What's new
By:
TurboTransAm.com

Register today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

Theeeee Barn find from michigan

Idea.....remember back in 89 when THAT dealership took THAT TTA and put it up on it's side?.. ya know, the ones with all the yellow post-it's??... (i know we all do)....does anyone here have any nice high quality shots of it they can post so we all can see how a NEW untouched original should have looked like????

the one's i have are way too small or i'd do it myself so thats why i ask.....although the black 89 Formula is a stellar example, it would be nice to see those old original snap shots again for comparison sake......just a thought....
 
I got loads of photos of very low mileage TTAs (from 53 miles and up) and here's some examples of a 90 mile TTA ... you can see lots of nice details.

One challenge is lots of parts (sway bar brackets, rear sway bar, driveshaft etc.) were raw metal and would have surface rust on it very quickly if not stored properly.

If you gone restore any car to factory specs you need to do lots of research and get proper reference photos like these or you will be lost.
 

Attachments

  • DSCF0004.jpg
    DSCF0004.jpg
    39.3 KB · Views: 48
  • DSCF0010.jpg
    DSCF0010.jpg
    48 KB · Views: 48
  • DSCF0012.jpg
    DSCF0012.jpg
    40.3 KB · Views: 42
  • DSCF0011.jpg
    DSCF0011.jpg
    43.4 KB · Views: 44
walt said:
Hi guys, me again,I didn't understand the part about "the two inches of lower control at the end that wasn't painted".SOOOO I went back and looked at the picture in question and realized what you were lookin at was the flash from the camera.Look a little closer and you'll see it.Thanks for pointing it out so I could address it.

Walt
Click to expand...

Walt, sorry was not very clear I noticed (reading my post again) when it comes to the a-arm.

They had no paint at the very end, looks like 3 inches or so of raw metal (that do rust very quickly).

See attached photos, one being a 90 mile TTA other being a NOS a-arm. Hope this helps.
 

Attachments

  • DSCF0010.jpg
    DSCF0010.jpg
    48 KB · Views: 34
  • NOS 1982-92 Chevy Camaro Pontiac Trans Am Lower Control Arm Pair L+R.jpg
    NOS 1982-92 Chevy Camaro Pontiac Trans Am Lower Control Arm Pair L+R.jpg
    35 KB · Views: 37
Last edited:
Brother Al said:
I do not understand the hostility here...:confused:
Click to expand...

Thank you sir.

I see lots of valuable information posted in this thread from a bunch of very helpful and knowledgeable people all this on a site with loads of ACCURATE information anyone have access too.

Again thanks for posting.
 
Bossbird,I will be taking more pics for the magazine article as soon as the weather clears and will be sure to get a close up of the area you have asked for.Thanks Walt
 
My intention when I purchased this car was not to restore it back to its "original condition" but to make it look presentable as a barn find as it is.The story about this car and the fact it was put in a building for 23 years and to come out looking as it does is amazing. Whatever I get for this car I will be happy with because again its all about the journey.The fact that the driveshaft is painted or whatever else I prefer will not at all change the fact that this is a true barn find. In closing I could never understand why the the tta could not bring the same kind of money as the GNX ,the answer is painfully clear.I believe that some of you are your cars worst enemy. WALT
 
Def a cool barnfind ,no doubt !!!!
I myself love low mile orig cars,now combine that with TTA's and GN's !!!!!!
I was thrilled when I got my 15k mile TTA as to how clean the eng bay and bottom were,as I 've gone to look at 9,10k mile cars and did'nt look like that.
The 1,400 mile GN I just aquired was really stored the correct way,it blew me away when I got there to check it out,I did nothing to that car so far other than dust it off and do some very fine detail cleaning.
Walt,congrats with the find,and good luck with the sale.
I have said it before,I don't understand why these TTA's are not fetching the $$$ they should considering the rarity,what they were new,their historical significance,driving capabilitys,etc !!!!
 
Brother Al said:
I do not understand the hostility here...:confused:
Click to expand...

"In closing I could never understand why the the tta could not bring the same kind of money as the GNX ,the answer is painfully clear.I believe that some of you are your cars worst enemy. WALT "


I like talking to elephants.:guns:

It is not HOSTILITY, but rather ANGRY, JEALOUS, and OPTIMISTIC SKEPTICISM!!!. :read:

When we here initially heard about this barn find, naturally we here were all very excited to hear the story and we all were very JEALOUS we didn't find it. Of course we are SKEPTICAL when the story originates on a club webpage instead of here. Clearly Walt knows how to use a computer and sell a car. He is very knowledgeable about this car and cars in general, yet he has never seen or heard about our website. Three words "Turbo Trans Am" on a Google search and this website is the first match, naturally. WE GET IT, Walt found Al's write up on the TTA the same way and recruiting him to create a Buzz for the car. We are all OPTIMISTIC that the story is published and helps increase the exposure and value that this car deserves. FINALLY!!!!!

