Tag: Trans Am

1984 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am 15th Anniversary Edition hatchback coupe

I clearly remember a 15th Anniversary Edition Trans Am being displayed inside Marsh Pontiac’s small showroom on the Lincoln Highway in Ardmore, PA.

“… leaves the also-rans even further behind …”

1984 Trans Am press release
15th Anniversary Trans Am press materials

For 1984, Pontiac announced a special edition Trans Am to commemorate the Firebird sub-model’s 15th year.

The $3,499 15th Anniversary Edition featured white paint with blue graphics that hearkened back to the original 1969 Trans Am. Other exterior components included the Aero Package optional on normal Trans Ams and T-tops. Mechanical features included the LG9 HO 190 bhp 5.0 liter/305 ci V8 with a four-barrel carburetor, the WS6 special handling package, four-wheel power disc brakes, and P245/50R16 tires (a size still readily available) on 16 x 8 inch white hi-tech turbo aluminum wheels.

As had been true in many previous Trans Am special editions, the 15th Anniversary Edition Trans Am featured Recaro front bucket seats—these were leather with cloth inserts. Other interior features specific to the special edition included a white leather steering wheel and shifter knob. Standard equipment on all 1984 Trans Ams included sport mirrors, a rear deck spoiler, tungsten halogen headlamps, rally gauges, a console, and power steering.

Only the top of the line engine was available with the 15th Anniversary Edition, but there was a choice of transmissions. A five-speed manual came standard, with an automatic being a $295 option. 0-60 came in less than seven seconds—two to three seconds better than it had been in 1982. Fuel economy ratings were 16 city/27 highway by 1984 standards (13/20 by today’s measures). With a smallish 13.3-gallon gas tank, a Trans Am owner could expect a range of 200 to 255 mikes with a 10% fuel reserve.

Options and Production Numbers

Trans Ams (even special editions ones) did not come loaded in 1984—by the time the 20th Anniversary Edition came around in 1989, that would no longer be so. Exterior and mechanical options included Soft-Ray tinted glass ($110), an electric rear window defogger ($140), and a limited slip differential ($95).

Interior options included air conditioning ($730), power windows ($215), a power antenna ($60), and a Delco AM/FM stereo cassette with a five-band graphic equalizer ($590). Upholstery and trim options included six-way power seats ($215 each), a tilt steering wheel ($110), luggage compartment trim ($110), and cloth floor mats ($20 front/$15 rear).

Pontiac built a symbolic 1,500 15th Anniversary Editions—500 with the five-speed manual and 1,000 with the automatic. Those 1,500 were a small part of the 55,374 total Trans Ams made in the 1984 model year, with those sales less than half of 128,304 Firebirds sold (Pontiac sold a lot of base Firebirds). Both the Trans Am numbers and the overall Firebird sales marked an eighties peak for Pontiac, with only 1980 and 1982 coming close.

The View From 2020

15th Anniversary Edition Trans Ams do attract some collector interest. According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, all the money for a 15th Anniversary Edition Trans Am with the five-speed in #1/Concours condition is $28,400, with a far more normal #3/Good condition version with an automatic going for $9,500. These Trans Ams are often available in the Hemmings Motor News classifieds and on eBay Motors, and they sometimes show up at auction.

Make mine White, please—it’s not like I have a choice.

I evidently can’t help myself with eighties Trans Ams; I’ve also written about the 1981, the 1982, the 1985, and the 1989 Turbo. I probably should write about the Formula and the S/E at some point—perhaps even the base car.

1985 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am hatchback coupe

Every year I do a retro CD for the holidays that goes to friends and family. Whatever expertise in popular music that I do have is from the eighties, so I go forward one year in that decade—that means that this year I’m doing 1988. There’s a story behind every year’s CD, and this one involved a 1985 Trans Am. So, I decided to draw a 1985 Trans Am dashboard and thus this blog post.

1985 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am dashboard

“The most serious piece of machinery we put on the road.”

Updates for the 1985 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am included a restyled nose with built-in fog lamps, new taillights, fake hood louvers replacing the traditional power bulge, and full rocker and quarter panel extensions. A new WS6 suspension package was made available for the Trans Am, which included gas pressurized shocks, four-wheel disk brakes, and 16-inch wheels with P245/50VR16 Goodyear “Gatorback” tires for a $664 price tag. Inside, all gages now had graph patterned backgrounds, and a new UT4 “Touch-Control” optional stereo was available.

