I think they should’ve put in that AWD drive system that went in that one sedan, the 6000 STZ (I think that’s what it was called). We could’ve had a poor man’s American Quattro.
I dated a girl in high school who had a n/a 84 Sunbird hatchback. It was a pretty fun little car for what it was. We affectionately called it the Funbird.
$12k for this 1984 GM contraption. Wow! To think. Feb 2020 I bought my 2011 Acura TSX V6 w/Tech Pkg @44k miles. Mint condition, Grand Total $14,098. P.S. 2000-2004 Happened to own the 84 2-door Red Hatchback Caviler version seen here during the intro. The base model, ran great, always started in winter, mechanic owned, wife driven, $2600.
It's interesting that the high-performance Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, and Cadillac J-cars received a V6 as their top engine, while the Pontiac and Buick models got a turbocharged engine to boost performance.
Considering it used an antique 3 speed auto in the test car, that turbo sunbird would have been closer to high 6s or low 7s 0-60 with a 5 speed manual.
My driver’s ed car was the non-turbo Sunbird 1.8L with automatic transmission. My second car was the 84 Buick Skyhawk with 2.0L OHV with 86 HP and a 4 speed manual. As a daily driver and an occasional fun drive I felt the 2.0L with manual transmission was the better engine and transmission for the early J-body cars. First purchase was to replace OEM tires for higher end touring tires for better performance. Feather driving gave me more than 30 MPG city and more than 40 MPG HWY. get on a winding country road and it was a fun car to toss into the corners.
You really can get upwards of 35 MPG if you strictly drive at 65 mph. These things were hyper-specifically geared for the 55mph limits back in the day.
My best friend had a non-turbo '84 Sunbird in mint condition (his parents bought it for him). He let me drive it on the freeway one day, and it was incredibly annoying---once I was at speed, even the slightest touch of the throttle would make the auto trans downshift. And so 30 miles home, the entire time with the transmission constantly downshifting and upshifting. But about this car; back then, GM turbos and 4 cylinders didn't mix well---I'm betting the turbo was done by 60K, and the engine itself before 100K
One doesn't need much of an imagination to wonder why I had to unload some of these motors from delivery trucks every week to keep them in stock at the dealership
A buddy's dad got a 1984 2000 Sunbird Turbo. The torque steer was significant! Driving on 12 Mile Road along the GM Tech Center my buddy almost took it up the curb. His dad traded it in for a 1985 Sunbird Turbo which was noticeably better.
Handsome car, but I'm weird. My first car was almost a Cimarron, but my dad thought it had too much rust, so my first ended up being a red Cavalier Type-10 2-door.
The 1st Gen J's got most of the bugs worked out. The 2nd Gen J-body was one of GM's most reliable cars. Especially the V6, 5 speed equipped. The 3rd Gen, while quite popular, were not very well made cars.
Wow talk about a unicorn. Turbo engine was common on 2 doors and convertibles but I believe production of the 4 door model was down in the hundreds. We're looking at a rare example in this clip. J cars were EVERYWHERE by the late 80s/early 90s and by the end of the decade there were still plenty of clean complete cars available for a few hundred bucks. How times change
That 1.8 turbocharged would look better in a 1986-1988 Pontiac Grand Am SE two and four door N-body models. But I think they came with a 2.0 turbocharged with 160 HP. I rather have this J2000 Sunbird in a sedan and convertible version turbo in one tone red only fully loaded. I like the notchback coupes but only in a Chevy Cavalier Z24 and Buick Skyhawk with the hide away headlights in black only. The wagons were cool but only on the 1994 Cavalier with the 3100 V6 and the sedan as well with the same engine in white. The two door hatchbacks on all J-Bodies were ugly, just like the Chevy Citations, except the notchback coupe.
I think they should’ve put in that AWD drive system that went in that one sedan, the 6000 STZ (I think that’s what it was called). We could’ve had a poor man’s American Quattro.
