Unfair Bashing Of The 1980-1981 Pontiac Trans Am Turbo 4.9 Liter V8

The 1980-1981 Pontiac Trans Am was the last hurrah for the second generation (1970-1981) Trans Am, it would also be the Pontiac V8's last stand. The 1980-1981 Trans Am Turbo 4.9 liter V8 was one of the best new performance cars available during its time however it has gotten an unfair bashing by some. But popular opinion is changing and the the 1980-1981 Turbo Trans Am is finally getting the credit it deserves.
1980 Trans Am Engines:
LU8 - 210 horsepower Turbo 4.9 liter V8
L37 - 150 horsepower 4-bbl 4.9 liter V8
W72 - 155 horsepower E/C 4-bbl 4.9 liter V8
LG4 - 150 horsepower 4-bbl 5.0 liter V8 (only available in California)
1981 Pontiac Trans Am Engines:
LU8 - 200 horsepower Turbo 4.9 liter V8
L37 - 150 horsepower 4-bbl 4.9 liter V8
LG4 - 150 horsepower 4-bbl 5.0 liter V8

[@timcoker4685]

You don't buy a late 70s T/A for jaw dropping performance, you buy it because no matter where you drive it, you have the coolest looking ride on the road!!!

[@willmills1370]

And the girls always loved the T Tops off while cruising and the music turned up. Miss the 80's.

[@drippinglass]

They were actually kinda boring back then as they were everywhere. And a lot a women drove them.

[@nickcaruth8939]

@@willmills1370 me too

[@yamahaguy1732]

They really are even though I prefer the 77 78 trans am front end this body style is just so sexy

[@Brian.8272]

im looking at at a 81 4.9ltr non turbo for sale

[@Yoshinator5000]

I happen to have an 80 trans am 4.9 turbo special edition. It is all original, and has 4,800 miles on it. It has been in my family since day one and I am glad to see it finally get the outside respect it deserves, even though that's how I felt about it all along

[@mitchsalawine5420]

She sounds beautiful Jim, so what if she doesn't have the big engine of the 1979 and earlier. She's clean, pretty and a family heirloom, and I bet alot of fun to own and drive. And probably extremely easy to maintain compared to today's cars!

[@happydays8171]

I'm jealous, as a Rockford Files fan, thought that Firebird design was the most beautiful car ever, and T/A creme of GM's crop of cars.

[@jjs777fzr]

Love it.

[@silentmajorityuscitizen9990]

10-4 good buddy LOL! Got mine when I was 16yrs old. Need to fixer up a bit as I had a ton a fun with her!

[@AmericanPatriot-cw9xe]

worth over 60,000 dollars now days !

[@MrFilmScorer]

Great video! I own an '81 Turbo Trans Am, but the original owner blew up the turbo 301 and, by the time I bought it in 1993, it had a Pontiac 400 installed that was sorely in need of the complete rebuild I gave it soon after acquiring it. At the time, I also had a 2nd '81 Trans Am and it was the 305 4-speed model. I installed a suped-up Chevy 350 in it and later sold it because I needed the cash. I'm glad I still have the one with the 400. As a kid in 1979, I was floored when I first saw the latest version of the 2nd generation T/A. It looked so awesome that it became my dream car once I was old enough to drive. I love all models of the Firebirds and Trans Ams, but the 79-81 look remains my favorite.

[@willmills1370]

Same here as those years are my favorite. If you ever get the chance for a rebuild on that 400, look up Butler Performance. They're Pontiac engine builders.

[@mikef-gi2dg]

I got to see some of the development of the Turbo Trans AM inside Pontiac Engineering, late 79.....technology wasn't quite up to snuff to do the turbo right, but a couple of years later,,,it could have really been something.

[@mitchsalawine5420]

I drove a PRISTINE example of these back in high school. I admit that I considered trying to drop a 6.6 liter into it, but wisdom prevailed as it was in such fine shape. So, I just enjoyed it as it was, took meticulous care of it, and brought a nice price when I finally parted with it. And it didn't do my reputation in high school any harm either.

[@andrewplantagenet5811]

This is one of the best car enthusiast KZbin channels!!

[@tomjeffery8809]

had to 79 302 W 6 suspension with a Oldsmobile motor bring it down the highway but they're these cars are living lemons breakdown sitting there where do you use them or not they guaranteed to break Greg down dead in the end calling the thunder chicken anything else than what it is a thunder chicken and don't forget about the three old ones in the 305 Chevy just stuck in there at the last two definite for 30 5 Chevy day start in it it was dead as hell1981

[@LionWithTheLamb]

The 301 was a reliable yet anemic engine. I drove one once with automatic transmission, non-turbo, 3.08 Gears. It was about the same acceleration as a 2.8L Mustang II.

[@outlawtransam]

they were prone to overheating amongst other issues.

[@fitfogey]

In high school a buddy of mine’s dad had a white pristine 81 turbo TA. Every now and then his dad would let him drive it and I’d ride along. It was amazing. That car got serious looks from everyone. I’ll never forget it.

[@JxT1957]

'79 to '81 are my favorite style with that mean looking front end mask

[@drippinglass]

You forgot to mention... The Hot Rod magazine article said “The new Turbo Trans Am will still do a burnout. But water is now required!”

