Why Was This Turbo V8 T/A SO SLOW? - The 1980 Pontiac Turbo Trans Am

[@mk84boom]

I graduated high school in 1991 and with money i received i bought a 1981 turbo t.a. as my first car. summer of 91 was awesome.

[@deeremeyer1749]

And then you had to start buying your own gas and insurance and repairs and you dumped that POS as soon as possible. And nobody ever thought it was as awesome - i.e. "fast" - sitting in it as seeing it drive by or even sit still from the outside. What is most hilarious about those TA CLOWN CARS is that the only one ever really "true" to its supposed Trans American racecar "roots" IS the slowest "2nd gen Firebird" of the bunch. And the one with BOOST! Trans Am racing "historically" limited cars to 5-liter displacement. And the Camaro Z-28 absolutely DOMINATED in '68 and '69 and Chevy NEVER had a "factory race team" or "program" PERIOD. And the 5-liter limit was DUE to what Chevy was able to get out of its "5-liter" 302-cubic inch small-block "DZ302". And yes. There was a 302 Chevy and BEFORE there was a 302 Ford. And the former did and does run absolute circles around the latter up to a LEGIT 8000 rpm. It's an "oversquare" engine with a 4" bore and 3" stroke. Every 1st gen Camaro Z28 had one. For '70 it was "replaced" by the LT1 370-hp 350. When Pontiac first tried to go Trans Am racing not having a "proprietary" small-block (just like Pontiac never had a "proprietary" 7.5-liter big-block and every "Pontiac" 455 is an Oldsmobile), they came up with the OHC "Sprint 6" inline 6-cylinder. It bombed and wouldn't even "outrun" AMC 304 "truck motors" (International-Harvester "developed" that supposed AMC engine) so suddenly it was an "economy performance" engine. Finally in '80 Pontiac had a "true" 5-liter class Firebird engine in a Trans Am at the same time the rules required one but DOH! It was still an Olds. A "destroked" 307 Olds but an Olds none the less. And not only did Olds not want it's proprietary 307 V8 engine associated with those CLOWN CARS because Pontiac still considered them "Oldsmobiles" for "warranty purposes" Olds built a "destroked" 307 for Pontiac only and FORCED Pontiac to "boost" it so the warranty was void "at the factory" AND did so knowing damn well it would make less power "boosted" than naturally-aspirated due to the ridiculous exhaust restriction. And all you'll ever have to do is get in an Olds Cutlass Supreme G-body WITH a 307 Olds to find out how gutless that "boosted" 301 Olds is by comparison. And as gutless goes the 307 Olds is WAY up there on the list. Like so gutless in a G-body not only every 305 Chevy in a Monte will "outrun" it every 267 Chevy in a Malibu will "outrun" it. Back in about that same '91 a kid I graduated with ALSO got a "new" TA with that same "boosted" 301. And he was the FIRST to admit how dog-ass slow it was BUT that being that SLOW was also PROBABLY kept it so nice and "clean". Because the previous owner(s) KNEW it was a lost cause to race ANYTHING with it AND there isn't any other engine - Pontiac or Olds - that can be "swapped" into one on a "bolt-in" basis because the "bellhousing" bolt pattern IS "Chevy". Pontiacs "plan" WAS to put Chevy engines in "late 2nd generation" Firebirds. Until Chevy told them no way in hell were they putting Chevy engines in those CLOWN CARS. A 305/4-speed 2nd gen Camaro will "outrun" EVERY SCREAMING CHICKEN FIREBIRD WITH A REAL PONTIAC UNDER THE HOOD and most of that is due to all the excess weight and drag those clown cars have on and in them to "look fast". And "140 hp" is all a 305 has to do it so why did a "140 hp" Pontiac or Olds engine have enough "power" naturally-aspirated? Because of how overweight and undergeared Firebirds were and are by comparison. Those Pontiac and Olds motors HATE "high rpm" so the rear axle gear ratio is stupid high to make sure they never get there at "freeway speeds". You MIGHT get one to "140+ mph" and "just like the movie" but you're going to need 5 miles and then a long steep hill to do it. And the only reason that "cult classic" movie that needed Jerry Reed, Sally Field AND Jackie Gleason and "car chases" to avoid being a box office bomb did anything to make Screaming Chicken clown cars more "popular" (and interestingly enough BLACK ones got less "popular") is because Firebird "market share" was completely in the shitter from "day one" AND as part of the marketing campaign Pontiac dealers sold them at "dealer net". Which is still WAY more than anybody with a clue ever pays for a new car "cash outright". 80% of dealer net is about right. AND if you wanted a "pony car" with T-tops in monotone red, white, blue or black with some sort of screaming critter "image" on the hood and all sorts of scoops and flares and spoilers and ground effects and the like to "look cool" you had TWO CHOICES. A "2nd gen Firebird" POS "based" on the Chevy Camaro "platform". Or a "1st generation" Ford Mustang II "based" on the Ford Falcon "platform". Gee. I wonder why Trans-Ams were so "popular" among stupid wannabe "car guys" with more dollars than sense. The same reason you had so much "fun" for ONE SUMMER in '91. Ignorance is bliss.

[@FWDSUXARSE]

Which Trans Am driver hurt you 😂😂😂😂​@@deeremeyer1749

[@JosephBartolini]

In 1988 went to Pontiac at the time was working for GM.that ment 5% off the car 5% off every option I walked in there looking for a Grand Am and I saw this thing called a Pontiac sunbird turbo I got it for $10,000 I test drove it this thing was beating irocs trans ams the car was a fluke 14.3 down the quarter mile 6.5 to 60. They never advertised this car I don't know why it was a great car

[@earlrichardson385]

One of the best looking slow cars out there.

[@thomasgentry6201]

Yup Cool Looking but not even a Fast Car!

[@ErikDB6]

The crap gas of the time made them slow.

[@thomasgentry6201]

@@ErikDB6 Engine made them slow

[@caseycassidy-k4z]

@@thomasgentry6201Have an 80 301non turbo TA. The rear end gear ratio is what really makes it slow on the take off. Once you get going it's not too bad

[@midnight347]

​@user-rv3cm7hv3l dude they have anemic performance it's not the gears making them slow it's the fact they don't have much power at all especially an na one.

[@Zappy1210]

My cousin bought a new 1981 Bandit edition Trans Am 4.9L turbo. He still has it to this day with the numbers matching 4.9L engine in it, but it isn't slow anymore. In 2015 he did a complete body off restoration of the car back to completely stock looking but with a crap load more bite. All new updated suspension, all LED lights, touch screen infotainment screen and the cherry on top? The 4.9L was completely rebuilt sparing nothing, if memory serves he put 10k or 12k into it which included fuel injection a REAL computer controlled tunable turbo. He put it on a dyno after all the work was complete and it made 510 HP at the wheels. He still drives it as his primary daily driver to this day. In my opinion, the F-body Trans Am was the best looking bodies of all time.

