When is a Trans Am Turbo not a Trans Am Turbo? When someone removes the turbocharged engine and slots a 350ci Chevrolet V8 in its place. That’s what the owner of this 1980 Trans Am has done, and I know that there will be people out there who will breathe a sigh of relief. However, the option is available to reinstate the car’s turbo credentials, and that will ultimately come down to individual tastes and preferences. Located in Newark, New Jersey, you will find the Trans Am listed for sale here on eBay.
There is no hiding the fact that the new owner will have some rust to address in this car, which is not that uncommon in a Trans Am of this era. There’s rust visible in the fender on the driver’s side, in the top near the T-Top, in both quarter panels, and around the trunk lid opening. There is also a significant amount of rust in the floors, but none of this is beyond repair. Thankfully, the car looks complete, but I guess that how this restoration is tackled will depend on either financial viability, or whether the new owner is fixated on owning a Turbo.
The concept of a turbocharged V8 engine at Pontiac started as a student project that was undertaken by automotive engineering students at the General Motors Institute in Flint. The original target engine was Pontiac’s 350ci engine, but by the time the concept was completed, the 350 was out of production. Pontiac engineers then adapted the concept for use on the 301ci engine and ended up with an engine that was running 9psi of boost on a modified and strengthened 301. The concept was fine, but motoring journalists of the era noted issues with pre-ignition, and also found difficulty in achieving consistent performance figures from the car. In spite of having a 20hp advantage over the manual Camaro Z/28, the automatic only Trans Am consistently posted slower acceleration times than the Z/28. The owner of this Trans Am has ditched the 301 in favor of a Chevrolet 350ci V8. The car is also fitted with power steering, power 4-wheel disc brakes, and factory air conditioning. The owner says that the car runs and drives. He also says that if the new owner wants to return the car to its original specifications, he does have a date-correct 301 Turbo engine and matching transmission, although he doesn’t indicate whether this will be included in the sale, or if it’s available at extra cost.
The interior of the Trans Am looks quite tired, and it is going to need a fair bit of work, from addressing the crack in the dash pad, the shredded covers on the seats, through to missing items like the armrests that are missing off the doors. There are some nice optional and comfort items fitted to the car, including a tilt wheel, cruise control, power windows, power locks, and a power trunk release.
In its day, the Trans Am Turbo was a much-maligned vehicle, and even today, there are people who simply won’t accept them. However, nice examples seem to perform well in the market. Between the standard Trans Am and the Indy Pace Car versions, sales of the Turbo models in 1980 accounted for nearly one-third of all Trans Am sales. Today, a good example will set you back somewhere in the region of $30,000 or more, but there are cheap project-grade cars out there. At the time of writing, bidding is sitting at $3,500, and the reserve has been met. So, would you consider owning a Trans Am Turbo, or are they are a car that you’re no fan of?
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