I absolutely lucked onto the deal of a lifetime this past weekend. I found a 37k actual mile TTA sitting under a tree in the middle of the Ozark Mtns last Saturday, and I bought it for a song. It's very original, missing only one center cap as best I can tell, and runs despite the old gas and blown exhaust gaskets. Unfortunately it's been sitting in the elements for the last ten years, so the paint is in pretty bad shape, but he covered the it with a tarp, so the interior is well preserved. I still can't believe it.
The story behind this find is almost as interesting as the car itself. I work for a local repo company and received an order to pick up this gentleman's truck as a voluntary repossession, so I called him to schedule a time and get directions to his house. I intended to make this my last run before leaving town for the weekend, so I hurried to his house on the edge of a national forest early Saturday morning. His directions were great, so I had no problem finding the place, and he was in the front yard when I arrived. I noticed the car at the end of the driveway, but thought is was a neglected GTA sitting on 4 flat tires, so I really didn't look twice.
In the course of polite conversation, I asked him what year his GTA was, and he said it was an '89 that he'd bought in '98, but his son had blown the engine within the first year he owned it. I asked if it was a TPI 350 and he said no it's the turbo V6. I knew Pontiac made a few GTA's with the GNX powertrain, but I had never seen one in person, and before this weekend, I had no idea how special these cars really are. I thought he was full of BS, so I thought I'd call him on it and asked to see under the hood. He popped the hood and to my surprise I, there sat a Buick 231 with a turbo. Then he started talking about how he planned to fix it up and how these cars in good shape could bring nearly $20k on Ebay. I closed the hood as I realized he knew what he had - no one would steal this away from him.
A few minutes later, he's talking about a low mileage Coupe Deville he also owns that has even fewer miles than the 37k on the TTA. In the course of conversation he mentions that someone was supposed to come to buy the car for a few thousand dollars, but they never showed up. I'm thinking that was a fair price for a nice Caddy, but when he mentions it again, I realize he was talking about a few thousand for the TTA. I asked him for clarification and he confirms the price was for the TTA in "as is" condition. After the usual follow up questions about how long ago the car last ran, title status, liens, etc.... he says if I have time, he'll show me the title and install a battery so I can hear it run.
As he heads to the house to grab the new battery he bought for the car only 2 days ago, plus the title, I frantically call a buddy and plead with him to do some research online so I can confirm the authenticity of the car. The guy hands me the title and shows his driver's license to confirm ownership and proceeds to install the new battery while I hook his truck to the wrecker.
As I confirm the title matches the VIN, my buddy calls back with some information. He tells me to look for the special tail pipes and turbo lettering between the tail lights - yep just as he described. Indy 500 logos and 20th anniversary badges - yes. Boost gages in dash, another badge on the passenger dash, and split rear seat backs - yeah. Under the hood he describes the turbo, intercooler, fan on crankshaft, and finally the 20th anniversary logo printed on the plug wires. I noticed the VIN sticker on the underside of the hood next to the emission tag which clearly reads 231 V6. For final confirmation, I asked him to read the VIN number from the car ad he found on Ebay and it matches character for character with the exception of the production numbers.
Just as I hang up the phone, I hear the car start to crank over. After a few cranks, the engine sputters to life. It dies a few times, but eventually it manages to hold idle in spite of the massive exhaust leak from the driver's side header and the stench of old gas. I check the old pressure - well in the normal range. I climb into the driver's seat, gently apply the brakes, and put the transmission in reverse. The car lurches backward and dies. I restart it in neutral and put the transmission in drive, same result - the car lurches and dies. At this point, I shut off the ignition; no need to run anymore rotten fuel through the engine, or chance a fire from a leak or from the leaves and debris under the hood.
I never tried to haggle, just worked out the details for payment. If I had enough cash on me I would have unhooked his truck and taken my new prize home on the wrecker first, but my cash was at home, so I hauled his voluntary repo back to my lot in record time. I convinced a neighbor to ride back to get the TTA so there was a witness that the transaction was legitimate, and I made the return trip with equal haste. Twenty minutes after I returned, we had traded title for money, aired up the tires, and hooked the TTA to the wrecker for the trip to my shop. The longest twenty minutes of my life, it seemed.
