Mongram's old1/20 Turbo T/A (OOB)

[Faust]

Normally, I can be found gushing over the latest loser car or automotive oddball that comes into my collection. However, even I have an appreciation for cool cars; it’s just that there aren’t that many I’d like to model. That, mind you, does NOT apply to Trans Ams. Being a fiercely proud T/A owner, I love Poncho’s fire-breathing ‘Bird in most of its guises. Of course, it’s no surprise that my favourite is the black sheep of the family; the 1980-81 Turbo Trans Am!

 

Now, it’s not because that’s the kind of car I own (well, okay, it IS, at least partially) but also because the Turbo T/A was supposed to herald a new era of performance, but instead was a short-lived, now-largely-forgotten experiment. It was Poncho’s last strike at the demons of efficiency that soon engulfed the enthusiast motoring scene.  It failed, but it had potentinal.

 

While most people don’t even remember it today, the Turbo T/A was a huge deal, and there were a tonne of kits, toys, etc. of the car. It was futuristic and classic all at once, and it was cool enough to be a pace car twice – once in each year it was alive! Thus, it seems fitting to remind people of this forgotten road warrior with a look at a somewhat forgotten kit: the Monogram 1/20 Turbo Trans Am!

Check it out at the link below, and get ready to relive the end of an era!

 

https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/monogram-120-1981-turbo-trans-am-pace-car-oob/

 

Edited September 7, 2017 by Faust

[Slartibartfast]

I remember it. It had a funky intake manifold that used one set of runners when not in boost to keep part-throttle response acceptable and a different set under boost.

[Faust]

It had a whole lot of stuff to keep things working well under all conditions!

 

The 301T is one of the most mechanically advanced engines of its time, especially in North America. To put a turbo on a carburetor-equipped, heavily-vacuum-dependent engine was no mean feat! 

 

Here's more detail on the Turbo T/A's mill:

 

Faust's 301T

 

It may seem quaint or old fashioned now, but it's the automotive equivalent to the mighty Wasp Major: Technically complex (maybe a bit overly-so) but the best you could get of its type!