Something isn’t right with a 9 sec 0-60 and a 15.7 1/4 mile and 78 mph? What? A 1/4 mile time of 15.7 should be getting a 0-60 of somewhere of 7-7.5 seconds. I just don’t see any of this adding up. Sounds like something tripped the 1/4 mi time prematurely because the 9 sec 0-60 sounds correct but 15.7 no way lol try closer to 17 sec
150HP in 1984? That's more than a Porsche 944. Imagine the torque steer!
Wasn't like you think
That’s less than a Porsche 944
just a steppingstone on GM's eventual path to the Northsteer ☠
I think they should’ve put in that AWD drive system that went in that one sedan, the 6000 STZ (I think that’s what it was called). We could’ve had a poor man’s American Quattro.
YES! Torque steer was bad on the 1984 model. They made a big improvement to the 1985 version.
I dated a girl in high school who had a n/a 84 Sunbird hatchback. It was a pretty fun little car for what it was. We affectionately called it the Funbird.
🤔
Nice memories are always unforgettable!🎉
The hatchbacks were rare to see!
Nice to see a car like this in those dark era of automobiles
$12k for this 1984 GM contraption. Wow!
To think. Feb 2020 I bought my 2011 Acura TSX V6 w/Tech Pkg @44k miles. Mint condition, Grand Total $14,098.
P.S. 2000-2004 Happened to own the 84 2-door Red Hatchback Caviler version seen here during the intro. The base model, ran great, always started in winter, mechanic owned, wife driven, $2600.
@@monkeywkeys3916 yeah will had been nice leaving the old 70's american car and the tiny hondas in the dust in those days
It's interesting that the high-performance Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, and Cadillac J-cars received a V6 as their top engine, while the Pontiac and Buick models got a turbocharged engine to boost performance.
0-60 in 9 seconds: "Beast-like acceleration".
15.7 quarter mile was hauling A in 1985 though
Considering it used an antique 3 speed auto in the test car, that turbo sunbird would have been closer to high 6s or low 7s 0-60 with a 5 speed manual.
It was at the time, and would have been up until the '60s as well. Even then, it would have been quicker than most regular cars.
I bought the 1984 4 door in 1989. LOVED IT !!!
I loved Pontiac Sunbird, wagon is my favorite
15.7 1/4 time is pretty damn good considering! wow
I owned a 2 door 84 sunbird. I put 300,000 miles on it before I sold it. One of the best cars I’ve owned. To bad GM can’t build anything good today.
Very beautiful this Pontiac Sunbird Turbo
Not the car GM claimed it was, but certainly quick for 1984. I strangely like the color combination shown as well- the brown interior looks "warm".
Too bad this engine didn't end up in the 84 Fiero.
My driver’s ed car was the non-turbo Sunbird 1.8L with automatic transmission. My second car was the 84 Buick Skyhawk with 2.0L OHV with 86 HP and a 4 speed manual. As a daily driver and an occasional fun drive I felt the 2.0L with manual transmission was the better engine and transmission for the early J-body cars. First purchase was to replace OEM tires for higher end touring tires for better performance. Feather driving gave me more than 30 MPG city and more than 40 MPG HWY. get on a winding country road and it was a fun car to toss into the corners.
This 1984 Sunbird Turbo sedan is worth having. I would like to have one right now as a first car.
Most of the j-body cars I’ve seen either had the 2.2 liter pushrod engine, 2.5 iron Duke, or the 2.8/3.1 60 degree V6 engine.
That 33 MPG Highway for 1984!?
Holy Highway!!
That's nearly as good as some 4 Cylinders on the market today!!
You really can get upwards of 35 MPG if you strictly drive at 65 mph. These things were hyper-specifically geared for the 55mph limits back in the day.
My best friend had a non-turbo '84 Sunbird in mint condition (his parents bought it for him). He let me drive it on the freeway one day, and it was incredibly annoying---once I was at speed, even the slightest touch of the throttle would make the auto trans downshift. And so 30 miles home, the entire time with the transmission constantly downshifting and upshifting. But about this car; back then, GM turbos and 4 cylinders didn't mix well---I'm betting the turbo was done by 60K, and the engine itself before 100K
One doesn't need much of an imagination to wonder why I had to unload some of these motors from delivery trucks every week to keep them in stock at the dealership
Wow my first real car was a 1987 Sunbird just like this I never knew the Turbo came with the Four door and had a sunroof.
