I can`t be of much help as far as finding a engine goes, but you can always still get replacement 301 engines, a turbo can be had elsewhere. I will also say a 301 was a oddball of the pontiac family of engines. They had horrible intake ports, so bad no aftermarket company bothered to make a intake for it figuring it was a lost cause. The oiling system on them is also very poor and the bottom ends are weak. If your looking to restore this vehicle on a value scale then the engine needs to be a numbers matching, and the only way you may have hope of doing so is to find the previous owners and find out what they did with the original, if it didn`t blow chunks out of the bottom end as many turbo 301`s did.

 

I saw this one on ebay.


http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Vint...bbl-Turbo-T-A_W0QQitemZ160002169702QQihZ006QQcategoryZ33615QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

I have a 301 4bbl with 240,000 miles on it, never been apart except timing chain and carb kit. When it was new it ran really well. If I were you I would restore the car and use the 400. It will be worth more money with the 400 IMO.

Most 301s have a bad reputation for longevity.

 

wazup


I recently purchased a 1981 trans am to restore. After doing some book work on it, turns out it originally came with the 301 turbo engine ( it has a 400 in it now ). I would like to restore it as close to 100% as I can but would not know how to even start to find one of these engines ( especially the turbo ). Can anyone help point me in the right direction ?

Thanks,
transamdave

I know where one is complete with turbo. I have to talk with the guy to make sure he hasn't got rid of it. It's in Anderson, South Carolina. I don't know how far you live from there. Send me an email to ho68butler@charter.net so I'll have your email address and not have to look for it in here. If you are interested I'll go talk to him and get his phone#. I was planning on eventually buying it for the turbo,but I already have one turbo(just turbo-not the engine) and it looks like you need it more than I do. jtyler

 

Why not stick a 301 sticker on the 400 and Turbocharge it
Shane

 

Why not stick a 301 sticker on the 400 and Turbocharge it
Shane

Shane, it's saturday night and you're 18 years old. you should be out chasing skirts or something like that. I have a wife and 4 kids and work sixty and seventy hours a week. That's the only reason I'm looking at this at this time on Saturday night. He wants the original 301 turbo. I know where one is as of a few weeks ago anyway. I'll talk to the man that has it if the guy is willing to have it shipped from South Carolina. I'm sure he hasn't got rid of it. They are not in high demand, unless you have a n original turbo T.A. The 301 was a sucky engine, but I guess the car would be worth something if it was completely original. As a matter of fact, I don't know why Pontiac built that engine. I am a Pontiac buff. My first car was a 68 Firebird with a built 350. I used to race it top end every weekend when I was your age. The speedometer registered 160. I put it past that once and close a hundred times. I later geared it down to a 342 gear and built a 428 out of a Catalina convertible. Those pontiac's will run. Pontiac was 10 years ahead of their time on combustion chamber design and GM pulled the plug and made everything corporate. Back to the 301. The intake and exhaust ports on my 300 six are huge compared to the 301. I have seen some of the 301 turbo cars dip into the twelves in the quarter though, with a lot of ingenuity and probably nitrous. Have a good weekend. jtyler

 

Shane, it's saturday night and you're 18 years old. you should be out chasing skirts or something like that. I have a wife and 4 kids and work sixty and seventy hours a week. That's the only reason I'm looking at this at this time on Saturday night. He wants the original 301 turbo. I know where one is as of a few weeks ago anyway. I'll talk to the man that has it if the guy is willing to have it shipped from South Carolina. I'm sure he hasn't got rid of it. They are not in high demand, unless you have a n original turbo T.A. The 301 was a sucky engine, but I guess the car would be worth something if it was completely original. As a matter of fact, I don't know why Pontiac built that engine. I am a Pontiac buff. My first car was a 68 Firebird with a built 350. I used to race it top end every weekend when I was your age. The speedometer registered 160. I put it past that once and close a hundred times. I later geared it down to a 342 gear and built a 428 out of a Catalina convertible. Those pontiac's will run. Pontiac was 10 years ahead of their time on combustion chamber design and GM pulled the plug and made everything corporate. Back to the 301. The intake and exhaust ports on my 300 six are huge compared to the 301. I have seen some of the 301 turbo cars dip into the twelves in the quarter though, with a lot of ingenuity and probably nitrous. Have a good weekend. jtyler

I was here on the site while watching the race .......and chating with a blonde friend of mine :mwink: so I got the skirt chasin covered too :thumbup:

 

transamdave has not been signed in on this site since 7/31/06
Most likely he isn't going to see your replies.

 

transamdave has not been signed in on this site since 7/31/06
Most likely he isn't going to see your replies.

Why didn't I notice that. Thank's, jtyler

 

I find it funny that everyone downs the 301Turbo. Just so you know, the 301T was rated at only 10HP less than the "mighty" 4XX's... No, they weren't hot rods, but they got the job done...And you call yourself "true" car guys...

 

Yes!!! Your very correct.

 

This thread is 4 years old.