Great video. Brings back good memories. When I was 19 my buddy’s dad had an 81 that on VERY rare occasions he would let him drive. We would cruise up and down first street at the beach at night. That car got so many looks. I believe these cars are going to sky rocket in value very soon if they haven’t already started doing so.
Wow, this guy is so knowledgeable about the car. I have seen many Trans Am I never seen this model; I am an auto mechanic for 30 years ASE certified, he knows quite a bit about CCC and that diagnostic connector I never seen this connector.
Had one of these. Lost her in an accident in 1999. :( So many cool facts about the car. Had the cover for 5pin. Facts I remember about her: 1. Recaro Seats came with several Foam inserts for Lumbar. 2. Only Trans Am of that Generation that had all red dash lights. 3. The brakes were a pain in the ass to do 4. It had a really cool "Slap Stick" like feature on the shifter 5. most of these cars never had the full body stickers installed 6. almost all were missing the air intake. 7. She was not Fast but you could bark those tires coming out of 1st. 8. she handled like a dream.. steering was tight and the cornering was amazing for a car that size. I loved this car more than any car i ever owned... even more than my Turbo Regal.
Both the 10th Anniversary and '80 Pace Car also had red lit instruments. Yes the "slap stick" feature is described in the owner's manual. The original air intake is a fiber paper style, it didn't last long. LOL. Reproductions/aftermarkets were vinyl and lasted longer. The WS6 suspension was the key on those cars and showed up cars costing double the price back in the day.
Thanks for tutorial, trying to make sure my '80 Pace Car is correct as I ready her for sale. 2nd gens had a lot differences as the EPA mandates were applied.
Good information on the turbo wheels. . I might add the 5 digit in the vin will be a X if it’s a pace car. Also on the 81 pace car the gages will be back lit red . Looks really cool at night.
The 10th Anniversary, '80 and '81 Pace Cars all had the red lit dash, and yes it looks really great at night. My Pontiac G6 convertible also has red light instruments and it reminds me of my 400/4 speed 10th Anniversary.
You would be insane to drive one of these at all. The parts for a regular 80/81 NA 301 are impossible to find, let alone a turbo. I couldn’t find the correct TVS switches for months. It’s a nightmare.
Nah they were available up until a few years ago unless they were obsoleted by the parts stores and their suppliers. I worked for an aftermarket manufacturer---most of them didn't realize that they actually had the part in their line. The easiest way to catalog them was to go by number of ports, color/function and OEM part #. Dole and Eaton were the two original manufacturers to GM from what I remember. I was involved with cataloging them in the aftermarket and I was shocked at the holes in the coverage. No listing in the book, but we indeed did have the part in the line. Fortunately I stocked up on NOS years ago. LOL.
WOW Joe, incredible job. I have a Jaguar and Trans Am car channel here on RUclips, I think you are a member of Trans Am Lovers on FB, I help run that group..
Id give anything if I had held onto my 1980 T/A pace car,back in the day. Of course it wasnt all that fast, but with the paint & bird decal being fused together, in a 2 tone paint scheme that stretched past the t- tops & windows, like the 1979 silver anniversary model had, it was easily the sharpest Turbo Trans-Am ever made. If I remember correctly, it was the 1st & only pace car both Indianapolis, & Daytona wanted at thier respected race events at the time. Btw TTA Performance, most (casual T/A observers), usually talk about the hood bird decal, as its usually the 1st thing they notice, & mention, & on that note, how can you leave the stark differences in the 80 & 81 models decals, out of your ( differences ) lists, especially seeing you pointed out the 81 had a bird in the middle of the taillights:)
Hi Ronnie, Thanks for bringing up about the hood bird differences between 80 and 81. I may have forgot about it in this video but I think I mentioned it in my 1980 Pace Car video.
Hey TTA Performance, I been looking at a few Trans-Am vids lately, & this popt up lol. You make great content sir, & im about to watch the one I shoulda watched 1st then.
You have a beautiful 81. Just so you know. Your Exhaust Splitters are aftermarket and alot different that the originals. They do make splitters that look correct. Awesome car. These cars have WS6 and 3.08 gears standard with J65 4 wheel disc brakes. I've owned 6 80-81 T/A's but i've had 11 77-79 Formula and T/A's and i owned most of them over 30 years ago. All this Turbo Tech was adopted from Buick which had it since 78 on the Regal & Riviera's
Joe, very nice car and video; thank you. I may be very wrong about this but it is my understanding that the ‘80 TTA didn’t have hood turbo lights, only the 81’s did. From what I’ve read, the pics I’ve seen and the few car shows I’ve been to that actually had any there, the backs of the 80 TTA scoops were just black. Perhaps turbo lights were optional in ‘80 and just not ordered that much. Anyone want to fill me in here?