While I prepped the car for the 40 mile trip back to town, my neighbor got a few more details from the (now former) owner. He is a Vietnam Vet who, after a long court battle, received a nice VA disability settlement including back pay in 1998. His first purchase was the TTA from a local dealer who specializes in collectable cars. At the time, the car was a 28k mile garage kept beauty with a price tag around $20k. The next 9 years were apparently hard on both car and owner. He spent time in jail for various drug, alcohol, and violence charges, and the car sat in the elements with damaged engine with only a cheap tarp for protection. The owner has since straightened up, but I sensed the car held both good and bad memories for him. He seemed somewhat ashamed that he'd neglected the car so badly, so I'll bet the sale was kind of a relief from the guilt. I'm glad I was the one to relieve him of the burden.
I washed the leaves and crud off the car, but it still needs lots of detailing to be presentable. The paint is in rough shape - lots of weather checking, wear from the tarp, and some peeling. The body is rust free, but has on dent slightly larger that a softball near the driver's rear wheel and a few dings on the passenger front fender. The rear spoiler is a mess, but the front bumper cover has only one minor tear. The interior will clean up nicely with no major blemishes, factory floor mats and all. The clear coat on the wheels needs to be stripped and resprayed, but the wheels are all free of curb rash. Mice did manage to chew on the hood insulation, but I haven't found any damage to the wiring harness. The stereo is locked and the headlight go up but not down, so there are a few things that need attention.
Mechanically, I really think what he is calling a blown engine is merely a blown exhaust gasket on the drivers collector. No boost plus too much fuel make the car hardly able to move out of it's tracks. The car holds good oil pressure, and shows no signs of water in oil or vice versa. It'll need brake work and tires, plus fluids changed. The old gas will have to be purged from the system. I've ordered donut gaskets and tune-up parts, so I'll get to prove my theory about the engine soon.
I really don't know what I intend to do with the car besides make it run and drive again. I'm not sure about the paint and body work; if I keep the car, I'll get it done. If I decide to sell, it might be better off letting someone who has long term intentions do the paint and body to their liking. I thought I ask the experts how to proceed, so here I am. Do any of the problems I've described sound familar. Any ideas about the value of a low mileage car in less than nice condition? Thanks in advance. Sorry for the long post, but I had to share my excitement.
The story behind this find is almost as interesting as the car itself. I work for a local repo company and received an order to pick up this gentleman's truck as a voluntary repossession, so I called him to schedule a time and get directions to his house. I intended to make this my last run before leaving town for the weekend, so I hurried to his house on the edge of a national forest early Saturday morning. His directions were great, so I had no problem finding the place, and he was in the front yard when I arrived. I noticed the car at the end of the driveway, but thought is was a neglected GTA sitting on 4 flat tires, so I really didn't look twice.
In the course of polite conversation, I asked him what year his GTA was, and he said it was an '89 that he'd bought in '98, but his son had blown the engine within the first year he owned it. I asked if it was a TPI 350 and he said no it's the turbo V6. I knew Pontiac made a few GTA's with the GNX powertrain, but I had never seen one in person, and before this weekend, I had no idea how special these cars really are. I thought he was full of BS, so I thought I'd call him on it and asked to see under the hood. He popped the hood and to my surprise I, there sat a Buick 231 with a turbo. Then he started talking about how he planned to fix it up and how these cars in good shape could bring nearly $20k on Ebay. I closed the hood as I realized he knew what he had - no one would steal this away from him.
A few minutes later, he's talking about a low mileage Coupe Deville he also owns that has even fewer miles than the 37k on the TTA. In the course of conversation he mentions that someone was supposed to come to buy the car for a few thousand dollars, but they never showed up. I'm thinking that was a fair price for a nice Caddy, but when he mentions it again, I realize he was talking about a few thousand for the TTA. I asked him for clarification and he confirms the price was for the TTA in "as is" condition. After the usual follow up questions about how long ago the car last ran, title status, liens, etc.... he says if I have time, he'll show me the title and install a battery so I can hear it run.
As he heads to the house to grab the new battery he bought for the car only 2 days ago, plus the title, I frantically call a buddy and plead with him to do some research online so I can confirm the authenticity of the car. The guy hands me the title and shows his driver's license to confirm ownership and proceeds to install the new battery while I hook his truck to the wrecker.
