The Firebird/Trans Am is the main reason I love Pontiac so much. They've always been so cool, and it's sad that we never got to see a new one with the new Camaro in 2010.
There’s a quote from video by a fellow RUclipsr named Thomas Flight that puts it perfectly: “Cinema is the technological sibling of the car. Born of the same era, neither remembers a time without the other.”
As a UK kid in the 80's seeing Smoky and the Bandit then Knightrider cemented the Firebird as a Legendary Car! I could never understand why some Americans hated them or looked down on them!
Well there's alot of brand loyalty here in the USA. Some people are Chevrolet Camaro or Ford Mustang fans. Funny thing is I've always seen the Pontiac as a better looking Camaro since Pontiac shared the Camaros frame and engines in later models.
Talking about the Firebird without mentioning about the movies and shows is even harder than with the DeLorean. The Firebird intertwined with the pop culture when it was in production, meanwhile DeLorean was already dead as an automaker when the movie came out.
David Hasselhoff is the guy who made the Trans Am look great to me. Burt Reynolds and James Garner did their part to sell the car but Knight Rider was the show that sold the Firebird and Trans Am the best.
Chuck Norris and David carradine gave the Pontiac firebird trans some kudos as well Clint Eastwood owned a trans am as did John Travolta had George barris customize a Pontiac firebird for John Travolta and Stallone drove one in Rocky 2
Keep doing these vids the way you have been. The fact that so many of these cars and trucks were in so many movies and TV are part of the reason we love them so. I guess I responded too soon into the vid. You just said what I was thinking.
A coworker bought a Firebird when they first came out and I, a dedicated MOPAR fan, thought that was one of the coolest cars I had ever seen! I rode in it a number of times and the 'Bird was awesome! Thanks for the flashback!
I watched the making of "Smokey and the Bandit" narrated by Burt Reynolds and Hal Needham. They were given 2 Trans Am, and 3 Pontiacs for cop cars according to Needham. after the jump on to the ball field the fist Trans Am was finished! Needham said they were stealing parts from one the the five cars to keep anything running by the end. According to Reynolds, Pontiacs sales skyrocketed after the movie so much Pontiac had promised him a new Trans Am for life. Reynolds said they never sent him a single new Trans Am. Thanks for the video! Great fun!
I was lucky enough to see a lot of the filming of Smokey & the Bandit when I lived in Jonesboro Georgia the summer of '76 & I have owned many Trans Ams since then ✌💖☮
Seeing Dodge kicking ass with the Charger and Challenger, Pontiac would’ve been the perfect competitor with the Firebird taking on the Challenger and a revived GTO taking on the Charger. They could’ve easily developed a Hellcat Killer.
Corvettes could never be less powerful, even though the cars wouldn’t be in direct competition. FTR, I agree with you, seeing a 2013 Firebird with a twin-turbo LS engine making 1000 hp would have knocked the early Mopar’s socks off.
Trans Am by far was the hottest looking sportscar of it time. The iconic Bandit was everywhere...what a time growing up in the 70's as a kid. With the redesign in the late 90's with the ram air hood was so nostalgic to me, the car had a nice menacing front end.
James Garner did most of the stunt driving in The Rockford Files. He was so good at the "J" turn...it is now called "The Rockford"....Any younger Firebird fan who hasn't seen this TV series should check it out.
We had a 1990 Ponitac Trans Am with the t-top removal sunroof. Our next door neighbors had a Blue Camero IRoc. Everyone would stop and look at the 2 cars. Twins if you will.
These videos are amazing and what you are doing is fantastic. Appreciate you taking the time to share these cool cars and all of the research info and movie and TV tie ins. Just awesome!!
You forgot to mention the train crash outta Van Nuys that provided the cars that GM couldn’t sell and offered up a pile of cars for Knight Rider, Fall Guy etc the producers got them for mere dollars on consent that the cars could never be titled.. great vid bud
Yes, preach it! And the jump was the last thing they shot for the film in case Burt got injured or worse. That way, at least, the film would be complete.
