It's a tight fit! One would...
It's a tight fit! One would think a 3.8-liter V-6 would easily replace a 5.7-liter V-8, but Pontiac had to get creative to clear the strut towers with the cylinder heads. Pontiac Bonneville 3800 Series I cylinder heads were the solution, and actually had greater flow and revised combustion chambers for more power.
In April 2009, John Klaver of Ocala, Florida, was stationed in Paducah, Kentucky, for a six-month project as the lead hand for an environmental testing firm, when this '89 TTA fell into his lap. A certified Third-Gen nut, he couldn't pass it up. "I always wanted one ever since I knew these cars existed," he says. "Every time I saw one I would feel sick to my stomach, so I knew I had to get one."
It turns out his TTA was originally sold at Star Pontiac in Easton, Pennsylvania-the same town he and his sister were raised in-and then sat on a used car lot in Belvedere, New Jersey, where his parents grew up. "I felt the car and I were meant to have each other," he jokes.
The Pontiac was immaculate and well taken care of by its previous owner. It has now been 21 years since the Turbo Trans Am was produced, so it's incredible to see an unrestored original in such excellent shape. "The only things that have been replaced from factory original are the tires, wipers, and battery,"
You may think this terrific example TTA rests in a bubble inside his garage. Well, you'd be wrong-John drives it every other weekend and to shows. He even drove it 872 miles through the rain from Paducah to Ocala. When it's not on the road, it's sitting in his garage alongside an '88 T/A, one of the two actual '94 25th Anniversary Trans Am NASCAR Pace Cars, and a '96 Trans Am. "My wife and I are very big NASCAR fans, so having pace cars in our collection really adds to our passion." he says.
Conclusion
Looking back, we can see the impact these cars had on the future of performance. While Pontiac shied away from doing another forced-induction V-6 in a Firebird, similar (supercharged) powerplants can be found in later Bonnevilles and Grand Prixs.
John is passionate about his TTA and says he will keep it forever. We can't blame him. He has one of the nicest survivors on the road-a true piece of Pontiac performance history.
John wants to give special thanks to Todd and Melissa Christian (the car's previous owners) for fulfilling his dream of owning a 20th Anniversary Trans Am.
The cloisonne emblems are...
The cloisonne emblems are highly detailed.
John Klaver's TTA represents...
John Klaver's TTA represents the bulk of the production run, as 1,324 were made with leather interior and T-tops. The rarest is the single preproduction hardtop model with leather. The next scarcest are the preproduction T-top with cloth upholstery models at 4, followed by 15 production hardtops with cloth, 24 production hardtops with leather, and 187 production T-tops with cloth upholstery.
The WS6 GTA Crosslace wheels...
The WS6 GTA Crosslace wheels shod with 245/50VR16 tires were part of the package as well.
This is a site rarely seen...
This is a site rarely seen today-the original owner's kit that came with each car to commemorate the 20-year milestone of the Trans Am and these cars that were built in homage.
Inside, all Turbo T/As had...
Inside, all Turbo T/As had saddle interior; John's has the optional leather.