ANGRY. Then we get the story about the TTA that was purchased as an investment and sat in garage since delivery and left to her son as the original owner had passed away. Truer words have never been spoken but I don't think the original owner meant an investment for someone else. Walt hears about the car and makes a "FAIR" offer for it. Next we are fed bits and pieces of the story and then led to the ad on Hemmings as the car is put back on the Market as a "Barn Find". We finally see pictures of the undercarriage and it has been clearly altered from the "Barn Find" condition and yet represented as one with a price tag of $65K. :jaw:

I wonder if the poor original owners son thinks Walt's offer was a "FAIR" one now. I am guessing not, since Walt or Al will not tell us what that "FAIR" offer was.

I can't speak for everyone here, but I will for myself..... ANGRY!!!
I'M MAD AS HELL, AND I'M NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!!!!
IT PISSES ME OFF.... clearly Walt has a big pay day in mind and it is all about the money. He supposedly has already turned down multiple $40k+ offers, when we all here know that would be top dollar for a low mileage, NOT MUSEUM QUALITY, festival TTA. We have even tried to help again there and advice him to take the $40K if he is only interested in making money on the car. Maybe he did make a "FAIR" offer of $30k for the car and $10k+ is not enough profit for him. Walt knows the original owner paid $25k for it, so I am thinking the "FAIR" offer is in the $20k range. So Walt could already double his money...but triple would be better... :WOOT:

Also, the "hostility" comment really makes me ANGRY. :explosion:

The members here have done nothing but been supportive of you and Walt and tried to help in every way we can. In my heart, I believe you were recruited by Walt from reading your article to help promote his sale. I have feeling though Al does not know all the details, including the "FAIR" offer that was accepted. ANGRY again because we all hate dealing with used car salesmen like Walt because you never get the truth and it is all about the mighty dollar.... again, just look at the Hemming's ad and $65k price tag.

I truly feel we were Walt's target audience for sale all along and again Al was recruited to help him out as we all have. The love we have for these cars is clearly evident by our members..
--- from Jan's passion and constant input on our website...
----this website in general and all of it's members tech advise for free that they could charge $100/hour for...
----- the TTA re-union....
-----continual showing of these cars at car show's, cruise nights, auctions, etc...

Hopefully the sale of this car is to a member here or a future one who will help keep the love of this car alive for future generations....24 years and counting..... now we all know the value of that.... PRICELESS:drunk:


Clark Griswolds Holiday Rant - YouTube

HALLELUJAH...I FEEL BETTER.....now that that is over.......I still can't wait to read the published story and see the final selling price...
HONESTLY!!!!!!! GOOD LUCK WITH THE SALEttarider
 
Last edited:
walt said:
My intention when I purchased this car was not to restore it back to its "original condition" but to make it look presentable as a barn find as it is.The story about this car and the fact it was put in a building for 23 years and to come out looking as it does is amazing. Whatever I get for this car I will be happy with because again its all about the journey.The fact that the driveshaft is painted or whatever else I prefer will not at all change the fact that this is a true barn find. In closing I could never understand why the the tta could not bring the same kind of money as the GNX ,the answer is painfully clear.I believe that some of you are your cars worst enemy. WALT
Click to expand...

Really? If you had 'restored' a GNX in that manner and posted up those pics, I will bet you would have gotten an even more 'hostile' reaction over on a Turbo buick site. The GNX owners are a particular bunch who are very interested in originality, even more so then us. You are mistaking passion for hostility. If you would have gotten advice here from the start on how to make the car right, you would not have made those errors. We would have been more then happy to help you preserve the car properly.
Doing what you prefer to a car is fine. It's your car. But you might be the only one who is happy with the outcome. You did not clean the car up to keep it. You were hoping to turn a profit. That is fine - but you should have taken that into consideration when tackling the issues on the undercarriage.

And I don't believe we are our enemy. Can you consider a passionate GNX owner his own enemy? They are the true champions of the car, keeping the values where they should be. We have all helped here in some way to keep the interest in our cars. How did you find out the cars number? Did you look at the pdf file? Do you know we all participated in documenting that list? Prior to documenting that info, you would have had to pay PHS for that.
How did you know the story of the festival cars? You found it here.
And Jan is an invaluable go to guy for info. He had documented stickers, serial numbers, etc. I don't think Jan or I or anyone else who responded here are hostile. We are just passionate about preserving something that deserves a bit more recognition.
 
