Cascade Crew

Xophertony · Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2005 12:46 am Post subject: TTA question

ok guys. i was planning on doing a turbo buick 3.8 swap into my 86 bird.
some guys over at turbobuick.com tell me that unless i can rebuild the engine and trans myself (engine mabee, trans NO) that this is going to cost my 10K for sure. i have priced a few things out and it's looking like they might be right. so what would you do, spend 10-12 grand building one. or spend 15-17 grand and buy a TTA? clearly i will continue to research this untill i get an EXACT total for the swap before i make a decision or spend a dime, but what would you guys do?

EDIT:
for those that do not know what i am talking about: in 1989 GM partnered with an outside performance company to build a special car for their 20th aniversery of the "trans am". this car had a slightly built up Buick 3.8L turbocharged intercooled angine. same type as in 86-87 Grand nationals and Turbo regals. it used a 200R4 tranny and was running at 16PSI of boost (compared to 12-13 on the buicks) it also had a crossdrilled crank for added lubrication on the bottom end (a known problem with the buicks) and smaller heads for clearence. they had the same brakes as a corvette. cars were always white and usualy t-top.(150 or so w/o ttop) most had leather (150 or so produced without) . 5 were produced w/o leather and hard tops. the rarest GM ever built Shocked

anyway, total piece of history. would love to own one. but i would also love to have the oportunity to build a car from the bay out. and if i built the engine myself i wouldent rebuild it to factory specs Twisted Evil

i would build up!

no matter wich way i go i am looking at a car in the low 12s
so it's kind of a toss up. what do you all think? Very Happy

if anyone wants more info on the TTA here are a few sources:
original sales brochure (note: those horsepower numbers are low, they underrated it to not piss off the corvette. this car was faster then the 1989 corvette!
http://thirdgen.org/newdesign/brochures/1989Firebird/brochure2-3.jpg

artical in a gm magazine
http://gmhightechperformance.com/features/0512gm_tta/

Jess · Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2005 8:33 am Post subject:

We're all pretty well versed in TTA history over here Wink

Tough choice though, I would probably lean toward getting the TTA over doing the swap if it were me.

Dewey316 · Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2005 9:47 am Post subject:

A real TTA will have value beyond yourself. A clone will not. IF you spend the money to make one, you will never get it back. If you buy a TTA and keep it in good shape, and don't put all that many miles on it, it will likely go up in value.

Xophertony · Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2005 1:20 pm Post subject:

good points. i have thought about that actualy. the one thing is i am going to want it as a daily. if i can do this swap for less then i could buy a TTA (thats a complete build mind you, nice engine, downpipe, tranny tubekmember etc..)
i think i probably will, i can always get a TTA in a few years, drive it on weekiends and beat up on this the rest of the week. i am so torn.... Sad

iansane · Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2005 5:06 pm Post subject:

I'd do the swap.

I'd love to own a tta but I like to drive my cars(read:beat the snot out of) and I wouldn't want to beat on an original rare car like that.

Schultzy89GTA · Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2005 8:27 pm Post subject:

Based on what you want to do with it build it yourself.

do it. DO IT.

-Schultzy

Xophertony · Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2005 9:07 pm Post subject:

DO IT!! ::smashes beer cans agains forhead:: Shocked

when/if i do get a ta, if i have a three digit build number (ex 956/1550) my lic plate will be TTA 956. to the untrained eye it will look like a stock plate

Smile

SWAP COSTS SO FAR (note: i have not actualy purchased any of this yet)

just swap parts
$500 terry houston 3" downpipe
$600 wiring harness from "caspers electronics"
$150 trannsmission crossmember

$1250 total

suspension stuff i will be doing at the same time (or perhaps a little after)
$300 tubular a-arms
$595 coil over kit (pro street)
$470 tubular kmember
$200 strut tower bar
$1565

grand total.
$2815, total without engine or trans.

BigDaddyVu · Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2005 9:11 pm Post subject:

I got two pics of a twin turbo gta if somebody shows me how to post them

rjmcgee · The Hammer Joined: 08 Jan 2004 Posts: 2328

Seems pretty resonable, now just double your estimate and multiply that by 3.14.

(Est. x2) x Pie = True cost of third gen transformation.

Wink

Xophertony · Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2005 9:39 pm Post subject:

god it would suck if you're right So mad I can't see straight

rjmcgee · The Hammer Joined: 08 Jan 2004 Posts: 2328

Jess · Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2005 11:39 am Post subject:

Xophertony · Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2005 2:50 pm Post subject:

well, i finished pricing everything out (found out a few more things i am going to need (guages, tranny adaptor plate, lsd (the differential not the drug) all in all it's looking like over 10K. i am just going to buy a TTA. (probably in the spring) then i can start putting stuff on it, that can be my summer project. having fun in my new car

BigDaddyVu · Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2005 10:20 pm Post subject:

here is a pic my friend took of a twin turbo trans am when i was drag racing. http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/bigdaddyvu69/detail?.dir=ef24&.dnm=37cf.jpg