[@preston121068]

I own a 1980 Turbo T/A with a rare factory T-top delete. I inherited the car from a former tenant of a house I leased out who was transferring for his job overseas. He knew I had interest in the car and it was not running at the time so he made a deal for his last 3 months rent I couldn't refuse lol. I got started on restoring it in 2000 in my shop and pulled the entire drive train including the rear and sent it all to a speed shop. By 2002 I had the car repainted the factory black, the gold eagle decals and interior looking brand new and many upgraded suspension parts. Last piece of the puzzle was the engine. I had the Speed shop completely rebuild the 301 with high end parts a new CPU driven Turbo system that turned a very respectable 435 HP on the dyno. Changed the 308 rear gears to 355 limited slip and added an overdrive gear to the rebuilt transmission. It is what this car always should have been. Its a blast to drive and turns heads every time I do drive it. I always wanted to go to Florida and see if Burt Reynolds would sign the dash and I regret I never pursued that now that he has passed.

[@MartyM.]

That's awesome. You really should do a video about the car and go all-in and make it a high quality video. People would love that.

[@johnwayne7476]

preston121068 hard tops are far stronger than t tops. A lot of people are looking for hard tops. Some link the subframes, beef up the springs then toss a 501 crate engine in them. T top cars torque twist the bodies out of wack. Good call on holding on to that one. Cool cars

[@johndrake2729]

I don't care what y'all say, I still like it!

[@davehibbs9111]

JUNK 😂

[@londonghoulchannel6409]

@@davehibbs9111 muscle cars are a acquired taste,

[@fredpinczuk7352]

Small correction, 8:39 The Turbo did not force air through the rochester carburetor. It actually drawn through, the carb was mounted before the Turbo intake. The other major problem was no heat exchanger on the charge air (No intercooler), and that was a shame because the inherit design would have been perfect for a Water-Alcohol cooled intake plenum. The Pontiac manifolds on those engines had a air passage under them (unlike the Chevys). So a separate cooling system for that intake would have done wonders. And EFI of course. I had the 1981 Nascar Edition, and still have my 1980 T/A WS6 Black on Black edition (301 CID)

[@maggieo]

I had an '81 midnight metallic blue Turbo T/A, with all the options. One thing people forget about those cars is they were some of the best handling cars of that era, and plenty grunty. And, of course, marvelously beautiful.

[@brenttaylor7971]

Excellent review. I own several 80-81 Turbo T/A’s and the performance is actually very respectable, especially for the period. I feel most of the bashing comes from a lack of understanding the engines. The 301 turbo was the first, and last of several things. It was the first Turbo on a T/A, first computer, first to use metric nuts and bolts, and last Pontiac engine. Put this in the hands An early eighties mechanic who had never heard of a computer, didn’t own a metric wrench or heard of an O2 sensor, and the car never stood a chance. Most were left to rot when the owner couldn’t figure out how to repair it. Many T/A’s went to the crusher or roundly round tracks. As a result, they Are now scarce as hens teeth, with parts even more scarce. However, If you think of “the car “ that represents the 80’s, it’s the Trans Am, and it will forever hold that Distinction.

[@mikeslomski7063]

I think the bashing of the turbo T/A is unfair, too. I own a low mileage 87 Monte Carlo SS with the L69 305 HO engine, and it too gets treated unfairly. I understand it wasn't a missile, but for the time they were quite respectable. Much faster than the normal car of the era. And quite frankly, they were and still are cool cars. Mine has T-tops, we'll never see THAT again!

[@Bartonovich52]

Yes... but “the Trans Am” that represents the 80s would probably be the 3rd Gen.... both in performance (the GTA with the 350 and Tuned Port Injection) and culture (KITT 2000).

[@philtripi9937]

They were beyond respectable, people just like to look at numbers. Everything else around that time had under 200hp

[@Radiowild]

Had a 301 T/A. Was a reliable car, but that motor belonged in a Russian farm tractor.

[@richardkaltenbach3961]

Radio wild Nope, The 1986-1990 Ford Escort GT Engine Belongs In A Russian Farm Tractor, Or An Elgin Street Sweeper!

[@pickles9774]

? Had a 1989 Escort gt with 310,000kms on it with only a alternator rebuild.

[@SvenTviking]

Richard Kaltenbach You lot didn’t get the performance model Escorts like the Mexico, RS1600, RS2000, XR3i and the mighty Escort Cosworth.

[@maximusareilius2262]

i had a 80 firebird with a 301. it was a great beater car.

[@culcune]

When I was set on buying a '78 or '79 TA or Formula back in 1988 in the L.A. area, and looking all over, a couple had recently moved from Illinois and were trying to sell their impeccable 1979 Formula with the 301. It drove great and looked fantastic, but I was too set on a 'big block' 400 (well, most every TA in California had the 403 Olds engine), so passed on the $1k car they were willing to let go for $950.

[@DUNEATV]

Love these videos...you speak so clearly and really know your stuff. Thanks for the info and the watching entertainment.

[@rickcorey5908]

Actually the CanAm was based on the LeMans. I think it was supposed to be a performance upgrade to the grand am.

[@kiprandom7208]

I miss seeing screaming chickens everywhere. So cool

[@stephen3164]

First car I had was a ‘79 full size Pontiac sedan with the 301, 2bbl, single exhaust. It did 0-60 eventually. Was like driving your sofa down the highway. That said, that engine took all the abuse I could throw at it, and went 200k miles before it went on to its next owner!

[@Richaag]

Stephen E I had a ‘78 Buick LeSabre with the same 301 2bbl single exhaust and despite attempts to improve performance with bolt on parts: Holly 4bbl on Eldelbrock performer intake, long tube headers, dual exhaust, Cherry Bomb mufflers, MSD ignition, aluminum wheels... I never got 0-60 faster than 8 seconds. It wasn’t fast, but it sounded like it was. I guess that’s the part I was happy with. I was a young kid that thought he had a fast car. Like yours it was plush with a sponge-like ride and an interior that was respectably classy.

