Pontiac Trans Sport

Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Pontiac Trans Sport shopping experience:

1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Pontiac Trans Sport offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Pontiac Trans Sport at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.

2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about

3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Pontiac Trans Sport? Wrong! If the Pontiac Trans Sport is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.

4. Questions - Got a question about Pontiac Trans Sport then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....

5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Pontiac Trans Sport? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Pontiac Trans Sport and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.

6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Pontiac Trans Sport wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.

7. Feedback - happy with your Pontiac Trans Sport then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.

8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Pontiac Trans Sport site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site

9. Contact - got a question about Pontiac Trans Sport, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.

10. Payment - ready to pay for your Pontiac Trans Sport, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.

{{Infobox Automobile| name = Pontiac Trans Sport| image = | manufacturer = General Motors| class = [Minivan| platform = [GM U platform-->{{Infobox Automobile generation| name = First Generation| image = | production = 1990–1996| assembly = Tarrytown, New York [V6
3.8 L GM 3800 engine#3800 V6
3.4 L GM 60-Degree V6 engine#LA1 V6 (for Europe)
3-speed [automatic transmission| length = 1994-96: 194.5 in (4940 mm)
1990-93: 194.7 in (4945 mm)| wheelbase = | body_style = 3-door van
[Oldsmobile Silhouette| body_style = 3-door [van
4-door van
[Oldsmobile Silhouette| engine = 3.4 L [GM 60-Degree V6 engine#LA1 V6 and [Oldsmobile Silhouette, were a trio of minivans that débuted with radical styling in fall 1989 as 1990 models.

Background The Trans Sport and its sibling models were produced by General Motors to compete with the Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager. Because the larger Chevrolet Astro and the GMC Safari "mini-vans" were based on a body-on-frame, rear wheel drive truck platform, they appealed to a different segment of the market and did not put a significant dent in Chrysler's almost complete dominance of the minivan market in the late eighties. The GM minivans, while more successful than the Astro/Safari duo in terms of market share, were able to capture a large chunk of the market away from the Chrysler models.

Original concept First shown to the public in 1986, the Pontiac Trans Sport concept car was extremely well received. It featured futuristic styling, individually removable bucket seats with built-in stereo speakers, a gull-wing doors rear passenger door and extensive use of glass including a glass-paneled roof as well as many other "dream car" features.

Based on the warm reception the concept vehicle received, the Pontiac Trans Sport was approved for production, but as is often the case, the styling and features showcased on the concept did not make the translation to the mass-produced edition. The gullwing door was deemed too expensive to produce and would probably have hit overhead garage doors in suburban garages. The glass roof was too heavy and too expensive, so the resultant production vehicle made-do with high-gloss black painted panels for the roof to suggest the glass canopy the concept sported.

Chevrolet and Oldsmobile were also given production vehicles based on the Trans Sport in order to cover the widest possible range of potential customers. It was intended that the Lumina APV would be the value-priced version, The Trans Sport would net the more sport- and style-oriented buyers, and the Oldsmobile Silhouette would be the minivan for the premium market.

{| class="wikitable"|-||||-|colspan=2 align=center|1986 Pontiac Trans Sport Concept Car|}

Technology and innovative features Assembled in the now-defunct General Motors Tarrytown, New York assembly facility, these GM U platform vans consisted of a galvanized steel space frame wrapped in composite plastic body panels that were impervious to rust and minor dents and dings, a manufacturing technique developed on the Pontiac Fiero and used extensively on General Motors' Saturn Corporation line of vehicles.

The Trans Sport was available with seating for seven, with the five light-weight (34 lb or 15 kg) rear seats being individually reconfigurable and removable. In 1994 built-in child seats were added to the option list, which provided the ability to switch two of the rear seats between adult and child seating with the pull of a seat-mounted tab.

