Beretta.net

Chad Loniello’s 1989 Beretta GT 3400/5-Speed

I was 16 years old in 1995 and I wanted my own car. So I looked in the paper and found this 1989 Beretta GT. As soon as I saw the car I KNEW it was mine. The love affair had started. It had 76,000 miles on it. Since then it has had deer damage, break ins, etc. I never would let the car go. It always took care of me and I will always take care of her. It has gone through the factory 2.8 and a brand new crate 2.8 from GM. At 286,000 miles I pulled that crap out and put in a custom built 3400 that only had 16,000 miles on it. I have spent over $2600 on the interior ($98 sq ft for cloth= $1950), 3 paint jobs and lots of upkeep. I have spent enough on this car over the years to have bought it brand new twice at the original MSRP of $13,500 in 1989. You name the part on the car, it has been replaced….at least twice. I could spend HOURS talking about all the history me and this car have but I will save you the time. With all the money I have spent on this car, I do NOT regret it at all. Not a penny.

Custom 3400

Spec Stage 2+ Clutch

Sprint Springs, Koni Adjustable Rear Shocks, KYB Struts. Sway Bars (5)

HID Headlights.

and so much more!

Ryan Haenny “Styluss” 1989 Beretta 2.8L/3t40  Euro GTU Mock

I bought this car in early 2004 with my tax return money. I had always wanted a second car to learn how to tinker on. I actually bought the car a month or two before BFest was right here in Denver Colorado! But as I was so new to the car I didn’t have the passion and enthusiasm for the car and the community that I do now and didn’t attend. She was a 1989 Base model with beat blue interior and bone stock save for a remote start system and old faded tinted windows.

Shortly after I bought the car my friend turned me onto to junk yarding. HOLY COW did I learn a lot about this car in a short period of time! All the models produced, different engines, seat styles, different body kits, suspension bars and so more! That and the knowledge base that is Beretta.net turned me into an addict very quickly. The car went through a lot of different looks in a rather short period of time but one look caught my eye in particular… the GTU look. And after going through three different interior colors / setups I finally rounded up all I needed for a black interior, save for the dash.

Not only was I a fiend for the GTU look and equipped the car with a full GTU kit but I also stumbled onto the world of European Berettas and quickly fell in love. I became a sucker for rare European parts and acquired them just as fast as I could actually find them and click “Send Payment” on PayPal. Today, the car is a GTU mock with the most complete Euro conversion outside of the European states. And yes, I am VERY proud of that fact.

The car has been through a lot in its lifetime; Autocross, Rallycross, “off-road” camping trips, hellacious snow storms, two accidents and more. I have definitely put her through her paces. But she has been awarded for it all as well; it has earned a podium finish at many Autocross and Rallycross events, first place in a car show, first place at local Rallycross events, second place at a National Championship Rallycross, first place at a National Challenge Rallycross and even Best Modified Late Model Interior at BFest Denver 2013! Not to mention she has been spotted in SportsCar Magazine three times! One was even an article with an interview! Nothing makes me smile like having someone come up to me and say “You really know how to drive that thing!” Especially when they find out it’s an automatic! All in all the car is well known in the Colorado automotive community as well as within the Beretta community.

How about a small list of mods hmm? The list is MUCH bigger, but these are the highlights.

–          Ported and polished upper and lower 3.1 intake manifolds
–          Styluss cold air intake system
–          Full 2.5” mandrel bent exhaust system with Magnaflow cat and muffler
–          Fast Forward Performance ECU chip
–          Fast Forward Performance billet dogbone
–          Custom billet upper transmission mount
–          Strut bar, lower sub-frame brace, radiator to strut bars, shock tower brace and Z51 rear sway bar piggy-backed over the factory internal rear sway bar
–          13” C4 ‘Vette Baer big brake kit
–          Cadillac sun visors with lit dimming mirrors, extensions and second fold down visor
–          Cadillac leather shift knob
–          Z34 leather steering wheel with cruise control mod
–          Custom black and gray Z seats
–          Relocated cigarette lighter with console organizer
–          Euro headlights, tail lights, side mirrors, spoiler, fender flares and set of owner’s manuals
–          Z fog light and turn signal conversion
–          Tinted windows
–          Eibach springs

Well, that’s my obsession in a nutshell! I would love to answer any questions you have about me or the car so please, feel free to ask! Thanks for taking a look at my baby!

Ryan Haenny

“Styluss”

Brian Kimmitt DanteGTZ 1993 Quad4 GTZ

I started down the Beretta path back in 1999 when I bought a 1990 Beretta GT. That car lasted a little over a year before the engine blew. Shortly thereafter, in August of 2000, I bought a 1993 Quasar Quad4 GTZ from a dealer in Montana. I loved the car and kept it until buying my ’04 SRT4 in early 2005. Foolishly, I let the SRT4’s turbocharged power cloud my opinion of the GTZ and I sold the car to a friend who kept it for a couple years before selling it again.

Fast forward to Fall 2012. I am not sure why, but out of the blue, but I began to think about (and really miss) my old GTZ. I had been away from Beretta.net for almost 7 years by this point. I searched for my old GTZ but couldn’t locate it; I’m guessing it had been junked. I managed to find another 1993 Quasar Blue Quad4 GTZ from another Bnet member in Wisconsin. It needed and engine but surprisingly the car was rust free. We agreed on a price and I drove up to WI and trailered the car home in January of 2013.

It took me the better part of a year to get it running again. I had to source quite a few missing parts and had a few problems along the way but eventually got it running. As of now it has:

1994 Quad4 HO bottom end (brand new from crate engine) Reworked 086 Cylinder head W41 Cams ARP Head Studs 89-91 HO Exhaust Manifold 89-91 HO crank pulley Eibach Pro-Kit springs

I plan on keeping the mod list fairly small. The exterior of the car will remain fairly stock and my main focus of any performance mods will be in braking and suspension.

As Beretta sightings become less frequent and they become harder to find in rust free condition, my goals have shifted somewhat to preservation. I plan on keeping this car for as long as possible. I have no intentions to ever sell it or our other 1993 Garnet GTZ. I made that mistake once, but will not make it again! It’s good to be back!