In all my years as a Trans Am collector, I have never seen anything like this. The car is advertised as a 1981 Pontiac Trans Am but is powered by a Nissan 240 SX turbo inline 4 cylinder engine and backed by a manual transmission. This unique offering was found by PRA4SNW and we appreciate seeing something so different. The car is listed here on Facebook Marketplace for $8,500 and is located in Fayetteville, North Carolina. After 4 weeks of being listed, the car is still for sale.
From the factory, Pontiac offered a turbo V8 engine that was only available in the 1980-1981 Firebird Trans Am and Formula. The turbocharged V8 engine was designated LU8, and there was a lot of hype when it was introduced. The turbo 301 cubic inch V8 engine (4.9 liter) was rated at 210 horsepower in 1980 and 200 horsepower in 1981. The LU8 had a Garrett TB305 turbo and a Rochester Quadrajet 4-barrel carburetor. While the horsepower and torque were comparable to prior years, the road tests showed the car was much slower. I am not sure what a 1993 Nissan 240 SX turbo 4 cylinder engine produces but I didn’t think it was offered as a turbo in 1993. The regularly aspirated Nissan KA24DE was rated at 155 hp.
The interior is definitely not stock as the seats have been recovered or replaced. The red dash looks to be covered by a grey dash pad but at least there are only two colors on the interior. It is hard to see the stick shift or how the car is operated as there is only one picture of the interior. The seller says that the car needs door panels and headliner. The glove box is black and does not match other body panels. The car is fitted with aftermarket floor mats.
The car had new tires and rides on factory 15×7 aluminum snowflake wheels. Most Pontiac turbo Trans Ams came with 15×8 turbo wheels. The seller states that the windshield and back glass have been recently replaced. I am not sure why this car was built with a Japanese 4 cylinder but it peaks my curiosity and I would love to see how it runs and drives in person.
On the plus side, it can’t be any slower than the 301 Pontiac engine!
I had a 305 V8 Chevrolet Camaro-1977. The 305 wasn’t bad for power. Too bad they didn’t put a 400V8 in it. A 4 banger and japanese. What an insult. Remember a lot of these cars in this era were detuned and lost some horsepower thanks to uncle sam. BTW, my 1977 Camaro was a great car.
The engine choice is a crying shame.
The perfect definition of a white elephant.
Piques, not peaks.
The tools on the radiator support is not a good look. No mention is made it ifs currently running and driving.
I don’t really care that the engine was swapped, these were sort of pigs when new, at least in California which was stuck with 403, automatic and 2.56 gears. This has the potential to be a fun car, I just wouldn’t open the hood, if you did you’d be subjected to a lot of whining.
Steve R
Yes, especially considering all the whining going on right here.
Well put – these were pigs when new. And it’s not like the original motor is going to be all kinds of awesome with some loving attention; it’s always gonna be an undersized turd with an antiquated hair-dryer.
Sure, the builder could have used an Oldsmobile 455 or something else authentic, but a swap is a swap. That KA24 can get 400 crank hp with a smart turbo build and a good tune; Hot Rod Magazine built one to 750 horsepower back in 2008 and I dare say that turbos and engine management software have come a way in the last 17 years. At least this way you could leave someone in the dust and then leave them in disbelief when you show them the motor…
And with less weight from the 4 banger up front it might even handle better.
What they couldn’t find a super charged A series out of a mini cooper?
Blasphemy! Especially since they( just me?) still sing the praises of the Pontiac 400 ram air ! On the flip side Fayetteville NC is home to the 82nd Airborne & Special Forces so perhaps some Pvt E-1 had to adapt & overcome the lack of funding? Drive on airborne!
A shining example of why cars and alcohol should never be mixed. I understand this car is a contender for the 2026 “Hold My Beer” calendar.
I believe the phrase you’re after is “…piques my curiosity…”
The same effort on a V8 would have been a better choice, IMO
Like putting a trolling motor on a Ford-class aircraft carrier.
Looks to be a good candidate for a high powered restomod, no point in returning it to stock now.
Still for sale after 4 weeks. Gee I wonder why???
As a former Trans Am owner, not me, not ever.
The actual question I have is just “why”?