Included with the level ride package, which utilized a compressor and air-pressurized rear shock absorbers to maintain vehicle height regardless of load, was a control panel and air hose kit that allowed the vehicle to be used to inflate tires, air mattresses, sporting equipment and the like.

In 1994, a remote-controlled power sliding door feature was added, a General Motors innovation, which is now found in almost every other minivan available.

For the 1994 and 1995 model years traction control was available with the GM 3800 engine engine option.

Modest sales success The design of these minivans was controversial. At the time that the Pontiac Trans Sport and its siblings were conceived, no one had tried to market a stylish or sporty minivan, and GM felt that this represented a potentially large market segment that the class-leading Chrysler minivans failed to address. They styled these minivans to be lower and sleeker than any of the competing brands on the market. The extremely large, long and sloped windshield and the resultant long distance to the base of the windshield when sitting in the drivers seat made for a disconcerting driving experience until a person could adjust to the "different" proportions. Automotive magazines christened the new minivans "dustbusters" after Black and Decker's brand of handheld vacuum cleaners, since the minivans shared a similar side profile to the handheld vacuum cleaners.

The first engine in these vans was a meager 3.1 L V6, that produced only , which was not up to the task of hauling these fairly heavy vehicles around with any authority. In 1992, the Trans Sport and its siblings received the 3.8 L GM 3800 engine V6 as an option, which provided much better torque and acceleration for the vans, making them the most powerful as well as best handling minivans in production at the time.

In response to criticism (and relatively modest sales) attributable to the vehicles' avant-garde styling, feedback from potential customers, automotive publications, and even chiding in Chrysler Corporation's advertising, in 1994, the Trans Sport and Lumina APV received a facelift, shortening the nose by 3 inches and toning-down of the cladding to effect a more conventional look. Additionally a ridge was added to the interior dashboard to lessen the perceived distance to the base of the windshield.

Europe, which had grown accustomed to sleek minivans thanks to the Renault Espace, did not object to the futuristic styling, and sales were respectable, so the decision was made to retain the original shape on the European version which, from the 1994 model year onwards, was an Oldsmobile Silhouette, transformed into a Pontiac Trans Sport by the addition of Pontiac badging and wheels. Another specificity was the 1995 introduction of a, vital for the European market, diesel version. It used a PSA 1.9 litre turbodiesel outputing which was clearly underpowered.

Production of this generation of List of GM platforms minivans ceased in 1996, at which time the Tarrytown plant which produced them and had been in operation since 1900 was shuttered and scheduled for demolition.

First Generation 1990

All new model-
Available as Trans Sport (with silver cladding) and Trans Sport SE (monochromatic)
Launched in Europe with minor differences in exterior trim required for regulatory concerns as well as engine and transmissions appropriate for Europe's differing fuel cost and vehicle taxation structure.

1991

Customer complaints regarding glare reflected on the interior of the windshield from the massive expanse of the dashboard led to the addition of black carpeting in lieu of the more reflective plastic used in the previous year.
Power windows and door locks made standard on American models.

1992

Newly available for 1992 was GM's GM 3800 engine V6 engine coupled with a Hydra-Matic Turbo-Hydramatic 125 4-speed electronically controlled transmission.
A new Trans Sport GT model debuted, equipped with the GM 3800 engine V6 engine standard.
Base model dropped, leaving Trans Sport "SE" and the aforementioned "GT" as the two trim levels offered.
With the departure of the base model, silver cladding was no longer available.
Leather seating became available as an option on the GT model. Previously, leather seating was an Oldsmobile Silhouette exclusive within the GM U platform minivans.
The cowl-mounted fixed radio antenna mast was eliminated, and an integrated roof antenna was installed, sandwiched between the roof and the headliner.
Side view mirrors were changed to the folding type and were enlarged to provide better rear-ward visibility.
Brakes were enlarged and anti-lock brakes (ABS) was added as standard equipment.
A pop-up sunroof was added to the options list.
Steering wheel-mounted controls for the stereo system were added as an option.