Thank you Allen. In 1980, all the Indy Pace Cars got the lights. Some regular 1980 cars got lights and some did not. I read somewhere it was due to a shortage of lights during production and they were saving them for the Pace Cars. Yes, all 1981s have the lights.
@@ttaperformance1046 It was RPO code "UR4" from what I remember and I also remember reading that cars from March 1980 production onward got them. My '80 was made in Norwood in January 1980 and does not have them.
That's cool that you own one of these rare pace cars. The low VIN sequence is neat. It may be the 19th Firebuilt built in 1981, but not necessarily the 19th Pace Car as these cars were not built sequentially down the assembly line. They were scattered throughout the assembly with other Firebirds. I would recommend you get in touch with Robin French on Facebook. She has a 80-81 Pace Car registry and is keeping track of all the Pace Cars.
@@ttaperformance1046 where is this robin french located I live in the derby city or Louisville Ky. I am curious where this car is on the Production side. Thx
@@ttaperformance1046 ok thx I will look it up. Also my console is not like the one you showed. It is black but someone cut the section out to address the issue that was found to be solved there. I have the piece they cut out in the glove box.
Does the 1980 or 1981 Turbo Trans Am have any kind of security alarm or car alarm features? I found one video saying they had a security feature on it if someone were to open the hood or trunk.
i’m having a lot of problems with my 81 turbo Trans Am would it be a good idea to go with an older distributor and a non-electronic Quadra jet? I’d like to delete the computer control spark system and carburetor issues, I’m not worried about detonation I can run higher octane gas and just listen for detonation and let off if I hear it
Good information, but a bit of clarity: 1) I believe the 1980-1981 air cleaner breather "box" is the same for both years of Turbo engines. My '80 Turbo is an original 26k mile car my parents bought brand new and it has the metal breather box on the air cleaner. In fact, I bought several NOS metal ones years back that I still have in storage. I'll have to look in the 21/21A Pontiac parts book again. 2) The only real 8" Turbo Flow wheel is the 10th Anniversary. It actually measures 9". The others are are not true 8" wheels. More information can be found here: www.hitmantransam.com/Pages/rims.htm Hitman and I have discussed these wheels at length and we've also determined that on the true 8" 10th wheels the alignment of the lug holes is different than that of the 7.5" wheels. 3) What most don't know is that the '80 and '81 Pace Cars are not fully contented cars, there were several options that could be ordered on top of the Y85 packages. The Y89 10th cars are fully contented, with only the engine being the difference. The engine determined the transmission (THM350 for the 403, Super T-10 manual for the 400) and this also determined the gearing (3.23 for the 400, 2.73 for the 403). Choosing the 400 meant you had to delete cruise control, this was a credit to the buyer. Also the only other "option" on a 10th was the VJ9 California equipment option in certain areas of the country. This was only for the 403 as the 400 was only certified for Federal emissions. I would have enjoyed a bit more on the highlighting of the unique items for the '81 Y85. They were very unique indeed.
Thank you for the info about the breather box. I was not sure about this considering that they usually get changed out over the years. The link to hitman's website and your summary about turbo wheels is pretty much the same thing that I am saying. The only difference being that the true 15x8 turbo wheel (measuring 9" wide overall), as offered on the 79 TATA, was also offered on the 1980 turbo cars (and California non-turbo) with WS6. It was offered in white on the 1980, Y85 Indy 500 Pace Car, Gold on the 1980, Y84, WS6 SE (or optional on non-SE, WS6 cars) and was offered polished, like the 79 TATA, on non-Pace Car and non-SEs. I have a set of gold, 1980, WS6, 15x8's on my 1981 SE (originally a non-WS6 car, equipped with 15x7 snowflakes). The 15x7.5 turbo wheel (measuring 8.5" wide overall) was offered only in 1981. It was standard with WS6 (or optional without WS6) in Gold or polished. White was only on the Y85 Daytona 500 Pace Car.
@@ttaperformance1046 I believe Purolator and others sold a plastic version of that breather element, but the original is metal and the NOS Delco ones I have are metal. The plastic ones were blue and made by various suppliers. Yes, we are saying the same thing about the wheels, but my/his way is without having to take them off to measure them. That's the only difference.
Right. Besides the California emissions equipment, the only other options on a '79 TATA were a front license plate bracket, and either installed Daytona/NASCAR decals, or Platinum vinyl body side moldings.
