89GTA2LV

I just bought a 1989 GTA. The car has 59,000 miles on it and it is bone stock. It even had the window sticker. Because it is bone stock is there some things I should look at upgrading right away or should I just keep it stock. Any ideas??

Keep in mind. I brought this car to a technician and had every maintenance performed. Example: tires, Oil, Trans,serp belt, alternator, tires, rear diff, A/C renued.

The car has original exhaust, shocks, etc.

Jon92TA

I would think SFC first, then shocks/struts.
Whenever you buy a used car it's good just go thru and do all the maintenance, tune-up, belts, fluids etc to give yourself a good starting point.

Kevin91Z

iTrader: (1)

Subframe connectors! Then get a new exhaust and Magnaflow muffler from Dyno Don.

What are your plans for the car? Racing, cruising, or stock?

89GTA2LV

I almost want to keep it stock because it is so original. My last 89 GTA I had, I did many mods. So I am on the fence..

89GTA2LV

What are subframe connectors?

Kevin91Z

iTrader: (1)

Oh, you are new, huh? Check this pic:

http://para.noid.org/~thresher/image...0/DCP_0020.JPG

The two black bars on the left and right of the underside of my car are subframe connectors from Alston Engineering. Member Lon Salgren of Top Down Solutions sells that brand. They connect the front and rear of the car and make it much stiffer, which helps reduce the amount of body roll and flex the chassis suffers.

Mikos_89

Keep it stock. These cars are getting to the age now where keeping it stock will help with the value of the car especially on a low mileage original GTA.

My uncle recently sold his '91Z. He purchased it for $4200 a few years ago, fixed it up, and then sold it for $6500. To low IMO, but it was his car not mine. The guy who bought it said that he was specifically looking for a mostly original non-molested '91-'92 Z28.

I've got 75K original miles on mine. I'm currently involved in a frame-on restoration with stock parts only on my GTA.

Do the normal tuneup stuff first. Replace the plugs, wires, cap, rotor, ign module, pickup coil (requires minor disassembly of the dist.) and the O2 sensor. Make sure to replace the fuel filter because it's probably the original one. Mine was. Advance the timing to 8* BTDC (stock is 6* BTDC).

If you want to dive in a little deeper, you can always replace the stock thermostat with a GM 170* stat, get a lower fan temp switch, clean the IAC valve and reset the TPS switch. With all that, it should run better than new.

89GTA2LV

WOW Thanks for the info!!

Russ-So Cal

Adding subframe connectors won't detract from its value as stock, but the small cracks that WILL develop in the roof behind the doors will reduce the value if you don't put in sfc's. With 59000 miles the shocks and struts are probably worn out if they are still original.

Mr. TurboTA

Russ,
Adding the conectors will cause a true purist to not even touch the car.
If the car is all bone stock, just the way it came from the factory, I'd say leave it alone!
To ever get top dollar, a purist will spent over and above to get it.
The car may not devaluate with the conectors, but it sure won't sell for what it could possibly get!
Check out the price differences of 20th TTAs. Any mods,way cheaper. Higher milage, way cheaper.
Muscle cars are the same way.
If he plans on racing hard, yes, the cracks may appear.
Since buying and selling Trans Ams over the years, the most original from the factory, are the ones I got the most money out of.

George

8T8IROC

iTrader: (3)

I would decide your goal for the car, if you aren't planning on driving it much and want to be able to show up to car shows or car meets and show off it's 'stock' conidition, then I would leave it entirely stock. If you have other goals like racing, or even just a nice street edge to it I would definitely start with some suspension upgrades.

Russ-So Cal

He doesn't have to go racing to have the cracks appear. There is no way to know the complete history of a car unless you have owned it from new, but just about every Third Gen I've seen with over 100,000 miles on it without sfc's has the roof cracks. If he is going to preserve it and keep the miles off of it, then he can keep it stock and pristine. With 59,000 miles already, I'm not sure how much more mileage it can take and be considered "low mileage." I'm also not sure how much these cars wil appreciate. G.M. made so many of these cars over the years. Convertables, TTA's, Firehawks, 1LE cars, B4C's (especially those not ordered in standard police package colors) are going to gain value and the closer to stock and lower the mileage the better, but the more standard models were built in such numbers that I probably won't live long enough to see them start to appreciate much. I think people are seeing the prices "muscle cars" from the late 60's early 70's are getting and expecting these cars to go up in value similarly. The problem is that the first gen f-body was only built 3 years, and the sheet metal changes in the 69's made them unique from 67's and 68's. Our cars were built from 82-92. How many did they build in those years. Bottom line, does he want to drive it and enjoy it, or does he want to "squirrel" it away and hope the value goes up. One more thing is that a set of sfc's can be welded in in such a way that they could be taken out later, the welds ground and repainted and leave no evidence of the existance of the sfc's.