1993

GT model dropped, while GT features remained available as options. All Trans Sports would be called "Trans Sport SE" from 1993 to 1996.
A remote controlled power sliding side door was announced for 1993, but failed to actually make it into production that year.
A new color scheme with gold cladding, gold wheels and a body-colored roof behind the C-pillar was available as an extra-cost option with certain exterior colors.
A redesigned center console was added this year with revamped, larger climate controls, a large storage cubby and a large storage bin at its base.

1994

The exterior styling was revamped, three inches were trimmed off the nose, headlights lifted from the Pontiac Bonneville were installed, Bumper-mounted fog lamps were added as standard equipment, cladding was made less flamboyant and stylized.
In an effort to lessen the perceived distance to the base of the windshield, a ridge was added to the interior dash finishing panel.
A remote-controlled power sliding door became available as an option.
Built-in child seats for the second row became available as an option.
A traction control system became available as an option.
Rear deep-tinted windows now featured a darker tint than previously used.
A driver's side airbag became standard equipment.

1995

Automatic power door locks that engaged/disengaged with the transmission shifting into or out of "park" added as a standard feature of the power door lock option package.
Rear portion of the roof, behind the C-pillar previously painted black as standard with body color as a no-cost option, would be only available painted body color as a further effort to "normalize" the vehicles' looks as compared to competitors.

1996

Both 3.1 and 3.8 L V6 engines dropped, a 3.4 L V6 GM 60-Degree V6 engine#LA1 engine became the only power plant available.
Traction control dropped as an option.

2nd generation 1997-1998 In the 1997 model year, the Trans Sport and its siblings got their first major redesign, ditching the one-of-a-kind construction and look to create a more conservative, conventional minivan. Gone were spaceframes, plastic body panels, and sleek styling. The new minivans were of unibody steel construction and the styling was intentionally conventional to such an extent that contemporary reviewers remarked that without looking closely at the badging and grille treatments, these minivans could be mistaken for their primary competitors, the Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager, which at the time commanded a 50% share of the minivan market. Along with the roll out of this new generation of minivans, Pontiac debuted a "Montana" option package for the Trans Sport with special cladding and wheels intended to give it a more rugged SUV-like appearance.

Production of this generation was performed at GM's Doraville, Georgia facility.

Safety Criticism A crash test video of the 1997-2004 Trans Sport/Montana has received some criticism due to extreme damage to the vehicle in the 40 mph crash test. The minivan received a "Poor" rating by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and some comments made by the IIHS were

Major Collapse of the occupant compartment left little survival space for the driver.
Extreme steering wheel movement snapped the dummy's head backward.
The unnatural position of the dummy's left foot indicates that an occupant's left leg would have been seriously injured in a real-world crash of this severity.
The forces on the left lower leg were so high that the dummy's metal foot broke off at the ankle.

European market This version of the Pontiac Trans Sport was also sold in Europe as a Chevrolet, alongside the Opel Sintra; however, unlike the Sintra, which was based on the Pontiac Trans Sport, Pontiac Montana, Chevrolet Venture, Oldsmobile Silhouette and the previous generation Buick GL8, but wore the European Opel or British Vauxhall badges and trim, the Chevrolet Trans Sport (as it was known) was trimmed and badged exactly like the Pontiac Trans Sport, the only differences being where Chevrolet badges were used in place of the Pontiac badges. In all cases, the European-market vans used different front, side and rear automotive lighting, different seatbelts and sundry other safety items, to comply with ECE regulations which differ from US safety standards. These models were discontinued between 2003 and 2005, depending on the market. Despite limited sales in Europe, the vehicle was particularly successful in Sweden.

1999-2005 See Pontiac Montana For the 1999 model year (2000 in Canada), the name Trans Sport was discontinued in favor of the name Pontiac Montana due to the popularity of the "Montana" appearance package. By the time the "Trans Sport" moniker was dropped, the "Montana" package accounted for over 80% of total Trans Sport sales.