A Pontiac engine will bolt in place of the 301. Pre 1968 Pontiac engines may require motor mount adapters. The turbo parts will not bolt up to any other Pontiac engines except the 301.
$he need$ $ome Love brother many hundo$ and professionals however in time you will have something great and a real show pony patience is a virtue in time it will be so in time brother don't throw the towel in! As Jesus said "If you can believe all things are possible for the one who believes"
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Never knew there were so many differences between the `80 and `81 TTA, thanks for pointing them out.
My favorite is the 81, the interior package and the color is just superb.
Great video. Brings back good memories. When I was 19 my buddy’s dad had an 81 that on VERY rare occasions he would let him drive. We would cruise up and down first street at the beach at night. That car got so many looks. I believe these cars are going to sky rocket in value very soon if they haven’t already started doing so.
Restoring a Daytona pace car that had an engine fire 20 years ago. 35k miles on it. The interior is awesome.
i think it is really cool seeing what computer technology was actually on this model
Wow, this guy is so knowledgeable about the car. I have seen many Trans Am I never seen this model; I am an auto mechanic for 30 years ASE certified, he knows quite a bit about CCC and that diagnostic connector I never seen this connector.
Thanks Joe. I learned a few things I didn't know.
I'm impressed with your knowledge of these engines I have an 81 turbo trans am I bought in December
I had the same car when I was 24, sold it about 8 years ago, some of my favorite times,
I'm actually considering a gen 2 T/A. This video is extremely helpful as I research the different years. Thank you for making this video.
Thanks for the info Joe, great video. What I really like about this T/A is the NASCAR decal behind the rear tire. Thanks again.
Had one of these. Lost her in an accident in 1999. :( So many cool facts about the car. Had the cover for 5pin. Facts I remember about her:
1. Recaro Seats came with several Foam inserts for Lumbar.
2. Only Trans Am of that Generation that had all red dash lights.
3. The brakes were a pain in the ass to do
4. It had a really cool "Slap Stick" like feature on the shifter
5. most of these cars never had the full body stickers installed
6. almost all were missing the air intake.
7. She was not Fast but you could bark those tires coming out of 1st.
8. she handled like a dream.. steering was tight and the cornering was amazing for a car that size.
I loved this car more than any car i ever owned... even more than my Turbo Regal.
Both the 10th Anniversary and '80 Pace Car also had red lit instruments. Yes the "slap stick" feature is described in the owner's manual. The original air intake is a fiber paper style, it didn't last long. LOL. Reproductions/aftermarkets were vinyl and lasted longer. The WS6 suspension was the key on those cars and showed up cars costing double the price back in the day.
Thanks for tutorial, trying to make sure my '80 Pace Car is correct as I ready her for sale. 2nd gens had a lot differences as the EPA mandates were applied.
Thank u joe for sharing your info ..keep the videos coming .the parts I purchased from u worked great on my 80 tta back on the road. Thank u!!!
I miss mine!! My favorite car I’ve ever owned.
Thanks good info, I have an Indy 1980 turbo with 25k miles on it.
Nice video Joe. Keep them coming!
Good information on the turbo wheels. . I might add the 5 digit in the vin will be a X if it’s a pace car.
Also on the 81 pace car the gages will be back lit red . Looks really cool at night.
The 10th Anniversary, '80 and '81 Pace Cars all had the red lit dash, and yes it looks really great at night. My Pontiac G6 convertible also has red light instruments and it reminds me of my 400/4 speed 10th Anniversary.
Sweet video, thanks for posting
My dad had the 81 Rts. My dads TA was Canadian and had the diagnostic port?
just got my 81 turbo trans am, great shape but very rough when cold, stalls when i put it into gear. i may need the carb rebuilt
The 15x8 Turbo wheels look much better. I have a 1980 Pace Car Edition and would like to get a 1981 version in the future, but with the 15x8 wheels.
You would be insane to drive one of these at all. The parts for a regular 80/81 NA 301 are impossible to find, let alone a turbo. I couldn’t find the correct TVS switches for months. It’s a nightmare.
Nah they were available up until a few years ago unless they were obsoleted by the parts stores and their suppliers. I worked for an aftermarket manufacturer---most of them didn't realize that they actually had the part in their line. The easiest way to catalog them was to go by number of ports, color/function and OEM part #. Dole and Eaton were the two original manufacturers to GM from what I remember. I was involved with cataloging them in the aftermarket and I was shocked at the holes in the coverage. No listing in the book, but we indeed did have the part in the line. Fortunately I stocked up on NOS years ago. LOL.