If Pontiac had continued with the Fiero, they might still be around. They just got the Fiero to be a decent sports car and killed it. Imagine going to a Pontiac dealership today and seeing the new Trans Am beside the new Fiero and on the other side of the showroom seeing the new Grand Prix and Grand Am. Then again, with the way new cars are designed and priced. It might be best as a dream
Maybe I didn’t hear it but did you mention the WS6 package for the late TA’s? That was a nice tire-roasting package. Great vid-nice to see one of Poncho’s greats highlighted.
I was sad for the Pontiac division of GM to hang a bunch of plastic on all their cars including the Firebird. I like the adds about the cars you do Pat, it is a part of their history.
Pontiac was in love with all that plastic 'cladding' and it looked cheap. Finally, they made an entire car that was all plastic cladding, the woeful Fiero, with the terrible Iron Duke 4 cylinder engine----which if it didn't buzz and rattle you to death, you then had to worry about burning up when it frequently overheated!
Great video. Liked all the TV references. Always liked the pony cars from all four of the manufacturers. I've had a 1968 AMC javelin and a 88 fox mustang LX with 5.0 five speed. Between those size of car and the more compact cars like Nova and duster those were always fun cars.
Phoenix is the hood graphic - mythical creature that rises from the ashes. Represents rebirth and regeneration. Chickens are the ones found at KFC. Good video and nice history of the Firebird, a truly iconic vehicle.
True the 1998 Firehawk was planned to have those but due to all the massive cost required by all the DOT federal regs, SLP decided to drop the idea and retain the factory pop ups for the rest of the run through 2002
The "reimaginings" of the reintroduced Camaro as a Firebird are all cooler than the Camaro could ever be. I especially like the Lingenfelter T/A version.
I guess since the charger is canceled you can do that next. That's probably going to be a pretty long episode with all the crazy iterations, generations and media appearances
A couple of additional missed movies with TA/Firebirds in main roles are: 1. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot(1974) with Clint Eastwood and Jeff Bridges. Bamkrobbery Flick starts with a cool chase about in a 70 1/2 Trans Am. 2. Cannonball(1976) David Carradine in a Gumball Rally ripoff by way of Roger Corman. Lots of fun including blowing up a Pantera and 2 Mock T/A's.
A green 1973 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am was driven by Lon McQ (John "The Duke" Wayne) in the 1974 movie McQ & a 1983 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am was the car in that year's movie Smokey & The Bandit Part 3, driven by Jerry Reed . Erik Estrada's Ponch character on CHiPs had a 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am in the 6th & final season of CHiPs.
@raymondcanessa7208 John Wayne died in 1979. The Pontiac Firebird used the Iron Duke 4, which was known as the Tech 4 engine in the base model from 1982-1986.
@@naranthiranshanmugas True, Jerry Reed or Erik Estrada should have had the Pontiac Firebird which used the Iron Duke 4, which was known as the Tech 4 engine in the base model from 1982-1986.
You mentioned the 1974 Firebird as have a 105hp V6... the Firebird didn't receive a V6 engine(as the standard engine) until 1977. Inline 6 cylinder engines were the base engines on Firebirds from 1967 to 1976. I also remember the Trans Am model having prominent roles in 1974's McQ with John Wayne and 1976's Cannonball with David Carradine.
I was about 5 when Smokey and the Bandit came out and the moment Bandit pulled that black and gold 6.6 Trans Am out of that trailer I was imprinted to love T/A’s. I’ll never forget it because my dad and uncle took me and my cousin to see it without our moms knowing about it but we ALL got in trouble a few days later because one of us got in trouble at school for calling someone a ‘sombitch’ and had to fess up where we had heard such crude language. I got to sit with a bar of soap in my mouth for 15 minutes and dad was in the doghouse for while but that didn’t stop him from taking me 2 more times, that was when I learned what ‘selective profanity’ was! 😂
I know that Alaska, Washington State and Sheriff J. D. Stewart of Catoosa County, Georgia, had Pontiac Trans Am's as cop cars (one is currently getting restored as a CCSD car right now)
A neat fact that in the made for TV movie Knight Rider 2000 the production couldn't get the actual Pontiac Banshee concept to use in the filming so they made a body kit for a '91 Dodge Stealth and made it to look like the Banshee.
Title/response: Pontiac never honored the agreement with Burt Reynolds; they never gave him a Firebird of his own. This is how Pontiac became boycotted by numerous families.
