Being chosen to supply the Official Pace Car for the Indianapolis 500 is a rare honor that fell to the 1980 Pontiac Turbo Trans Am. The company followed the traditional path of leveraging the resulting significant public exposure by producing 5,700 examples of the Turbo Trans Am as the Indy 500 Pace Car Edition. Our feature Pontiac is one of those vehicles, although it would be fair to describe it as a tidy driver rather than a genuine survivor. Its original V8 has made way for a larger powerplant that should recapture the badge’s glory days, but the winning bidder will probably splash some cash to improve its presentation. The Pace Car is listed here on eBay in Holly Springs, North Carolina. Frantic bidding has pushed the price to $17,600, and with the reserve met, a new home is only days away for this classic.
Both Pontiac and the buying public knew that by 1980, a replacement for the aging Second Generation Firebird range was waiting in the wings. That explains why the company didn’t spend a fortune on cosmetic updates for the 1980 model year, and Trans Am sales slumped by over 50% compared to 1979. The Turbo Trans Am Pace Car followed the industry trend of being available in only one color. Pontiac chose Cameo White, teaming this shade with unique Charcoal and Argent two-tone graphics. These cars also featured the distinctive “Turbo” alloy wheels, color-matched to the exterior paint shade. The overall presentation of this Trans Am is tidy for an unrestored vehicle of this age. The front bumper sports minor damage on the driver’s side, but the panels are straight, the paint shines well, and the seller assures us it is rust-free. The smoked glass T-Top is in good order, and the lack of moisture damage inside the vehicle confirms the seals are intact. The trim and tinted glass are pretty clean, and it appears the exterior requires little to present at a high level.
Pontiac worked hard to maintain its place as the performance marque within the General Motors empire during The Malaise Era, but it fought the battle with one arm tied behind its back. Traditional V8s suffered during this period, and manufacturers sought new ways to extract additional power from these powerplants. Pontiac’s solution for 1980 was to bolt a turbocharger to its existing 301ci V8. The change boosted power and torque from 170hp and 230 ft/lbs to 210hp and 345 ft/lbs. The sticking point for many enthusiasts was the company’s decision not to offer a manual transmission option, with buyers receiving a three-speed automatic. The forced-induction option slashed the ¼-mile ET from 17.6 seconds to 16.1 seconds, but even that was well short of the figures achieved during the glory days of the early 1970s. This Trans Am’s owner has taken matters into their own hands because the Turbo V8 is a distant memory. It was consigned to the bin, and a 455ci V8 now occupies that space. Its specifications are unclear, but it is safe to assume considerably more power is available under the driver’s right foot. They say the engine kicks into life easily, and it seems this Trans Am is a turnkey proposition for the winning bidder.
The Trans Am’s interior is serviceable, but the new owner is almost guaranteed to treat it to a spot of TLC to lift its presentation. It features the Oyster Gray cloth and vinyl trim integral to the Indy package, but there are shortcomings for potential buyers to consider. The driver’s seat exhibits wear on the outer edge, and the carpet has patchy faded spots. One back seat outer trim is badly damaged, and replacement would be the only option. The carpet has come away from the lower door trims, which are also warped. Other minor defects could be tackled as time and circumstances allow. The factory radio has made way for an Alpine CD player, which appears to be the only addition. The air conditioning doesn’t blow cold, but the system features a new compressor, and the buyer will need to fit the included new A/C heat exchanger. Other factory options include power windows, power locks, a tilt wheel, and a rear defogger.
If this 1980 Pontiac Turbo Trans Am Indy Pace Car were original and pristine, a value above $60,000 would be realistic. It ticks neither of those boxes, meaning the sale price should be considerably less. It has attracted an impressive forty-eight bids for the price to reach its current level, with plenty of time remaining for both figures to climb significantly. I believe they will, but what do you think the sale price will be?
You lost me with its original V8 has been replaced .
Cars like this should remain as per factory, performance isn’t everything.
Yep I just said that, lol.
It was probably done when these weren’t worth anything. In the late-80’s and early-90’s you would see rows of perfectly fine rubber bumper Camaros and Firebirds, mostly Trans Ams and Z28’s. Nobody wanted them, they were there because of the California smog laws and because 60’s and early-70’s performance cars were plentiful and inexpensive. There were only a handful of items on these cars worth looking for, 1 1/4” front sway bars, disc brake rear ends (from WS6 cars) and posi rear ends with 3.23 or lower gear sets.
I knew a couple of guys that did 455 swaps early on, and were lucky enough to get them grandfathered in to a less stringent emissions testing program because of that. Their owners lover them, without the swap, those cars would have eventually suffered the same fate.
Steve R
If I owned it, I would get a ’79 shaker hood. It already is a driver’s car and the shaking hood scoop is classic.
The seller could have invested a few buck and changed out the foggy headlights.
You can call Florida’s crazy but we have no emissions testing at all! So engine swap all you want when you move down here no harm, no foul ! Bring me your 455 poncho I’ll take good care of it!
Being chosen to serve as pace car for the Indy 500 used to be a big deal. Now, it’s just a question of what color Corvette or Camaro they’re using this year. Nothing but Corvettes and Camaros for the last 20 years.
Damn shame about the engine swap. The main problem with them back then was poor quality gas. Now with up to 94 octane unleaded available they run like they always should have. Plus, aftermarket support is available too.
Swap that engine out,
Someone has to say this:
Put An LS In It.
What is the bid for this pace car trans am now & how many mi.es has it got???Jeb