What a beauty
I need that clip that's near the driver side footwell to cover up the wiring
Contact me at ttaperformance@gmail.com
WOW Joe, incredible job. I have a Jaguar and Trans Am car channel here on RUclips, I think you are a member of Trans Am Lovers on FB, I help run that group..
That is correct Mitch. Thanks for subscribing.
Id give anything if I had held onto my 1980 T/A pace car,back in the day. Of course it wasnt all that fast, but with the paint & bird decal being fused together, in a 2 tone paint scheme that stretched past the t- tops & windows, like the 1979 silver anniversary model had, it was easily the sharpest Turbo Trans-Am ever made. If I remember correctly, it was the 1st & only pace car both Indianapolis, & Daytona wanted at thier respected race events at the time. Btw TTA Performance, most (casual T/A observers), usually talk about the hood bird decal, as its usually the 1st thing they notice, & mention, & on that note, how can you leave the stark differences in the 80 & 81 models decals, out of your ( differences ) lists, especially seeing you pointed out the 81 had a bird in the middle of the taillights:)
Hi Ronnie, Thanks for bringing up about the hood bird differences between 80 and 81. I may have forgot about it in this video but I think I mentioned it in my 1980 Pace Car video.
Hey TTA Performance, I been looking at a few Trans-Am vids lately, & this popt up lol. You make great content sir, & im about to watch the one I shoulda watched 1st then.
It must be difficult to replace the valve cover gaskets, especially on the passenger side.
You have a beautiful 81. Just so you know. Your Exhaust Splitters are aftermarket and alot different that the originals. They do make splitters that look correct. Awesome car. These cars have WS6 and 3.08 gears standard with J65 4 wheel disc brakes. I've owned 6 80-81 T/A's but i've had 11 77-79 Formula and T/A's and i owned most of them over 30 years ago. All this Turbo Tech was adopted from Buick which had it since 78 on the Regal & Riviera's
Joe, very nice car and video; thank you. I may be very wrong about this but it is my understanding that the ‘80 TTA didn’t have hood turbo lights, only the 81’s did. From what I’ve read, the pics I’ve seen and the few car shows I’ve been to that actually had any there, the backs of the 80 TTA scoops were just black. Perhaps turbo lights were optional in ‘80 and just not ordered that much. Anyone want to fill me in here?
Thank you Allen.
In 1980, all the Indy Pace Cars got the lights. Some regular 1980 cars got lights and some did not. I read somewhere it was due to a shortage of lights during production and they were saving them for the Pace Cars. Yes, all 1981s have the lights.
I have a 1980 and it has those silly turbo boost lights from the factory.
@@ttaperformance1046 It was RPO code "UR4" from what I remember and I also remember reading that cars from March 1980 production onward got them. My '80 was made in Norwood in January 1980 and does not have them.
I had a regular TTA in 1980. Did not have the lights on the hood.
@@dellalderman8011 Yes, early 1980 cars didn't have them. My '80 Turbo does not. My parents bought it brand new, I still have it.
I own one of these according to my vin number it’s the 19th one built. My vin last four digits is 0019.
That's cool that you own one of these rare pace cars. The low VIN sequence is neat. It may be the 19th Firebuilt built in 1981, but not necessarily the 19th Pace Car as these cars were not built sequentially down the assembly line. They were scattered throughout the assembly with other Firebirds. I would recommend you get in touch with Robin French on Facebook. She has a 80-81 Pace Car registry and is keeping track of all the Pace Cars.
@@ttaperformance1046 where is this robin french located I live in the derby city or Louisville Ky. I am curious where this car is on the Production side. Thx
@@2002WS6 she has a Facebook page called 1980-1981 Trans Am Pace Car Registry
@@ttaperformance1046 ok thx I will look it up. Also my console is not like the one you showed. It is black but someone cut the section out to address the issue that was found to be solved there. I have the piece they cut out in the glove box.
I found her and waiting on them to let me in. So we will see.
How do I order a console clip from you? I have an 81 Formula never knew that clip was missing!
Did you get one yet? Ordered one from TTA Performance via Facebook, look nice installed.
Does the 1980 or 1981 Turbo Trans Am have any kind of security alarm or car alarm features? I found one video saying they had a security feature on it if someone were to open the hood or trunk.
The 1980-81 Trans Ams never had any sort of factory alarm system.
Do you have anyone that you recommend to get the turbo rebuild? Mine burns oil and makes some sound some times. Thank you in advance.
Contact us. We have everything from a simple new bearing housing assembly to fully upgraded turbos.