Engine:

1997–1998 3.4 L (207 in³) GM 60-Degree V6 engine#LA1 V6

External links {{Infobox Automobile| name = Pontiac Trans Sport| image = | manufacturer = General Motors| class = [Minivan| platform = [GM U platform-->{{Infobox Automobile generation| name = First Generation| image = | production = 1990–1996| assembly = Tarrytown, New York [V6
3.8 L GM 3800 engine#3800 V6
3.4 L GM 60-Degree V6 engine#LA1 V6 (for Europe)
3-speed [automatic transmission| length = 1994-96: 194.5 in (4940 mm)
1990-93: 194.7 in (4945 mm)| wheelbase = | body_style = 3-door van
[Oldsmobile Silhouette| body_style = 3-door [van
4-door van
[Oldsmobile Silhouette| engine = 3.4 L [GM 60-Degree V6 engine#LA1 V6 and [Oldsmobile Silhouette, were a trio of minivans that débuted with radical styling in fall 1989 as 1990 models.

Background The Trans Sport and its sibling models were produced by General Motors to compete with the Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager. Because the larger Chevrolet Astro and the GMC Safari "mini-vans" were based on a body-on-frame, rear wheel drive truck platform, they appealed to a different segment of the market and did not put a significant dent in Chrysler's almost complete dominance of the minivan market in the late eighties. The GM minivans, while more successful than the Astro/Safari duo in terms of market share, were able to capture a large chunk of the market away from the Chrysler models.

Original concept First shown to the public in 1986, the Pontiac Trans Sport concept car was extremely well received. It featured futuristic styling, individually removable bucket seats with built-in stereo speakers, a gull-wing doors rear passenger door and extensive use of glass including a glass-paneled roof as well as many other "dream car" features.

Based on the warm reception the concept vehicle received, the Pontiac Trans Sport was approved for production, but as is often the case, the styling and features showcased on the concept did not make the translation to the mass-produced edition. The gullwing door was deemed too expensive to produce and would probably have hit overhead garage doors in suburban garages. The glass roof was too heavy and too expensive, so the resultant production vehicle made-do with high-gloss black painted panels for the roof to suggest the glass canopy the concept sported.

Chevrolet and Oldsmobile were also given production vehicles based on the Trans Sport in order to cover the widest possible range of potential customers. It was intended that the Lumina APV would be the value-priced version, The Trans Sport would net the more sport- and style-oriented buyers, and the Oldsmobile Silhouette would be the minivan for the premium market.

{| class="wikitable"|-||||-|colspan=2 align=center|1986 Pontiac Trans Sport Concept Car|}

Technology and innovative features Assembled in the now-defunct General Motors Tarrytown, New York assembly facility, these GM U platform vans consisted of a galvanized steel space frame wrapped in composite plastic body panels that were impervious to rust and minor dents and dings, a manufacturing technique developed on the Pontiac Fiero and used extensively on General Motors' Saturn Corporation line of vehicles.

The Trans Sport was available with seating for seven, with the five light-weight (34 lb or 15 kg) rear seats being individually reconfigurable and removable. In 1994 built-in child seats were added to the option list, which provided the ability to switch two of the rear seats between adult and child seating with the pull of a seat-mounted tab.

Included with the level ride package, which utilized a compressor and air-pressurized rear shock absorbers to maintain vehicle height regardless of load, was a control panel and air hose kit that allowed the vehicle to be used to inflate tires, air mattresses, sporting equipment and the like.

In 1994, a remote-controlled power sliding door feature was added, a General Motors innovation, which is now found in almost every other minivan available.

For the 1994 and 1995 model years traction control was available with the GM 3800 engine engine option.