Diggler86

Did he buy it for an investment??

Just do whatever makes you feel the best and enjoy the car

Mr. TurboTA

Hi Russ,
I am not trying to argue with you, just state some facts.
Almost all the cars I see now, all have way over 100,000 miles on them. Not all of them have the roof cracks. (which, second gens are also known to get).
Cars from the big car shows, have low miles on them. Very few have high milage.
Right now, I have seen prices pretty high (or good, whichever way you want to look at it) for cars under 100,000 miles.
Cars that are highly optioned, get higher prices. GTAs will be those cars.
You are right about sfc being able to be taken off, but it is the same pretty much as repainting a car a different color.
I agree, the car is his, and he can do whatever he chooses to do with it.
All I am trying to do, is give out some facts as I have seen them.
It is very common to see a new buyer of a car, what to change things right away.
As a note, my 20th TTA has 39,xxx miles on it. Maybe not to others, but to me, that's pretty high. But, I do try to maintain it as best as I can. I don't intend to sell it ever, but it is great to know that it possibly bring in big bucks.
Being into car shows, both local and big Pontiac only car shows, all I see are cars that are as stock as possible, getting all the attention. These cars are worth big bucks, compared to high milage ones that are parked outside, driven very hard, etc. And, quite a few of these cars have almost 100,000 miles on them too!
GTAs are just like IROCs. These cars will be remembered as the high point of the third gen years. They will always be in demand.
If it was my car, I would buy a car cover for it right away, try to keep it parked were it is/will be safe, and maybe start picking up some parts that may become hard to find in the future.
I'd say go to some car shows with it, and see if you want to keep it stock, or maybe take it racing down the quarter, or maybe even autocrossing it.
As an example, I did some mods on my 1974 455 Trans Am, and I did tons of mods on my 1981 Special Edition Turbo Trans Am.
Now, years later, I wish I had never done these. If I could do it over, I probably would. I did enjoy these cars when I did these mods. Only now, I see that they are dated ideas.
My 1974 is being changed back to stock, but I would buy another Turbo Trans Am (Special Edition) to replace mine, as mine would probably cost double to change back.
I wonder how things will be in another 10 years or so. Then again, I wonder if any of these cars will be around.
Anyway, again, I am not trying to attack or argue with you Russ, so I hope you don't take offence to anything I say.

George

Russ-So Cal

No offense taken George, I just keep seeing people post on boards about the value of these cars. I may be wrong; but if it is not rare, I don't see it appreciating. If it is rare, I only see it appreciating if it is also special enough to create a demand for it.
My car was originally a rare car, an 87 T/A with a 305 with a carb. I saw immediately why it was rare, that 87 carburetor motor with smog had to be close to the worst pos ever to come out of anybody's factory including Yugo. I don't think a pristine carbed 87 f-body will ever be worth anything special, especially if anyone has to start it up and try to drive it. In 50 years when most of these cars will have gone to the junk yard, a pristine Third Gen of any type may be collectable. I don't see it happening much sooner, unless the car is rare.

89GTA2LV

I am not truly worried about value. I just hate to be the first one to modify the car.

I had a Black 89 GTA 6 months ago that was already slightly modified when I bought it, so I was able to carry on.

I think you guys know what I mean

BrandenCali

Wont Hurt to put a Chip in as well.. You'll know what to do with it..

Mikos_89

Unless you can burn your own proms, stay away from those off the shelf performance chips. These cars run rich from the factory as it is and the aftermarket chips make them run even richer. Not good, unless you like lots of carbon deposits inside your intake/exhaust and lower gas mileage.

JulieGTA

Enjoy it being stock while you can. If you like car shows do it now, while it still looks good. If you have a garage, or an alternate daily driver, use them. Your car will last longer, and a good paint job is expensive. Keeping a car in mint condition takes a lot of self control. What's important to you?

Personally, I could never go anywhere without my car. I went from 85K to 185K miles in about 4 years, but I don't regret any of it! I need paint and (eventually) a new engine, but it is well worth the memories. Alot of it, I was just getting to know my first car.

Maybe since you've had other 3rd gens, then you have a different priority. If I bought a second car in the conditions as the first, I think I would keep it a cruiser, mostly stock, and mod the older one for drag racing. But still I would not like the 2nd as much as the first.

Russ-So Cal

There is no reason for anyone from this club with a fuel injected v8 to get an off the shelf prom. Don and Kevin will burn the best chip you can get.

BrandenCali

Exactly...