You should do a video on the cars of Mannix. He drove some really cool cars throughout the run of the show. In fact, you could do a running series on cars in individual TV shows. The Brady's had a couple of neat cars, plus there was the episode when Greg buys a crappy used car.
I wonder if there is a alternative relaity where Pontiac became like Mazda. Mazdas are known for their handling and all. They are moving more up market. But GM seems to have gotten the brand ideal right and less poorly done rebadges. Pontiac today would be interesting. Should have gotten rid of GMC.
Did you miss the 1974 Firebird from Dazed & Confused driven by "Clint"? If you ever do a video on the Chevelle, definitely include the scene with Wooderson (Matthew McConaughey) talking about what "melba toast is packin".
I've owned a number of 2nd, 3rd and 4th generation firebirds and Trans Ams over the many yrs. The main problem with the 3rd and 4th gen birds were that the headlight actuators would quickly and frequently fail.
Firebird or nothing for me. With all their flaws, like most cars have, I love em. The Firebird has always been the the better looking sister when compared to the Camaro. I had a 96 Trans Am and now own a 98 Y87 Firebird.
I would think that Trans Am was competing with the T-birds more than the Mustang. Comparing the wheel bases between them. One thing that didn't get talked about was "Banshee" designed by ( okay I'm biased) Billy Mitchell 🤫
The Firebird/Trans Am is the main reason I love Pontiac so much. They've always been so cool, and it's sad that we never got to see a new one with the new Camaro in 2010.
I like the Grand Prix a lot too
Firebird and Trans Am I like them OK
TV and film history is part of car’s history. How could anybody complain about you showing it?
Probably corporate shills complaining about “copyright”
There’s a quote from video by a fellow RUclipsr named Thomas Flight that puts it perfectly:
“Cinema is the technological sibling of the car. Born of the same era, neither remembers a time without the other.”
Too many trolls on internet.
As a UK kid in the 80's seeing Smoky and the Bandit then Knightrider cemented the Firebird as a Legendary Car! I could never understand why some Americans hated them or looked down on them!
Gold 🪙 observation 😮 😊
Now it's gone †Jesus SAVES today yesterday and tomorrow if you make till 2 morrow 😊😮❤⚡❗
I think it's one of those associating the car with some of the less than great dudes who sometimes bought them, and I say that as someone who had two
Well there's alot of brand loyalty here in the USA. Some people are Chevrolet Camaro or Ford Mustang fans. Funny thing is I've always seen the Pontiac as a better looking Camaro since Pontiac shared the Camaros frame and engines in later models.
Talking about the Firebird without mentioning about the movies and shows is even harder than with the DeLorean. The Firebird intertwined with the pop culture when it was in production, meanwhile DeLorean was already dead as an automaker when the movie came out.
Burt Reynolds was the best Trans Am salesman ever.
With The Hoff being a very close second
@@matethiustransport1374Actually, Knight Rider was the best way to promote the Firebird and Trans Am. It was a great selling tool for me.
Jim Garner sold a few Firebird's himself
David Hasselhoff is the guy who made the Trans Am look great to me. Burt Reynolds and James Garner did their part to sell the car but Knight Rider was the show that sold the Firebird and Trans Am the best.
Chuck Norris and David carradine gave the Pontiac firebird trans some kudos as well Clint Eastwood owned a trans am as did John Travolta had George barris customize a Pontiac firebird for John Travolta and Stallone drove one in Rocky 2
Keep doing these vids the way you have been. The fact that so many of these cars and trucks were in so many movies and TV are part of the reason we love them so.
I guess I responded too soon into the vid. You just said what I was thinking.
A coworker bought a Firebird when they first came out and I, a dedicated MOPAR fan, thought that was one of the coolest cars I had ever seen! I rode in it a number of times and the 'Bird was awesome! Thanks for the flashback!
Greatest episode ever I love the firebird trans am best car ever produced
I watched the making of "Smokey and the Bandit" narrated by Burt Reynolds and Hal Needham. They were given 2 Trans Am, and 3 Pontiacs for cop cars according to Needham. after the jump on to the ball field the fist Trans Am was finished! Needham said they were stealing parts from one the the five cars to keep anything running by the end. According to Reynolds, Pontiacs sales skyrocketed after the movie so much Pontiac had promised him a new Trans Am for life. Reynolds said they never sent him a single new Trans Am. Thanks for the video! Great fun!