[@whoopidydoo7386]

Who did the work and were parts hard to find

[@Zappy1210]

@@whoopidydoo7386 Place called R&M Performance in Cambridge MD did the majority of the work.

[@dartdodge69]

I was recently informed that I've inherited one of these. My friend from work bought it brand new. Tried to buy it from him for years. His wife informed me he passed and left me the car. When spring hits I'll go dig it out of the garage it hasn't left in 30 years. I vow to get it back on the road!

[@laserbeam1620]

Sorry about your buddy. It'll be great to have it running again!!

[@VaporGearhead]

Bad life choice

[@MrRAGE-md5rj]

Rest in peace to your buddy. That's a gigachad move, right there.

[@Thesaurcery4U2C]

That was very cool of your buddy. I had a friend who passed years ago who did the same thing to me with a 65 Ford Fairlane. I helped him build the 427CJ motor over a couple years as he bought the parts, he then bought the car and installed that engine. That motor was extremely strong, traction bars, and decent rubber and it still just boiled the tires. It was a daily driver, not a drag car, so that motor was a lot. He closed the damn garage door and started that car over a woman breaking his heart. I owned it about 4 years, but it was tough to drive because of how that all happened. I knew a car guy and sold it to him, he did get all the interior, paint and body work done,

[@YoungHeartedSoul]

Should create a video and link us to we can see it, sorry for your loss

[@bparks_5095]

F body Trans Am is one of the most beautiful cars of all time, every line and every angle is perfection!

[@carlc5748]

Thanks to John De Lorean collaborating with Ferrari back in 1970 for that!

[@amacca2085]

Wouldn’t go that far

[@Adam-ub9nu]

Yessir, love of the best looking American cars anyhow. Personally, I think the 1995 Porsche 911 Turbo is the most beautiful car ever sculpted.

[@bparks_5095]

@@Adam-ub9nu You have great taste sir, it’s hard for me to argue that the 911 isn’t the most beautiful car ever designed!

[@quantumss]

@bparks_5095 Everyone is entitled to an opinion, even it it is stupid.

[@AMCmachine]

Regardless of whatever level of performance the Turbo T/A was capable of in stock form, I always thought those turbo boost indicator lights on the back of the hood scoop were pretty cool.

[@fastinradfordable]

I mean you put $500 worth of 2024 turbos with a real intercooler would more than double or even triple the stock power.

[@Sheisthedevilyouknowwho-ft9we]

​​@@fastinradfordablethis was a draw-through design. Compressor side of the turbo basically sat under the carburetor and on top of the intake manifold (utilizing a special plenum unique to these engines). No way to install an intercooler. I had a 1980 TTA in h.s. in the '90s. It was tired, I also wondered about high octane racing fuel or aviation fuel. There was a knock sensor in the valley on this engine, it seriously retarded timing and killed power at the slightest hint of any engine pinging or knock. 2 retired Pontiac engineers who worked on this in the 1970s talked at a car show about running water/methanol injection on test cars at Pontiac, but that didn't make it to production. Similar set-up to the early '60s Oldsmobile Jetfire, or like the man at TTA Performance now offers. That is one of the things the 301 Turbo desperately needed.

[@brianhoyt2469]

Fun fact the turbo T/A and Formula Turbo ran from 80-81 but the simulated shaker hood scoop with Low/Med/High turbo staging lights were only done till early 81 as they were difficult and costly so they changed to an analog boost gauge in the instrument cluster. The 301 turbo was only moderately successful due to the 301 being a pile of excrement that was notorious for overheating issues with its poorly designed oil pathways. That being said I enjoyed my 81 Formula Turbo 3spd when running around town. The turbo had a bit of a long spool up however, but if standing on the throttle when the auto trans hit 2nd it would readily chirp the tires and break the reared free.

[@AMCmachine]

@@brianhoyt2469 Amazing story, thanks. And I didn't know that tidbit about the hood gauges. 🙂

[@karlmoltzan6196]

The first American Turbo V8 was the Oldsmobile Jetfire in 1962. And Buick turbocharged the 231 c.i. v6 in 1977 that was avalible in most of thier cars. They continued the Turbo V6 through 1987 in the Grand National.

[@mikecone4049]

I should have read the comments first I just said the same thing

[@Stantonv]

And of course there was the Corvair...

[@Project_Low_Expectations]

And the 79 pace car was the Mustang with a turbo 2.3

[@jeffbranch8072]

And none of them - Buick 215 aluminum V8 turbo in an Olds, Corvair flat six turbo, Buick 231 V6 turbo, Ford Lima 2.3L turbo 4 cylinder - ever used in a Firebird (until the GNX engine used in the limited production 1989 20th Anniversary T/A nearly a decade later), which was kinda the point of the video.

[@stephenhayko]

4:16 I came here to say the same thing. The Oldsmobile turbo jet fire in 1962 and then the Corvair just a few months later both had turbo charged engines. The Corvair even kept the turbo up through the first year of the second generation in 1965. a little bit of cursory research could have prevented this error.

[@MetalTiger88]

cars will never get this beautiful again

[@danielosborne170]

No that they won't!!!! And that's just sad.

[@BigJoe5.0]

Have you seen the 2024 mustangs? Man they are ugly

[@scamperly]

4:00 The comment about turbos not being done mainstream before is only true for v8s. The Corvair Spyder had a mass produced turbo 6 cyl in the 1960s.

[@ronniephillips6259]

The Poncho 400 was not a big block. Also, Pontiac did NOT just "slap" a turbo on their 301. Very few parts were interchangeable between the 301 N/A and 301 turbo. Also, the 3rd gen was supposed to get the 301 turbo. That is why they had the turbo buldge. The corporate bean counters killed that idea. The 301 turbo would have been awesome in the lighter 3rd gen Firebirds.

[@serfcityherewecome8069]

Especially with EFI, 3.75 crank, better intake/heads, 342 rear end and 200-4R or Richmond 5-spd.

[@80GP400]

All the pontiacs from 326-455 had the same block the inside dimensions where changed no "big block". Except the 301 low deck motor. The buick GN started in 79 around the same time as the 301 turbo and had a simular turbo setup and you see what happened later on. If the 301 turbo would have continued it would have been a power house. GM cut it because they didnt want the trans am to overshadow the Corvette.

[@brianfeeney3936]

did you not watch the video there's an entire section to what was done to the 301 to handle the turbo

[@ronniephillips6259]

Nope. I have no clue what im talking about. 😅

[@Slowgroovin]

For the day, it was decent horsepower. The torque was great, considering the small engine. A stouter turbocharger and true blow through carburetor with a sealed turbo intake cap would've made a difference. The special 301 itself had some genuine hot rodding parts from the factory. Just needed more boost.