[@happydays8171]

Stephen E Now, 1980 my mother let me choose her company provided car. Of the ones they offered was a Pontiac Bonneville Broughm, it came with a 301 4bble, it would get up and go. After 2yrs lease was over, bought it from Hertz, and we put 300k on that car!

[@pauldudakadanielthomson8890]

@@Richaag Back when a teenager still had high school automotive classes , could do a car project to stay busy thus stay out of trouble , no global warming police and news , still affordable for suburban Americans , no psychotic helicopter parents , and more junkyards , before investors bought up everything and put the collectable cars in away warehouses.

[@markcheetah4960]

Did any of you have to replace the timing chain? The 301s were notorious for that. Mine went after 70k miles.

[@stephen3164]

@@markcheetah4960 - most likely, but just based on recommendations from our family mechanic. We would have the car serviced there and he would do what was needed or he thought was a good time to service. Small indy shop, owner/operator. Kept that car going a long time! The car never left us stranded or had to be towed.

[@RoyalKingA73]

I miss those cars.

[@ramairgto72]

Man, they are untouchable in most cases now. The money they want for rusted out hulks is crazy, just about everything PMD 1981 down is expensive now.

[@poolboyinla]

I have a 3rd gen and it's amazing. The thing turns a lot of heads.

[@briancenti5423]

So do i..badly.

[@faithismine128]

+Travis Kraft That is cool. I sold my original 66 Mustang V8 coupe so that I could buy an 82 Trans Am with every option including Cross-Fire Fuel Injection with functional Air-Induction. With a Complete Tune-up, Hypertech chip, the Cat Converter removed, High volume fuel pump, K&N filters and low restriction exhaust I was beating new 97 Mustang GTs. Not bad for a 15 year old car.

[@tertommy]

Yup. The cars from my teens.

[@davedavis775]

I had two 77 T/A's one was a Y82 special edition. Both were equiped with the L78 400. The special edition car was loaded with options and it had a 3.23 posi. The other car had a lazy 2.41 posi. With the standard car I replaced the L78 with a 69 Ram Air III 400 from a GTO and rear with a 3.73 unit . But what the heavy Trans Am really needed was the big 455 . My car ran really well. I had a friend with a 78 T/A that had the W72 engine and auto trans. He went a different route replacing the W72 with a 1970 455 out of a Bonneville. With slicks the big 455 would get air under the left front wheel and almost pull both front wheels off the ground. I worked for a local tire store and one of our customers had a nice low mile example of the turbo Indy pace car. Neither of my Trans Am friends thought the Turbo car felt even as good as a well built L78 car . It was a fun car to drive but sorely lacked the performance of the larger displacement Trans Am offerings. Personally I thought the Olds 403 equiped cars felt better.

[@RSAW73]

I had a 79 403 T/A, it was a beauty, silver on red inside, I couldn't believe it only had 2.41 gears! What a joke. Co-worker had a black WS6 car, had 3.23 disc rear end, it was so much quicker than mine.

[@MitchGrooms]

FINALLY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS.. i LOVE MY 81 SE TURBO T/A

[@michaelprice3785]

Had a 79 403 TA bought new. Totalled it out 3 years later in the fog. Then bought a 79 400 TA with 4 speed. Very fast. Both WS6.

[@LIGHTNING351]

Thank you for this video on one of my favorite cars of all time.... I remember when the 1980 Trans Am came out I was 14 and in love.....

[@atomicorang]

I was 20 years old in 1981..lusted over the 2nd gens..1981 is my fav Trans Am. Thx

[@StuartFishmanEsq]

Another well done retrospective! Keep up the good work.

[@timmitzlaff8960]

Love your show Old Car Memories. I got my drivers license in 1969. A perfect time to get your license. My first car was a joke, a 1953 Kaiser Manhattan left to me by my Uncle Paul. Then I had a short run with a 1967 Dodge Dart except it had a 170 six with a 3 on the tree, but at 17 1/2 I was driving a 1969 Mustang 428 CJ. Highlander green, 4 spd. No air or p/s no anything but motor. I was in heaven after my previous 2 cars.

[@drivesideways6550]

I have the 1980 Black and Tan SE Bandit Turbo Trans Am. It's in pretty mint condition with 65,000 miles on it. It's been sitting in my garage for 23 years. I need to get it running because we're moving. It was running perfect when I parked it. I just need to take the necessary steps to insure I don't damage it when starting it. I bought it for $5000 in the mid 90's. It has all service records and the original window sticker, complete history of the car.

[@hardwurk2012]

Ive been a pontiac fan since a gent, one of the best branches of gm!

[@jerryryan36]

Somebody needs to come back with these even if it's independently-owned!!!

[@dannystewart1412]

I love the 70's trans ams, but the '77 and '78 bandit cars are the best looking. Great styling and slick body lines.

[@CoelhoSports]

i had a 71 formula 400 in the mid-late 80's. still have the occasional dream about it some 30 years later.

[@robthorne6365]

I thought, I was the only one!😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 I owned a 1970 Firebird in 1983 until the late 80’s. The weird thing is, I could go years without thinking about it, but still have dreams about it.

[@CoelhoSports]

@@robthorne6365 i always have the same dream. somehow i forgot i still owned it and find it in a garage exactly the way i left it. magically it starts right up. i wonder how much trouble i'll get in if i get caught driving it with expired registration but i drive off anyway...

