The 3rd Gen 1982 Pontiac Firebird, S/E, and Trans Am Represented the Best and Worst of the 1980s
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- Опубликовано: 1 окт 2024
- Learn more about the third-generation Firebird, including the base, S/E, and Trans Am models. This video discusses their design, engineering, and what it's like to own one.
Parents bought a friend one of these new in high school. She had the baddest ride in the senior parking lot. Nobody who rode with her noticed or cared about the mediocre power or crappy build quality. We were all driving Chevettes, Pintos, and the like 😂
That's true due to the "Euro ferrariash type of styling at that time GM simply wanted to do things on the cheap and produce oodles of copies of both the Camaro and Firebird looks wise but quality wise they simply didn't care.
The bottom line was the main factor what cell is many of these cars as possible we don't care about the lack of performance the lack of Bill quality or anything else just sell them and sell them in large numbers that's all that matters.
Funny you should mention the Chevette... because if GM had elected to mas-produce the Chevette they built, using the Firebird's 2.8L V-6/4-spd. and very-minimal custom parts, they would've had a car that would've out-handled, out-braked and out-ran--in both acceleration and fuel economy--all variations of the Firebird/Trans-Am & Camaro, that would've sold for a 1/3 of their price/cost.😕
@@pancudowny Interesting, have not heard about the hopped up Chevette. However, selling at 1/3 the price, it doesn’t seem like they would make much money on it.
Can you imagine one of these heavy cars powered with a 60 hp engine?
It is like a Geo Metro.
@@pancudowny You are right. The same goes for the VEGA which was actually kind of fun to drive.. when they ran. I had a friend that had a new chevette and it was a miserable garbage can like car experience. When you put your hand on a side window from out side you could push the windows down or up and the crank would just flip around. So bizarre. Why even have a lock? And how could a company put out garbage like this knowing you could do that? Some people were lucky to get even 30,000 out of a chevette before junking it.
GM stylists of the 80s should be proud of this design. While a standout in the realm of iconic 80s looks, I think it's honestly a bit of a timeless look with a great combo of styling elements. One of my favorite memories of the past few years was following one of these down a backroad with 80s music blasting.
man I totally agree. These cars are head turners ,were and still are and I have one in Europe ...that car here is more exotic than Ferrari. Mine is a black 88 Firebird and had it parked to new 2022 BMW 7 series and I found people taking photos with my car not the brand new BMW.
Agree
And the Firebird was *much* better looking than the Camaro.
It a better looking, more aggressive 924/944.
they are still great looking and handling
I had an 84 SE that I purchased new, and in my opinion it was made quite well. Maybe, having two to three years to work out some of the problems, mine had entered the upper echelon for the model. None of the problems mentioned in the 82 version(s) were present with my car, and the power was "adequate" (305 CID) but nothing compared to my 77 Formula (400 CID) which was still somewhat anemic but adequate enough. This car is relegated to "cars I never should have sold" and I think about it often...
Your "Cars I never should have sold" comment is probably something that many of us have in list form.
Driving Pontiac! That car came a long way from 1982 by the time it reached the 1990's. I know you could get digital gauges on this car during this run. The engines got better, the performance got better and there were memorable trims and models: GTA, the Turbo with the Buick 3.8 liter V6 and others. The interior options and seats got better. People see this car they think about KITT from Knight Rider. Smokey and The Bandit III used this car too. Thank you for sharing Adam.
I was never a fan of 3rd gen Firebirds until I found out they put Buicks legendary LC2 Turbo charged V6 from the Grand National in the 89 Trans Am 20th Anniversary car. Then I had to have one. Mines number 860! 😁
Smart man!
One of the coolest and most aerodynamic cars during the 1980s.
Indeed, that is the model the KITT is based on.
Agh, I got so mad listening to you talking positively of these early 3 gen firebirds. You did however make some good points. For the time the styling was great and was a much needed make over, but my god these were awful cars. Back in high school in 99-2003 all me and my friend could afford for Monte ss’s and 3rd gen camaros and firebirds. We were all so disappointed and knew we were just wannabes. It’s sad when your car is the the most popular bc it can actually do a weak burnout. Anyways, yes mechanically these car were not great. Later on the tbi’s were better but there was very little you could do to improve power. I’d rather have a slow Pontiac 180 horsepower 400 I could warm over easily than the engine options in these pieces of *#%s. Also, huge pet peeve…. You can not run real true dual exhaust on this generation. Does that not piss anyone off or is it just me? To me, all 3 gen minus the 89 and up 350 tpi and 3.8 turbos should all be stacked in a tall pile and set on fire. I feel bad for the millennials who have never ridden or driven these and develop a fascination with them but honestly it’s just like when I got my 79 403 trans am, a slow ass piece of American garbage, but I was obsessed with it.
