Best of Show Automotive
7700 Tyler BoulevardMentor Museum of Speed, Mentor, OH, 44060, US
Phone : 440-350-1480
Email : joseph.carroll@bestofshowautomotive.com 7,888 Actual Mile 1980 Pontiac Trans Am Turbo Pace Car!

In 1980, Trans Ams were way cool. Burt Reynolds made a black one famous just a few years earlier in "Smokey and the Bandit," and they were some of the last true muscle cars on the market. Pontiac hadn't forgotten how to make the cars special and pulled out all the stops with special edition cars like this well-optioned 7,888-mile turbocharged Indy Pace Car.

In addition to the generous standard equipment in the pace car package, this car includes:

B84 Body side moldings
K30 Cruise control
C49 Electric rear window defroster
B93 Door edge guards
B51 Additional acoustical insulation
TR9 Lamp group
U75 Automatic power antenna
AU3 Power door locks
N33 Tilt steering wheel
CD4 Interval windshield wipers.

Specific visual enhancements to the 5700 code Y85 pace car replicas included an oyster interior with Hobnail Cloth inserts in Doeskin Vinyl with the Firebird logo embroidered into rear seat back, special oyster luxury weight carpet, Red lit gages, unique hood decal, white painted turbo cast aluminum wheels, leather stitched formula steering wheel with unique horn button, pin striping, custom interior door trim panels with Firebird logo embroidered into each upper panel. Pontiac certainly knew how to make an eye-popping package!

Emission controls and fuel economy concerns left over from the mid-1970s conspired to kill off big cubic inch engines, so the top mill for 1980 was the new turbocharged 301 Pontiac V8. Finding a suitable replacement for the big motors was a tall order, and Pontiac engineers used technology, not raw cubic inches, to deliver the power for which Pontiac had long been famous. Numerous modifications were in order to make the engine live under pressure. Thicker webbing around the main bearing caps, upgraded head gasket materials, upsized main bearing cap bolts, stronger pistons and wrist pins were all added. The Garrett TB305 turbocharger utilized a "draw through" design where the boost took place behind the carburetor. To make the turbo as transparent as possible, Pontiac asked Garrett to provide a better balanced turbo impeller to reduce turbo whine, which made the car feel similar to its big-block-equipped older siblings.

This particular pace car is extremely clean top and bottom. The undercarriage is just what you'd expect from a car with under 8,000 miles, and the engine compartment has been freshened. The unique white alloy wheels are unblemished and carry a set of 225/70R/15 Goodyear Eagle ST tires. The glass is unmarked and the interior is fresh and clean.

The code YL turbo motor generates 210 horsepower at 4000 RPM, down 10 horsepower from the mighty T/A 6.6 engine that was discontinued after the '79 model year, but the torque rating of 345 lb-ft. at 2000 RPM was a 25 lb-ft. increase. Maximum boost was achieved around 3500 RPM. Even with today's fuels, many owners claim brisk performance, and with a turbocharger, these cars are not affected by high altitudes like their naturally aspirated kin.

You're in for a real treat when you slip inside. In addition to the unique seats, upholstery, and embroidery, pace cars got the cool engine turned appliqués and red gauge lights just like the '79 special edition cars had. The beautifully-maintained pace-car-specific interior looks great, and in many folks' opinion not nearly as gaudy as a lot of similar special edition vehicles of the era. Just look at it—you know this is a low-mile car that someone cherished. You just can't hide flaws in an off-white interior.

The turbo 301 introduced the "turbo hood", making these the first Trans Ams since the 1969 to not have a shaker hood. The hood has a 22 inch bulge set to the left of the hood centerline to make clearance for the relocated carburetor and plumbing from the turbocharger. To make things interesting, a turbo boost gauge was included in the Indy package and consisted of a series of three orange lamps which showed the rate of turbo boost and was located at the rear of the bulge facing the driver.

The body is in great shape, with all the pace-car decals and stripes present and in excellent condition. Vinyl graphics are usually the first things to deteriorate, even in a car that is stored and preserved, but those on this car are in outstanding shape. Even the gigantic firebird on the hood is crisp and clean without any checking. Obviously there's no rust or damage to any of the panels, and the urethane front and rear bumpers are unblemished.

To prove the Turbo Trans Am's viability as a big engine replacement, the 1980 Indianapolis 500 was paced by the first time in history by a Firebird. Eager to showcase the little turbo's ability, the engine and drivetrain would be stock, with changes limited to a rear axle ratio swap (2.56:1 versus the standard 3.08:1 gearing) and larger P245/60R15 Goodyear Eagle GT tires for sustained high speed operation. Indy trivia: 1950 500 winner Johnnie Parsons, Sr. drove the pace car for the race.

In the glove box you'll find the original owner's manual, as well as the stereo, spare and consumer information pamphlets. And, of course, we have the Pontiac Historical paperwork for this beauty as well.

Trans-Ams are red-hot right now, with their values jumping by leaps and bounds for clean, well-maintained, and unusual cars. Enthusiasts are turning to cars like this to round out their collections, or building entire collections around the cars of their childhood just like this one. With less than 8,000 actual miles, this has to be one of the nicest turbo Trans Am pace cars available anywhere. Act now to put this spectacular example into your collection before someone else does!

FACTS & FIGURES Year:1980 Mileage:7888 VIN: Transmission Type:Automatic Type of Vehicle Title:Clear Number of Cylinders:8 Primary Color:White Interior Color:White About this auction & Best of Show Automotive

Convinced that collector car values are plummeting? Don't be fooled! While the value of mediocre cars has been steadily sliding with the economy over the past two years, the value of incredible cars has stayed level and, is rising. In times of economic uncertainty, capital flows to the highest quality assets which contain the least amount of risk and the classic car market is no exception. The lesson is simple: buy the very best you can find!