[@cardinaloflannagancr8929]

It honestly was the best idea for the day and not sticking with it is why the US car industry is years behind. Ford did it with the turbo 4 in the svo mustang too. Lighter cars and engines with smaller displacement and higher efficiency with great handling. Instead they slugged along defining insanity as they went trying the same thing expecting a different result. Kept using as big a motor as they can knowing with regulations and technology it couldn't do what they wanted. Kept doing it wondered why countries had superior technology. Probably because they actually kept a serious effort into things the US eventually did, except decades too late.

[@ErikDB6]

The setup was fine. The problem was the low octane gas of the era.

[@BlackPill-pu4vi]

The 301 had terrible heads and couldn't breathe to save its life. It just wasn't a performance engine and Pontiac did the bare minimum to get the 301 to equal the power of the old smogged- out 400. The turbo system was made to be compact and easy for mass production. Draw through carb, no intercooling, and awful manifolding conspired to limit what could've been a great send off for the marque.

[@danieldimitri6133]

The 301 was a turd all around. The crank had only 2 counterweights and wasn't stable. The mirrored port pattern used on so many American engines was used to facilitate Siamesed intake ports like on a stovebolt 6 or a mini or a tractor. This required a 301 specific intake manifold but they needed that anyway because the engine was a short deck. This means you can't even swap some higher compression heads from a 326 or 350 because an intake doesn't exist without fabrication to make it work together. One of the problems with Siamesed intake ports is that on a cross plane v8 there is no such firing order that treats all of the pairs equally and while 3 pairs mostly work independently excepts some residential vibrations there is always a pair the completely overlaps the intake strokes. The fuel will also prefer the edge cylinders because of its momentum through the turn. A v6 would have been lighter, made as much or better use of the small turbo and had more consistent fuel mixture across the cylinders. Being 1981 they would have had tbi fuel injection in the Chevy inventory which has ambient pressure reference on the in throttle body fuel pressure regulator. While not quite a cyclone or gnx a tbi setup on a 3.8 or even a more conventional Pontiac if they needed to exhibit brand pride like a 350 instead of an electronically metered q-jet would have ran circles around what they had. They kinda made up for things with the tta in 1989 but the 301 was a disaster.

[@ErikDB6]

@@BlackPill-pu4vi Except, the hottest street 301 around now, with a small cam and external bolt ons, is running 12.5s. The bottom end is taking 17 pounds of boost without issue. With decent gas at the time, it would have run in between the 403 and the W72.

[@marcanthony6038]

I bought a 1980 around 1990 in great condition. It is one of the best handling cars I have owned. In stock form the car really stuck to the road. I lIved the instrument panel with red lights from the factory. Most cars through the late 70's and 80's didnt even have a tachometer, so after driving mom & dads cars for a few years looking at the gauges while driving was exciting in itself. 80's sports cars would fall behind me on winding back roads. It was far from the slowest car in 1980, and out handled most of them. I wrecked it shortly after I more than doubled the horsepower with a built 400 big block. I tried driving it like it had 200 horsepower. I learned then how fun it was to drive a slow car fast. Im not againt gettinv another someday. I still have the turbo and carb, but the intake got lost after the swap. I will always love these cars. The Bandit hooked me as a child.

[@ianmangham4570]

Amazing, you must have driven some serious boats 🚢 if you found them great handling 👍 😮

[@SpeedNNoise]

@@ianmangham4570I own a 1980 Turbo T/A with a big cam 350 sbc. These cars handle great for what they are. You obviously must have never driven a 2nd gen F body in your life if you think it’s a boat. These cars barely fit 2 people. Just because it’s a muscle car doesn’t make it a boat😮🤡

[@lonmcq7317]

@@ianmangham4570 I've had 5 of them over 40 years, and the WS6 was one of the best handling cars ever.. You will run out of guts in the corners before the Trans Am will...

[@ianmangham4570]

@@lonmcq7317 Lmno ,gen flake 🤠👌

[@ianmangham4570]

@lonmcq7317 You've had a half dozen of everything I'll bet,now get off ya horse 🐎 and drink ya milk 🥛, happy 😊 thanksgiving PILGRIM! 🤠🙏

[@natedrizzydaruler2654]

I had a 81 turbo. It always turned a lot of heads. One I definitely regret selling.

[@Adam-ub9nu]

What did you buy directly after?

[@jasonahlstrom1424]

Bought a 1981 Turbo TA in the 90s. Those turbo 301 were not great and the original was blown with less than 60k miles. Swapped it for a 400 which I blew. Then swapped for a mild 455 which I’ve had 25 plus years. Perfect.

[@kurtisstutzman7056]

Sounds about right... those 301s were garbage...! My neighbor hated losing to my 79 Z28, so he did the same, swapped the turbo301 for a built 400 and I never beat him again with my Chevy 350cid...!!!

[@tomcherry7029]

​@@kurtisstutzman7056in 1979 the top engine was the W72 400 which would eat the 1979 Z28

[@kurtisstutzman7056]

@tomcherry7029 right...? I was talking about my neighbors 301 turbo, which is what caused him to swap to a built 400... Are you confused, or illiterate...?!?

[@JohnVirgalla]

I had a 301 non turbo, 4 barrel carb 160 hp was about what you got in 1980, it took Detroit a while to learn how to get power with emissions. My 1980 formula yes was down on power but with my ws6 suspension it was still one of the best handing cars I ever owned

[@jogmas12]

You couldn’t do that in California and still register it for public street use

[@dankolicious10]

I bought a 1980 Turbo TA back in 1989, and blew the head gasket trying to get more boost out of it. Not fast by todays standards but it was a fun car.

[@SquirminHermanthe1eyedGerman]

those 301s had very thin casting walls, its why they cracked & blew so easily

[@sr20boostjunkie]

😅 funny seeing ya comment hear crazy how fast cars are today stock

[@GT1RR]

This is a serious question...it wasnt in Virginia was it? I had a 1980 turbo ta and sold it to a guy around 1989 who blew a head gasket. Probably coincidence but just wondering...

[@ITRIEDEL]

That was my first question - could they handle more boost. Guess this answers that haha

[@hanc37]

301 motors were crap to begin with. Most people ended up dropping in a SB chevy...

[@skylined5534]

This car might have been slow, but it was damned good looking!

[@Adam-nv9zo]

I sold my Trans Am almost 20 years ago, and I still miss that car to this day.

[@hanc37]

I work with a lot of former Trans Am owners and every one of them miss it and wish they still had it...

[@BobKoehler-nz1op]

It SUCKS to be you

[@Shadow__133]

Dont miss the trailer park, though.