[@ketoking9435]

My friend had the Esprit version of this and later had the 455SD engine he popped in a Range Rover,,,,,I met an owner of one of these here in UK and he was a designer of the 1950s Rover Turbine car,,,,,in the American speed and spares I met some great folk and saw fab cars,,,my fave was the 455SD I saw all original,,,as often for spares I had to check the very long vin codes,,,,,,,your Chanel reminds me of those great days,,,at one stage we had 2 unused 440 engines for sale,,,,,,I find your channel is fantastic,,,big thumbs up

[@steffyhobmann5037]

Really like and appreciate this site! Also, recognize the fact that your info is always pointing out positive points. Tired of our societies negative on everything, not just cars! Keep it up

[@richardkaltenbach9203]

Not Just Cars, MUSIC TOO!! IM SICK OF DISCO BASHING!! And GENDER TOO! IM SICK OF FEMINISM!!!

[@richardkaltenbach9203]

Not Just Cars, MUSIC TOO!! IM SICK OF DISCO BASHING!! And GENDER TOO! IM SICK OF FEMINISM!!!

[@jrg7951]

This was the end of the awesome body styles for the T/A

[@ZOZOE4159]

From the early 70s to early 80s The body style really never changed Just say some of you preferred a specific years front end...the 79-81 has grown on me...but the 70/73 will always be a favorite

[@nunyabizness9955]

Yeah but those cars didnt have the wrap around back window, and i like that a lot. They are all cool though.

[@chrissobczak6351]

Articulate and intelligent description of the era. Great video. Thanks!

[@TrojanHorse1959]

I remember those, I used to see them in the rearview mirror of my V8 Pinto...

[@lonmcq7317]

How could you see through the flames...???

[@MichaelRCarlson]

A buddy had one of these back when we were in highschool. It was the sexiest car around. The 2nd gen is an icon of the 70's and 80's.

[@comradeyuri8492]

Turbo T/A all show no go, LOL.

[@tomasnokechtesledger1786]

71 to 74 are my preferred TA

[@WMJCPA]

I had a 1980 Turbo and I loved it. True, due to the waste gate set up for the turbo charger you didn't get that great burst off the line, but man when that thing opened up at 2000 RPM, she took off like a rocket. She got so much boost that I could spin the tires in 2nd and 3rd with an automatic transmission. The transmission was really snappy, and quick. Unfortunately the Speedo maxed out at 85 so you really don't know what kind of top end you could put out. All I can say is that I could bury the needle still picking up speed. It may not have fit the classic muscle car mold but it was fun to drive and it handled marvelously. It cornered like it was on rails. I loved it, but the sports car fun gave way to practicality. It was a beautiful car.

[@eac1235]

Had a indy 500 pace car. Sold it back to the original owner, dumb move on my part. We changed the speedometer and it was calibrated correctly, could get to around 125 ,and it was screaming hard. Didn't do that all the time because of its tendency for pre-detonation. Still love the second gens

[@TheBandit7613]

I just bought a Y84 (black and gold) from Oregon. It's a gorgeous car. Has a performance crate 350, but it included the original 301 wrapped on a pallet.

[@everythingautomotiveeta5839]

Another killer video! Informative yet (for me) entertaining

[@franciscodanconia45]

I owned a 1979 10th Anniversary Pace Car Trans Am, 400 4 bbl. Hurst 4 speed. Silver with factory mirror t-tops, decal package, the whole bit. I traded it in on a Subaru. I am Chris, Lord of the Idiots. (Since then, I’ve made up for it with some other awesome cars, but I’d give a pretty penny to get that baby back. Hoovie is my spirit animal, I think.)

[@erikthompson4416]

I enjoy your series! When you get around to it... The 1998 and 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix... Thank you and keep up the good work 😊

[@valbrooks2699]

I had the’81, I absolutely loved mine.I had so many great memories in this car!

[@bedfordfrst]

my favorite Firebirds. Just love the wheels and the early turbo tech. Thanks.

[@itwasadare1]

I'm currently working on restoring a 1980 formula firebird that my stepdad gave me with this engine in it, and this video was quite informative!

[@traderboi2662]

Loved the 80s snippet in the advertising. “We Build Excitement….Pontiac”! ❤

[@WhittyPics]

Most of today's cars will run circles of these hot rods from the late 70s. I had a 78 Firebird. The nose on the 77-78s were my favorites

[@smartalecthemotorguy2405]

Trust No1 that's why the fun is building the engine up but also converting to 4 wheel disk brakes and maybe even coil springs in the back.

[@Bartonovich52]

My Honda Civic will run 15s in the quarter. 0-60 in 7 seconds. 1.5l engine running on 87.

[@timcoker4685]

Lets see what do I want to cruse around in tonight, Honda Civic or a drop dead beautiful silver 1980 Trans Am. That's a tough one.....NOT!!

[@debonairecatalina6570]

Okay....okay....now, hook up modern emission and fuel management systems to this 80' firebird and see what happens when you simply update it to todays standards.

[@mitchsalawine5420]

@Pretty fly for a WiFi yeah...maybe, depending on what it was...maybe but a Honda Civic is, well...A Honda Civic. Let's just let it go at rhat.

[@MonzaJhon1968]

Your documentary's are awesome! Keep up the good work Ive learned a lot more about Camaro's and Trans Am's than I thought possible. We need you to do one about the H Body GM Monza Spyder, Sunbird and Blackbird GT, Buick Skyhawk GT which are very rare and almost non exsistant today cars thanks again

[@mistermusik]

I don't know what some people are thinking. This car has a great body style. Engine swap to EFI, transmission swap, beef up the brakes and suspension. Good to go. If you don't like the screamin' chicken, repaint it. Love this car.

[@dankolicious10]

Loved my 1980 TA pacecar I bought back in 1988. . The Turbo 4.9 was cool at the time and a decent performer. Was really a joy to drive, and looked beautiful. Wish I had held onto it.