A buddy's dad got a 1984 2000 Sunbird Turbo. The torque steer was significant! Driving on 12 Mile Road along the GM Tech Center my buddy almost took it up the curb. His dad traded it in for a 1985 Sunbird Turbo which was noticeably better.
I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen one of these out in public. I can’t imagine being that excited about a 9 sec 0-60 nowadays though LOL
This car is about as fast as a Monte Carlo SS. Very quick in those days
Handsome car, but I'm weird. My first car was almost a Cimarron, but my dad thought it had too much rust, so my first ended up being a red Cavalier Type-10 2-door.
This may have been a great straight-line bomber with a working turbo. When said turbo was seized up a dozen years later, however, it was a real dog.
The only J-car I ever liked.
The 1st Gen J's got most of the bugs worked out. The 2nd Gen J-body was one of GM's most reliable cars. Especially the V6, 5 speed equipped. The 3rd Gen, while quite popular, were not very well made cars.
Wow talk about a unicorn. Turbo engine was common on 2 doors and convertibles but I believe production of the 4 door model was down in the hundreds. We're looking at a rare example in this clip. J cars were EVERYWHERE by the late 80s/early 90s and by the end of the decade there were still plenty of clean complete cars available for a few hundred bucks. How times change
That 1.8 turbocharged would look better in a 1986-1988 Pontiac Grand Am SE two and four door N-body models. But I think they came with a 2.0 turbocharged with 160 HP. I rather have this J2000 Sunbird in a sedan and convertible version turbo in one tone red only fully loaded. I like the notchback coupes but only in a Chevy Cavalier Z24 and Buick Skyhawk with the hide away headlights in black only. The wagons were cool but only on the 1994 Cavalier with the 3100 V6 and the sedan as well with the same engine in white. The two door hatchbacks on all J-Bodies were ugly, just like the Chevy Citations, except the notchback coupe.
According to my Pontiac book the se turbos didn’t sell well which is odd because they sold a lot of the 86-90 GT turbos
This Pontiac j car seems to have achieved what the Cimarron was hoping aiming for but failed
Was the better choice. Cheaper, faster and smarter!😊
0-60 in only 9 seconds w/150hp/150 lb.ft of torque at 2800 RPMs. The automatic transmission must be a slug. I wonder if the manual was faster?
I have a Car and Driver that got 0-60 in 8.1 with the manual
But that 15.7 quarter mile time doesn’t make sense. Any car with that time has to have a 0-60 of 7 to 7.5 seconds
@@Njderig
Depends on how it was geared.
over 12k in todays money in options alone bringing it to over 25k today? Expensive
Pontiac guy you're always trying to find.
I think they should’ve put in that AWD drive system that went in that one sedan, the 6000 STZ (I think that’s what it was called). We could’ve had a poor man’s American Quattro.
the regular 4 door 1.8 they tested got 26 mpg and was much slower.
0-60 in 9 seconds was charger 2.2 territory...a 93 hp non turbo engine
I wanted one. Never got one.
J2000 name was used in 1982 then changed it to 2000 sunbird in 1983 then she changed it to sunbird..
Something isn’t right with a 9 sec 0-60 and a 15.7 1/4 mile and 78 mph? What? A 1/4 mile time of 15.7 should be getting a 0-60 of somewhere of 7-7.5 seconds. I just don’t see any of this adding up. Sounds like something tripped the 1/4 mi time prematurely because the 9 sec 0-60 sounds correct but 15.7 no way lol try closer to 17 sec
How did the caddy J car not get this motor?
But what about the shit box Cadillac Cimarron? Ha ha ha.
Very nice this Pontiac Sunbird J2000, nice performance
MW clearly paid by GM for this review. The cars were not great and unreliable during this time frame
Junk.😂
It took them a couple years to get the Sunbird right . But the turbo 4s were fun, fairly fast , and handled better than the Japanese competition imo
It's a Pontiac Pinto.