I have seen that on quite a few car's, turns milky white and hell to get off. Ironic that he would leave it outside for 12 yrs yet Armorall the dash...
VERY VERY SAD !!!!! 30,000 MILE TTA 1 owner :(
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I have seen that on quite a few car's, turns milky white and hell to get off. Ironic that he would leave it outside for 12 yrs yet Armorall the dash...
kidsixpack
Active Member
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- Mar 11, 2010
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- 413
That car is is pretty sad shape for the mileage, but i don't think it's too far gone. Looks to still be solid. As long as the motor is not seriously hurt I think it's a decent deal! If it was local to me I'd take a look?
KID
KID
The paint jobs on the later third gens were really poor.
There were two plants that built F bodies, Norwood OH and Van Nuys CA. The Norwood OH GM plant closed in 1987 and F bodys produce in that plant had awesome paint jobs over the Van Nuys plant because they used solvent paint process.
The CA EPA rules were very strict with emissions from solvent paint, and after 87 even pressed GM to use water based paints on equipment built to use solvents..... some of those paint jobs were the worst one could get.
Hence the 1989 TTA's poor, thin, and not durable paint.
I owned two Firebirds (at the same time) one from each plant and the difference in quality was obvious.
dsmith4994
Member
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- May 5, 2004
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- 653
This car makes the one I have for sale in the "cars for sale" section TT/A #427 look like a better deal
The car is in the same state only 18 miles away.
Anyone buying one of these cars has the option to see everything on the market and pick the TT/A that they feel would best fit their mechanical, interior, budget and paint capabilities.
Condition is everything.
A well kept driver that was driven regularly and always garaged should be more desirable than a car that was abused and neglected.
Having owned two of these cars since 1999 I know that these cars can have a lot of issues.
Here is a list of issues I have personally run across
1)Paint
2)Spoiler Cracking
3)Seat bolster wear
4)Rear main seal leak and front main seal is a wear item as well but goes un-noticed
5)Intake manifold leak
6)Throttle body seal leak
7)Water in the stock air box
8)Exhaust manifold leaks
9)Ball flange in exhaust rotting out
10)Rubber brake lines locking up the brakes and dragging
11)Power booster vacuum leaking from the new gas breaking down the rubber inside it
12)Short from the red and yellow power wires under the dash causing 14" of wiring to melt
13)Emergency blinker clip inside the steering wheel breaking causing loss of brake lights and emergency blinkers to stop working
14)MAF sensor and coil going bad
15)Stock plastic air intake tube collapsing
16Headlight motors stuck in the up position
17)Window motors and tracks needing to be replaced
18)Rear hatch pull down plastic motor cracking causing the motor to keep running and not closing correctly
19)Radio issues like power not shutting off and other misc. defects
20)TCC switch in transmission sticking (needs an oil cooler)
21)Chrome tail pipe tips hit and scrape
22)Gold wears off all the emblems
23)Intercooler scoop and air dams bottom out and get trashed along with the front aero plastic
24)T-Top seal at side window top is defective from the factory and is prone to breaking and interfering with the closing of the door
25)Door sill breaking from climbing in and out
26)Shocks and struts go flat
27)Some of the lines in the rear window defogger don't work
28)hood vents get warped / distorted from the heat of the turbo
29)Vacuum lines are dry rotted
30)Boost regulator filter disintegrates
31)Boost actuator goes bad
32)Turbo goes bad
33)Cam button wears a hole into the front timing cover
34)Valve springs are flat
35)EGR valve rubber cracks also prone to carbon buildup in the EGR passage
36)Fuel pump sock collapses
37)Glove box door wire breaking / issues
38)T-top shades not staying up
39) Headliner and visors sagging
40)Dash pad cracking
Probably more, that all I could remember at the moment
The car is in the same state only 18 miles away.
Anyone buying one of these cars has the option to see everything on the market and pick the TT/A that they feel would best fit their mechanical, interior, budget and paint capabilities.
Condition is everything.
A well kept driver that was driven regularly and always garaged should be more desirable than a car that was abused and neglected.
Having owned two of these cars since 1999 I know that these cars can have a lot of issues.
