No respect

[Razor]

Last nite I go to the track and take my buddies GN to tune on since i've been banned in my car and I park it where I usually park mine.. all of a sudden I get all these people ooohhhh and aahhhh all over this car.. With the TTA.. only get a few people look at it..

Same thing while driving it on the streets, putting gas, etc.. Lots of looks and praise.

Whats with these black cars.. let alone I run a 7.60 with it and get all this praise... with mine.. running low 7's.. just a "nice car"..

Guess I know why these cars command more $$$.

How bout if the TTA got painted black...

Anyone else drive both and get the same results?

 

[1987 GN]

Definitely. Up until the last few weeks I owned 1 of each and the TTA was a gorgeous 3k mile example while the GN was a nice 31k mile driver. Every time I went out in the GN I got a thumbs up or a wave and I don't think I ever got any acknowledgement in the TTA from anyone. Fine with me. I hope the TTAs remain a secret so their prices don't go too crazy like lots of other cars that become popular and thus are in demand by everyone.

 

[87buick3825]

helllll ya !!!! even when the TTA was new no one knew what it was !!! BUT had the most fun with it to !!

 

[john evans]

i used to have both.when my wife and i bought our new house,i had to sell one of the two cars and i didn't get much interest in the tta, but the gn went in about two weeks.i get even less interest in the tta since i removed the pacecar stickers off of the doors.

 

[RobR]

It was the same way with both my GN and TTA. GN was a lot slower but got all the praise. Nobody wanted to run on the street because it was a GN. The TTA was just thought of as a slow GTA than sounded like it was missing

Very strange how people gravitate more towards one instead of both.

Believe or not, I get more praise for the GTO than I did for the TTA

 

[TTA 563]

With such a low production, most people out there dont even know these cars exist, they think its just another 305 gta.

 

[91Bird305]

If your 89 TTAs are being looked at as slow then I can't imagine what their gonna think when my 91 base "firebird" rolls up this spring.

GN or other nice looking cars I always give a thumbs up to cause u can tell when someone takes care of a car. If its a gn that looks like its been thru the saw mill one to many times or any sports car for that matter I don't do anything. He could be a car nut or it could be a project car but eh, the chances are slim, lol.

 

[brn agn]

I have had the same experience. In fact, my old 87 IROC-Z (which ran a lame 14.7@95 mph) got more attention that the TTA. In the 3 years that I have had the TTA, only one person on the street actually KNEW what it was when they asked me about it. I have had several other people tell me that they "used to have a car that was exactly like mine". When I ask them what engine they had, the response is "it was a 305". Sometimes it is a little aggravating...but on the other hand, it is fun for me to know that I have something special and no one else realizes it.

I'm still waiting for prices to start to rising, but I have a feeling it will be many years from now.

Does anyone know of a similar situation with a 60's/70's musclecar that was ignored back in the day, but is in high demand now?

 

[fly89gta]

Most people don't know what they are...they just think it's another redneck thirdgen

 

[89ICBM]

Well, I've had old 1231 at car shows and 2 different times I've had people tell me "you know Pontiac didn't make this car, you did! It's a turbo kit you added on." I did pull up at a store one time a couple of years back and a guy that was sitting in the drive thru yelled at me "HEY! Man! I haven't seen one of those in years! Do you know what that is?" I just smiled and he says "Yea! You know what it is!" I thought it was dumb for him to ask me that but it was great having someone get excited about seeing the car.

 

[The Swede]

I used to own a TTA and a GN at the same time here in Sweden, all they could say was:
Ohhhhh.... ahhhhhhh, a turbo engine!

Things aren't what they used to be.

Today we have all the ricerboys, Volvo and SAAB Turbo guys running the **** out of us, yes.... frontwheeldriven Volvo and SAAB makes the querter in less than 11sec today, even down in the 10's streetlegal.... FRONTWHEELDRIVEN!

And then the Supras of course..... we have some guys here in Sweden that runs them in the low 9's streetlegal.

