the back-side of safety, fuel economy and emission control regulations. Both cars had gone to plastic nose pieces but Pontiac took the styling a bit further, starting in 1979 and continuing through Gen-two’s 1981 demise. It has become one of those love it or hate it recognized Pontiac features. Things under the hood had changed quite a bit too in those waning years. With all of that to consider, let’s take a deep dive into this 1980 “Turbo” Trans Am. It’s located in Edison, New Jersey, and available here on craigslist for $10,000. Thanks to Mitchell G. for this tip.

This is a very thin listing so the few images will tell the story. The seller states, “all matching numbers all original it’s got 66,000 original miles original T tops also included car runs and drives needs brakes it is a runner not in perfect condition.” I don’t know that matching numbers really matters or is relevant in this case. Unfortunately, there are no images of the turbo-charged 301 CI V8 engine which is the heart of this T/A. Pontiac was on the way out of the V8 business in 1980 and the 301 CI was its answer to concerns over fuel mileage but it barely paid lip service to performance and that’s what a Trans Am is all about.

Enter the 301 Turbo-charged engine, good for 210 net HP as opposed to the standard 150 net HP, normally-aspirated version. While this is not an image of the actual engine in this example, this is how it should look. There’s a lot of complexity to it. One other difference between the Turbo version and the standard kit 301 is the thickness of the cylinder walls, the Turbo engine has a bit more meat between the pots. A three-speed automatic transmission was the only gearbox available with the turbo engine.

The exterior of this Trans Am is unlikely to go by unnoticed, the door decals proclaiming the Turbo Trans Am’s role in the ’80 Indy 500 are hard to miss. But the typical Turbo trim looks more like gray primer as it moves from the hood, up the A-pillars, covering the front half of the roof, and then wrapping around the rear glass and along the tops of the doors. Perhaps it’s standard and just faded with time. The rest of the body is straight and appears to be free of crash damage or other mishaps that frequently befall a Trans Am’s many spoilers, fairings, scoops, etc. The majority-white finish is basically sound but looks a bit faded. Of note is the bottom of the passenger fender, it does not appear to align well with the door.

The interior is ugly. I don’t know what happened to the seats but I wouldn’t sit in there. The steering wheel, carpet, and door cards are gnarley too while the dash pad is staring to crack over top of the glovebox. The 66K original mile claim is starting to seem shakey.

Trans Ams seem to have a hierarchy with the limited ’69 being the pinnacle, followed by the ’70 to ’72 and then the ’73 & ’74 Super Duty (or perhaps it’s the reverse order) and then the Smokey & the Bandit ’77-’78 version. It’s only logical that the ’79-’81 Turbo Trans Am would be next in the pecking order. Is $10K a good price for entry into the Trans Am club? It probably depends on what you are willing to spend. This example has a lot of unknowns (mechanical) and it’s a bit overwrought in appearance compared to previous second-gen models but then that’s how they rolled in ’80. So what’s your preference, which year Trans Am is your favorite?