I was lucky enough to see a lot of the filming of Smokey & the Bandit when I lived in Jonesboro Georgia the summer of '76 & I have owned many Trans Ams since then ✌💖☮
Perfectly chosen Star Trek clips are perfect 👌🖖
Seeing Dodge kicking ass with the Charger and Challenger, Pontiac would’ve been the perfect competitor with the Firebird taking on the Challenger and a revived GTO taking on the Charger. They could’ve easily developed a Hellcat Killer.
I agree 100% brother
Corvettes could never be less powerful, even though the cars wouldn’t be in direct competition. FTR, I agree with you, seeing a 2013 Firebird with a twin-turbo LS engine making 1000
hp would have knocked the early Mopar’s socks off.
Knight Rider was and still is the reason I am a fan of the Firebird and Trans Am.
I had a 74 firebird esprit in high school.wish I kept that car definitely a fan of the firebird
I loved the red backlit instrument cluster
Born in 1976 and i still think its one of coolest cars ever.
Trans Am by far was the hottest looking sportscar of it time. The iconic Bandit was everywhere...what a time growing up in the 70's as a kid. With the redesign in the late 90's with the ram air hood was so nostalgic to me, the car had a nice menacing front end.
Had to own this in Gran Turismo PSVR2 edition. A great virtual drive.
77 T/A ...Absolutely with zero doubt the car that made me a car guy!!
one of the reasons I enjoy this channel is due to the popular culture references, keep up the good work!
Yeah, keep doing the videos how you want to do them. This is great stuff!
James Garner did most of the stunt driving in The Rockford Files. He was so good at the "J" turn...it is now called "The Rockford"....Any younger Firebird fan who hasn't seen this TV series should check it out.
Jim learned the "J" turn from Bob Bondurant when he attended Bob's driving school before starring in the movie Grand Prix
Awesome episode! Thank you. A long time Trans Am guy. I'm ever proud of my 02 owned since new. Always a head turner and a blast to drive.
We had a 1990 Ponitac Trans Am with the t-top removal sunroof. Our next door neighbors had a Blue Camero IRoc. Everyone would stop and look at the 2 cars. Twins if you will.
Thanks for another great Saturday night video to watch .....keep em coming!!
I remember this car as KITT from Knight Rider. I always wanted one but could never afford it.I love KITT's sleek design
I had a 1989 ford probe GT. It was very fun to drive. Never see them around.
Favorite episode to date
Love Camaros and Firebirds! Trans Am was the coolest model of the 2nd gen F body for sure!!
I've got a 1977 Formula project, still tinkering on it in 2023.
These videos are amazing and what you are doing is fantastic. Appreciate you taking the time to share these cool cars and all of the research info and movie and TV tie ins. Just awesome!!
Excellent job
An episode about the Z31 300zx would be awesome. I have a soft spot for 80s sports cars
Here in Quebec, where the last gen Firebirds were assembled, the building was gutted and it's all shopping stores now
You forgot to mention the train crash outta Van Nuys that provided the cars that GM couldn’t sell and offered up a pile of cars for Knight Rider, Fall Guy etc the producers got them for mere dollars on consent that the cars could never be titled.. great vid bud
Love the gem with Worf on the CHIPS show!
I once owned an engine from an 81 Firebird. It came inside a 77 Grand Prix I bought.
That wasn't a scale model used for the jump in Hooper. It was a rocket powered funny car with an actual driver in it.
Yes, preach it! And the jump was the last thing they shot for the film in case Burt got injured or worse. That way, at least, the film would be complete.
I love these videos.
Perfect video man! Well done!
If you watch during Smokey and the bandit at the Texarkana sign the trans am has 76 wheels
I always enjoy the pop culture references!
Loved the video as always 🖤
If Pontiac had continued with the Fiero, they might still be around. They just got the Fiero to be a decent sports car and killed it. Imagine going to a Pontiac dealership today and seeing the new Trans Am beside the new Fiero and on the other side of the showroom seeing the new Grand Prix and Grand Am. Then again, with the way new cars are designed and priced. It might be best as a dream
The jump was real in Hooper! It was an x funny car !
