TTA Vs 300GT VR4

[Kyle F]

OK well anyone whos has been paying attention to my post in the TTA Tech I am rebuilding a 42000 mile TTA. Well anyways I got home from college this weekend and took the TTA out for a ride just to make sure the seals and what not dont go bad while setting around.
Well I was running down a back country road with the T-Tops out ofcourse and my friend in the passenger seat. Well I dont have tags for the car yet because I have not got all the parts for it. So I was just cruizing hoping not to draw attention to myself.
So I going down this road at the speed limit (55mph) and I pull up on a 3000GT and I see its a VR4. Well he was going about 50 and just cruizing so I thought I would pass him.
First time:
I pull out to pass and go about half throttle, he down shifts and I hear the damn loud muffler kick in and he takes off so I pull behind him after about 60. Like I said Im just out for a cruize so going 60 is cool with me
then he slows down again
2nd try to pass same thing as before.
So the third time I told MIke(my firend) I am going to show this Mother Fu(ker whats up.
So next time I pull ou tinto the passing lane I go WOT
I hear his damn Fart cans start to sing and I just walk right passed him.
The look on his face when his $35,000 car got passed by What Im sure he thought whas a 305 Thirdgen with a weird noise under the hood was priceless. I wish I had a Digital Camera.
So now my record is stock TTA 1 all others 0

 

[86brick]

Good kill Kyle... I'm sure you'll have more unsuspecting victims in the future... get used to it because a lot of people don't have a clue about TRs and TTAs... I kind of like enlightening people myself

 

[slicks]

Isn't it fun to educate people on the TTA Kyle! Have fun

 

[bsdlinux]

Good kill. I am rebuilding a 62,000 mile TTA myself. Most of my stickers are gone due to the previous owner( can't find new stickers). So when I hit the street I will really be in the stealth mode. Can't wait to see their faces.

Later

 

[slicks]

Heck ya, all my sticker and emblems are still in the box. It makes it more fun.

 

[86brick]

Your TTA's are really sleepers considering the TPI V8 version was a SLUG, and looks just the same without the stickers!!! They'll be even more surprised when u tell them it's just a little 6... I'm sure even with the stickers most people don't have a clue and don't know that the fastest fbody was made in the late 80's and had a turbo V6 buick motor... keep it quiet though, don't want too many people to catch on LOL

 

[ghall]

That the way not to draw attention to your self.----just kidding---sounds like a good time in a nice car---the car you out ran is no slouch---nice job.

Geoff Hall

 

[Kyle F]

Originally posted by 86brick
Your TTA's are really sleepers considering the TPI V8 version was a SLUG, and looks just the same without the stickers!!!

Well I wouldnt call mid 14's in 89 a slug. Maybe campared to some newer cars and the GN, but the Cmaro/Firebird was always a good contender at any time in history. I mean there was a time when a low 16sec 1/4 mile time was good. You have to compare ages of the cars.
I loved my old TPI.

 

[86brick]

Mid 14's STOCK???

I thought it was more like mid to low 15's, because I can remember going to the track with my dad and seeing 5.0 stangs that were running mid 14's BONE stock, and they were pretty much stomping the IROCs and GTAs and this was in the late 80's early 90's... I remember my dad talking to the guys and asking them what they had done to their cars, and most guys were completely stock or had little mods like bigger gears, filter, chip, exhaust, etc. and most were running high to mid 13's at best with these mods if they had a 5.0... The TPI guys were running mid to low 14's at best with the same little mods... My dad's 87 GN was running low 13's to high 12's consistently with the same little mods and pissing off plenty of people who bought these V8s and had more mods or the same amount and were running slower times with their gas guzzling V8s!!! Those were the days I do agree with you about it not being fair to compare older cars to the newer cars, however, the GN was made in the mid to late 80's along with the TTA being made in 89, so I don't understand why you don't think it was fair to compare them Either way, the 5.0's were faster than the TPI's and there's no way the TPI's ran mid 14's stock and I hate to say it, but IMO they were SLUGs... Love the looks, but still too slow

 

[Kyle F]

Well there were som amny enginge tranny gear combos for the Thirdgens that you cant really say much to compare on from another. The Irocs cam any were from 155hp 305s to 225hp 350s and gear ranging from 2.73s to 3.42s
So yes if you could get a 350 TPI with a automatic and 3.42 gears you will see mid 14's. Its the truth and car and driver has magazines showing it from the time. Check out some of the articles posted on www.thirdgen.org
Though if you got a 155hp 4bb 305 with a 2.73 gear... you were looking at mid 15's
Thats the real problem with the thirdgens is there were so many damn differences from car to car that it would make you sick just thinking about it.
Well as far as comparing the TTA ot GNs to cars of the time, thats not fair because other lesser vehicles are just now catching up, or in the case of the everyones brother has one Mudstain they will never catch up.
Just don't discount what a TPI can do, if equiped right from the factory they were faster than a 5.0 5-speed, though only if you had the 350 with the 3.42 gears

 

[86brick]

Thanks for the link Kyle

Yeah the thirdgen fbody with the L98 350 TPI and auto with 3.42 gears is a mid 14 sec. ride from the factory... A buddy of mine told me that he saw an 87 Vette with the L98 350 TPI motor running low 14's high 13's a while back and all the Vette had was a filter and exhaust... That's pretty impressive for a V8 having to cope with all the emissions standards of the 80's Brick

 

[Kyle F]

YEs and the Vettes had aluminum heads, higher compression ratio, independent rear, and of all things less weight.
The tpi was a really good setup for a first try smog beating High performance engine. The GM Engineers did a good job with it, it was just not really set up for a cam to be stuck in it and so forth, but if you custom burn proms and understang the physics behind the air intake the world is your oyster.
The new LS1 and Ls6 is still based on the same basic concept.

 

[bsdlinux]

Kyle F

You are right. I know a guy that stroked his GTA TPI 350 to 383. A little chip work, head work, exhaust and intake. This thing turned into a monster. It was awesome. Also you go throw a set of Sportsmans, AFR, etc heads on these and make them fly.

My friend's truck has old technology 383, carb, World heads, non roller valve train etc. NO SPRAY. Runs 12.8. Not bad for a truck.

There were plenty of fast 5.0 Mustangs out there. If I remember right, this how the Buick/Ford shootouts began. These were the only cars really running well back then.