Good comment.
I had an 81 Firebird Formula - nice car, but had the Pontiac 301 in it. I thought it was kinda slow, then these 4 cylinder and 2.8 V6 pos's came out, and it ran great compared to them.
A friend bought a new TransAm in' 82. First thing he did was ditch the bowling balls. I rented a red one in San Francisco and drove it to Carmel, where I played racy-racy with a girl in a Z28 on that iconic and beautiful16-mile drive, both of us grinning to beat the band. I felt like the king of the word. Unforgettable.
I was at the gas pump when a young man thought I had a nice Trans Am. I am driving a 1985 Corvette.
Thank you Adam for finally reviewing the gen 3 Firebird -one of the most beautiful species of GM cars...IMNSHO.
We cherish our 1992 Z-28. The 1982-1992 F body cars are under appreciated. My personal favorite was our 1992 Teal Firebird was the Trans Am exterior decor package.
I had a 91 Firebird, 305, 5 speed, T-tops, black on black with the Trans Am appearance package too. I bought it in 93. I loved that car. I wish I had it back. I'll live with my red on black 82 Trans Am for now though.
My fifth GM car was a beautiful 1982 Z28, with the crossfire engine. Gun metal grey metallic, stripes, and a silver interior. I received so many compliments on that car. The car was beautifully assembled. However, the components were garbage. From the computer failing to limp-in mode, with under 500 miles on it, to the posi-traction rearend bearings grinding and crunching, while I awaited a new set to arrive with under 1,000 miles on the car. Idler arms had to be replaced, speedometer cable and a speedo nylon gear failure. Oil pressure sending units kept failing. I would suddenly have zero oil pressure indicated. It took 3 or 4 radio units until, the radio, buttons, clock, and cassette modules all worked properly. And on and on. I finally had it. Just over 2 years old, I traded it in. That was the very last GM, and American car I ever owned.
Sad to hear. That's why I left german cars. Just too many things stop working prematurely. Back to good ol' GM.
@@manoman0 Back to "good ol' GM"? Okayyyyy... 🤪
@@yoregano You see, my evidence may be just anecdotal in regards to agreggate data (maybe!) but it's facts for me. My GM cars are reliable, rather low maintenance as well as low running costs. Having said that, I expect more (miles) to come out of them. Again, that's MY experience.
I drove a 91 Firebird in high school from 1998 to 2001. That car was a POS! The ceiling cloth fell off, the headlights stopped popping up and needed to be propped up manually, the trunk stopped latching (I used shoestring to keep it from propping open), the wheel fell off while driving on the freeway, the muffler started to drag on the road (I used shoestring to hold it place until I just ripped it out), among other issues!
I had an 1983 Trans Am and loved the car,it was extremely reliable and fun to drive,simply perfect
Good information. IMO the late 1970s, early 80s Trans Am saved the American muscle (Pony) cars. The Mustang (Mustang II) was reduced to little econo box. The Z28 was gone for a few years in the 70s leaving the T/A the only game in town. For me I considered the early Gen 3 F bodies a disappointment mainly because of the lack of meaningful power. For dedicated Pontiac owners the use of the Chevrolet engine was the nails in the coffin.
Me too. I'd still be happier putting aftermarket parts on a 301 in one of those, or being able to swap in any Poncho V8, in order to keep up with the older cars. At least with the Camaro, you could directly swap in any SBC. The '81 F bodies still used body parts which dated back to the days of peak muscle. However, the dawn of the F bodies' darkish days coincided with the dawn of Ford's emergence from malaise, with the '82 Mustang 5.0 HO - which was still on par with the 305, and hampered by the SROD three speed with overdrive 4th. Awesome 2nd gear, terrible direct 3rd. And that '82 GT was the best looking Fox Mustang ever.
Too many of them had a no anemic v6s. It was a bad era for power. These days hp wars have gotten laughable. You can't use much more than 300hp on the street.
@@DanEBoyd agreed...I had a Mustang 82 GT t-top, great car....I ended up selling it because it needed tires and the metric TRX tired were insanely expensive. The things we did when we were young.
Chevy V8 powered Pontiac's were a slap in a face to those used to 455,400,350,326 & 301V8's. But Gestapo Motors had their agenda in March 1981 when Pontiac V8 was phased out & the brand was relegated to producing 2.5 liter 4 cylinder engine.
One of the most awesome cars made!
I may be biased but I agree! ❤
Thank you for an excellent video. 1 thing came to my mind that you didn't mention.The f-body cars were built at 2 plants in 1982, Norwood Ohio and Van Nuys Ca.The Van Nuys builds suffered from paint problems possibly due to the use Of water based paints.A lot of the Van Nuys cars had paint repairs while under warranty.The Norwood Ohio cars used conventional paints and tended to have less paint problems.