[@CoastalAutoReactionCAR]

Excellent info and very well done!

[@stardustdreamfactory1947]

Recalling a ruby red metallic '81 Formula, fully optioned with silver leather seating and t-tops. It sat for a time at the dealer before being sold - still think about it. An in-law had a turbo Trans am from that era - he stated it was troublesome while the turbo overheated the hood, causing the super chicken decal to self destruct.

[@Bricklinsv1970]

Still one of my favorite cars of all time.

[@georgeweeks4137]

My first car was a blue 1980 Turbo Trans am. Bought it at 15 with a rebuilt, balanced and bluebrinted bottom end, a larger Downpipe. Once I added flowmasters and gutted the cat by prying off the cap on the bottom and blowing out the pellets, it could run 14.40s in the high 80's low 90's. At that point I was only a few pounds of boost above stock. I'd say 10-12 lbs. Now on the quarter it couldn't beat 5.0 foxbodys or LT 1 cars but on a 30 or 40 roll lookout it would beat solid 13 second cars. Turbo lag and that carburetor was this engines worst enemies.

[@evilswingythingy]

Love the video, I own a 80 trans am pace car and decided to drop in a LS engine.....now it goes like it looks. I love the 301 turbo for what it attempted but sadly I couldn't tolerate being beaten by Mazda's . Now it's 330+ HP of fire breathing, tyre smoking and neck cranking power. I made a video series on the entire swap.

[@gp500fan]

I owned one these cars back in the early 1990's as a 17 year old. Mine was a black WS6 model that was equipped with a limited slip rear end, four wheel disk brakes and t-tops. I loved the car and it loved my wallet in return. I did everything I could to keep it on the road. Sadly the last time I saw it back in 1993, it was sitting behind a chain linked fence with the motor having suffered a blown bottom end.

[@gsprings43]

Remember seeing a white one in a Volkswagen dealership showroom here in Charlotte in the late 80's had the pace car stuff on it, beautiful car,loved the white leather interior

[@poolboyinla]

I have own both 3rd gens and 4th gens. 3rd is by far my favorite.

[@Sandhill1988]

I work for general motors at the end of the third generation and the beginning of the fourth generation. The reason why the 4th generation was redesigned the way it was was not just a change or advancement in design it was because general motors realized that the market share was going towards females so they feminized the design of the vehicle to appeal to that market. I realize the 4th generation stock for the most part we're Superior performance wise but when you look at the outside and sat inside it was absolutely a feminine design. You sit inside of a 4th generation and it feels like you are strangled like a cobra wrapped too tightly, while on in a third generation you have a nice long dashboard sweeping gauges and more elbow room it's just a more comfortable vehicle. Whereas in the 4th generation as said you are compressed, it would feel like a cockpit and all the gauges are clustered together so tightly and stacked on top of each other it just feels like the vehicles being rammed down your throat almost to the point of suffocation. The fourth generation is too much of a dramatic department from what a trans am should be and it is also in my opinion to Japanese ish and euro-ish. They lost their way with the 4th generation. Now if they could have taken those power plants and adapt them earlier to a third generation from the factory now you would have had something very special. So with the third generation you had a superior vehicle overall but an inferior power plant most of the time in comparison to the 4th. The only bright side with the third generation as far as the power plant goes where the 5.7 equipped vehicles which put out approximately 245 horsepower which in my opinion is ample power for the streets. The 5.0 liter tune port injected vehicles were nice they were adequate but nothing to brag about. The 5.0L throttle body injected vehicles like the one I currently own (L03 170 HP) performance wise is simply an embarrassment, the only saving grace of the vehicle is it's a third generation t-top vehicle with the WS6 performance package. It's outstanding looking and driving but needs help in the horsepower department. I'm actually shocked that Pontiac and general motors in general (no pun intended) could sleep at night putting out such a low-powered engine and call it a firebird formula or trans am.

[@deborahchesser7375]

@@Sandhill1988 it’s all about the $, sad

[@larrygro]

Always hated the 4th generation design, some designs grow on me but that one never did and never will. I know people that own one that love them though because of their performance and reliability. They just never looked right to me

[@96lscpower18]

Third generation is worst.

[@deborahchesser7375]

Even though the 79’ was a pooch, it was the prettiest T/A ever

[@ggggcaaamb5813]

79 -80 -81 a bit flashy on the graphics , but still one of the best looking American cars ever ! I loved my 80 TA was an awesome cruiser

[@Irod69]

I love my 79 403 black on black , silver red decals 56k I’ll never sell it , always gets compliments 👍

[@deborahchesser7375]

@@Irod69 the silver anniversary turquoise blue really knocked me out, man what a gorgeous car

[@nickwilczynski3684]

As usual, you make the best vids in the KZbin AutoSphere

[@eden2esthar]

I had a 79 with the good awful 403... That thing was all bark no bite , loved chugging gas and was a tank. As much as I hated that motor... It never let me down , was easy to maintain and never left me stranded. RIP phinx

[@greendryerlint]

I was apparently not fully awake or still hungover from the night before when I made the mistake of buying an '81 TA with a 301. It was the non-turbo version and was pretty slow, IMO. The motor was reliable, and I never had any trouble with the "Metric 200" transmission, despite the bad rep they had.. But the car was plagued with soooo many problems. The dash was made of a similar quality plastic to that of a Toffifay candy box. The trunk leaked. The turn signal stalk just fell off one day. The electrical system was possessed. A light somewhere burned out every couple of weeks. The rear springs sagged and needed replaced. The drivers' door sagged. The door handles, both interior and exterior broke off. The window regulator broke. It rusted quickly. The handling was good... unless the road was wet. And positively scary when icy, far worse than any other RWD car I've ever owned. I know it's an iconic car and this video isn't about its overall reliability, but I wish I could go back in time and shake some sense into myself before buying it.

