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Obscure 1988 Pontiac Sunbird Turbo GT Is The Epitome Of Retro: Craigslist Find

If you had ten thousand dollars, would you spend it on a 27 year-old obscure-looking Pontiac Sunbird? Probably not, and neither would we, but the seller claims that this Sunbird has, “surprising power and reliability.” So let’s examine this specimen, shall we?

For starters, it’s a 1988 Pontiac Sunbird Turbo GT Convertible (read: “oooh a turbo”). The seller claims the vehicle has been fully restored, and that they had built it for their own son – who apparently put only 1,500 miles on it since then. We don’t blame him, we wouldn’t want to be caught in it either.

While the Sunbird will never win any design awards, ever, we can appreciate the work put in over the alleged 15 year restoration period. Plus, the turbocharged nature of this oddity does make this Pontiac pretty rare. You probably didn’t even know Sunbirds came with a turbocharger engine until now. We certainly didn’t.

Of course we want to drive it, we’re curious to see what this 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder built by the late Dandy Dick Landy is made of. Note – Dandy passed away back in 2007, so we’ve taken some of the info with a grain of salt, for instance, “it’s literally fresh off the restoration” … with an (at least) 8-year-old engine. Though we doubt it’s as fun as the four-banger in this Cobalt SS.

If you’re into cars from the 1980’s, then this car would be a great investment. We would’ve been much more into a first-generation Sunbird, which is a pretty good looking car, but we digress. What are your thoughts? Are we being too harsh on the seller and this retro Pontiac? Take a look at the listing for yourself, and speak to us in the comment section below.

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Comments

  1. Hey bozo that engine will surprise you. A guy in Kalamazoo took a 4.9 V8 out of his Fiero and put this engine in. He likes it better than the 4.9. Next smarty pants a Sunbird is far better looking than the chevy counter part!!!!

    Reply
  2. while these engines ran well with power the durability just was not there back in the 80’s. That is why this is such a rare find as most of the turbo’ died with oiling issues.

    This is only the second running Turbo I have seen in the original car in years.

    The original Fiero Indy pace car had one of these and they had to drop it due to oiling issues. It is storage at the indy speed way today with the original pace car. It was fast but not durable.

    Reply
  3. I have a 86 Buick t type turbo coupe 4 speed. This car is very nice does any one know much about it or value? I cant seem to find much about it I’ve owned it since 92 and has been in dry storage since. Thanks

    Reply
  4. I have a 1988 Pontiac Sunbird GT Turbo Convertible with 18,900 original miles…..original owner from the showroom to my garage……California car its whole life….. in superb condition…..absolutely rust free……never even driven in the rain. Black with black convertible top with gold interior…….all documentation and repair bills. $9500

    Reply
  5. I drive an 89 Sunbird GT Turbo that can STILL blow the doors off quite a few cars. The weight to horsepower ratio has a lot to do with that. The WS6 performance suspension still hugs the road AND still gets 27mpg. This car is STILL TIGHT, and anyone who disagrees probably hasn’t taken care of theres, or even driven one. I recently talked to a man that worked for the company that modified all the GTs for GM, and it only increased the amount of appreciation I have for my GT. IT’s 30 years old, and I STILL get a lot of thumbs up. Only criticism are the fabric seats in a convertible. DUMB…….

    Reply
    1. Shame on you, harsh comments on this gem. I own a 1991 Pontiac sunbird convertible and I still own the 1988 GT turbo convertible. I have parted ways with the 1991 my 75 year old mother tears around town in the 1991. I take the top down on the 1988 GT Tubo and run the gauntlet thru the Pennsylvania Allegheny National Forest, instantly feeling better about being me. This is a heavy car that hugs the road, and accelerates great out of the curves. An added perk, I can still turn wrenches on this car.

      Reply

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