Last edited:
It does amaze me that people that had and stored these cars with the best intention of preservation and they turned out for the worse.To see the 1,600 mile GN,UGHHHHH!!!!!
That barn where Walts car was stored,not the best either for trying to retain time capsule condition.23 years without being run/started/driven,absolutely not the best thing.
I myself am shocked at the asking price,that is ALOT !!!
Obviously we all wish we can be in the ones shoes that stumbles on these finds,only natural.
Myself, am on the hunt for a GNX,but stumbled on my recent ultra low mile time capsule GN and couldn't pas it up.Did I get a steal on it,NO.Although some great parts came with it,NOS hood pad,sill plates,center caps,and very rare NOS takeoff GN rims/tires 2 miles on them,dead mint!!!!!
The car was only 10 miles from me,had to go look at it for my curiousity,and it blew me away of the condition,without doubt,100% properly stored and cared for.Always stored with windows up to retain the new car smell,never in damp environment garages,and most important of all,gently had use/warm up drives and miles.
I couldn't have a brand new GN in 87,but this car is the closest I'll ever get the option to own.
Would I sell it and my TTA,yes,but only to move up into a GNX,my ultimate bucket list car !!!!!
Would I be content with keeping them,heck yes,what a nice pair of low mile orig rare cars.And have my long owned GN to drive and enjoy.
If you notice,there are more of the 547 GNX's for sale at any given time vs. the 1,555 TTA's.Does'nt that show you something?
 
I would never think we are our cars worst enemies. We are the soldiers, the troops, who keep the hobby and enthusiasm alive. I am my car's BEST friend. I take care of it, nurture it and it rewards me with many, many hours of enjoyment. Its not an investment for me, its a hobby.

I have found this forum very helpful and user friendly. You guys have tons of knowledge and I know if I ever need any help or advice I can ask.:)
 
kymmee said:
I would never think we are our cars worst enemies. We are the soldiers, the troops, who keep the hobby and enthusiasm alive. I am my car's BEST friend. I take care of it, nurture it and it rewards me with many, many hours of enjoyment. Its not an investment for me, its a hobby.

I have found this forum very helpful and user friendly. You guys have tons of knowledge and I know if I ever need any help or advice I can ask.:)
Click to expand...


Very, Very, True!!:yes:
 
If I angered anyone with what I said, I'm sorry... Yes, there was information received here, and from other sources as well...

There's just a bit of an edge to some of the comments made... this on top of comments made in Kymmee's original post and a fairly snobbish/nasty pm that I received on another site from someone on this board. It is what it is.
 
Greetings from your friendly used car salesman,lol. I want to address a few things from all the posts. First of all I have never called anyone any names or insulted anyone even though I have been insulted in some of your most recent posts. Secondly the seller of this car knew very well what this car could sell for and was given that info by yours truly.He did not have the money or knowledge to bring the car to the condition to sell nor did he want to take the chance that there could have been something major wrong with the car and he wouldn't have had the money to repair it. To assume I would not be forthcoming with the possible price of this car to someone is at the very least insulting. As for AL he was one of the first forums I visited and was extremely helpful as were his other followers. After talking with AL and getting a ton of info, I spent money on a Carfax, paid PHS for documented history and the window sticker. You thinking that I didn't was another assumption. I spent many days on the internet as I'm sure all of you have, to get as much info as I possibly could. After that AL told me about your site and that's when I joined your site.To say I didn't get any info from your site would not be true. In retrospect I could have saved a lot of time had I come here first. Brother AL knows the whole story about this car and me, even what I purchased it for. He is a trustworthy and honest man.He is a true car guy. With all the pictures we have shared with you, you chose to respond by picking apart the black paint and even made rude comments about "slathering" paint on on the underbody. You never said a thing about the rest of the car(unused shades ,Indy kit,the fact that the interior was in pristine condition and the tires were original.) The car shows very well in the pictures, and it's a really beautiful car. I feel bad that I wanted to share my find with everyone and it has turned out so badly.I wish you all the very best . Thanks WALT
 
The car is worth what someone who wants it is willing to pay fot it. I hope he gets $100, 000. It's better for all of us who own these car. Yes there are people out there looking to maximize profit but I dont believe Walt is one of those guys. Best of luck with the sale. I'd love to own it....and yes everyone is very helpful on this site. I've never met brother al but he's been a stand up guy even with things im going through...and I dont even know him personally
 
It's a pic I found on google images that fit. My car is going through a rebuild and the pics of my actual car wouldn't work for avatar. Thats all it is...nothing more nothing less. I sent you a private message explaing this but posted here since that what you chose to do to ask me about it. It's not my actual car its a pic that works for avatar. My car is # 364. I also have a convertible 89 trans am im building into a convertible tta. I also found my tta in a barn...

If anyone knows how to resize the pic of my car and change my avatar to my actual car i would appreciate it greatly. I'm not trying to pass the car in avatar as my own. It just represents where my car is at...Thanks
 
Last edited:
TURBOGTA said:
It's a pic I found on google images that fit. My car is going through a rebuild and the pics of my actual car wouldn't work for avatar. Thats all it is...nothing more nothing less. I sent you a private message explaing this but posted here since that what you chose to do to ask me about it. It's not my actual car its a pic that works for avatar. My car is # 364. I also have a convertible 89 trans am im building into a convertible tta. I also found my tta in a barn...

If anyone knows how to resize the pic of my car and change my avatar to my actual car i would appreciate it greatly. I'm not trying to pass the car in avatar as my own. It just represents where my car is at...Thanks
Click to expand...
Oh no big deal, was trying to figure out what the heck was poking out of the engine bay, looked like a big giant stuffed bear :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top