[@29madmangaud29]

Oh boy, my mom traded in a '72 Cadillac coupe de ville for an '81 pont. firebird, it looked so GOOD, gave it to my baby sister, and then she chewed it up! That car was SOOOOOOOO Beautiful!

[@pontiacgrandprix733]

In 1979, as a 18 year old, we went to the Pontiac dealer to look at the 79 Trans Am, black and gold of course, it I bought a 2 Tone Blue Grand Prix w a 301 4 barrel w a whopping 150 hp, beautiful car, and it was still a Pontiac , which had to be, after all the Pontiacs in my neighborhood, and my first car, which was a73 Luxury Lemans, not a rocket, but a torque monster

[@analystzorncasteel3047]

Beautiful examples, used in this clip ... Good job 👍

[@skylarsoper241]

My dad had a black 1980 z-28 ,had it restored and we decided to take advantage of the 350 being out of the car we ripped it apart and switch it to all the parts from a 1970 lt1 , really woke that car up 😳👌🏻💨

[@papocam3853]

In 79, I had a 25th anniversary L 82,4speed, gymkhana suspended vette. This car ,TRANS-AM w/ T.A. 6.6, was the ONLY CAR THAT GAVE ME REAL COMP. IT WAS MAD FUN! My '78, was broken in, & yet.......

[@TheCarCrazyGuy]

I loved those cars. I wish I owned one today. My friend had a 1979 TA with the Olds 403. It was an automatic. Pretty sexy car.

[@rexchambers6258]

Been searching for years for an unmolested turbo t/a finally found the perfect one last month , complete with the period correct trailer hitch !!! Lol

[@ronb2482]

I have a 1980 Formula. Everyone hates on the 301. Granted it's not a turbo. It's a Great car! Good video👍

[@terribleTed-ln6cm]

The downfall of the American muscle car is a painful story , it started dying in 1974 and by 1980 it was dead , and I'm still crying in 2019.

[@robertdees6393]

My best friend in HS (80'-83') had a 79 T/A with the Olds 403. Great performance for the era and easily the best looking ride around. When the 4.9's came out we derided them pretty hard as they were pathetic in performance compared to the earlier versions. Great looking though.

[@brethager3265]

Good video, I had one of the Bandit Trans Am. It was a 1981 Turbo. It had tons of problems and every time I tried to use any power yet might have had. It always fell on its face. It was slower than dirt. It was my dream car before I got it. It wasn't after that. It definitely would have done a lot better with a 400 Pontiac motor. They couldn't do much with that 301. It was already slow. Then with that junk turbo that never even whined, it was still dirt slow.

[@tony8570]

The wastegate can be adjusted and it does wind up very loud. It's just the 15 psi will blow a gasket. A good 7 works okay and cam hear it whine.

[@regalgn1]

Your correct there was the 89 TTA with GN power. A friend of mine took a 81 that had the 4.9 turbo and replaced it with 3.8 Turbo from a wrecked GN.

[@culcune]

Always wanted to do that...turbo 6 in a Firebird. Wanted to find a 6 cylinder Espirit ala Jim Rockford and have a sleeper.

[@roctive]

Beautiful looking cars. The T/A and Z28 were everywhere in South Georgia in the early 80's. Great handling. I had a Dodge Charger that would out run the T/A turbo. Little car was unbelievable. Wasn't sexy like the T/A though.

[@CatholicBoy1957]

I thought I would add a correction. The turbocharger did not pressurize the carburetor. The carb flowed at normal pressure into a small manifold, which fed into the turbo inlet, which then fed into the intake manifold on the engine.

[@joequillun7790]

Correct. Essentially called a "suck threw" turbo, and not a "blow-threw".

[@joequillun7790]

Thanks for the spelling correction.

[@briansmith8361]

Yes, thank you for clarifying that.

[@drippinglass]

What an archaic and crappy design.

[@CatholicBoy1957]

@@drippinglass They did it because they knew how less reliable it would be to pressurize the carburetor. There are more sophisticated cars out there but they are often far less reliable and cost several times as much for the hoity toities that know better. .

[@Doosterify]

You can't go wrong unless you hate driving a pig slow car. I rode in one in 1981, a friend of mine bought one brand new after he sold hid 77 400 four speed T/A. Both of us were very disappointed.

[@richardkaltenbach3961]

Doosterfy If I Wanted A Pig Slow Car, I Would Have Gotten A 1988 Ford Escort GT.

[@Doosterify]

Richard Kaltenbach The turbo TA ran 16s in 1/4 mile. I rode in one when it was brand new. They were very slow.

[@robertdamron898]

Thanks to your channel. I know of an 80 or 81 Turbo Formula that I must have.

[@dustyhedger380]

Neighbor had the 80 Turbo , wasn t big on maintenance so sadly one night it burnt to a memory . I ve still got my 79 Firebird upgraded to the WS6 suspension , it s no speed demon but if you want a road trip at 80 miles an hour or better it is irreplaceable . Brother still has his Special Edition 78 .

[@Def65-479]

Have never owned one, but they look great and what really killed performance (besides smog restrictions) imo were the gearing via 2.41's, 2.56's, 3.08's... 200hp/320lbs combined with 3.73's and a decent tire would yield low 14's or high 13's. Nevertheless, great video for a great car... Prices are going up on these for a reason.