Agreed WHY!!!
The red carpet, giant red die, and the toolkit and duct tape under the hood make it a unique proposition!
I’d find a Pontiac engine and at least make it more legit. At one time, brand was more than badge deep. The facile folks of today…
Weird drivetrain swap choice, tacky headlights, tacky interior. If it was originally a red interior, I would expect the bird to be black and red, as were most of the red interior T/As I have previously seen.
If no frame rust or damage, it might make a good base for a strip down and rebuild project, but I expect very few will be interested in it just the way it is at the price advertised. If it is running, the only plus I see is not having to pay to ship it.
It appears to me that they’re having trouble cooling four cylinders. If that is the case, this car needs much attention. I will never castigate a gearhead for using what is in his own arsenal. I have even tried to duct tape u-joints to get a project moved. (it worked, but only for 30 feet). The car body deserves saving with a more appropriate powertrain.
It was probably the same shop that muddled up my last swap project — I now have a very thirsty V8 powered bike instead of the thrifty single cylinder pickup I expected.
WHAT???? WHY and who would do that to an American car???
Someone with very long arms, judging by the pictures of the engine bay.
The perfect car if you already own a Nissan 240SX with an LS1 swap….
I thought it was a typo when I read the headline saying it has a four-cylinder? After I confirmed that was correct, it made me think of the Mustang that had a Nissan engine in it from the fast and furious movie, Tokyo drift.
At first, I was kind of repulsed by this idea being a 4 cylinder. I think I would’ve liked it more if it was a twin turbo six-cylinder from a 300 ZX or supra maybe. Just weird that there is an engine with half the number of cylinders in it now, but who knows. Like someone else mentioned some of these engines when tuned properly can crank out some decent horsepower. Maybe not as much torque of course, but it would be very interesting to see how this drives.
For those who really don’t like this idea, many of you may be OK if someone took a Chevy small block and stuck it in a little Japanese car. Why can’t it be the reverse? Isn’t this like the definition of hot rodding? Making changes to a car as you want to hopefully make it perform better? Other people have noted the turbo 301 engine was not the best engine and maybe this is a step up.
I would certainly be nauseated by the sound of a four-cylinder engine versus the rumble of a V8 engine coming from a Trans Am. The four-cylinder engines, despite my having a turbo four-cylinder in my Civic Type R, does not compare to the V8 rumble from my old Challenger.
Would love to check this car out in person and go for a ride. As someone else mentioned about all of the tools under the hood, it doesn’t give me a vote of confidence that this is a good running car. But nonetheless, definitely something interesting to read about. Would like to talk with the creator of this Frankenstein. Would be an entertaining conversation to have.
Imagine, if done properly, the weight to HP ratio on this beastie.
That said this engine belongs where it came from, tbh…
Usually, it’s the other way around…. putting American Iron in an import car! I think the guy had a good drivetrain hanging around and he looked to see if it was a fit!! He probably said… why not!! It’s probably not for everyone but with a manual trans, it might be a fun driver! First step is to see if it was ‘sorted’ properly!!
Rented a new Silverado, 4 door pickup, turbo 4, maybe 7 or 8 speed automatic, amazing what it could do. If this is the equivalent, it could be just fine. At one point in the ’70’s, I had a ’69 Camaro in good shape but with a 6, and a ’67 Pontiac Bonneville with the “400” badly rusted out, and wanted to do a transplant before the Poncho went to the crusher. Beyond my ability, local garage quoted me a high price (they were looking out for me, the idiot) so I abandoned the idea.
Having owned many turbo 4 cars over the years, I can tell you that the modern ones have a LOT for oomph than the ones built in the 80’s / 90’s like the one in this T/A. More power available now, and they have really tuned the autos to get to the boost without any lag.
My ’22 Bronco has the Eco Boost (2.3 liter 4) with 10 speed automatic. I run it in Sport mode all of the time and it really moves that tall block really well. It has 300 HP which is plenty for a vehicle like this. It is also the base engine for the Mustang, and it is a popular choice with 315 HP.
There is absolutely nothing to like about this abomination, absolutely nothing.
If the glove box color is important enough to comment on, it looks better black than red, i.m.o.