[@thomaslemon3971]

So people can spend more time admiring how cool it is as you roll by

[@mcm95403]

Little known fact - the next gen Firebirds got the turbo style offset hood scoop because the turbo engine was planned to be available in them, then canceled just before production started.

[@SquirminHermanthe1eyedGerman]

My 1985 Bandit II Edition had a shaker hood

[@TokeyTheBear_AOE]

There were production turbo 3rd generation. Very rare.

[@kbjcda]

that was a Buick 231 V6 turbo, not the 301 v8. 1989 - - fastest Trans Am ever up to that point.@@TokeyTheBear_AOE

[@FWDSUXARSE]

Those were the 3.8L V6 Turbo. ​@@TokeyTheBear_AOE

[@TokeyTheBear_AOE]

@@FWDSUXARSE indeed. Awesome cars.

[@Wookieherder]

I still have my 1980 Trans Am that I bought in 1981. It came with the TA 4.9 (301) with the crap Metric 200 auto transmission. The tranny shot craps after 5 years, so being a young motor head I replaced the motor with a .090 over bored 428 Pontiac motor with a race built Turbo 400. Now it is a true muscle car.

[@Pooby1000]

I owned a 1979 Firebird Esprit with the NA 301 and a 1981 Turbo TA at the same time. This was around 2003. These are cars that nobody really talks about, it was interesting to see the changes Pontiac made to the 301 for the turbo. Also, having owned both those cars simultaneously I can tell you the Turbo did feel faster when you punched it, but it still wouldn't win any races. The TA was also much stiffer and handled much better than the Esprit. My daily at that time was a 1997 Accord. When switching from the Honda to the Pontiac I had to make sure to stop much further back at stop signs and lights, that Pontiac front end was probably twice as long and would stick out into traffic if I pulled up the the stop like I would in the Accord.

[@drippinglass]

It made the cover of Hot Rod. September 1979? Anyway, I still remember one of the captions under a picture in the magazine. “The Turbo Trans Am will still smoke the tires. However, water is now required!” 🤣

[@terrybangley2281]

Yes, 1980 cars hit the showrooms in sept of 1979, just like 2025 cars will hit the showroom in sept of 2024

[@kennedymcgovern5413]

It is a shame. Those cars, and the Camaros of the day had THE look. I am saying that, and I am a MOPAR guy. These were the last of the beautiful cars until the retro craze hit the market in the 2000s. After this, they turned them all into pie wedges in the late 80s and then bubbles in the 90s. But what the government did to the performance, man that was borderline criminal.

[@gdb5448]

These were great looking cars, but how can you not like a 1989 TransAm Turbo?...or a 1988 TransAm GTA?...Or a 1985 Camaro IROC?...they were all great looking cars too.

[@kennedymcgovern5413]

@@gdb5448 All of the above die by comparison. I was born in 1970. So the first Camaros and Firebirds I knew were the 70s models. When you start with that look as your standard, the next generations of both were just ugly. Maybe, if they were not held to the standards of those that came before them, they would be alright. But that is just not the case, brother.

[@midnight347]

​@kennedymcgovern5413 it's ironic I think these are cool but the 2nd gen cars aren't that great. A 2002 ram air trans am looks better coming from a Ford guy but hey looks are subjective I guess.

[@kennedymcgovern5413]

@@midnight347 Oh, looks and beauty are absolutely subjective. I don't know of anything that is more subjective. You like what you like. That's why they made so many different cars, brother.

[@thomasnew8606]

When government touches anything, they will screw it up. Period.

[@1Bandit455]

Specialty Shop TTA Performance does 301 Turbo upgrades using aftermarket and modified stock parts - his 301 Turbo T/A runs 12's in the 1/4 mile 🏁🏆😎

[@Neilmobile95]

My dad had one of these back in the 80s. He quite like it, but the biggest problem with it was the fact that it had no intercooler, which was basically unheard of at the time, so it ran quite hot.

[@marko7843]

Oh don't blame Pontiac, the intercooler was also unheard of at Ford and Buick. (BTW, the intercooler does not affect the running temperature of the engine... It only cools the combustion air for better performance.)

[@danielcamacho1913]

The USA was making engines with superchargers and intercoolers in the late 1930s. By 1943 our fighter planes with those engines were winning a war. No one has explained to me why we could make boosted, intercooled engines in 1940 and not 1980.

[@kentkrueger6035]

Oldsmobile had a turbocharged V8 available on the 1962 and 1963 F85 and Cutlass. It displaced 3.5 liters or 215 cubic inches. It also had an aluminum block and heads. Buick produced a similar engine w/o a turbocharger. The Oldsmobile version had more head bolts and extra material to strengthen the engine. Pontiac was allowed to use the Buick version in there Tempest and Lemans series although most of those used the 1961-1963 Trophy 4 cylinder which was essentially a 389 V8 with the drivers cylinder bank lopped off. Over at Chevrolet the Corvair was also available with a turbocharged flat 6. Those were the first turbocharged cars built and Oldsmobile had the first turbocharged V8. If you are going to make a claim in your video, make sure you research it first because if you are wrong, someone like me will call you out on it.

[@9ZERO6]

Yeah dammit, someone like this will call you out! 😂

[@marko7843]

I may as well add the fact that neither the 403 Olds nor the 400 Pontiac were big-block engines... Pontiac did not even have that distinction, as all their V8s from at least the 326 to the 455 were the same block.

[@BobBasshead]

Glad to hear that someone knows about the turbo Oldsmobile 3.5, very few of us know of its existence.

[@marko7843]

Oh, BTW, the turbo 215 was not "available" on the original four models of the F-85 and Cutlass, it was only in the 5th bespoke model, the Jetfire... It had another first: decades before diesel exhaust fluid, owners were required to refill a tank under the hood with Turbo Rocket Fluid... Without knock sensors, the engine required alcohol-water injection to quell detonation. Alas, the typical American buyer wasn't willing to deal with that.

[@rbarker4426]

Even though it only had 210 horsepower in 1980. Is still ran neck and neck with the Camaro and the Corvette It would blow away a naturally aspirated mustang. It was only about 2 seconds slower than a 455 in the 1/4mi. It was a smog motor with anteloge trimming. A guy held a national record with one for 10 years with the stock forum for the fastest production car made. With just a little bit of tweaking.

[@jeffgee6319]

This was my first ‘favorite car.’ I was 6, in ‘80. Still love the look of this car.

[@MeltyGlassworx]

I like how the Firebird on the hood breathes fire into the hood scoop!❤

[@criss1868]

I still have my 80/81 Turbo Trans Am pedal car from when I was a kid. Has the hood bulge and turbo 4.9 stickers still too.

[@bradenrichardson4269]

I have an 81 Pace Car, the OG engine, turbo hood and paint was gone by the time I got it. It now has a mild 400 along with the shaker hood.