[@PhenomProductions23]

I'd take an original 1980 TTA in Black & Gold Bandit 2 Edition. Regardless of Lack of Power, in Reality many have 2.73 Highway gears so it'll be lucky to spin the tires but the fact is the 4.9 Turbo for the '80 Mile year has the same power as the '79 400 Pontiac. 210hp / 345 Torque... Put 3.73 Gears and watch it rip the tires. Top Speed won't surpass 130 Mph even in the Tallest Gear Ratio. But today any Trans Am can be Modified to make More power. 1. Remove the Smog Pump. 2. New Less Restrictive Exhaust. 3. Shorter Street Gears like a 3.55 or 3.73 posi for Red Light Smoky Take Offs. 4. Swap out the 4.9L Engine for a 350 small block chevy, either a 355ci or even a Fully Forged 383 Stroker with a 4 Barrel Rochester on Top and you've got 500 crank horsepower. Swap out the 3 speed for a 700R4 with Overdrive. BOOM, Sleeper 1980 Trans Am every fool who thinks it's slow will find out the hard way.

[@dflur]

I agree. The rear end made the motor seem less responsive. Good advice. I would add, do this to a 400 if you already have one. It will light it up.

[@ponchoman49]

All 1980/81 turbo equipped Firebirds/TA actually used 3.08 rear gears as the only one available.

[@andrewwright9154]

PhenomProductions23 Being a big time Pontiac guy myself guys with your mentality that seem to think u can only make something fast with a sbc always got on my nerves. Buy a camaro and leave the T/As alone my friend.

[@thebigpicture2032]

Andrew Wright - Right you are! The Pontiacs were better engines. I’ve owned lots of 2nd and 3rd gens and found the ones with Chevy engines lacking, even after spending a ton to make them faster. My pet peeve is a sbc in a second Gen TA.

[@debonairecatalina6570]

You had me until "put a 350 in it".....hook up the 301 with a porting/polishing job, roller lifters, rockers, forged steel crank and bigger turbo. Make it look like a stock firebird and flabergast your passengers

[@thetreblerebel]

Turbos now are standard on alot of engines. Funny how that works

[@shavinmccrotch9435]

Well that clears up a huge mystery. I bought a 1970 Z28 with a bored-out 300hp engine, expecting it to be way faster than my ‘79 T/A 6.6, but it wasn’t, really. I firmly believe that engine was grossly underrated at the paltry 225hp they claimed it was! 😎

[@Mbase-apollo]

I had a 1981 Turbo Trans Am for 11 years I love that car so much I had to replace the distributor module 4 times left me stranded on the highway a couple of times but I wish I had it again today put a 350 in the there with fuel injection

[@rodneythur8754]

I had a fully loaded 1981 Turbo Trans Am. I blew the motor and the turbo charger 3 times before I reached the 20,000 mile mark. I let the car go. Now, I wish I still had it.

[@warrenpuckett4203]

I offered to swap out the stock engine in a 1982 Pontiac Trans Am with 68 283 with 350 pistons and a low emission high torque cam. He laughed. Well until the '69 suburban it was in smoked the tires. It did not get the HP a '69 302 would get because it was mas made to use 93 octane gasoline. The real trick would have been making the EFI fit in it & work. The motor did make '82 California emissions out of the pipe without the smog plumbing. But all the smog plumbing needed to be there also. Pretty much all of the old tooling from '69 was still being produced out of Detoit in in '82. There wasn't much change in basic engine designs other than making thinner castings for the heads and blocks. Hey they met emissions that way. The Boss 302 (4.9L) Ford engine made 290 Horses in 1969 and the '88 LSC HO made 225 HP. Compare that to a smaller Chevy Atlas I6 (4.16L) from 2006. Which had more HP and torque?

[@eaglefat9398]

I strongly disagree about fuel injection giving more power in this case, the Q-jet carb was a minim of 750cfm meaning it in no way restricted flow, plus blow through carbs reduce air temps by up to 100 degrees F by atomizing fuel super efficiently meaning it doesn't need a intercooler which i don't think this car had. There is only one kind of fuel injection that makes more power and that is hillborn stacked FI , all other fuel injection only reduces emissions by not wasting gas that is left in the intake after you let off the gas also it does away with the accelerator pump which wastes gas by making AFR' rich when going WOT. A properly tuned carb will make within 1hp of fuel injection , im not saying carbs are better because they're not but they do not hurt power in any way , some cases carbs make more power due to the fuel being introduced farther up stream allowing the fuel to atomize better which cools the air and gives a denser air charge and when a turbo is added this is definitely the case.

[@adamcheck8356]

If you are referring to the 4.9 turbo I'm going to disagree, turbochargers tend to work better with fuel injection than carburetors in a street application, however in a race or hotrod application then yes a 4bbl blow through would be best

[@Bartonovich52]

No. Fuel injection atomizes fuel instantly, under pressure, right next to the intake valve (port injection) or in the cylinder itself (direct injection). Nothing cools better than that. In an air cooled aircraft engine.. go full rich with a carb.. no problem. Go full rich with fuel injection... you’ve got cracked cylinders from shock cooling. As that fuel is atomizing from the carb.. it’s also heating up from intake. By the time it reaches the cylinder it’s heated up quite a bit. Intercoolers don’t matter unless you’re running high boost to get rid of knock. Neither does the CFM since you’re running forced induction... anything you can put through there without stalling the turbo, blowing up the carb, or getting detonation it will take. The problem is the poor mixing of the fuel which will cause detonation much easier than fuel injection.

