1983 Pontiac Trans Am Daytona Pace Car

1983 Pontiac Trans Am Y82 Daytona Pace Car.   As New 76 Miles Total, Museum ownership and storage since new.  This example may represent the best of the early 3rd Gen F-Body car on earth.  It certainly can be used as the best restoration guide one could ever ask for with every exact day one item still in place and as new in every manner.  Tires, belts, hoses, decals, markers, tags, etc.   The Y82 Daytona Pace Car had 2500 examples made.  This car just adds in to one of those 2500 as nothing special like an actual "track" car.  This is not a car that was put on a track, put on display or ever put in an environment where human hands could even touch it.  It was a saved since new Museum car, stored in exact climate conditions to keep it exactly as new by the General for the first 25 years of its life.  After that it made its way to a major auction when some of the GM Museum collection was sold off around 2007 prior to GM Bailout.   Since then it has been in a major private collection before making it to the GM-Classics collection.  If only they thought to save 60s muscle cars like this right?  Well they did not.  But even for these, this is probably the top of the chart as the best of the best.   I have many nice museum level 3rd gen cars, but usually they are the later years like the 89 TTA that are more available as new.  You really do not see an early 3rd gen of this exacting magnitude saved like this.  This is not a "barn find"...this is a museum car.  Two different terms never to be confused with each other.   A museum car had to be stored in multi million dollar facilities over its life to survive like this.  Every tag, marker, decal is unaltered, un worn and as it left Norwood exactly as if it were today.

This car represents something special to me.  I am a corvette enthusiast too, but there is no such animal as a 1983 corvette.  At least in reality that is.   This was the General's top car for 1983.  It represents the best of all they had to offer in performance and options.  This car is also called the "aero ta"  having the lowest drag coefficient of any F- Body.  Even over newer 3rd gens.  The key to that was its low stance (lower than the TPI cars, etc) and the aero wheels.  These "aero" wheels were only available on this car, and about 1/3 of the examples had these wheels as their option.  The rest had another silver alloy that did not look like this and became a common 84 trans am wheel the following year.  This wheel is only to this car, and not all of them had them. 

  But what is really special to me is I did own one of the actual track 1983 Daytona Pace Cars for many many years.  I bought it with 5K miles about a year after the race from a GM Executive that procured it from PMD.  It was used pretty well for a 1 year old 5000 mile car as to be expected when I got it.   Had slight mods to it done to pace the race.  It was one of the 5 speed LG4 cars too, making it a super rare piece.  But Rare and perfect are two different things.  Pace cars were not treated well, so don't let anyone tell you different.   With that said,  I took what was essentially a brand new car used as a hard pace demo and I made that car the way I wanted, and it would go 200MPH.   This is a link to it;  83-Daytona-TA     After many years of very spirited and fun driving,  I sold it and it is still around today as a very nice hot rod car that looks original and is in paint, body and interior.   It is not the same car I have here now,  what I have now is the purists dream in the ultimate form vs the other that was a performance dream in ultimate form.  The difference is the car here is a a totally unusable car that is now over 30 years old but brand new.  The other is still kicking butt and taking names.   So I have had them both.  Probably the best street car 83 Daytona, and now the best museum example in the world.... That I will NEVER drive.

Today this car is a great piece as a show car side by side to other pace cars like my 89 TTA.  The strobe you see on it is just a magnetic mount light with felt on the bottom.  Its for looks only and has no intrusion on the car in any manner.  It is a vintage light that matched the era lights used in the 80s.  Being that this car was spared from any human use, it is just a static display,  However it does run perfect with everything working as new.  AC, power antenna and all.  The Cross Fire Injection really has done well with time too.  It works perfect.   I have learned that these actually survive a little better than the TPI cars, as no matter how well you take care of the TPI car, you will have to change injectors due to the defective Multecs and ethenol damage.  This you dont and its just as new!

Stored in the GM-Classsic Collection as what is sure to be the finest early 3rd Gen Car on earth.

 

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CLICK ANY PHOTO FOR AN EXTREME BLOW UP!

Shown with brand new 89 Turbo Pace Car

Ad for this car.

Flawless interior as expected with a museum car.

Absolutely laser perfect, but it darn well should be.

Antenna Down.  These power antennas were temperamental, and not only hard to change, they are unavailable in the OEM style.

Below, the Aero wheels.  Kind of unique in its day with the cooling area inside and venting.  Most certainly rare.

Crossfire Engine.  This is the model for any 3rd Gen Cross fire car to follow.

Hood blanket mint. This one cant be found like the original with the working ram air system.

This stamp would usually go the month or so of running the AC.  Working R12 AC of course.

Unobtainium Goodyear Eagle GT original tires and the rare Aero Wheels.  Aero wheels only available on this model.  To see an "Aero" set with caps today is hard to find.

GM MFR "test car" Plate.

Fully carpeted and rear closing deck.  Few 3rd Gens had this.  Even later ones could not get it as an option.

The stainless dual muffler system.  The underside of this car is something else too.  Just as new.

Black out tail lamps, something special to this car too.   Also the GM "test car" plate.

This is something you cannot reproduce.  Original compressor with large pulley for 3:73 gears and HD cooling option, both decals (note the low press side) and original belt

Special ceramic coated emblem.

This strobe is magnetic with felt under it.  It has no intrusion on the car in any manner.  It is an 80s mini strobe as used by most of the tracks. The cars never had them from GM.

Special Daytona Floor Mats, not available anywhere.

Factory Recaro Seats.  Leather and Pigskin combo with the tennis racket headrests.

Literally new in every manner.

Yes, this antenna is "unobtainium"  It works perfect.

The Crossfire engine.  Cutting edge for its day with dual throttle body units and a cross ram intake.

The fuel injection emblem denoting it would be a crossfire engine.

Red gauges.  These were a big deal when they came out in the 2nd gen pace car.  In 83, this was the only TA to have them. Reality is they just use red coated bulbs.

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