Stupid California eco-wacko laws disallowed oil based paint to be used...is my guess.
I bought new in 10/83 a new 1984 recaro trans am. 5 liter high output engine, 4 barrel carburetor, and a 5 speed manual transmission. All Black exterior and camel tan interior, t tops too. Beautiful car, fast for it's time. Fun ended with a little over 3000 miles. Small rattle in the transmission, no big deal, dealer adjustment and done. 100 miles later transmission and driveshaft seperated while driving. The way I was treated by the dealer/GM was so bad, kept me out of their cars from that day to this one. Car was decently made for it's time I guess the dealership screwed up more than anything. I see the cycle being repeated now at dealers the way I see people treated. Companies think they are invincible but no business ever won a legitimate argument with a customer. They just go away until there aren't any more. Pontiac, Oldsmobile, mercury, Plymouth, soon to be more I'm sure.
My favourite brand went bust and I don't like to read stuff like your story. I mean, I just don't like it but I know it's out there. *sigh*
Damn ,that sounds like a nice car.
If you have a set of bowling ball hubcaps and the original PMD seats you can sell them and buy a newer 3rd gen and still have money left lol
Looked good but was built like garbage.
Horrible body flex, try putting one on a lift and open the door
Mechanical nightmare also, so disappointing
I have a 1984 Trans Am WS6 package loaded 305 air induction all original 42000 miles
For me the design is one of the best too ❣️
I was so in love as young guy, when I looked Knight Rider in the TV, end of the 80's 😅
The only German car what can compare with the Firebird, was the Porsche 928.
No other cars, had this shape, with only two long dors as Coupé with the big hatchback glass door 😊
Sad, that the technical side wasn't nice on the Firebird ❕
Love from Berlin 🇩🇪
Ramsi 🙋🏻♂️
Adam, your personal sharing about your Trans Am being the vehicle you've owned the longest from your collection was powerful. Thank you, as always, for sharing with us. Loved your ...."that's part of automotive history". We can't change it, we can't get back the vehicles we wish we'd never sold, but we can cherish the memories and share about them. It's amazing how, at least for some of us of a certain age, the cars that were around us as we grew up are an integral part of our lives and who we are today. Your work here helps me to connect to all of that. Keep it up, and thank you.
Thx for the kind words
Having owned a 1983 Trans Am, I was very interested in this episode. Before that one, I previously owned a '77 Formula, which did seem to be a more substantial quality built car. The '83, however, was magnificent in my opinion. Mine was white with the smaller bird decal over the off center hood scoop. It was an end of the year model, so it had a blue cloth interior (that color was not supposed to be available in the Trans Am) and the crossfire fuel injected V-8. As much as I loved the car (well, maybe not so much all that hard plastic in the interior), the fuel injection was a nightmare. Seemed like it needed adjustment on a weekly basis. I eventually traded it on a 1975 Trans Am. It was beautiful, too, but not as good looking as the '83. It didn't have the front end "moustache" grills. It was, however, a much better quality build. It didn't have the rattles, probably due to more "soft touch" material in the passenger compartment, and the drivetrain was infinitely more reliable. The Firebirds of this generation were, in my opinion, true styling masterpieces.
I had the 83 with a 5-spd, just loved that and the dual resonator exhaust. Hood scoop was functional and really made a difference. By 85 they improved the interior but lost the scoop and dual resonators, they should have kept them!!
I have a 1979 10th anniversary Trans Am in at 83 Pontiac Trans Am. I love my 79 but I still think that’ 3 rd generation was the best one they built.
They are the epitome of THE WORST of GM's crap. Ugly, poor build quality and power weezers.
I remember a coworker brought his brand new 82 Birdsh!t to work and took me for a ride. I was embarrassed! It squeaked, rattled and barely got up to speed from a dead stop. Having owned the previous generation I felt sorry for him because he was so excited, but yikes, it sucked.
I've always liked the sleek styling of this generation Firebird!!! I found the interior seems cheap with so much ill fitting plastic. Thanks for sharing this exciting video!!! 👍👍🙂
man I think the interior still holds ,at least the leather Trans Am interior ,man that interior is better looking than most new cars.
@@Adrian-mq5ld Oh the looks are incredible, but let's be honest, the quality is terrible. On my 84, the Pallex cloth was falling apart, the cardboard backing of the door panels was severly warped, the carpet changed color and lost hair, the hard black plastics either cracked or were broken, the soft colored plastics sundried and looked awful (and they stink when they're dried out), the headliner is some kind of flimsy superlight fiber material that is extremely fragile, the headliner foam always deteriorates (a common 70s to 90s cars issue), and all this on a car that spent most its life in the UK. Probably why the dash top is in perfect condition :D
@@Raptor3388 I have a 88 with the interior still intact. They changed the plastics materials over the years. Also the cloth is better than everything cloth these days. Wait till new cars get to be 40 to see their interiors. Also most people don't know but the chassis got reinforced in 86 or 87 .