For 1985, the standard Trans Am powertrain was the LG4 165 bhp 5.0 liter/305 ci V8 with a four-barrel carburetor paired with a five-speed manual transmission. The top-of-the-line engine was the $695 LB9 fuel injected 5.0 liter/305 ci V8, with 205 bhp—but that was only available with a $425 four-speed automatic transmission, yielding a zero to sixty time of about 7.5 seconds. If you wanted the five-speed manual transmission, the best engine choice available on the Trans Am was the 190 bhp L69 H.O. 5.0 liter/305 ci V8 with a four-barrel carburetor.

Mileage with the standard powertrain was 15 city/24 highway by the day’s standards (14/22 by 2022 standards). With a 15.9-gallon fuel tank, a Trans Am owner could expect a range of between 255 and 280 miles with a 10% fuel reserve.

Standard exterior and mechanical equipment on the $11,569 Trans Am (about $31,200 in today’s dollars and close to what a 2022 Camaro 3LT coupe costs) included power brakes (front disc/rear drum), hidden electronically-controlled halogen headlamps, dual sport mirrors, an all-glass rear hatch, a rear deck lid spoiler, and P215/65R15 steel-belted radial tires (still a readily available size) on “deep-dish” 15 x 7 wheels. Inside, reclining front bucket seats, a Formula steering wheel, full gages, and side window defoggers were included.

Options & Production Numbers

Options included T-tops ($875), a louvered rear sunshield ($210), four wheel disc brakes ($179), electric rear window defogger ($145), air conditioning ($750), Luxury Trim Group ($359), tilt steering wheel ($115), cruise control ($175), and a series of five stereos. In something you rarely see in the current day, Pontiac offered two completely different optional front seats—Lear Siegler Custom adjustable bucket seats and Recaro bucket seats (which were not available with six-way power driver’s seat).

The 1985 Trans Am sold reasonably well, with 44,028 sold—about 46% of total Firebird sales. In Pontiac showrooms, only the Sunbird and the 6000 outsold the Firebird in the 1985 model year.

The View From 2022

Third-generation Firebirds have a strong following, and 1985 Trans Ams make regular appearances in the Hemming’s Motor News classifieds, on eBay Motors, and at online auctions such as Bring a Trailer that cater to the eighties car market. As I update this post in March 2022, there’s a Blaze Red 1985 with 6,700 miles for sale on Hemmings for $29,500.

According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, all the money for a 1985 Trans Am with the LB9 in #1/Concours condition is $23,800, with a far more typical #3/Good car going for $9,500.

Make mine Black, please—I think.

Updated March 2022.

1981 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am coupe

“Soul Survivor”

1981 was the last year for the second-generation Firebird and thus also the final year for the second-generation Trans Am. With the third-generation cars on the way, Pontiac’s eleven-year-old F-car got only minor changes. The “screaming chicken” decal on the hood was now two colors, compared to the four color decal from 1979 and 1980. Not much could be done about the general lack of space efficiency (the EPA rated the Firebird as a subcompact car), the relatively high weight (about 3,300 pounds when the Mustang weighed about 2,800), and the fairly primitive technology.

The standard Trans Am powertrain was the L37 150 bhp 4.9 liter/301 ci V8 with a four-barrel carburetor matched with an automatic. The only choice for Trans Am purchasers who wanted a manual transmission was the Chevrolet-built LG4 145 bhp 5.0 liter/305 ci V8 with a four-barrel carburetor, but you did get a $147 credit.

The top engine was the $437 LU8 200 bhp 4.9 liter/301 ci V8 with four-barrel carburetor and turbocharger, which included a new hood-mounted boost gauge. A Turbo Trans Am would accelerate from 0-60 in a little over eight seconds. Fuel mileage was predictably bad—14 mpg by the standards of the day for the combination of the turbo engine and the automatic. With a 21-gallon fuel tank, Trans Am owners could expect to travel about 260 miles before refueling.

