How could this Be?
Fortunately for General Motors, the new-and-different Camaro and Firebird for the Eighties emerged just as America was sensing sparks of renewed interest in performance cars. Now that battle had an opportunity to turn into victory. Stylists under John Schinella again maintained Firebird’s distinctive look, despite its continued tie to Camaro. A coincidence? Perhaps; but even in the darkest days of the ’70s, when performance seemed a relic of the distant past, Pontiac had kept up the fight.
No Firebird had ever run with fewer than six cylinders, but Pontiac’s fuel-injected “Iron Duke” four delivered an adequate, if uninspiring, 90 horsepower. Next in line was the luxury touring edition, dubbed S/E, with a Chevrolet 173-cid (2.8-liter) V-6 underhood and special suspension below. Trans Am again served as performance king, even if its standard carbureted 305-cid (5.0-liter) V-8 delivered a rather feeble 145 horses. At least Pontiac offered a hotter option, borrowed from Corvette: a 305 V-8 with dual throttle-body (“Cross-Fire”) fuel injection, rated at 165 horsepower.
Out back, coil springs replaced multi-leaf units. For details on the 1982, continue on to the next page. Design goals included keeping the cockpit as spacious as before, while reducing outside dimensions. Front-wheel drive had been considered, but the ponycars stuck instead to traditional rear-drive. More than just a pretty face would be needed to sell plenty of 1982 Pontiac Firebirds. Wheelbase shrunk by seven inches; overall length by eight; width by one.
So were four-wheel disc brakes-at least in Firebirds with the hottest engines. Only about 1,500 were built, adopting its 250-bhp powerplant from the departed Buick Regal Grand National. Could the turbo travel? If you beloved this article therefore you would like to be given more info regarding How early can I sell this Precon condo? i implore you to visit our web site. A turbocharged Firebird, on sale at midyear, marked Trans Am’s 20th anniversary. Well, a 0-60 time as quick as 4.6 seconds and 153-mph top speed made it the fastest domestic car of the year, if not the era. Performance fanatics had a treat in store, provided they could cope with a price tag past $30,000.
Among the most notable was the grille-less “bottom-breather” nose installed for 1984. Trans Am’s “Cross-Fire” V-8 faded away, replaced by the 190-bhp carbureted version. A few such doodads made sense for owners who wanted to accentuate their Firebird’s sleek lines. A 15th anniversary Trans Am came only in white, with blue trim and aero skirting. A new aero option package, including rear wing, could give Trans Ams the look of the Recaro special-edition. High-Performance Pontiac magazine compared it to “The Judge” in appearance, but complained of its stiff suspension, stalling engine, fuel starvation, loose gearshift, and wheel hop. Pontiac claimed that a Trans Am with H.O.