In 1989, not long after I got my driver's license, my father bought a new Camaro. His insurance company told him that since he had a newly licensed driver in the household, they would only cover it if he bought the least powerful model available. No IROC for us! Now, decades later, I find that hilarious, because the least powerful Camaro you can buy today has _far_ more horsepower than the _most_ powerful one you could get in 1989.
(Double punch line: The V6 Camaro RS might not have had much power, but it still had enough to get into trouble. ;)
The 1982 Trans Am was supposed to have the Pontiac 301 Turbo engine from the start (hence the same hood bulge that the 1981 turbo T/A had). But, the "bean counters" at GM decided to axe all Pontiac engines just before the Firebird was due to go into production. Hence, all real wheel drive Pontiacs had to use Chevrolet V8's.
I know and thats when Pontiac started to go down hill.
@@CJColvin Well, to be fair, the Pontiac 301 was a pretty awful engine itself.
@@ab348 True
@@CJColvin Maybe, depending. That being said, the 301T made much more power than the pathetic 305 mush motor. Remember this video? I'm making this car, with a T5, and 3.42s.
ruclips.net/video/iovohEChv10/видео.html
@@joequillun7790 Exactly mate
Adam, that is a beautiful '82 Trans Am you have there. You certainly have saved it from destruction. A friend of mine bought a T/A just like yours, except it was gold paint on the exterior, back in '82. I just got my license back then & my buddy, Rick, used to take me cruising around in that car. Man that was fun back in '82. Keep her nice Adam because you'll never get or find another like this one buddy. Great job on the video !!!!
That crossfire never failed me had 260,000 miles on it still ran like a champ
You should have mentioned the 1982 Trans Am was supposed to come out with the 301 Turbo, as the early press photos show it and some pretty good performance data was released on GM docs, as well as dealer informations. While it was not a great engine in 1980 and 1981, who knows what it could have become with the quickly improving 80s computer technology.
I always loved ❤ this generation of F-body cars 😊
I've got a 89 Trans AM GTA and you will not believe how many necks I've broken with it. It will never get old. They will get (VERY) high in value in less than 10 years :-)
I have one in Europe ...if you are in US and get that ,you should see in Europe. Also they dont look "old" because they are designed in such a way they look out of time somehow.
@@Adrian-mq5ld I'm in Spain, and Knight Rider series got pretty popular back then, so imagine it :)
Beautiful outside, awful inside - the interior quality and desing is almost Yugo-like.
Ya but not quite as bad as the Lambotghini Countach. My friend as two of them and the interiors look and feel like they were made from cardboard.
Remember the front wheel drive prototype Camaro/Firebird photos in Motor Trend/ Car and Driver magazines in the 1980’s? GM killed the project before production. Wonder if those prototypes survived or were crushed? It would be interesting to see what could have been.
K.I.T.T was a 1982 Pontiac
The 80’s. Great decade for music, horrible decade for American made cars. The sheer junk coming out of the factories was an abomination. I could make an exception for the dismal engine performance as technology was scrambling to catch up with emissions requirements. But there was no excuse for the piss poor overall quality when it came to manufacturing. Pretty to look at but they really were chocolate covered turds.
The 80's was a great decade of everything
In 1984 I test-drove a new Trans Am with the HO engine and a 5-speed. This was in the early years of any mfr ever offering cruise control with a manual. One of my checks was to see if they’d put a switch on the clutch pedal to automatically release cruise if you shifted gears. They didn’t. Push in the clutch while on cruise, and the RPMs quickly go up. Speaking of RPMs, it was amusing in that ad to see the tach with yellow-line at only 4500.
At least for the ‘82 model year, this along with its sister the Camaro were very disappointing cars. They had the looks (though I always had a preference for the Camaro’s styling) but they drove terribly. You note some of the deficiencies but how GM brass thought that the 90hp Iron Duke or a 105hp V6 was in any way appropriate remains a mystery. In ‘82 a car salesman friend of my father called me and offered me a deal on his ‘82 Z28 demonstrator, so I took it for a day. It was a huge disappointment to me, riding like a buckboard, already showing several squeaks and rattles, and no faster than my 6 year old LeMans. Needless to say, I passed. Sad to think GM couldn’t produce their top model ponycar in a form that would appeal to a car-crazy 20-something guy.
GM had a nasty habit of producing pretty, but lacklustre vehicles (Holden HQ is a massive case-in-point.)
Ford put a 2.3L 4 into some of the mustangs.
zumbis mortos vivos 1984 pontiac firebird comentários 457
zumbis mortos vivos 1984 pontiac firebird comentários 457
Yea look at 1982 as a car year .