Looks like we all gonna go into StageII engines with twin turbochargers to beat them.

 

[chicagoTTA]

Got the same response as you Julio.

I posted my frustration a while back about how come a car that had 20,000 clones of it in 87 is worth WAY more (in some cases) than my 4k mile, flawless TTA.

Makes me wanna open a can on everone I see!

But I must also say, I DO like the GN's. Just not NEARLY as much as my TTA.

I feel your pain my brotha.

 

[V8Killer]

Yeah, I have both, and get the same reactions. Everyone loves the GN more
The only time I'll get some respect with the TTA, is when it lays the smackdown, to someone, on the street or track, which is daily
Actually one of the tech. inspectors @ the track really likes it

 

[j13smiley]

hehe - yep, most people just don't know what they are which if fine with me especially when they don't believe that i "only have a v6 in it". i like the sleeper look though

 

[WARBIRD1989]

Give it up boys its just an old 1982 Camaro, with a turbo....,other than the speed, my 1988 turbo t-bird was twice the car......

 

[joejakegrace]

Heck, I bought mine b/c I loved thirdgen TAs - actually GTAs and I frowned on the TTA when I was in college b/c there was no way I thought I could touch one (dealers were getting 40k).

As to history, I know of some:

a) the superbirds sat in the dealerships for a year or more - no one knew what to do with them.
b) the judge sold much more slowly in most markets then the regular GTO.
c) in the 80s we had a hemi cuda and t/a challenger (my brother and I as high school rides) - no one knew what they were or cared - bought and sold for under 2k. And now - (picture me banging head against the wall).

The key to any collector car is that FIRST you gotta buy what you like - investment and "other people look factor" has to be second.

As for investment - the real key is a) some unique performance (we got that); b) limited production (we got that); c) unique features (most pace cars and anniversary cars were simply decal kits) - we got that; and d) taking care of the originality and documentation (up to each of us).

I got back into Pontiacs with the TTA after looking at lots of mid-70s T/As and GTOs again. For 1/2 of what I would have paid for a #2 GTO, I got a 14k mile, #1-#2 TTA that, at worst, will be looked at like the 69 T-A in 15 years. I can live with that! -

Plus, like I said, IT'S THE CAR I WAS ALL HOT AND BOTHERED ABOUT WHEN I WAS YOUNG.

 

[GMC-YA]

that, at worst, will be looked at like the 69 T-A in 15 years. I can live with that! -

I was watching the barret jackson last night and this 69 TA only went for 25,000 or so. Lets hope our cars do a little bit better than that after 35 years. The description says ram air III at one place then ram air IV at another in the description. ???? Maybe thats why it was so weak.

http://www.barrett-jackson.com/events/scottsdale/vehicles/cardetail_list.asp?id=179248

 

[joejakegrace]

It sold for 35k.

Which, in my opinion, is somewhere between wholesale & retail on the car - what you'd expect from an auction (maybe not what you'd expect from Barrett but Barrett is all Chevy, resto rods and trucks lately)

It's a RA III car and, if you looked close, it wasn't such a great resto. The stripes weren't right, a tailight was out, the engine compartment looked "run" (not good for BJ) and the body panels didn't seem like they fit right.

I wouldn't be floored if in fact it was either a clone or a "correct" but not number matching motor. If that's the case, it sold about right -

 

[joejakegrace]

Take a look at the link -

Looks like it sold spot on.

http://www.nadaguides.com/uv/viewresults.aspx?LI=1-12-1-2031-0-0-0&Lnk=1&wSec=12&wPr=1&wPg=2032

I had forgotten that there were only 8 RAIVs made - this car screams "someone stupid enough to think a fake RAIV is a better car than a real RAIII" - nuf said

 

[TT/Ameasap]

Black is better.

I have had three black third gens before I bought this TTA and black is beautiful. I like the white....dont get me wrong, but theirs just somthing about black.

Flame suit on!