Here is a list of issues I have personally run across
1)Paint
2)Spoiler Cracking
3)Seat bolster wear
4)Rear main seal leak and front main seal is a wear item as well but goes un-noticed
5)Intake manifold leak
6)Throttle body seal leak
7)Water in the stock air box
8)Exhaust manifold leaks
9)Ball flange in exhaust rotting out
10)Rubber brake lines locking up the brakes and dragging
11)Power booster vacuum leaking from the new gas breaking down the rubber inside it
12)Short from the red and yellow power wires under the dash causing 14" of wiring to melt
13)Emergency blinker clip inside the steering wheel breaking causing loss of brake lights and emergency blinkers to stop working
14)MAF sensor and coil going bad
15)Stock plastic air intake tube collapsing
16Headlight motors stuck in the up position
17)Window motors and tracks needing to be replaced
18)Rear hatch pull down plastic motor cracking causing the motor to keep running and not closing correctly
19)Radio issues like power not shutting off and other misc. defects
20)TCC switch in transmission sticking (needs an oil cooler)
21)Chrome tail pipe tips hit and scrape
22)Gold wears off all the emblems
23)Intercooler scoop and air dams bottom out and get trashed along with the front aero plastic
24)T-Top seal at side window top is defective from the factory and is prone to breaking and interfering with the closing of the door
25)Door sill breaking from climbing in and out
26)Shocks and struts go flat
27)Some of the lines in the rear window defogger don't work
28)hood vents get warped / distorted from the heat of the turbo
29)Vacuum lines are dry rotted
30)Boost regulator filter disintegrates
31)Boost actuator goes bad
32)Turbo goes bad
33)Cam button wears a hole into the front timing cover
34)Valve springs are flat
35)EGR valve rubber cracks also prone to carbon buildup in the EGR passage
36)Fuel pump sock collapses
37)Glove box door wire breaking / issues
38)T-top shades not staying up
39) Headliner and visors sagging
40)Dash pad cracking
Probably more, that all I could remember at the moment
What's Good about them other than the run like a bat out of HELL!!
80's cars suffered from poor quality materials and lack of quality control. I think the only reason I bought one was because I am from that era and since I was a teenager it was something I always wanted.What's Good about them other than the run like a bat out of HELL!!
dsmith4994
Member
- Joined
- May 5, 2004
- Messages
- 653
I will be the first to admit:
These cars are a lot of fun to own and drive.
And yeah bone stock they are comparable powerwise to a big block V-8 from the 60's and early 70's
They are easy to make go faster for a reasonable amount of money too
Even after listing all these faults i would not sell my first TT/A #928 ever.
They are awesome cars and dont let my list of bad being pointed out outweigh the good coming from the enjoyment i get from owning one or more (3) of these 1989 TT/A 20th Anniverary Indianapolis 500 Pace cars
Here are a few more issues i have personally run across:
41)Seat belt retractors were recalled
42)Lexan t-tops alligator crack and were recalled
43)Antenna cable breaks
44)Moisture inside the rims cause air leaks at the clip on weights requiring stick on weights that fall off
45)T-tops loosen up and leak water in a heavy rain. They can be retightened.
46)Rope seal under t-tops in the seals blows out into the wind when the t-tops are off causing a possible leak.
47)Brakes rattle when the pads get low of ? or possibly some other reason?
48)Front tires 255's hit on the inner fender well when you turn the wheel to much
49)If you break one of the motor mounts good luck finding a stock replacement they are tta specific
50)Clear coat on the gold mesh rims gets nasty over time
51)Cargo shade gets dry rotted
52)I hate to even say what happens when you put over 1G into a high speed drifting situation but you should check to see if one front fender is higher than the other. Sub frame connectors, 1le braces and a strut brace should prevent this.
53)Race applications have shown that the factory spot welds in the body can pop and dont hold up to very high levels of horsepower. This was documented on the message board a good ten years ago
54)Special Aftermarket parts like the ones ATR used to make are hard to find. aka downpipe, Stretch SLIC intercooler etc...
55)They are not really a good collector car investment at the moment, nor has it been since i bought mine back in 1999. Hopefully in the future the cars value will increase comparable to the GNX
56)The car tends to have some kind of torque steer going on when accelerating hard.
56) The rear ends dont hold up very long under high horsepower applications. Considering how small the ring gear is they do hold up well for the size that they are though. In stock applications they should last a long time
57)Front mount intercoolers as nice as they would be have restricted airflow and hard to make work well. May require some body mods your not willing to make as well.
If you have any i may have missed chime in and ad to my on going list
These cars are a lot of fun to own and drive.
And yeah bone stock they are comparable powerwise to a big block V-8 from the 60's and early 70's
They are easy to make go faster for a reasonable amount of money too
Even after listing all these faults i would not sell my first TT/A #928 ever.