[@NBC_NCO]

I had a 256 rear gear in my 77 Nova with a 350 and turbo 350 trans. I loved that rear gear. 1st gear allowed me to get above the posted 55MPH highway speed before merging. 60 mph in 3rd was right near 2100 rpm. I could easily flatline the speedo in second. That rear gear took full advantage of the torque.

[@jameswilkinson6678]

Any time you swap in shorter gears, or a 6-speed, it's worth asking if that adds an extra shift to get to 60mph and/or the end of the quarter mile. I owned a Mustang with 3.27 gears and a 5-speed that would just barely hit the rev limiter at the end of a good quarter-mile pass, in third gear. Other people would drop in 4.11s and maybe a Tremec T-56 transmission, but I thought that was a mistake. That adds a shift to your quarter-mile runs.

[@NBC_NCO]

@jameswilkinson6678 Correct. I believe a top fuel dragster use a 256 or something to that effect. That's how they are getting to 300+MPH and not one gear shift.

[@karrpilot7092]

I also had that gear in a 1978 Caprice. Even with a built 327, it was slow off the line. But it would go a couple of hundred miles on a tank of gas highway.

[@NBC_NCO]

@karrpilot7092 I'm not sure the actual HP on that old car. But a hard launch would produce tons of smoke then the second gear shift would send it sideways. For me..0 to 60+ MPH in 1st gear didn't take long if it hooked up.

[@Camaro69z]

My dad kept blowing up Pontiac motors and got sick of them. So, he dropped a 355 Chevy Nascar block and 671 blower in a '75 Firebird. 700hp later in the early 90's in a non tubbed '75 Trans Am was hilariously impracticable, scary, and insanely fun. Anytime we were at an intersection and he turned up the timing dial, I knew I was in for a 5 second treat.

[@rarecars3336]

Now that must have been a riot, the 74-75 TAs are my favorite bodystyle

[@liddz434]

Would love to see one today with modern bolt ons, engine management etc.

[@rarecars3336]

Agreed, I would think it could make around 450hp with a slightly larger turbo and EMS

[@ethannewman9555]

Check out TTA Performance.

[@laserbeam1620]

KZbin it. You'll love it

[@liddz434]

@@laserbeam1620 thanks for the tip!

[@the-pezinator]

Finally a video on the Pontiac Turbo Trans Am!!

[@sauluribe7082]

I first received a 1979 Z28 with 4sp. 3:5 rear screaming in the highway ten years old then. The high octane gas did it's magic in that feisty baby. Particularly Shell.

[@risinbison1106]

I drove a 1979 T/A recently, forgot how much cars of this era rattled. Sadly, my kids Honda accord could blow its doors off.

[@danmarjenka6361]

The 2.0 turbo Accord does 0-60 in only 5.8 seconds. Doesn't have the sound or feel of a V8, but they are fast.

[@ricksmith4736]

Girl I dated had an 81.... It was a fun car to drive... The handling was still like the car was on rails....

[@mocarpenter8836]

My best friend owned a 1980/81 Indy White, and Grey Turbo TA. Just Exactly like the one shown here. Beautiful car!! Slow AF !! They would chirp the 1st too 2nd shift ! It was a cool ride !! The Turbo gauge in the hood was cool as well. The lady's seemed to like it ! 😁

[@JxT1957]

'79 to '81 "four eyes" has the most awesome looking front end. meaner looking than the '77-'78

[@soyounoat2814]

Decades ago I owned a 1977 Pontiac LeMans Sport Coupe with a n/a 301 Pontiac V8. That engine was a boat anchor. To climb a moderate hill, it required a running start and it slowed down as it climbed. I wished it had a turbo 301, or a 400, because the car handled great with it's "Radial Tuned Suspension".

[@user-qr7ee2cp4y]

You still had choking emissions and turbo, fuel injection, and computer control was at least a decade away so it's easy to see how it happened. Would be awesome to get one of those cars now and modernize it with a 500 hp fuel injected turbo with adjustable waste gates.

[@nzsaltflatsracer8054]

7:33 Wrong! A 3.08 gear ratio is Not a low ratio it's a Hight ratio, a 3.73 gear is a lower ratio. People get this wrong all the time then start quoting numerical tooth count numbers & that ends up with more confusion & misinformation.

[@wildwest5436]

I owned a 78 with a 400 and a turbo 301 80 as a teenager. The 80 wasnt as fast but both were chick magnets!

[@rarecars3336]

I can only imagine lol

[@rogerdodrill4733]

U funny 😂, chick.

[@rydplrs71]

I didn’t even realize these existed until this summer. I saw a rusty white one with hood scoop that said turbo 4.9 on the side at the local beer store and googled it when I got home. I’ve seen it one more time since but I’m still unsure who owns it. Edit: I still wasn’t aware the scoop was offset until this video.

[@tmoney2923]

It may have been slow but it was one of the best looking cars ever made.

[@rarecars3336]

I do love the way it looks!

[@blackrat1228]

Hopeully this video spreads some more knowledge of these cars. Recently one was up for auction and featured in some viral clip. The host correctly identifies the "boost gauge" and screaming chicken hood sticker but because it sounds so ridiculous to younger people they rip on her thinking she's making it all up. There were a lot of unique things automakers tried in the 70s and 80s that they couldnt get away with now and its forgotten to time.

[@DavidB7474]

Pontiac should have gotten Gale Banks to help. Banks and Ken Detweiler worked with GM on the Buick turbo cars. A twin turbo 301 may have produced a lot of power. So the cars were slow, they still look cool as hell!! And 3.08 gears are awesome on the highway since this was before we had over drive transmissions.

[@danmarjenka6361]

The three speed automatic meant we had to compromise on the pumpkin gears. You either got acceleration or relaxed highway cruising, but not both.

[@DavidB7474]

@@danmarjenka6361 74 Camaro th350 transmission small stall converter, I had 3.73 gears and they are awesome. And it sounded like a nascar at 6500 down the highway(that’s 145). Now my 92 Silverado with a decent 9.7:1 350, 5 speed and 3.08 gears. It’s moves good for a 4400 pound truck, cruises at 120 and I don’t even need 5th gear. The newer automatics have 8 speeds, and 10 speeds, close ratios. We even have 6 speed manual transmissions today. You can either spend a lot on an over drive or spend more money on making horsepower.

[@danmarjenka6361]

@@DavidB7474 I agree. I had a 1985 F-150 with a stock 302, 2 barrel, and a 5-speed but it had really low gears in the pumpkin. That thing accelerated like a big block. The transmissions available today make cars and trucks more livable and also fast.

[@michaelaustin7505]

Never done main stream? Corvair Turbo & Olds Jetfire??