Modest sales success The design of these minivans was controversial. At the time that the Pontiac Trans Sport and its siblings were conceived, no one had tried to market a stylish or sporty minivan, and GM felt that this represented a potentially large market segment that the class-leading Chrysler minivans failed to address. They styled these minivans to be lower and sleeker than any of the competing brands on the market. The extremely large, long and sloped windshield and the resultant long distance to the base of the windshield when sitting in the drivers seat made for a disconcerting driving experience until a person could adjust to the "different" proportions. Automotive magazines christened the new minivans "dustbusters" after Black and Decker's brand of handheld vacuum cleaners, since the minivans shared a similar side profile to the handheld vacuum cleaners.

The first engine in these vans was a meager 3.1 L V6, that produced only , which was not up to the task of hauling these fairly heavy vehicles around with any authority. In 1992, the Trans Sport and its siblings received the 3.8 L GM 3800 engine V6 as an option, which provided much better torque and acceleration for the vans, making them the most powerful as well as best handling minivans in production at the time.

In response to criticism (and relatively modest sales) attributable to the vehicles' avant-garde styling, feedback from potential customers, automotive publications, and even chiding in Chrysler Corporation's advertising, in 1994, the Trans Sport and Lumina APV received a facelift, shortening the nose by 3 inches and toning-down of the cladding to effect a more conventional look. Additionally a ridge was added to the interior dashboard to lessen the perceived distance to the base of the windshield.

Europe, which had grown accustomed to sleek minivans thanks to the Renault Espace, did not object to the futuristic styling, and sales were respectable, so the decision was made to retain the original shape on the European version which, from the 1994 model year onwards, was an Oldsmobile Silhouette, transformed into a Pontiac Trans Sport by the addition of Pontiac badging and wheels. Another specificity was the 1995 introduction of a, vital for the European market, diesel version. It used a PSA 1.9 litre turbodiesel outputing which was clearly underpowered.

Production of this generation of List of GM platforms minivans ceased in 1996, at which time the Tarrytown plant which produced them and had been in operation since 1900 was shuttered and scheduled for demolition.

First Generation 1990

All new model-
Available as Trans Sport (with silver cladding) and Trans Sport SE (monochromatic)
Launched in Europe with minor differences in exterior trim required for regulatory concerns as well as engine and transmissions appropriate for Europe's differing fuel cost and vehicle taxation structure.

1991

Customer complaints regarding glare reflected on the interior of the windshield from the massive expanse of the dashboard led to the addition of black carpeting in lieu of the more reflective plastic used in the previous year.
Power windows and door locks made standard on American models.

1992

Newly available for 1992 was GM's GM 3800 engine V6 engine coupled with a Hydra-Matic Turbo-Hydramatic 125 4-speed electronically controlled transmission.
A new Trans Sport GT model debuted, equipped with the GM 3800 engine V6 engine standard.
Base model dropped, leaving Trans Sport "SE" and the aforementioned "GT" as the two trim levels offered.
With the departure of the base model, silver cladding was no longer available.
Leather seating became available as an option on the GT model. Previously, leather seating was an Oldsmobile Silhouette exclusive within the GM U platform minivans.
The cowl-mounted fixed radio antenna mast was eliminated, and an integrated roof antenna was installed, sandwiched between the roof and the headliner.
Side view mirrors were changed to the folding type and were enlarged to provide better rear-ward visibility.
Brakes were enlarged and anti-lock brakes (ABS) was added as standard equipment.
A pop-up sunroof was added to the options list.
Steering wheel-mounted controls for the stereo system were added as an option.

1993

GT model dropped, while GT features remained available as options. All Trans Sports would be called "Trans Sport SE" from 1993 to 1996.
A remote controlled power sliding side door was announced for 1993, but failed to actually make it into production that year.
A new color scheme with gold cladding, gold wheels and a body-colored roof behind the C-pillar was available as an extra-cost option with certain exterior colors.
A redesigned center console was added this year with revamped, larger climate controls, a large storage cubby and a large storage bin at its base.