In 1982 the Computer Command Control box was still evolving. Maybe Adam can do a video about this. Some /all?? 1980 Cadillacs had a computer to control the engine. The microprocessor speed and serial data interface speed got faster each year from 1980 to 1984..
I think Each engine transmissions combo at least for California had to be tested for emissions and mpg.
In 1982 in California many thought gasoline might go 5 bucks a gallon and also go back to odd even days of gasoline days one could buy .
In July 82 a car loan in southern California was expensive. The GM dealership was 19 to 21 percent. Bank of America was 18.5 percent. I got a loan at Crocket bank at 17.5 since had state farm insurance.
Most later year 3rd generation higher horsepower engines were not available in 1982. The focus was meeting Cafe standards of mpg in 1982.
1982 was a poor year in new car sales in Southern California. Used cars were expensive if they got decent gas mileage.
Any teenager of the 80's (myself included) would have had an obsession with this model Trans Am due to the Knight Rider TV series starring KITT (with David Hasselhoff also appearing in a minor supporting role).
I bought a 92 Trans Am in 92 which I still have and drive. Dark green gold wheels, ws6 and t-tops. After 30 years, I still get excited when I think about driving it. I also feel it is the most beautiful car I've ever seen. Along with some appearance tweaks, Pontiac greatly tightened up the body structure with industrial adhesives to test for the production of the all new 93s. Your car is stunning - subframe connectors and a strut brace would really tighten things up.
Definitely ground breaking vehicles but greatly mute since GM did not offer the 350 V8 with the manual transmission. A shame.
That commercial over-hyped these early T/As which made the disappointment hit harder when you finally got behind the wheel and experienced the underwhelming performance provided by the lack of a high output V8. Anyone who had driven the previous generation would immediately notice how weak the 1982 T/A was. Pontiac initially planned to put a turbo powered V8 under the hood but sadly that plan got scrapped just before the cars went into production. Had it not been featured as KITT in Knight Rider the 1982 Trans would be a forgotten 1980s relic.
I have a 1986 trans am autoform with the 6-speed manual. Yes carburetor. Drives like a caddilac down the road. Wouldn't trade it for nothing. This vehicle gets crowded by people anywhere I go
I had 1984 with WS6 package was a beast I miss that car with 305 HO with 5 spd manual was amazing car
If you were willing to pay extra and wait on a special order, you could get some decent performance models back then.
In some ways, these are the quintessential 80s car, and it's a good looking design, although there's just something wrong with putting the Iron Duke engine in one of these cars. Imagine having one of those today and knowing that Toyota Yaris next to you at the stop light would blow your doors off.
I wonder how many of these cars have survived - not great build quality even right off the factory floor and it's the kind of car that you expect to get quickly beat to hell and destroyed.
4cyl Firebirds and Camaros are extremely rare. I've only seen one: a Camaro 4cyl, and that was decades ago.
The red on burgundy (13:12) is peak 1980’s. Fantastic!
Great video, thanks. I’ve had a half dozen 3rd generation F bodies..all Camaros actually..and more 2nd gen..both firebirds and Camaros..the Trans Am always being the pinnacle to me. My current ‘77 T/A is running strong and awaiting new paint.
It’s really something, how stylish cars were years ago. Fender flares, heat extractors, shaker hoods..T tops..they really don’t make them like they used to. A Mark IV is next for me and maybe a 1 ton GMC/Chevy truck..bye bye newer vehicles
I had a 2nd gen Firebird that I bought new when I was 18. I didn't care much for the 3rd gen
Uncle John said his T-roofs rusted to smithereens under the rubber seals back in the day.
i sold these when they were new.Never saw a crossfire Trans am in stock.
They were even worse than the previous F body platform.Cheesy plastic everywhere.
Dealer markup was huge,though.Made good money selling them.
This was an interesting presentation. Thank you,
I had a black and gold ‘82 T/A. It was an exciting car but poorly made and engineered. It somehow lacked the excitement of the previous generation T/A. The Cross-Fire injection required constant tinkering to run smoothly and the wheel discs flying off was a PITA. Also the bracket that held the inflatable spare rattled and cracked. Another thing about the ‘82 is it had a functional hood scoop but the plastic that connected it to the intake was prone to warping and would let water into the engine in heavy rains. I had to get a new engine because of this. To its credit Pontiac did replace my wheels with an updated design and replaced the engine at their cost even though it was out of warranty. Also the paint is very fragile and if you wash/polish frequently it wears through. I had to repaint mine.
My mother had an SE that she bought brand new in navy blue with the optional spoiler on the back. It had a V6 engine and an automatic transmission, it was really a great car in its own way. The doors weighed a thousand pounds each, but at the time, it was the coolest car on the road, even rivaling the Corvette.