[@psp1921tsmg]

Awesome looking car. I had a 74 t/a with a 455 4sp. I went to buy one of these it was beautiful. I drove it. What a dog. I passed

[@BrandonWillis-kf5zm]

😂. It's hard to accept anything after tasting Big Block that is Controlled with someone's lucky Left leg

[@danmarjenka6361]

There is no substitute for cubic inches.

[@rmbrsrv1]

Very cool video. One note about the “C” word engine commentary. The only way to get four speed was with a 305 CID Chevrolet in a 49 state car. This car had a 3:42 rear gear to make up for lack of power. This was the best handling version of the T/A because of availability of WS6 package and lightweight SBC.

[@carlr.2322]

Great video of a good car 👍

[@rarecars3336]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed!

[@dewelrivera3305]

​@@rarecars3336there is no such thing as a big block Pontiac V8

[@rarecars3336]

@@dewelrivera3305I know they all use the same block I just always end up saying it big block/small block out of habit

[@RcCrafter]

Bought a turbo Trans Am from a buddy when I was in the military in the late 80's. The engine was junk but the car was cool. Pulled it and put in a 455. Car was a beast after that.

[@number3665]

It should also be noted that Pontiac didn't switch to Chevy engines in the 3rd gens because they wanted to. GM mandated it. Pontiac was actually continuing to develop the 301 turbo for the 3rd gen trans am. Since they were lighter than the 80 and 81 cars performance was going to be better. And Pontiac had started getting a handle on forced induction, the 301 turbo that would have been in the 82 trans am was slated to make 300hp.

[@jamesgeorge4874]

GM Corporate would not have allowed a Firebird to have 50+ more horsepower than their flagship sports car, the Corvette.

[@number3665]

@@jamesgeorge4874 GM corporate pretty much never allowed Pontiac to do any of the things it did throughout its history as a performance division. Nearly everything that made Pontiac cool was done against the rules or without permission but because the ideas made so much money that GM had to be ok with it. Had it came to be I'm sure it would've been the same thing that happened with the 70 Chevelle. Made more power than the Corvette for one year then the Corvette would've had to get an engine that made the same power or they force Pontiac to detune or restrict the engine to make less power.

[@kevinbreese5739]

That black custom wide body at the end of the video is gorgeous.

[@IronMan3582]

If Pontiac made the shift to fuel injection for that V8, they probably could have gotten a lot more performance while still remaining emissions compliant...as was said in the parting shot of the turbocharge V6 that Buick had in their Grand National

[@danielcamacho1913]

Pontiac might have wanted fuel injection earlier, for all we know. GM upper management (i.e. not even remotely engineers) put the kibosh on a lot of Pontiac's ideas over the decades. Or gave their ideas to other brands. Look up the 1964 Pontiac Banshee concept car, and see if the 1969 Corvette doesn't look suspiciously similar.

[@IronMan3582]

@@danielcamacho1913 Oh I'm very familiar with the Bashee so no argument there...there was a C2 Corvette that got mechanically timed fuel injection for two model years nicknamed "The Fuelly" and they stopped making that style engine because no one was buying it for the extra $400 asking price. It was hella ironic that it continued to outperform the carbureted V8s all future C2s until the 427 engine option became available It took an extra 1 liter of displacement with a carburetor to offset the advantages that fuel injected provided, it makes that much of a difference

[@JohnD357]

I bought a 1980 Turbo TA brand new in the spring of 1980 off the local Pontiac showroom floor. It looked great and was quick, but did feel slow overall. I attributed that to the weight, as it was a heavy car. Also, mine did not have the turbo boost gauge. I don't know when that got added.

[@GPGTman]

Mechanic here. I unfortunately haven't had the fortune of driving a turbo 301, but I *have* driven the N/A 301 and it was the most limp, slowest 70's muscle car I've ever driven. It's such a shame that the Pontiac V8 died out with a wimper.

[@rarecars3336]

It is, the 455 TA would have been the one to end it on

[@dutchylt]

It didn't die out, it was killed off.

[@bryanp8010]

The 3 speed auto trans was a major contributor. I had a late 70’s bird and it was stupid slow. At highway speed the RPMs were screaming

[@BobGeogeo]

Feeling like Burt Reynolds is important.

[@lunsy9420]

I'm the 70s he was the man. He went downhill after he married Loni Anderson.

[@z512345]

Burt Reynolds is dead, he doesn't feel anything.

[@6strings1pickup12]

My very first car in the late 80s was a Buick that someone had transplanted a rebuilt Pontiac 301 into lol. Naturally aspirated version of course. What a complete DOG. That motor couldn't get out of it's own way. Might as well have been a 2.5 four-banger lol.

[@cva1122]

Great video. The shots with the shaker hoods weren't turbos, right?

[@Sheisthedevilyouknowwho-ft9we]

Right, all 80 and 81 turbo t/a and Formulas had that special hood (I had one😁). FYI...not all cars had the decals, you could order the turbo t/a (like the t/a) and not spend the $$$ for the decals on the hood. And the formula never got the huge hood bird. And, some of them don't have the 3 lights and "turbo charge" emblem. I believe that was the earlier 1980 models , and that they started put that on cars after the 1980 model year run had started

[@ccc3350]

Owned a 1980 turbo Trans Am. It had unbelievable turbo lag. Worst part was turbo would spool up and if you had to hit brakes it would keep accelerating. Easy to get away from you. Lights on hood scoop were cool.

[@michaeljordan6008]

So much better looking than a Z28, not close😊😊.

[@michaelgreene2920]

Nope... I had a 79 Z/28, my brother had a 79 T/A Bandit, chick's loved my 79 Z/28... Blue on blue on blue, with dark tops.... It was a beautiful car ..they both were, but, the Z was the best looking....

[@mattspontiacta]

I like both cars my neighbor had a brand new 81 Z28 with a 4 speed. White with the blue graphics. I had a 69 GTO . My brother had a 78 TA with the 220hp 400 auto. We had no problems picking up the girls in 79 with either car. My neighbor was older than us 21 .. he also had no problems picking up girls with his Z28. I will say we all eventually raced . My 69 GTO ate both of those cars. My brothers 78 TA beat the 81 Z28 pretty good. They raced several times. The 4 spd Z28 had 342 gears and my brothers auto 78 TA had 3.42 gears with headers. Fun times for sure. This was in 1979.

[@Tech-ez1qj]

I had a 1980 Pontiac Trans Am Indy turbo pace car in 1988 when I was 18. It was slow as f ck. I blew the rod out the oil pan and had to rebuild it. The cast crankshaft has no counter weights on it. You heard me right. The valves were as small as a bottle cap. And the turbo only made 7.5 pounds of boost, not 9. It had no intercooler, and the temp under the hood on a hot summer July day was hot f ck from the 2 exhaust pipes wrapped around the eng with the turbo slapped on top. I woke up one morning after a night of drinking, went out, started the car, and started driving home. It had a bad misfire. I beat on it so hard o rod broke and went through the oil pan just below the block. So most of the oil stayed in it and I was able to drive it home. Craziest shit I've ever seen. So I rebuilt the engine and learned what a stinking pile of engineering crap it was. The no counter weights on the crankshaft still blows my mind. That some hack shit Pontiac put out.

