Secrets About the 1982 Pontiac Trans Am You Probably Didn’t Know
Alexandra Maloney
· 3 min read
The 1982 Pontiac Trans Am is a
classic car
that is rich with history. Produced and sold by General Motors
, the Pontiac
was created to bring a different and unique vehicle to General Motors already extensive fleet. While the Pontiac Trans Am might be beloved by some, it came with its fair share of trials and tribulations in the General Motors world, and had some pretty dark secrets. If you love car history, or are just curious about this unique vehicle, read on to find out all about the Pontiac’s hidden truths.
So, what is the 1982 Pontiac Trans Am?
Before we get into the secrets of the Pontiac Trans Am, let’s back up for a brief history of the car. 1982 was a significant year for Pontiac because it’s when the brand produced its third generation of cars. The Pontiac Trans Am made its debut as a significantly lighter and smaller car, with what was supposed to be a faster engine (a 305 Chevy).
The new generation of the Pontiac Trans Am was supposed to be a high-performance model designed for sport and power, according to
Hot Cars
. On paper, it fits the mold. Smaller dimensions, a shorter wheelbase and an acceleration time of 9.2 seconds for a change of 0 to 60 mph. But, the Pontiac Trans Am wasn’t what it seemed.Secret: The 1982 Trans Am wasn’t what GM expected
While all those improvements to the third generation of car seemed like a home run, the ideas were better in theory than in practice. Pontiac left many of the weak parts from the second generation of the car, hoping to disguise them with some new flashy additions.
Although the car was marketed as the latest and greatest model, the reality was that the exterior was made of flimsy materials that dented and scratched easily, the system couldn’t handle the powerful engine, and the trunk was significantly smaller.
Secret: The 1982 Pontiac Trans Am had safety issues
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In addition to issues with the exterior and engine capabilities, the 1982 Pontiac Trans Am also had pretty
significant safety issues
. These started in the trunk, with the smaller and more open space on the new model making it easier for important contents you might be carrying to become damaged. The Trans Am’s seat belts were recalled for mounting points coming off, and the gas tank wouldn’t function properly if the driver was travelling at a
high speed
. Overall, the rush to create a great car left a lot of safety issues for the Trans Am.Secret: There was debate over the Trans Am name
In addition to the issues surrounding the actual make of the Trans Am, problems also arose about the name. The Trans Am name was technically owned by the Sports Car Club of America, so for Pontiac to use it, they had to pay a fee to the organization. Pontiac tried using “T/A” instead, but this solution proved to cause even more problems.
Thus, Pontiac kept the Trans Am name and begrudgingly paid the fee. Ultimately, this left the Pontiac Trans Am as a poorly made, expensive car.