Maybe I didn’t hear it but did you mention the WS6 package for the late TA’s? That was a nice tire-roasting package. Great vid-nice to see one of Poncho’s greats highlighted.
Great video!
So Hasselhoff is responsible for people thinking it's Sally "Fields" insted of "Field" 😅
Great video!
Enjoyed the video. I remember "Knight Rider" well-William Daniels was great as the voice of KITT.
William Daniels did a great job as the voice of KITT. The best of all time.
I was sad for the Pontiac division of GM to hang a bunch of plastic on all their cars including the Firebird. I like the adds about the cars you do Pat, it is a part of their history.
Pontiac was in love with all that plastic 'cladding' and it looked cheap. Finally, they made an entire car that was all plastic cladding, the woeful Fiero, with the terrible Iron Duke 4 cylinder engine----which if it didn't buzz and rattle you to death, you then had to worry about burning up when it frequently overheated!
Great video. Liked all the TV references. Always liked the pony cars from all four of the manufacturers. I've had a 1968 AMC javelin and a 88 fox mustang LX with 5.0 five speed. Between those size of car and the more compact cars like Nova and duster those were always fun cars.
I think Knight Rider Historians should see this.
There are actually a few really good KR enthusiasts clubs who have cars that are identical to the original cars and really well done
Keep doing these movies the same way - the movie references are great!
Phoenix is the hood graphic - mythical creature that rises from the ashes. Represents rebirth and regeneration.
Chickens are the ones found at KFC.
Good video and nice history of the Firebird, a truly iconic vehicle.
Great video
Well, last gen Firebird also had one custom model with composite headlamps instead of pop-up ones (SLP Trans Am Hawk).
True the 1998 Firehawk was planned to have those but due to all the massive cost required by all the DOT federal regs, SLP decided to drop the idea and retain the factory pop ups for the rest of the run through 2002
Loved the trans am
New editing guy did a good job
Still me on this one
The "reimaginings" of the reintroduced Camaro as a Firebird are all cooler than the Camaro could ever be. I especially like the Lingenfelter T/A version.
I absolutely loved the look of the last gen Firebird,to me it always looked like a shark looking for its next meal!💘💘💘
I owned a 1982 firebird with a 350 and was able to get it to run 11.8 quarter mile. I miss that car. I should of never sold it.
I never realized how small and efficient the WS was. Picutres always mDe it look more Lynx-like in size, and a single AA for 20+ hrs.... dang.
A Trans-Am was used in a little-known film called 0-60,with Joan Collins
driving it.
I guess since the charger is canceled you can do that next. That's probably going to be a pretty long episode with all the crazy iterations, generations and media appearances
A couple of additional missed movies with TA/Firebirds in main roles are:
1. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot(1974) with Clint Eastwood and Jeff Bridges. Bamkrobbery Flick starts with a cool chase about in a 70 1/2 Trans Am.
2. Cannonball(1976) David Carradine in a Gumball Rally ripoff by way of Roger Corman. Lots of fun including blowing up a Pantera and 2 Mock T/A's.
This was very well put together! I guess you will also plan on doing a Camaro episode once it is discontinued?
Yes please!
first gent ,2nd gen and early 3rd for me are the best .
4:22 😂 her leg lmao....ahhhhhh the 70s
A green 1973 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am was driven by Lon McQ (John "The Duke" Wayne) in the 1974 movie McQ & a 1983 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am was the car in that year's movie Smokey & The Bandit Part 3, driven by Jerry Reed . Erik Estrada's Ponch character on CHiPs had a 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am in the 6th & final season of CHiPs.
If the movie 'McQ' was made 10 years later, it could have had "The Duke" driving a firebird with an iron duke engine.
@raymondcanessa7208 John Wayne died in 1979. The Pontiac Firebird used the Iron Duke 4, which was known as the Tech 4 engine in the base model from 1982-1986.
@@naranthiranshanmugas True, Jerry Reed or Erik Estrada should have had the Pontiac Firebird which used the Iron Duke 4, which was known as the Tech 4 engine in the base model from 1982-1986.