[@KarlChilders-bt3hf]

The 89 v6 turbo trans am was quick as hell though

[@cephurs]

blew up my 301 twice before opting for a ramair4 cammed 400. still have the turbo

[@danwilliams5867]

saw that more than once

[@Scrambler85]

My friend had a turbo 301, it was slooooow

[@jameysmith2043]

Yeah...sadly, it could have been so much more..

[@rarecars3336]

Yeah not too fast they really did the car dirty with the long rear gears, 3 speed auto, and the finicky turbo setup that liked to run terribly lol. Lots of unused potential

[@lunsy9420]

I was gonna say a friends dad had one in 1990. It had under 10k miles and his dad let him drive it to school once or twice a year. It was painfully slow but a nice looking car. Like we used to say it wouldn't pull a greasy string out of rats a**.

[@austinfrazier7325]

Good video. I read somewhere that Pontiac was actually considering a 2nd gen version of the turbo 301 for the 82 Firebird redesign. It would have had EFI. If Pontiac would have stayed with the development through the 80s that could have been quite the performer as technology caught up. Alas they instead went with Chevy engines.

[@danielcamacho1913]

They went with Chevy engines because GM upper management told them to. Pontiac didn't have the final say in anything they did, and it seems like GM execs were averse to big changes in technology.

[@kostaskritsilas2681]

While the Turbo T/A was the first turbocharged American V8, it was a pretty poor engine overall. There were turbocharged cars from American manufacturers, including the Chevy Corvair and the Oldsmobile Jetfire in the early 1960s. Buick had already started turbocharging their V6 two-three years earlier. Granted , none were V-8s. The 301 was not a good engine, either turbocharged or not, as it had way too many comprises in its basic structure (the normally aspirated 301 only had 3 main bearings; I don't know how many the turbocharged version had, instead of the 5 normally found on V-8s in an ettempt to cut down on frictional losses). It was a fuel mileage first engine, and turbocharging it couldn't fix its various issues. The other problem was the sheer weight of the Trans-Am that it was put into. That generation of Trans-Am was designed to be cheap to build, and in 1972, it wasn't too heavy. Move forward to 1979/1980, add in hundreds of pounds of energy absorbing bumpers, steel door guard beams, and various other mandated pieces of safety equipment, and the weight ballooned up significantly.

[@karlmoltzan6196]

The Olds Jetfire was a 215c.i. V8.

[@ErikDB6]

So much bad info there. The engine is fine. Folks are running 17 psi off the stock bottom end. Again, it was the sucky 87 octane unleaded that was available then that was the problem. With some modern high octane gas, and so minor bolt of breathing improvements, they will run very nicely.

[@mikeholland1031]

Not 1st

[@Justacogg]

I worked for Pontiac from 1978 through the beginning of 1981. The turbo Trans Am formula were an abysmal failure. I had a formula company car in 1980 and turned the car back in quickly. I swapped it in for a used formula with a 400 4 speed. (Great car!) The only thing that could be said about the turbo was there was maybe slightly less weight over the front wheels. The turbo lag was obnoxiously long and this is a car that I turned in with less than 4000 miles on it. Pontiac couldn’t give me one of those cars! It was a shame from there until modern computers brought the horsepower back…

[@googleusergp]

I'm not even one minute in and I know this is going to turn bad. You called a 400 Pontiac V8 a "big block". No such thing. Pontiac V8s aren't small or big blocks.

[@DayRider76]

My 76 Formula still has the stock 400 bottom end. Big cam, headers and big exhaust. With the 7.6-1 compression, it runs it's best on the lowest octane possible. I see a little power loss and poor fuel economy on higher octane. People think I should bump it up? But why fix it if it's not broke. I love how it runs. Not the fastest car off the line, but loves to stretch its legs.

[@cedricedemps]

I bought one a few years ago thought it was gonna be so cool looks good but absolutely godless

[@rarecars3336]

Yeah these do look great at least, I used to dislike the 79-81 cars but over the years they have grown on me

[@BobKoehler-nz1op]

I have a 79 ta with a 455 Nice toy

[@DjNikGnashers]

The Oldsmobile jetfire had a turbocharged V8 petrol engine in 1962. 215bhp was pretty decent for a 3.5 Litre V8 especially in 1962.

[@johnmarshjr928]

Now let’s recreate this today, to be as close as possible, yet modernized. Built 4.8 turbo cam 500-600 hp. There was a black one in my area that had been LS1 swapped with the t-56 as well , sweet car.

[@rarecars3336]

Exactly I think that combo in this car would RIP

[@sparky6086]

"Smokey & the Bandit" was the 2nd highest grossing film of 1977. A broadly popular film, not a "cult classic" which is niche.

[@stoveguy2133]

Found a 4600 mi turbo ta in 1996 for $1100. Was in a mild off road excursion and bent frame. Was technically driveable. Super super clean.

[@soldierski1669]

1978 was the last casting year of the traditional PMD v8.

[@80s_kid.]

i wouldn't care how slow they are, just to own one would be a complete joy, Old cars are Beautiful, every old car needs saving, like us, once they're gone they're gone forever.

[@rogerdodrill4733]

Not quite, cars can be rebuilt, not u

[@80s_kid.]

@@rogerdodrill4733 True man, life is not funny.

[@ELXABER]

I had a 76 Formula Firebird with a 400 SB. It ran mid-13's 1/4 timed bone stock engine with a bit of carb tuning and a swapped 350 to 400 turbo trans. The engine ran rather warm being shoehorned in a bit, so turbos probably added little to no power. Also, as you mentioned, premium gas wasn't always available.

[@DayRider76]

I like mine. 76 Formula 400. Cam, headers and big exhaust. Runs good.!

[@ELXABER]

@@DayRider76 Nice. I lost mine when someone ran a red light, broad sided it and kept going. I bought it back in the mid-90s for $5,000 with less than 40k on the odometer.

[@DayRider76]

@@ELXABER I just pulled mine in for the biyearly overhaul!!! Sorry for your loss bud, that sucks.

[@steppydaddy972]

My all time Favorite Car❤❤

[@LawrenceHubbard-o2i]

I liked the idea comment “a lot more could go wrong “ which it did before even leaving the factory. My father worked in AGR for Pontiac in Norwood Ohio. He said that they would be lined up sided by sided out of the pit and to exit door waiting for repair.

