I've added some links to more information about his awesome car.
I have enjoyed getting email from people all over the country (and Australia!).
I'm glad everyone is finding this web site informative. I'm really getting the
bug to get another one of these, so I'll be adding more information. Thanks for
visiting.
I
first saw this car a few months after my High School
graduation in 1979. I was in total awe. I
bought one in 1985. It was just like the one you see
here. It had the authentic lettering on the doors,
just as the actual Pace Car did when it rounded the
Brickyard in 1980. This car definitely gets a triple
Tim Allen "Orh, Orh, Orh!". Sadly, I ended
up totaling the car. I've made it one of my life
goals to buy another one just like it.
Appearance
Hailed
by many as the best looking pace car ever built, the
Indy Pace Car Trans Am was the most popular Firebird
offered in 1980. The Turbo Trans Am boasted an
asymmetrical hood and specially-designed hood
graphics. Notes Pontiac "We wanted to show that
form follows function on this car". Only
5,700 of the turbocharged 301 cubic inch Trans Ams
where built, this particular car is coded X87, and
manufactured in 1980. This special production TA
received a white paint job with charcoal accents on
the front and rear bumpers, the hood, and the roof.
Lastly
a complete set of special decals was installed on the
car. The hood bird was larger than normal and made up
of red, charcoal and gray colors. A large size set of
decals was also installed on both doors denoting the
cars Indianapolis Pace Car status.
Pace
Car Duties The
1980 Turbo-Trans am Lead the field at the 64th annual
Indianapolis 500 on May 25,1980, and was chosen as
the NASCAR pace car for 1980, including the 22nd
annual Daytona 500 stock car race in February. It was
the first time in 11 years that an auto manufacturer
had the same car pace both the Indy 500 and Daytona
500 races the same year!
These Pace Cars
came equipped with A/C, power windows, power
door locks, the WS6 Special Appearance
Package, four wheel disc brakes, and a set of
15"x8" finned turbo wheels. It had
an oyster and light gray interior with the
familiar red illuminated Pontiac
instrumentation. Embroidered Trans Am Eagles
on the door panels and center of the back
seat. "Orh, Orh, Orh!"
Not
until years later, did I realize the
importance of this car in automotive history.
This beautiful painting of a White 1980
Pontiac Turbo Trans Am Pace Car has been
reproduced as a limited edition art print.
Automotive artist Bill
Harbort has depicted this
car under a clear blue sky. I'm really
looking forward to get behind the wheel of
one of these, and go cruisin' around Long
Island...
This picture was
most likely used in Pontiac ads for the 80'
Turbo TA.
It'll
probably be a few years before I can
conscientiously buy something like this. It
could even be a great project to restore one.