I had an 83 black and gold Trans Am. It looked cool, but was pretty lame in performance.
Build quality was not very good on these. I recall when they came out
Many 80’s cars were just ugly but this was a great looking car.
I remember seeing a 82 Z28 wasted by some guy in a beat up 69 Oldsmobile 4 door back in 1982. They were not fast but they were cool! The design still looks great 30 years later. No one will be saying in 30 years that the new Elantra made them smile. Thanks for a great video!
When emissions controls designed the cars output
DODGE HAD NOTHING NOTHING.. MUSTANG WAS NICE BUT NOT THE LOOKS
I had two personal favorites during this era. The 1987 GTA was the perfect balance of performance and comfort a lot of fun to drive for sure. I also like the 1989 formula which was quite Peppy but didn't seem to have the comfort of the 87 GTA with a significantly stiffer ride.
I knew someone who bought a 82 firebird S/E and within 6 months had some many issues with it (including a blown engine) that he ended up eventually getting a geo sprint and he had better luck with the Geo
Performance? With the 305?
As the french owner of a 1984 T/A HO 5 speed for 13 years, I can attest to most of what you said. I also owned a 1983 Z28 LG4/TH200C, and I have a 1987 GTA 5.7L digital dash.
They do have a share of issues, mostly due to a choice of "minimum acceptable strength" parts, whether it's the body strutcture, the rear end, the transmissions, the interior materials quality, nothing ages very well or is capable of handling great power. And it feels as the car gets older. But absolutely nothing matches the looks, the exterior styling of the 82-84 models is so 80s and sharp, that the 85-up models look a bit bland in comparison, as they rouded off all the corners.
The L69 engine is a drastic improvement over the LG4, it's very responsive and with the 5 speed it is a lot of fun for small curvy roads. The 5.7L L98 is much stronger and smoother, but as it's stuck with an automatic, it doesn't have that energetic feeling of the L69. The LG4 does its job to move the car comfortably, but it's hard to call it a sports car with this engine. It's just... fine. I also had an 84 Corvette with the Crossfire, and didn't have any issue with it, the power was fine as well, very torquey so it didn't feel slow, the new owner is enjoying it a lot and is showing up at every car show around here.
I also own early 1979 Fox body Mustangs and a Capri, and despite not being all that great in quality and having terrible power outputs, they feel much more refined.
@Rare Classic Cars & Automotive History
Thanks for this interesting video. It made my day when you mentioned that a video of your personal Trans Am is on the way. I've been waiting for this since you mentioned that red T-Top in a previous video.
I own a red '82 T/A as well so I know that feeling too. These cars deserved better quality standards. It's a fun classic sports car to drive and its maintenance isn't always fun. Things stop working with age and wear. It also depends on how often it's used or how well it's maintained. I am in Europe and parts are not that easy to find. I had things fixed and updated to keep it running and performing better. There's always something to do with a classic car.
I had a 1982 camaro Z28 and I loved it except the carburetor gave me headaches, ran too rich and fouled spark plugs. I couldn't find anyone who understood that carb and how to make adjustments. Some adjustments were factory plugged. My Chevy dealer once had it for two months trying to fix the carb and finally they gave up and just put a brand new carb on. They said they had a expert carb rebuilder, but he failed in figuring it out. It was an "electronic" carb and I think those components were not well understood. Very little info around to read to educate myself back then unlike today.
That's so true - now we have all kinds of info and hindsight about those carbs and the crossfire stuff. At the time almost nobody knew what to do with them when there were problems, which was often. Also a lot of rich running conditions back then were due to the purge valve malfunctioning, another thing that was kind of poorly understood then. Many carbs were rebuilt due to that thing, and the problem wasn't fixed. Of course now it seems easy.
Back then we had the yellow pages. If we couldn't find somebody to help on there, we were in for a struggle.
I had a 1982 red One in high school. I wished i still had it
Thanks for this video. I had nearly the exact same 1982 S/E burgundy Firebird without the spoiler. It had the 5.0L 4bbl, Auto, 15" wheels with the black bowling ball caps. I bought it in 1986 with 34k miles on it. Still one of my favorite cars ever. Drove it for six years, but being a daily driver in the Midwest, salt took it toll, even though I hand washed it regularly and the body/paint looked great, the underside started to suffer from corrosion. There was a strange magical effect it had on people, I never had so many people "out of the blue" offer to buy it from me for more than I paid for it.
My sister had nearly the exact 1982 red Trans AM as yours, but hers was one of the rarest ones which didn't have the offset turbo blister on the hood. I like yours better.
This reminds me of the Fiero in that it started out as junk and was then refined a little each year until GM got it right. Just in time to discontinue it.
Add Corvair to the list.
- that approach has long been SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) at GM.