Please note that all sales are binding and final. Our cars are sold "as-is" with no warranty expressed or implied. Please carefully read the terms & conditions of the sale before bidding. Winning this auction does not entitle you to come inspect the car and decide if you want to buy it, but obligates you to complete the purchase! A $1000.00 deposit via PayPal is due within 24 hours of the auction close ... NO EXCEPTIONS.

We do not release our reserve prices, as this would be unfair to the other bidders, so please don't ask!

Note that our cars are on display in our showroom in Mentor, Ohio, in national print advertisements, listed for sale on our website, and listed for sale in multiple, nationally known, online dealer showrooms at all times. Since our cars are for sale in a number of other mediums, we reserve the right to cancel the auction at any time.

Best of Show Automotive sells approximately 40 cars each and every month to collectors worldwide. Each and every one of these cars is listed on Ebay, but only one sale, on average per month, actually occurs on Ebay. Accordingly, if you see a car you like, don't wait! Call us! When you see it disappear, it means that it sold to someone who saw it somewhere else. Lastly, note that we do not change our pricing on any car based on Ebay auction activity. Ebay is a wholesale marketing platform, which we use primarily for marketing purposes.

If you have ZERO feedback on Ebay, please call or email us to request our authority to bid on our vehicles. And, for you con-men and women out there, while you may think it's cute to create a user account and click the Buy It Now on a high dollar car you can't afford, note that we will track you down and we will recoup our costs for fraudulent bidding activity.

This car can be inspected at our 60,000 square foot office complex and showroom facility, operated as the Mentor Museum of Speed, located at 7700 Tyler Boulevard, in Mentor, Ohio, six days per week. Museum hours are 10 am to 5 pm daily, Monday through Friday, and 10 am to 4 pm Saturdays. You may stop in at any time during museum hours to view our collection. If you would like to make a sales appointment (and avoid paying the ten buck admission fee), we would be happy to schedule a personal appointment with you. To do so, contact Joseph Carroll below. For those of you who need to fly in, we can provide transportation to and from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. We can also provide accommodations within walking distance of our facility.

We can transport your new vehicle to you in one of our enclosed car haulers. Cost depends on mileage and location. Our Transportation Manager, Ron Meek, stands ready to help you with your transport needs. For a quote, call Ron at: (440)350-1480. Ron's direct email address is: class="wmatterbold">For those international buyers, note that we've shipped cars to collectors and classic car fans world-wide for years. You can feel confident in our representations, and post-sale service. Our Transportation Manager, Ron Meek, stands ready to help your transport & shipping needs.

A common question we receive is: "do you accept trades"? We do accept trades, but will only consider #1 or #2 condition vehicles. If you would like us to review a trade, please send detailed pictures of the entire car, including the underside. Also send a detailed description which includes all specifications, facts, figures, history and documentation present with the car. Lastly, give us a clear idea of what you are seeking in trade value. Email information on your trade directly to Joseph Carroll. Joe's email address is: class="wmatterbold">Best of Show Automotive, LLC has a valid Ohio Used Car Dealer's License. Our showroom, located at 7700 Tyler Boulevard, in Mentor, Ohio, is open to the public from 10 am to 4 pm on Saturdays, with viewing by appointment only Monday through Friday. We 100-140 incredible cars on display, and there's always something new. Feel free to stop in and meet our staff, and, more importantly, see the Greatest Showroom on Earth! Each and every one of our 25 member staff is an absolute car nut and we do this because we love cars!

In addition to our main showroom in Mentor, Ohio, we own two secondary facilities, including a restoration mechanical/assembly facility and a restoration body/paint shop. We perform complete restorations for classic car fans around the globe. Best of Show car have won numerous national weekends and our cars won their classes at both the 2009 Mopar Nationals and 2009 Pontiac Nationals. We own all of our facilities and have a significant investment in our business. We stand behind our work and value long-term relationships with our customers! For information on your restoration project, our Restoration Manager, Tim Wilhelm, can be reached at: (440)354-3279. Tim's direct email address is: class="wmatterbold">Do you want your car customized? New wheels? Air conditioning? We have a full service shop staffed with veterans who have been there and done that …we can give you what you want! For a quote on customizing or add-on products, contact our Inventory Manager, Doug Croxford, at: (440)350-1480. Doug's direct email address is: class="wmatterbold">Check out our feedback from other customers who have purchased cars from us in the past. Here's what some of customers have to say: We pride ourselves on describing our cars accurately, and, our cars really do look better in person than in the pictures! Bid with confidence!

For general information, call us at: (440)350-1480. You can send an email directly to our President, Joseph Carroll, at: Joseph M. Carroll
President/Sales/Purchasing

5782 Heisley Road
Mentor, OH, 44060

Best of Show Automotive, LLC
Phone : (440)350-1480 Fax : (440)350-1638 Mobile : (440)313-8091 /> www.bestofshowautomotive.com Greg Chismar
Transportation Manager

7700 Tyler Boulevard
Mentor, OH, 44060

Best of Show Automotive, LLC
Phone : 440-350-1480 Fax : 440-350-1336 Mobile : 440-840-4081 /> www.bestofshowautomotive.com Tim Wilhelm
Restoration Manager

5782 Heisley Rd.
Mentor, OH, 44060

Best of Show Automotive, LLC
Phone : 440-354-3279 tim.wilhelm@bestofshowautomotive.com
www.bestofshowautomotive.com G. K. Kerr
Vice President of Sales

7700 Tyler Boulevard
Mentor, OH, 44060

Best of Show Automotive, LLC
Phone : 440-350-1480 Fax : 440-350-1336 Mobile : 440-413-5149 george.kerr@bestofshowautomotive.com
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