Www.ttaperformance.com
i’m having a lot of problems with my 81 turbo Trans Am would it be a good idea to go with an older distributor and a non-electronic Quadra jet? I’d like to delete the computer control spark system and carburetor issues, I’m not worried about detonation I can run higher octane gas and just listen for detonation and let off if I hear it
Hi Mike, I believe you also emailed me. I will respond to your email with details. Thanks.
Good information, but a bit of clarity:
1) I believe the 1980-1981 air cleaner breather "box" is the same for both years of Turbo engines. My '80 Turbo is an original 26k mile car my parents bought brand new and it has the metal breather box on the air cleaner. In fact, I bought several NOS metal ones years back that I still have in storage. I'll have to look in the 21/21A Pontiac parts book again.
2) The only real 8" Turbo Flow wheel is the 10th Anniversary. It actually measures 9". The others are are not true 8" wheels. More information can be found here: www.hitmantransam.com/Pages/rims.htm
Hitman and I have discussed these wheels at length and we've also determined that on the true 8" 10th wheels the alignment of the lug holes is different than that of the 7.5" wheels.
3) What most don't know is that the '80 and '81 Pace Cars are not fully contented cars, there were several options that could be ordered on top of the Y85 packages. The Y89 10th cars are fully contented, with only the engine being the difference. The engine determined the transmission (THM350 for the 403, Super T-10 manual for the 400) and this also determined the gearing (3.23 for the 400, 2.73 for the 403). Choosing the 400 meant you had to delete cruise control, this was a credit to the buyer. Also the only other "option" on a 10th was the VJ9 California equipment option in certain areas of the country. This was only for the 403 as the 400 was only certified for Federal emissions.
I would have enjoyed a bit more on the highlighting of the unique items for the '81 Y85. They were very unique indeed.
Thank you for the info about the breather box. I was not sure about this considering that they usually get changed out over the years.
The link to hitman's website and your summary about turbo wheels is pretty much the same thing that I am saying. The only difference being that the true 15x8 turbo wheel (measuring 9" wide overall), as offered on the 79 TATA, was also offered on the 1980 turbo cars (and California non-turbo) with WS6. It was offered in white on the 1980, Y85 Indy 500 Pace Car, Gold on the 1980, Y84, WS6 SE (or optional on non-SE, WS6 cars) and was offered polished, like the 79 TATA, on non-Pace Car and non-SEs.
I have a set of gold, 1980, WS6, 15x8's on my 1981 SE (originally a non-WS6 car, equipped with 15x7 snowflakes). The 15x7.5 turbo wheel (measuring 8.5" wide overall) was offered only in 1981. It was standard with WS6 (or optional without WS6) in Gold or polished. White was only on the Y85 Daytona 500 Pace Car.
@@ttaperformance1046 I believe Purolator and others sold a plastic version of that breather element, but the original is metal and the NOS Delco ones I have are metal. The plastic ones were blue and made by various suppliers. Yes, we are saying the same thing about the wheels, but my/his way is without having to take them off to measure them. That's the only difference.
Right. Besides the California emissions equipment, the only other options on a '79 TATA were a front license plate bracket, and either installed Daytona/NASCAR decals, or Platinum vinyl body side moldings.
The decals were spotty. GM kept no records as to which cars had them. Plus you could buy them over the counter.
I just want to know if it is possible to swap in a Pontiac 326 or a 350 in place of the OEM 301 engine.
A Pontiac engine will bolt in place of the 301. Pre 1968 Pontiac engines may require motor mount adapters.
The turbo parts will not bolt up to any other Pontiac engines except the 301.
Why Would You Want To Do That? That's So Stupid. I Say Keep It Original And Keep That Kick Ass 301!
Which do you like better 80 or 81
I like 1980 because I can modify the ignition timing and fuel. 1981 computer limits you on those things but still responds well to the mods.
My dream car as a broke 20 year old :(
$he need$ $ome Love brother many hundo$ and professionals however in time you will have something great and a real show pony patience is a virtue in time it will be so in time brother don't throw the towel in!
As Jesus said
"If you can believe all things are possible for the one who believes"
Funny thing, the car could not reach the 80mph of the speedo. It was just a shit car for certain.
Motor Trend tested one to 124mph. And they know a lot more about cars than you do.
@@bretz71 I have no concern that you wish to speak of what you think I may know. Maybe try not to make comments when your mom isnt home?
i'd drop the lame @$$ motor & drop in a "crate-350"
Yeah, that'd play really well with the car computer.
when you dump a lame-@$$ motor - you also dump the lame @$$ COMPUTER !! ... DUH! ... DUH! ... DUH!