[@TeeroyHammermill]

+Don't Tread On Me: I agree with you for the most part about EFI not boosting power. I don't think a TBI system from 1980 would've boosted the Turbo 301's power but a port system probably would have a little; although that technology was very expensive in 1980 and the only GM car that had it was the 80 Cadillac Seville and Eldorado with California emissions package which included a 350 Olds with port fuel injection. Pontiac had to do the best they could with their wheezy 301 so the Turbo was the absolute best possible. I can't understand why these 80-81's Turbo T/A's are bashed. They were the best performance product for their time.

[@331Grabber]

It's not that the draw through turbo system doesn't need an intercooler. It's that they can't use one. It's a system that will never match a blow through design.

[@JorgeRodriguez-po7kx]

Like The Modern AC Compressor Set-up at 3:40

[@watchandjewelryloft4713]

Crazy that a 4.9 L V8 with a turbo had 210 HP, and the Corolla GR is a 3 Cylinder turbo and makes 300HP. Crazy how far we've come.

[@michiganmotorsports]

Hot air turbo 301. I was 16 when it came out. Nobody wanted it because the 400 was still available for dealers to do an engine swap for $800. Hard to imagine that we had it that good, and didn't know it!

[@markshackleford2982]

back in the day we pulled a lot of these out and just swapped them out with a non turbo 350 pontiac engine the 301's were terrible for breaking crankshafts

[@xXcashXx3]

Old car memories really loves trans ams

[@Mrmudbone_gaming]

Still have mine. In the middle of restoration. I have a 79 403 olds with a few go fast mods. Makes 305 HP and 330 torque. Not crazy. But jut enough for what I will be doing. I also have a 2002 CETA.

[@recoveringnewyorker2243]

My dream car! I'd want 1 today that looked completely period correct inside and out but modern under the hood!

[@leejackson4724]

Recovering New Yorker I like your thinking but don't forget to get an old twin knob cassette player for the dash and some Jensen speakers for that 80s period look you can buy good used cassette tapes from half price books for a few bucks each all day long don't ask me how I know

[@stonewall3041]

I remember my 80 Turbo T/A. Traded it in for a 88 GTA. Miss both of them.

[@k9yk]

I owned an '80 Turbo TA back in the mid-80's. Reliable would not be a word I would used to describe the turbo 301. Quite the opposite. Keeping that motor running was a constant money drain. The Quadrajet sat on a plenum that stuck out from the intake side of the turbo (thus the offset of the carb in front of the driver). All of that heat from the turbo would work its way up into the Quadrajet and cook the heck out of it. Gummed up fuel stuck to the float was a common problem. There was also a 'computer' under the center console that controlled (retarded) the timing to prevent detonation. That controller ended up failing on my car in '88 which basically meant it wouldn't run. It was in and out of repair shops every week for a month and a half and no one could figure out what was wrong with the car. I have also owned 3 '79 TA's with the 403 (I still own one). All of those have been extremely reliable.

[@dukeman7595]

Very lucid explanation of the downfall of the T/A .

[@PhenomProductions23]

Remember, these 2nd Gens were also Heavy, especially the fully loaded power optioned out Trans Ams. All those Spoilers and Leather Interior add weight too. Weighing around 3,700 pounds without a Driver. So if the car has less power because of new smog regulations, and it's already heavy, you're going to feel it and think it's slow. The new 1982 3rd Gen Bodystyle used for Knight Rider was much lighter more Aerodynamic and streamlined version and shed about 350 pounds on body/chassis weight in comparison to the 2nd gen bodystyle '70-'81.

[@mikeskidmore6754]

When I bought my 79 Z-28 Camaro I had no idea how many good features the Trans Am has such as WS-6 Suspension and the higher performance 400 .. I also had no Idea how fast early '60's Pontiacs were.. Also the Trans Am had 8' wheels and my Camaro only had 7" wheels .. You showed the MPG of the 400 at I think 12.8 MPG I would be curious what the 301 Turbo got for mpg with 308 gears.. My Camaro has 3:73 gears.. I made do with what I had .. Put in a Doug Nash 5 speed took off the front Bumper 70# put the batter in the trunk Holley Street Dominator intake 600 Double pumper 327 350 HP cam anti pump up lifters stronger valve springs .. advance timing 110 HP Nitrous lit to make up for 8.2 to compression ration .. Before battery in trunk .. bumper off before the 5 speed I turned 13:76 at 107 MPH but I beat cars that could run mid 12:00's all the time on the street where I got a much better whole shot.. I embarrassed all the 400 Pontiacs .. all the 301 turbos all the Buick 455 Stage I II III cars not sure about stage IV it seems I beat them too .. and yes my Trap speed was very good thanks to good aero dynamics .. My Hooker header Side pipes ran terrible had to run them open or with my home made very loud baffles 1 7/8" by 50" tubes hurt my torque.. Putting on Hooker 1 3/4" headers with 2.5" dual exhaust turbo mufflers and a balance tube really improved my power .. I paid $7,190 for the car brand new.. I bought it very bare and stripped .. My Trusting Dealer that My Father had bought several cars and two Tandem axle Trucks from charged me a lot more than others paid with Stereo air and even T-Tops .. amazing they had that much margin to work with .. No Air No radio just a windshield antenna for radio noise suppression ,... Close ration trans was a bad idea wide ratio with a much lower first gear would have been better for drag racing .. stock 3:73 Gears Posi Traction was $70.00 extra does not even work anymore very weak Posi in 10 bolt rears.. Now Days it's going to cost me over $18,000 to put a modern LS-7 and a Tremac 6 speed with two over drives but the MPG will be great and E-85 is plenty cheap .. I guess you just can't compare a modified engine with the stock boat anchors but on the street it was run what you brung .. Also Herb Adams VSE sway bars took a half a coil out of the front springs ect.. it sits much lower than a stock car.. and corners way better than a W-6 Trans Am