we_want_a_v8

Me and my wife are going to look at a 1989 TA tommorow. The owner said its got 137000 miles, automatic, doesnt know what motor its got, she said the clearcoat is peeling pretty bad, doesnt use any oil, the automatic pulldown is broke, and one of the headlight motors has gone out, shes asking $3500, I didnt know where else I could post this question, what problems do the 3rd gens have? and what are some areas to look for? if I posted this in the wrong forum someone please move it.

scottmoyer

My opinion is to get the price down much lower. An 89 TA for $3500 is reasonable if the car is in decent shape. Consider the cost of a new paint job, and all necessary repairs to make the car reliable, and you could probably find one in better shape for a little less. If you spend more up front, you can usually get a better bargain when looking at the whole purchase, plus you will be able to enjoy the car sooner. Spend around $6k-$8k and you will have a very nice, considerably lower mileaged car you can enjoy today, not after restoration.

By the sounds of this car, you will be spending a lot of cash as the owner didn't take good care of it.

Spectre

how can someone drive a car and not know
what engine it has lol ?

theres a code on the block to identify it.

I wouldnt trust someone who doesnt know what he has..

I think $3500 is alot for an '89 with 137k miles...

with needed restoration.

Jim Berry

The Kelley Blue Book site www.kbb.com has the price around 2,150 in CA.

we_want_a_v8

My bad, she said its a V-8 but she didnt know which one, Im hoping its the 5.0 TPI and not the TBI, although if its a GTA Id like that even better we are gonna go look at it when my wife gets off from work, and Ill post some pics of it and see what you guys think.

okfoz

It Should be a TPI, it was either be 89+ or 90+ and the T/A was only availble with the TPI engine...

John

CamaroFreak406

No unfortunitly you could still get the almighty powerful LO3 in a Trans Am in 1989.

I would hope for a 5.7 TPI, or maybe the owner is really stupid and it's a Turbo Trans Am!!! But probably not. Probably just a 305 (TPI or TBI)

Later, Garrett

Goumba T

I'll second that.

My 88 V6 with 50,000+ miles I had rushed into and it had a slew of hidden problems like an undisclosed accident in the front (pushed in the impact bar on one side); also the front piece behind the bumper cover was damaged which in turn caused the hood to pop up on me at about 60mph on the Van Wyck Expwy; exhaust fell off on the way home; and a few electrical problems (alarm dudes screwed up). It had frame damage too. Paid $3500 in 1997.

The 1990 TA (44,000 miles) I finally bought in July took me 4 (!) years to find, because I was willing to take the time and find one in great shape, well taken care of and low mileage. The worst body damage is 2 little scrapes the original owner made from bumping something and the crappy GM paint job starting to show. Otherwise its perfect.

Also the other trick (around here in NY) was finding a TPI car. This is actually the first V8 I can remember that I saw with TPI. Everything else was TBI.

okfoz

You are correct, I just looked it up in my literature, and starting in 1990 the T/A was only availble with TPI...

I am glad I gave myself a cushon

John

we_want_a_v8

Why so much dislike for the TBI? and is the TPI that superior? We want something that we can take to the strip and have fun with, and modify the hell out of it, we had a 2001 Ram Air TA for a month and I had a 2000 supercharged Mustang GT for about 1 year, once youve had a V-8 everything else sucks.

okfoz

The TBI engine was set up for more of an economy engine I believe stolen from the Full size truck, and then downgraded in power.

TBI's are not a good dive off point IMO for a strip car, if you want to have good inline performance, and handle really well I almost got myself a 95 Formula with the LT1 for $4000. Better performance all the way around.

The upside ti TBI is there a little less expensive, but for about $500 more you can easily get into a TPI car.

TPI has good lower end, the long runners are great for producing great power below 4000 RPM, somewhere above 4 it seems to dive off, and non existant above 5000 RPM, great for driving around town, and having good low end torque.

The TBI got the low end cam, the low end heads, and its a small 2BBL,

If I were to do a car I might consider a TBI car if I were planning on swapping into it a 383 built stroker, or even a 400...

As for modifying it there are more gadgets and gizmos for TPI that TBI it seems, although, if you really want to have fun, get a TBI car, get yourself a big block 502 then put the TBI stuff back on, with a new chip will be more fun than I want to have.

Keep in mind that this is just my opinion... I will never again buy any thirdgen that has less than a 305TPI... I personally am holding out for a 350 TPI T-top car, or a newer LT1 car...

oh yeah, I almost forgot, it has to be yellow, nothing else

John

okfoz

wow I just read my post, I think I had too much Mt Dew @ lunch...

John

we_want_a_v8

When we look at the car this evening ill let yall know, im hoping for a 350 myself.

okfoz

that would be ideal...

John

we_want_a_v8

But was the 350 only in the GTA's?

okfoz

The 350 was optional in both the Formula and T/A.

V6 (s) Firebird only
305 TBI V8 LO3 (s) Formula & T/A; (o) Firebird
305 TPI V8 LB9 (o) Formula & T/A & GTA
350 TPI V8 L98 (s) GTA; (o) Formula & T/A

Other things to look for: "WS6" Suspension Package & Lumbar support seats, 4 Wheel Disk Brakes

If it was me, the MINIMUM I would look for is the following in a T/A:
WS6, 4 Wheel Disk Brakes, 305 TPI/M5 OR 350 TPI/A4, I like T-tops, rear defog, Power Mirrors...

John

we_want_a_v8

Well, we went at looked at the TA, there is no way in hell that anyone would pay $3500 for that POS. Paint was fading, spiderwebbed, cracked, the interior looked like it had never been cleaned, the headliner was taped up in spots, you could pull the liner down from the sunvisors and see metal, she said it had been sitting for 6 months, bah....looked like it had been sitting longer than that, it was a TPI and it did have the WS6 package, we gave her an offer of $1500 and of course thats not what she wanted, she said she would just put it back in the garage, hell, I guess she thinks it will appreciate in value , guess we will keep looking.

Jim Berry

Somebody will give her the money sooner or later, but they will probably be pissed at the amount of work that they will have to do to get it road worthy.

I find that the mid month of November and all of December are good months to buy used cars cheap. Keep her number handy and offer the same amount next month. She may need the cash for Christmas and just want to get rid of the car.

There was a T/A at the local impound shop here that was a TPI, 4WDB Posi, with a semi-shot interior and they only wanted $600.

Good hunting.

we_want_a_v8

Thats true Jim, I didnt think about that, and it did have the TPI motor, could you get a TPI in the RS Camaro's

Jim Berry

I think it is possible, but you'd have to ask the motor heads that have already installed or replaced one.

CamaroFreak406

Yes you could but only in a B4C ("police package"). Do a search on the topic or just read the Camaro History (1991 & 1992) in the Tech Pages.

Later, Garrett

we_want_a_v8

What I meant was what motor was opitional in the Camaro RS, was it the TBI or TPI?

CamaroFreak406

Standard was the MPFI V-6 and the option was the 305 TBI.

Later, Garrett