1989 Pontiac GTA
5.7 Liter - New Car
Matt Garrett/Jim Hailey - Dallas Texas
214-878-3823
You can email me at Cadillacman@mcsmk8.com
1989 Pontiac GTA 5.7 Liter TPI, T-Tops, G92. As new with window sticker on the car, flawless time capsule. This is what I consider the pinnacle year for the F-Body. This is as good as it got with the IROC, GTA and the TTA... 1989! This car is now now 20 years old. Man time fly's. If you were a car nut from the 80's era, you would remember the clout these cars carried when they went down the boulevard. I had the utmost admiration for the 5.7 Iroc and GTA. I knew when I pulled up to a 5.7 car in my L98 Corvette with a supercharger that the 5.7 still could be a somewhat of formidable match if it had a few little bolt ons. Just stock the 5.7s were one of the most capable F-Bodies ever built and the 1989 year models are as good as they got in my book. I feared the 5.7 cars well over the 3800 Turbo cars as you knew the 5.7 would always finish the race. I could not say so much for the turbo cars unless they were bone stock. The 5.7s were always faster then as they did not suffer from the heat soak the turbo cars did. Now at the track with some ice and turning the car right on then running the 1/4 mile, the turbo cars were faster... Just not in the real world.. Many of those turbo cars lost their motors being my opponent and had to go in for warranty replacements in those days. Many were rejected as they were modded and boosted to the moon! Anyway, that is sort of my experience living and racing the late 80s, thus I have the fondest memories and utmost respect for the last of the 3rd gen cars, especially the nice 5.7 Irocs and GTAs still left today.
This GTA here is a rare car as you see it. It is a 5.7 T-Top car boasting all the good stuff. The color is arguably the best color combo ever. There are more rare colors, but not as pretty. This car has never really moved much under its own power. The very few miles it has are just for maintenance and many on stands to keep it running. The original Gatorbacks are bagged and unused still have the nipples on them and most certainly have never been wet as with the entire car.
Although the 5.7 GTA with T-Tops is considered pretty rare, there were a good number made in collectors terms. If you are an F-Body fan and collector, you know that the most collectable 3rd gen car is either an 89 Turbo Trans Am, or a 1LE Iroc. Yes those are rare but both you and I can pick up the phone tomorrow and buy a brand new one that was saved, if you have the money that is. There are quite a few on the market at any given time as so many were saved by collectors. Question is all money aside, can you buy a loaded 5.7 T-Top GTA, Black/Black T-Top car that is still brand new tomorrow? The answer is obvious..... Not near as easy and this car is certainly a better rounded car than the two mentioned plus its not white! The TTA was VERY temperamental as you heard me say above and the 1LE is nice but has no AC, options or T-Tops and its performance is negligible above a 5.7. I really doubt this is the only new 5.7 GTA, but I have yet to see another and I keep tabs of many nice cars as my hobby. That is how I found this one and saw what a needle in the haystack it is. I bought it from the original owner, of which the car is still on the original title. My agreement was never to drive it and keep it as a collector. That is what I do best with my cars.
This GTA is easy to tell what it has as its on the window sticker. Its got it all, but its a cassette car with the steering wheel controls. The CD was optional, but you lost the steering wheel controls, of which are really a main characteristic of the GTA The car has the important stuff, the G80 option (Posi), has the rear disk brakes and the better Borg Warner Differential, of course the 16" wheels with 245-50 16s and all the GTA, etc. This car also has the split rear seat option and the very rare rear trim package that gives the car nice carpet in the hatch area. And to take it one step further to the hardcore collectors, this is a G92, 3:27 car with the Dual Catalytic converters and the KC4 Oil Cooler. This is the king of the GTAs and its brand new.
Although these cars are not that stellar in performance compared to newer technology F-bodies and Corvettes, they still hold their own for what they are. They most certainly have an old school flair mixed with the technology of the day, something the 4th gen got way away from with the motors under the dash. I called it quits on those and you will never see one in my collection. 1989 was also the last year before air bags and all that mess added into cars. If you were a hands on gear head from the 60s and 70s, the GTA is really up your alley combining old school with new. After that cars just get too complicated to play with and have fun. I firmly believe that the rare optioned, well preserved last of the 3rd gen cars will be amongst tomorrows highly appreciating collectibles. They are already getting snatched up by collectors now. The nice 69 camaros are big money as you know... The nice 79 TAs and nice 79 Z28s are too now... Why not the 89 GTA, Iroc and certainly the TTA? See the pattern? Something to do with that 9 it seems........
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