1989 Pontiac Firebird GTA 350 from North America
Summary:
Awesome car!
Faults:
Alternator when it was around 5 years old.
Trunk lid.
AC after 10 years, a lousy AC unit (only 2 tune ups in 10 years)!!!
General Comments:
People told me not to buy a Pontiac GTA!!! People in the car biz told me not to buy a GTA, they said they were temperamental, expensive to fix... etc. THIS CAR HAS BEEN AWESOME!!! Knock on wood, I have run this car up and down the length of california and in SF and LA traffic since I bought it and it has been 100% exceptional!!!
I actually never even thought about tuning it up, until about a year ago when people "again" were laughing at me for not doing so and saying I was neglecting it so I took it in to Monty Wards (RIP!!!) who did a lousy job setting the idle and installed a lousy AC unit (They went out of business just after... go figure) But wow, I can't believe this car... It just turned 12 and it needs a paint job but heck I would have expected much more... (PS I read the review here about the guy who had bad luck/replaced his engine etc, and I had a friend who bought a GTA and replaced 3 engines THEN he found out he was putting the wrong gas in the car all along!!!
$11k and 2 new engines later her put in 79 regular and the problem never came back - I am not a tech so don't guarantee this result just relaying. Now that my GTA is approaching "classic status" people are following me into gas stations and making wild U-turns to catch up to me to offer to buy it!!! HAHA I tell them "Sure thang dude, $24,000 and it's yours!"
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 30th April, 2001
19th Feb 2004, 00:51
I'm about to own this car and was wondering - after getting a bad tune from Monkey Wards (RIP) where did or do you take it? I too live in L.A. and am not sure about the gas. What do you put in yours? 87, 89, 91? Can't wait for her to arrive.