As I confirm the title matches the VIN, my buddy calls back with some information. He tells me to look for the special tail pipes and turbo lettering between the tail lights - yep just as he described. Indy 500 logos and 20th anniversary badges - yes. Boost gages in dash, another badge on the passenger dash, and split rear seat backs - yeah. Under the hood he describes the turbo, intercooler, fan on crankshaft, and finally the 20th anniversary logo printed on the plug wires. I noticed the VIN sticker on the underside of the hood next to the emission tag which clearly reads 231 V6. For final confirmation, I asked him to read the VIN number from the car ad he found on Ebay and it matches character for character with the exception of the production numbers.
Just as I hang up the phone, I hear the car start to crank over. After a few cranks, the engine sputters to life. It dies a few times, but eventually it manages to hold idle in spite of the massive exhaust leak from the driver's side header and the stench of old gas. I check the old pressure - well in the normal range. I climb into the driver's seat, gently apply the brakes, and put the transmission in reverse. The car lurches backward and dies. I restart it in neutral and put the transmission in drive, same result - the car lurches and dies. At this point, I shut off the ignition; no need to run anymore rotten fuel through the engine, or chance a fire from a leak or from the leaves and debris under the hood.
I never tried to haggle, just worked out the details for payment. If I had enough cash on me I would have unhooked his truck and taken my new prize home on the wrecker first, but my cash was at home, so I hauled his voluntary repo back to my lot in record time. I convinced a neighbor to ride back to get the TTA so there was a witness that the transaction was legitimate, and I made the return trip with equal haste. Twenty minutes after I returned, we had traded title for money, aired up the tires, and hooked the TTA to the wrecker for the trip to my shop. The longest twenty minutes of my life, it seemed.
While I prepped the car for the 40 mile trip back to town, my neighbor got a few more details from the (now former) owner. He is a Vietnam Vet who, after a long court battle, received a nice VA disability settlement including back pay in 1998. His first purchase was the TTA from a local dealer who specializes in collectable cars. At the time, the car was a 28k mile garage kept beauty with a price tag around $20k. The next 9 years were apparently hard on both car and owner. He spent time in jail for various drug, alcohol, and violence charges, and the car sat in the elements with damaged engine with only a cheap tarp for protection. The owner has since straightened up, but I sensed the car held both good and bad memories for him. He seemed somewhat ashamed that he'd neglected the car so badly, so I'll bet the sale was kind of a relief from the guilt. I'm glad I was the one to relieve him of the burden.
I washed the leaves and crud off the car, but it still needs lots of detailing to be presentable. The paint is in rough shape - lots of weather checking, wear from the tarp, and some peeling. The body is rust free, but has on dent slightly larger that a softball near the driver's rear wheel and a few dings on the passenger front fender. The rear spoiler is a mess, but the front bumper cover has only one minor tear. The interior will clean up nicely with no major blemishes, factory floor mats and all. The clear coat on the wheels needs to be stripped and resprayed, but the wheels are all free of curb rash. Mice did manage to chew on the hood insulation, but I haven't found any damage to the wiring harness. The stereo is locked and the headlight go up but not down, so there are a few things that need attention.
Mechanically, I really think what he is calling a blown engine is merely a blown exhaust gasket on the drivers collector. No boost plus too much fuel make the car hardly able to move out of it's tracks. The car holds good oil pressure, and shows no signs of water in oil or vice versa. It'll need brake work and tires, plus fluids changed. The old gas will have to be purged from the system. I've ordered donut gaskets and tune-up parts, so I'll get to prove my theory about the engine soon.
I really don't know what I intend to do with the car besides make it run and drive again. I'm not sure about the paint and body work; if I keep the car, I'll get it done. If I decide to sell, it might be better off letting someone who has long term intentions do the paint and body to their liking. I thought I ask the experts how to proceed, so here I am. Do any of the problems I've described sound familar. Any ideas about the value of a low mileage car in less than nice condition? Thanks in advance. Sorry for the long post, but I had to share my excitement.
I have a dealer license, and ran the VIN you provided. It's clean - No issues. I can e-mail you the full report if you like. I'd just need your e-mail address.