@@AB-pl1ko Unfortunately
Been waiting for this video since you mentioned owning a 3rd Gen TA
5:48 Damn! This is one of the few cars that looks a little better with the T-tops than without.
6:54 I also have to give GM credit for weathering the snide remarks from critics and putting the catalytic converter bulge behind the passenger's feet instead of just raising the floor the way they did on most of their RWD cars of the late 1970s. The extra legroom was well worth the inelegance.
Thanks for this episode.
My first car was a '92 base Firebird and I loved it so much. Had it for seven years and it never caused me any serious problems.
A few years later I bought a '93 Formula with the LT1 which I owned for ten years. Although this one was of course way more exciting with its V8, the torque and the horses it never came close to the 3rd gen in the means of the aesthetics.
I would love to see an episode of a late 3rd gen if you come across one.
I have been a full time mechanic working for myself for about 30 years now. One day a customer came to me (in the summer of 2019) and asked if i would go to a local junk/salvage yard and pull a transmission for a vehicle he owned. I said sure no problem. When i arrived, payed the entry fee of 3 dollars, and walked to the yard which was obviously behind the office, i noticed a fork lift picking up vehicles and moving them to the compacter to be crushed. I didn't think much of it at the time as most of the vehicles were already stripped of their respected parts, to be salvaged and repaired. After about 2 hours of being there something told me to take a break for a minute or two, so i did. I swear that just as soon as i stood up i saw the same forklift from earlier roll by, and as i watched it, it went to the end of the corner lot, and disappeared from my view. about a minute later, i saw it returning with a silver colored 80's style Firebird, and it was heading for the compacter. My first thought was it was just being moved, but when i realized that the old Firebird was indeed on its last ride to a death sentence, i flagged the forklift driver down and inquired about the old bird. To make a longer story even shorter, i was able to purchase the old bird for $300.00 u.s dollars. Later that afternoon, the old bird was dropped on my car trailer, & strapped down, i finished pulling said transmission, and headed home. when i arrived at my home i started inspecting the bird more closely and realized it was a complete car, the body had no dents, and the interior was dirty, but no rips or tares. the only thing i could find wrong was a bearing rod knock from the crankshaft. i filed for a title and ordered a new remanufactured engine through advance auto parts, and low and behold a month later, the old bird roared to life on it's second rebirth, and has since went through a few minor changes to the body only, as a knight industries two thousand (K.I.T.T for short) Kitt if you prefer.
1986 Pontiac Firebid Trans-am.
You are a good man for saving that bird!
My friend had a 88 Firebird Formula 350 , it flew 4 people in it we were doing 145mph. WS6 cornering was down right amazing!! By 88' they worked out a lot of bugs and honestly its better than a IROC gauges alone!
without a doubt the interior is better looking. Heck those gauges you could still put in a modern car and they would still look modern.
I love the bowling ball wheels!!
Thanks for the video.
4:30 From the 0-60 times, it seems likely that the most powerful Chevette would win a drag race against a 4 cylinder Camaro or Firebird. That engine choice was really the ultimate "secretary's car". Engine choice aside, one interesting thing about this generation was that they inherited the torque-arm rear suspension from the Monza, the same setup that debuted on the Cosworth Vega.
I hated the torque arm . It would break the transmission mount then bump up against the floorboard under acceleration.
In the late 80's, my brother bought an 84 Trans Am. While it was a stunning car, the fit and finish and ride were the worse I had ever seen. Every little bump you went over felt like the whole car was going to fall apart. In contest, my sister in law had an 89 Formula and it was a HUGE improvement even by then, Especially when it came to the interior materials and ride. Still my favorite generation out of all of them.
These early 80's were pretty uninspiring had an 83 camaro, love the body of the 3rd Gen of course now most people do an LS swap which really brings the car alive!!
Everything was uninspiring in the early 80's. I remember back then there was much talk of V8's dissappearing completely.
Mechanical reliability is important to consumers. A lack of it is a big liability for looks to overcome.
Looks hauled the load then cuz they sold many of them.
A few years back I owned an ‘82 Black & Gold Recaro Edition Trans-Am,and I really LOVED that car,but a friend of mine REALLY REALLY wanted it,so I sold it to him. Now I own a damn near MINT ‘77 Black & Gold Trans-Am and this T/A is absolutely AMAZING! I’m probably gonna hang on to this one for awhile. Love your video and your Trans-Am! 🤠
Love these / all third Gens, I own a 83 Camaro Z28, great car, super handling and now with LS power, it drives like it SHOULD have. Great stuff Adam, Thanks.
