Notta TTA but…

[White Dwarf 89]

I thought these were supposed to be rare birds. I have seen 2 in the city I live in and one about 200 miles away. Anyway, just wondering if anyone here has one of them.

http://emob133.photobucket.com/albums/q74/Jackolivas/1309495029.jpg

 

[kidsixpack]

I've seen a dozen or so thinking all the way back when they were new. Always thought it was kind of cool.
KID

 

[RatFink]

I like the notchback. I think there is 1 TTA that has a nothcback. I think I've seen a picture of it here. Jan Larson would know.

 

[8289ta]

Scott Kelly said no TTA's ever got notchbacks, so it had to be added later on.

 

[89tta636]

Scott Kelly said no TTA's ever got notchbacks, so it had to be added later on.

Scott's other comment was that it could have been a clone. White GTA with Indy stickers on doors.

 

[michbc3]

If you want to make a TTA clone, you should start with a better/closer donor car.

In 1986 my sister bought a white Trans Am with a carbureted 305 and automatic = not very spirited driving, but an ok highway cruiser. All the body panels are the same as the TTA, but the spoiler was left unpainted as black rubber. She sold the car to me in 1996 and I still own it. Still looks and runs great.

About all it would take to make this resemble a TTA is to change the wheels, paint the spoiler and put the sticker on the side.

 

[TURBO1]

From what I read, the TTA's and the Notchbacks share the same rear seat back section (rear seat headrest area).

 

[Turbota6]

The one question we didn't ask Scott..."Why were the notchback seats used in the TTAs?" I think that's the only question we didn't ask!

And yes, there are pictures of a TTA notchback at Indy. I believe the stickers on that car are in the wrong place (set too far back under the door handles) similar to some of the other press photos. According to what Scott said some of those press photos were GTA cars with TTA emblems and stickers. The reason for this is that no TTAs were available for photos at the time the shots were taken so they had to make due with what they had.

 

[Mike Arrigo]

The one question we didn't ask Scott..."Why were the notchback seats used in the TTAs?" I think that's the only question we didn't ask!

And yes, there are pictures of a TTA notchback at Indy. I believe the stickers on that car are in the wrong place (set too far back under the door handles) similar to some of the other press photos. According to what Scott said some of those press photos were GTA cars with TTA emblems and stickers. The reason for this is that no TTAs were available for photos at the time the shots were taken so they had to make due with what they had.

If you look close at the rear seats for the press photos, they are the regular low back seats. Now that I look, the decals are set back on that car as well. interesting

 

[TURBO1]

Found a link:
GTANotchback.com

 

[andre#4]

They used notchback seats in the tta because they were already made to order for the notchbacks, which were unceremoniously deleted from 1989 production because of problems with the fiberglass construction of the notchback lid and customers complaining of blisters and paint problems and additional rattling and creaking of the notchback.

They had to use the seats for something and figured a $32k trans am would look better with something other than the basic flat back rear seat that was used in the $10,000 firebird. And they were right. It looks better. Goes better with the fancy front seats. It looks particularly good in the convertible, and makes the rear seats look like 2 seperate buckets, rather than a flat bench back with 2 bucket bottoms. see photo.

you may notice the notchback in the 1989 brochure. The intended to sell them throughout 1989. Only one ever got made. Some say it is the one from the catalog, but I doubt it. They would have made that catalog before the cars came out and all they had to do to make the catalog is use a 1988 notchback and put a 1989 license plate on the back.

 

[biggdoggtta]

Everything Andre said.......and they (PAS) wanted to distinquish the look of the TTA from the GTA. The Notchback rear seats fit the bill.