They are awesome cars and dont let my list of bad being pointed out outweigh the good coming from the enjoyment i get from owning one or more (3) of these 1989 TT/A 20th Anniverary Indianapolis 500 Pace cars
Here are a few more issues i have personally run across:
41)Seat belt retractors were recalled
42)Lexan t-tops alligator crack and were recalled
43)Antenna cable breaks
44)Moisture inside the rims cause air leaks at the clip on weights requiring stick on weights that fall off
45)T-tops loosen up and leak water in a heavy rain. They can be retightened.
46)Rope seal under t-tops in the seals blows out into the wind when the t-tops are off causing a possible leak.
47)Brakes rattle when the pads get low of ? or possibly some other reason?
48)Front tires 255's hit on the inner fender well when you turn the wheel to much
49)If you break one of the motor mounts good luck finding a stock replacement they are tta specific
50)Clear coat on the gold mesh rims gets nasty over time
51)Cargo shade gets dry rotted
52)I hate to even say what happens when you put over 1G into a high speed drifting situation but you should check to see if one front fender is higher than the other. Sub frame connectors, 1le braces and a strut brace should prevent this.
53)Race applications have shown that the factory spot welds in the body can pop and dont hold up to very high levels of horsepower. This was documented on the message board a good ten years ago
54)Special Aftermarket parts like the ones ATR used to make are hard to find. aka downpipe, Stretch SLIC intercooler etc...
55)They are not really a good collector car investment at the moment, nor has it been since i bought mine back in 1999. Hopefully in the future the cars value will increase comparable to the GNX
56)The car tends to have some kind of torque steer going on when accelerating hard.
56) The rear ends dont hold up very long under high horsepower applications. Considering how small the ring gear is they do hold up well for the size that they are though. In stock applications they should last a long time
57)Front mount intercoolers as nice as they would be have restricted airflow and hard to make work well. May require some body mods your not willing to make as well.
If you have any i may have missed chime in and ad to my on going list
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1fastcobra
Well-Known Member
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- Jan 24, 2012
- Messages
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Rip. Sam kinison.
Died in his 89tta
Posted from the TurboBuick.Com mobile app
Died in his 89tta
Posted from the TurboBuick.Com mobile app
1fastcobra
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Pic
Posted from the TurboBuick.Com mobile app
Posted from the TurboBuick.Com mobile app
Please tell us more of the original owner and how this happened. I am still scratching my head. A car that cost $30 grand new....one owner.... only 30K miles..... how could it end up like this. I am guessing it ran into mechanical issues after the warranty was up and the owner had no money left to fix it.
I wouldn't give $2k for it, because it will take over $30K to restore this one in this condition and still only be worth $13-15K in todays market. I know because I have owned three TTA's as well. Had an original as a kid back in 89 and trashed it....then when I could afford them again bought two more...one stock and one to restore because they are my time machine, my favorite car of all time, my passion, but that passion can cost you...for sure....
My adivce is, if he has any offers for this, take the money and run...
I wouldn't give $2k for it, because it will take over $30K to restore this one in this condition and still only be worth $13-15K in todays market. I know because I have owned three TTA's as well. Had an original as a kid back in 89 and trashed it....then when I could afford them again bought two more...one stock and one to restore because they are my time machine, my favorite car of all time, my passion, but that passion can cost you...for sure....
My adivce is, if he has any offers for this, take the money and run...
Mike Arrigo
New Member
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- Apr 13, 2009
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That is a sad site for sure. It needs some loving. 
)
)1fastcobra
Well-Known Member
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I'd buy it in a hart beat
I'd go 5 grand site un seen
But 9grand is a bit much.
Talk him in to it for me
Sent from my SPH-L710 using TurboBuick Mobile mobile app
I'd go 5 grand site un seen
But 9grand is a bit much.
Talk him in to it for me
Sent from my SPH-L710 using TurboBuick Mobile mobile app
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2003
- Messages
- 4,285
Looks typical to one that was left outside since it was new that's for sure with 30K on it. It's all there and could be brought back but the price range I'd think would have to be in the 5 to 8K range. Drives me insane when people take these cars to people who don't have clue about them and just can't wait to get it running to stomp on it. Then they are the first ones to tell their friends they drove a 30K mile TTA and it was a dog. Poor car needs some tender love and care from a turbo Buick owner. Drop the tank, new injectors, new fuel filter, all new hoses and lines, and most likely a head gasket now it seems. Shame. For the record looks like it's car # 1060 from my paper work. Hopefully it gets a new owner who knows how to take care of it and bring it back,. Owners kits go from 500 to 1200 bucks. At least the last few I've seen sold. One or two sold for stupid money at one point but that is the norm.
Emiliano Lago
6262 turbo
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- Apr 28, 2013
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holy crap that's some crap going on
1fastcobra
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