1994

The exterior styling was revamped, three inches were trimmed off the nose, headlights lifted from the Pontiac Bonneville were installed, Bumper-mounted fog lamps were added as standard equipment, cladding was made less flamboyant and stylized.
In an effort to lessen the perceived distance to the base of the windshield, a ridge was added to the interior dash finishing panel.
A remote-controlled power sliding door became available as an option.
Built-in child seats for the second row became available as an option.
A traction control system became available as an option.
Rear deep-tinted windows now featured a darker tint than previously used.
A driver's side airbag became standard equipment.

1995

Automatic power door locks that engaged/disengaged with the transmission shifting into or out of "park" added as a standard feature of the power door lock option package.
Rear portion of the roof, behind the C-pillar previously painted black as standard with body color as a no-cost option, would be only available painted body color as a further effort to "normalize" the vehicles' looks as compared to competitors.

1996

Both 3.1 and 3.8 L V6 engines dropped, a 3.4 L V6 GM 60-Degree V6 engine#LA1 engine became the only power plant available.
Traction control dropped as an option.

Major Collapse of the occupant compartment left little survival space for the driver.
Extreme steering wheel movement snapped the dummy's head backward.
The unnatural position of the dummy's left foot indicates that an occupant's left leg would have been seriously injured in a real-world crash of this severity.
The forces on the left lower leg were so high that the dummy's metal foot broke off at the ankle.

1997–1998 3.4 L (207 in³) GM 60-Degree V6 engine#LA1 V6

External links

Pontiac Trans Sport - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Pontiac Trans Sport and its siblings, the Chevrolet Lumina APV, Oldsmobile Silhouette and Pontiac Montana were a set of minivans that débuted with radical styling in fall 1989 ...

Pontiac Montana - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Pontiac Montana is a minivan from the Pontiac division of General Motors. During the 1997-1998 model years, it was known as the Pontiac Trans Sport Montana that used the "Trans ...

Pontiac Trans Sport Research All Models and Prices - MSN Autos
Read expert reviews of the Pontiac Trans Sport from MSN Autos and others. Browse used car listings from Auto Trader and used car prices from Kelley Blue Book. View pictures, crash ...

YouTube - pontiactranssport's Channel
Videos of the famous Pontiac Trans Sport and relatives like the Chevrolet Lumina APV and the Oldsmobile Silhouette

Pontiac | New Cars: New SUVs: New Sports Cars: 2009 New Cars
Automobile division of General Motors Corporation.

Pontiac Trans Sport | The Center for Autosafety
January 2000. Dear GM Minivan Owner: Thank you for contacting the Center for Auto Safety (CAS) about your General Motors (GM) Minivan. CAS has received thousands of ...

1998 Pontiac Trans Sport Detailed Pricing and Specifications - MSN ...
Read reviews of the Pontiac Trans Sport, browse used car listings from Auto Trader. Get used car prices from Kelley Blue Book. View specs, pictures, and more.

Buy used Pontiac Trans Sport for sale, sell Pontiac Trans Sport cars ...
Pontiac Trans Sport site to Buy and Sell new Pontiac Trans Sport & used Pontiac Trans Sport cars FREE of charge. compare new & used Pontiac Trans Sport for sale, buy Pontiac Trans ...

Amazon.co.uk: General Motors Chevrolet Venture (97-01), Oldsmobile ...
Amazon.co.uk: General Motors Chevrolet Venture (97-01), Oldsmobile Silhouette (97-01), Pontiac Trans Sport (97-98) and Montana (99-01) Automotive Repair Manual (Haynes Automotive ...

Abstracts: Trans Sport SE 3800. Pontiac Trans Sport. Ford Windstar LX
Article Abstract: The new Pontiac mini-van has an improved V-6 engine and four-speed automatic transmission. They are also available for the Silhouette and Lumina APV mini-van ...