The death of the 200 HP 301 Turbo a year before the 82. It's sad that it didn't continue as a blow through TBi. The whole Pontiac F body line was now mainstreamed underneath to be a carbon copy of the Camaro. The steering and Torque tube axle, and modified strut IFS were great advances. So was the wack-o 18 degree tilted to the driver stick shift manual option. I was lucky to see these in NZ. The 82- 89's are common imports, with a long running love dating back to the non compliant emission Formulas from the late 72 Norwood, Ohio 172 day plant strikes. Rather than scrap all 1100 of them, some of the Pontiacs were exported and Kiwis, Japanese and Britons suddenly lapped the 400 and 455's up in 1973 to 74. That love continued to the 82-89s. Thanks Adam for your sharing. The 1973 Formula 455 was a beginning of deep Southern Pacific appreciation for Pontiac engineering, and it has continued.
Torque tube? Don't you mean Torque arm? The Borg Warner T5's thus motor too had to be tilted to fit in the trans tunnel.
I had a 1986 Mustang LX 5.0 with 225 hp 5 speed manual. It was the first car since the 1970s that I thought had enough power to be fun and exciting. I ordered it exactly the way I wanted it. I chose the lowest numerical rear gear (highest gear 3.08:1 if I recall) I could, so as to be the best highway cruiser. It was white so, except for the bright aluminum alloy wheels, it looked just like an AZ Highway patrol car. I consistently got 26-28 mpg. A few times I even got 30-31 mpg. And it was FAST. It got 18mpg around town.
Yeah, four lug wheels on that Mustang; how embarrassing.
@@johna.4334But they embarrassed a lot of contemporary Firebirds and Camaros in performance.
I had a dark green and argent '92 GT five speed with the 2.73:1 rear, and it would go 75 MPH in 2nd gear! My '88 GT convertible with extensive mild mods and the 3.08:1 will make 26-28 MPG at 65 MPH.
Great looking car but a little slacking on the power. Thanks Adam for posting.....
I have owned an 87 GTA Trans Am for 7 years, but the car by then was already 22 years old with 160k miles. It was a very shaky, rattled a lot, needed every mechanical thing serviced, and the tpi motor sometimes didn’t want to start. But damn did the car look so damn good. I miss it everyday, it was an awesome car to ride in.
I bought a 50,000 mile beautiful 1982 WS7 Trans Am from an 18yr old kid in 1998 immediately after another teenager t-boned my nearly new pick up truck. I was 27 and asked him, oh yeah? He promised it was in excellent condition, and wow, it was. He needed money, he got his girlfriend pregnant. I paid him for it and it was great until the cross fire started acting up, then the transmission let go. I repaired it all, gave the car a loving respray and sold it. I really liked the car for the most part. I had a solid roof and the car seemed OK to me, I'd never have a t-top.
i bought an 83 TA last year from its original owner. only 7800 dollars. garaged her entire life! 62K original miles. I agree the plastic interior is really cheap. but my car has none of the rattles & squeaks, maybe because its the hardtop not the T Top. I did swap out the crappy LG4 & installed a L69 305HO from an 88 monte. Stayed away from a 350 so i could keep the original 5 spd and 3.73 rear end. I can't be happier with my leisure car & it does get its share of stares and thumbs up from the public. Love it when YT puts a video out on this forgotten gem! new sub!
These cars were incredibly striking when they came out. I think the higher trim level, earlier model year cars still are today.
They also handled far better than they should have given the build quality.
I also think this was a sleek beautiful design. I bought a '85 IROC Camaro...... great car to drive.....just cheaply made interior. It's a shame companies decide to have the bean counters ruin their products.
I took an 1982 Trans Am for a test drive, but I was just starting college and getting a loan was impossible. 😢
What's funny is that some of the design flaws you noted for early 3rd gens are things that made their way into the 4th gen birds and stayed there until the bitter end. The headlamp motors with plastic gears is a big one. GM just couldn't let it go. 😂
Absolutely love the Firebird/Trans Am and this gen is the one I have the most soft spot for. You've got an excellent example in your possession.
First Year was a good looking car but they kept overdesigning it like all marketing law insists upon. Yes the GTA was cool but clean is mean and the first take is just that. My buddy had a full load TA black on tan leather it was a nice car for the street good on fuel and lots of grocery room!
Definitely one of the better GM design of the 1980’s. I had a 1983 Trans Am Daytona Pace Car. Fun Car and always got allot complaints.
What?! This thing came with an Iron Duke with, what, 90hp?! Are you absolutely kidding me???
I had a 1983 Camaro with that motor. It had power everything and was from Las Vegas so it was still in good shape. It was slow but it would get 30 mpg on the highway with the O/D transmission.
@@jeffrobodine8579 Amazing!! I didn't know that. Wow, just wow!
My mom had a brand new 82 Trans Am in bright red, it had the crossfire 305 it ran alright but it went to shit around 85 and my dad swapped it to a Q-Jet, then in 86 dad bought a white over silver Z28 305 auto t-top it was a really good car and he had it until mid 2000's