You mentioned the 1974 Firebird as have a 105hp V6... the Firebird didn't receive a V6 engine(as the standard engine) until 1977. Inline 6 cylinder engines were the base engines on Firebirds from 1967 to 1976.
I also remember the Trans Am model having prominent roles in 1974's McQ with John Wayne and 1976's Cannonball with David Carradine.
Buford's car in Smokey 2 was a bonneville. The Parisienne didn't start in the US until 1983
0:10 Fast? Anne flew Vipers on BSG!
I was about 5 when Smokey and the Bandit came out and the moment Bandit pulled that black and gold 6.6 Trans Am out of that trailer I was imprinted to love T/A’s. I’ll never forget it because my dad and uncle took me and my cousin to see it without our moms knowing about it but we ALL got in trouble a few days later because one of us got in trouble at school for calling someone a ‘sombitch’ and had to fess up where we had heard such crude language. I got to sit with a bar of soap in my mouth for 15 minutes and dad was in the doghouse for while but that didn’t stop him from taking me 2 more times, that was when I learned what ‘selective profanity’ was! 😂
I know that Alaska, Washington State and Sheriff J. D. Stewart of Catoosa County, Georgia, had Pontiac Trans Am's as cop cars (one is currently getting restored as a CCSD car right now)
A neat fact that in the made for TV movie Knight Rider 2000 the production couldn't get the actual Pontiac Banshee concept to use in the filming so they made a body kit for a '91 Dodge Stealth and made it to look like the Banshee.
sad
I remember all those plus I worked at 2 different Pontiac dealerships.
Title/response: Pontiac never honored the agreement with Burt Reynolds; they never gave him a Firebird of his own. This is how Pontiac became boycotted by numerous families.
Please do an episode on the Mitsubishi Diamante
4:35 the 4th generation was offered as a convertible and I'm pretty sure you could get later 3rd generations with the drop top as well.
You should do a video on the cars of Mannix. He drove some really cool cars throughout the run of the show. In fact, you could do a running series on cars in individual TV shows. The Brady's had a couple of neat cars, plus there was the episode when Greg buys a crappy used car.
I wonder if there is a alternative relaity where Pontiac became like Mazda. Mazdas are known for their handling and all. They are moving more up market. But GM seems to have gotten the brand ideal right and less poorly done rebadges. Pontiac today would be interesting. Should have gotten rid of GMC.
Did you miss the 1974 Firebird from Dazed & Confused driven by "Clint"? If you ever do a video on the Chevelle, definitely include the scene with Wooderson (Matthew McConaughey) talking about what "melba toast is packin".
I've owned a number of 2nd, 3rd and 4th generation firebirds and Trans Ams over the many yrs. The main problem with the 3rd and 4th gen birds were that the headlight actuators would quickly and frequently fail.
“Aren’t you going a little fast?”
“I wish! This is a ‘77 trans am!”
The movie SleepWalkers turned me on to these cars 😂.
I have a friend who had a 2000 convertible T\A, they exist
I'm fine with the episodes, if people want a history lesson they can go to their library and grab a book.
Please do a video on the Ford Explorer sport trac pickup
The only year t/a convertible was 69. The later convertibles 82+ were outsoursed.
13:44. *whistles*
Can you do a video on the Nissan sx cars?
This has a slightly different feel than normal. Was this one done by the new editor?
Nope, all me on this one
@@MyOldCar Nice work!Jim Rockford would of approved.
They still offered the convertible in 98. Only the Formula convertible was dropped.
Firebird or nothing for me. With all their flaws, like most cars have, I love em. The Firebird has always been the the better looking sister when compared to the Camaro. I had a 96 Trans Am and now own a 98 Y87 Firebird.
The history is interesting an all but let’s be real, the pop culture relevance is what matters the most between notoriety and sales.
Great video btw
Still holding out hope for the VW Corrado.
I would think that Trans Am was competing with the T-birds more than the Mustang. Comparing the wheel bases between them. One thing that didn't get talked about was "Banshee" designed by ( okay I'm biased) Billy Mitchell 🤫
They also made a Trans Am station wagon.
Who did?
Thanks for the ode to Burt Reynolds.
Please, do "Convoy" and trucks in that movie!