A Car Can be Original Only Once: 1980 Turbo Trans Am

by **69_RAG_TOP** Sun Apr 03, 2011 3:52 pm

Original is the most often mis-used word in describing a classic used car for sale.

A car can only be original only once! Once you have taken it apart, replaced body panels and repainted it, it is no longer original.

There are many classic muscle cars for sale that advertise as original, stock or matching numbers. In reality these cars are far from the truth. Many have been built as a composite of many cars, salvaged panels from parted out bodies that have been put together from panels from many other cars, restored, rebuilt engine, new paint, reconditioned undercarriage, new suspension and exhaust, new interior, etc.
On some of these cars, the only thing original to the car may be the VIN tag on the firewall.

These restored cars are beautiful works of art...but they are not original. So what does an original look like? What should you look for?

In this video, Tony Fleming tells how to look for an original, unmolested, never painted, 1980 Pontiac Turbo Trans Am. He uses an electronic paint meter to look at the thinkness of paint in mm.

The car is a 1980 Turbo Trans Am with 37,933 original miles with a lot of handed down documentation, original owners package, Indy pace car patch, factory invoice, original salesmans cards, local MD car since new, original Cameo white paint w/ Indy call outs, original Oyster bucket seat interior, power seat, power windows/locks, WS6 handling package w/ 4 wheel disc brakes, removable t-tops, red lit factory gauges, turbo alloy wheels w/ BFG radial T/As, 4.9 liter turbo V-8, limited slip rear, with all factory options.

BTW this car has been sold.