[@THROTTLEPOWER]

Great vid!!!! 👍👍

[@BERSERKERNA39]

I had the Indy Pace car edition. Beautiful car. The white exterior and interior had the fire bird stitched into the rear seat and door panels that matched the hood. The red dash was also cool.

[@stainless1175able]

For a short time I had a 79 T/A with and Olds 403. The body was too far gone so I also bought a 1980 Firebird with a 301. The VIN seemed to indicate that it was originally equipped with a turbo but if it did, it was long gone.

[@oskars1419]

one of the best looking cars :D

[@jackbower8671]

Dude, love this series. Had a 88 325is in my early 20's. About July 2019 I snagged up a clean diamond in the rough 1990 Jeep Cherokee Sport Black 2dr, 4.0L, AW4 4wd that was T-boned and a bad sunburn. In late 2020 I replaced the quarter and door myself. Had to pull the lower b pillar out 3-4in. Over time, a full paint reconditioning, un reinforcement front and rear, Maxxis 31's on 15x8 Gambler wheels, Warn front bumper and tucked tube rear, then a 2in lift to reduce bottoming out. There's definitely a lot more to the story lol. More sublet, clean and sweet upgrades on the way! Love this channel man, keep it up

[@brentvance3958]

I am a Ford guy but the 77 Trans Am is my favorite car.

[@sammy4538]

How they managed to get so low power from a turbocharged V8, is mindblowing... to avoid higher numbers, engineers had to work hard.

[@davidbelleau776]

Back in mid 80's I had an 81 Turbo Trans-Am. The 81 models were rated at 210 horsepower and the 80 models were rated 190. When things were right my 81 was a fun car that had decent power and handling. Previously I had a 78 Regal Turbo. My 81 T/A Turbo was a POS. I was constantly fixing issues. Door hinges, A/C leaking, Power window issues. Then things went from bad to worse. My 81 was afflicted with "soft" camshafts. I had to have the camshaft replaced. The dealer messed up the installation of the cam and damaged the cam bearings, causing low oil pressure. The engine had to be pulled and new cam, rod, and main bearings installed. 3 days after the engine was reinstalled, the oil pump driveshaft sheared off and I was stranded on the freeway 60 miles from home. The car was towed, repaired again. A week later an electrical fault burned the car. What a nightmare that car was.

[@mikemcchesney2555]

I remember I was on a test drive in a new 1984 Mustang SVO. A Turbo V8 Trans Am pulled alongside and wanted to race. The Four Cylinder Turbo SMOKED the TransAm. It was why I bought the Mustang! LOL

[@SquirminHermanthe1eyedGerman]

funny that T/A is worth twice as much as that SVO now

[@mikemcchesney2555]

@@SquirminHermanthe1eyedGerman Especially after I was clipped on PCH by a 71 Porsche 911S. We were racing from Muir Woods to Stinson Beach (so twisty you don't really get out of second gear). Just before you get into Stinson Beach, there is a bay with a sharp hairpin. The Porsche lost it (back end of course), clipped me, and sent me down the mountainside. All I cared about was not being in my car IN Great White Infested Waters (just inland from Farallon Islands GW breeding grounds). Stopped about fifty feet short of getting wet (except my underwear ;-)

[@SquirminHermanthe1eyedGerman]

@@mikemcchesney2555 lol thats a great story & glad you made it out ok! I had a few Trans Ams over the past 40+ yrs, my favorite was the '88 black/black Ttop GTA which was fast but my '98 black/black Ttop LS1 6sp was a beast! Also had an '85 Bandit II Edition, '83 Recaro Edition & '76 400 4sp! Did my share of racing around north Georgia & I grew up around the area where Smokey & the Bandit was filmed & got to see some of it the summer of '76 when I was 12

[@mikemcchesney2555]

@@SquirminHermanthe1eyedGerman Of all the cars and trucks I've had in 60 years, the one I never had and wanted was a nice 77-78 T/A in Black with a golden buzzard on the hood.

[@SquirminHermanthe1eyedGerman]

@@mikemcchesney2555 You might can find you one as a project but you have to have a bank roll nowadays to afford one

[@danwilliams5867]

As a mechanic in the 80's I can tell you most of these spent there time in the shop. The American public had no idea on how to maintain a turbo car, so with oil and contamination, blow-by, they didn't change the oil enough , like 2k miles or less. That and they had no idea they needed to let car idle for a minute or so to get some cooler oil to turbo. The turbo's bearings coked up and so did the lines to them. Then they seized and were towed to the shop. The normal response , because we had to get turbo from dealer, was oh hell no and can't you put a 400 in it? Which we did because it was actually cheaper to do. That any survived is a miracle

[@kd6836]

I had a friend with a white turbo 81 Trans Am and another with a Citation X11. They dragged one night. I think they’re almost to the finish line, now. The TA was sharp though.

[@anthonygray333]

Early in the video you mention the 400 Pontiac “Big Block”. Pontiac only had one block size with various displacements. Chevy had big and small blocks

[@joegiaimo7497]

It's about time that someone knows there shit about big blocks ,small blocks and single block castng size. Everyone else take note.

[@rogerdodrill4733]

It's just semantics if it's less than say 370 call it small, if more than 370 ci. Call it big. Ci. Makes HP not block size

[@anthonygray333]

@@rogerdodrill4733 But Chevy had a 400 small block and a 396 big block thus the conundrum. As people new to the hobby may look to this video, I just think that proper terminology is warranted. I’m not nit picking a good show, just pointing out something that might deserve adjustment.

[@danielcamacho1913]

Pontiac made a new block size when they made the short-deck 301.

[@80GP400]

The 301 Turbo was different then the NA motor inside. I became a mechanic because of the 301. I tried to mod the NA motor, cam ect... still didnt make power lol, but i learned how to take apart and rebuild a motor, car, trans, suspension 😂 so i love the 301.

[@osamawilliams9042]

1980 Pontiac Firebird Formula!!! The 1ST Car I ever Wanted was the 1ST CAR I ever HAD!!!! I Still Miss My Baby😪 She was called in the street 'The Body Snatcher'!!! She was BEAUTIFUL, T-Tops and ALL!!!

[@ryandubyah2345]

I owned an ‘81 T/A 301 turbo exactly like the one @1:00, I had better exhaust and a Hurst slap shift in it but she was still pretty dickless. Nonetheless I loved that car and if I were thinking better at the time I’d never have sold it. Body & frame were perfect, all I’d have done was updated everything else and tossed a warmed over LS in there

[@k9m42]

Had a used one of these. Problem was yhe Pontiac 301 was a horrendous motor that always found a way to crap out.

[@jamesnoble3502]

The 1980 Turbo TA used in Smokey and the Bandit part 2 had to be modified with nitrous by the production crew to get any kind of performance out of it