Standard exterior and mechanical equipment included in the $8,322 base price of the Trans Am (about $24,300 in today’s dollars) included black accent grille and headlamp bezels, dual rectangular headlamps, wheel opening air deflectors, side-split tailpipe extensions, shaker hood, power brakes, and P225/70R15 blackwall tires (a size still readily available) on Rally II wheels. Inside, power steering, air conditioning, console, bright engine-turned dash plate, and rally gauges with tachometer were standard.

The Trans Am Special Edition package cost $735 additional—$1,430 bundled with t-tops. There was also a special edition of the Special Edition—the NASCAR Daytona 500 Pace Car, resplendent in oyster white with a black and red interior. It included the LU8 turbocharged engine, the WS6 special performance package, four-wheel power disc brakes, and limited slip differential. Inside, the most notable upgrade from other Trans Ams was Recaro seats—among the best available from any manufacturer in 1981. All this extra content was a good thing because the NASCAR Daytona 500 Pace Car listed for $12,257; about $35,700 in 2017 dollars.

Firebird pages of the 1981 Pontiac brochure, linked for the Old Car Manual Project’s amazing brochures pages.

Options available for the Trans Am included the WS6 special performance package, limited slip differential, tungsten quartz halogen headlamps, white-lettered tires, cast aluminum wheels, four-wheel power disc brakes, power antenna, electric rear window defroster, and custom bucket seats.

The View From 2017

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Long neglected by the collector market and with most now used up, late second-generation Trans Ams in good or great shape are starting to get interesting numbers at auctions. A black and gold 1981 Trans Am went for $19,000 at Mecum’s May 2017 auction in Indianapolis. According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, all the money for a 1981 Trans Am in #1/Concours condition is $38,200. A more normal #3/Good condition version is valued at $13,600.

Make mine the black and gold Special Edition, of course. The NASCAR Daytona 500 Pace Car is tempting, if only for those Recaro seats.

1989 Pontiac 20th Anniversary Turbo Firebird Trans Am hatchback coupe

For the fourth of July, here’s some eighties American iron.

“The Only Modification It Needed To Pace The Indy 500 Was A Decal.”

For 1989, there was big news in the Pontiac camp was the release of the 20th Anniversary Turbo Firebird Trans Am, which was essentially a Trans AM GTA coupe with an exclusive engine option and some specific trim elements.

Rated at 250 bhp but actually making about 300 bhp, the LC2 3.8 liter/231 ci sequential fuel injected turbocharged and intercooled V6 was teamed with the 200-4R four-speed automatic transmission. Mileage was 16 city/24 highway by the standards of the day (15/22 by today’s standards), and nobody cared. What they did care about was the acceleration—Car & Driver managed to achieve a 4.6 second 0-60 time (Pontiac had claimed 5.5 seconds) and a top speed of 153 mph. At least in power, the third generation Trans Am had come a long way from 1982 …

For $31,198 (about $59,900 in 2014 dollars) 20th Anniversary Turbo Firebird Trans Am buyers got all the Trans Am GTA exterior and mechanical equipment which included four-wheel disc brakes, fog lamps, special performance suspension, a rear limited slip axle, and 245/50-VR16 tires mounted on gold 16 x 8 diamond-spoke aluminum wheels. Turbo Trans Am-specific additions included larger brake rotors and softer front springs. The only color available was white with Turbo Trans Am emblems on the fenders and 20th emblems on the nose and rear pillars.

1989 Pontiac Firebird brochure cover, courtesy of Flickr user Alden Jewell.
1989 Pontiac Firebird brochure cover, courtesy of Flickr user Alden Jewell

Inside, standard GTA equipment included power door locks, power windows, power mirrors, power antenna, tilt steering wheel, cruise control, rear window defroster, and remote deck release. Turbo Trans Am owners also got a turbo-boost gauge inside the tachometer face.

Pontiac built a total of 1,550 Turbo Trans Ams for sale (there were another 5 test cars), with 85% of them being t-tops with a leather interior (buyers could order a cloth interior and/or the hardtop, but few did).

Unlike many other eighties cars, Turbo Trans Ams hold their value just fine. According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, all the money for a 1989 20th Anniversary Turbo Trans Am in #1/Concours condition is an astounding $47,700. A more “normal” #3/Good condition example is valued at $20,700. Turbo Trans Ams often come up for sale in the Hemmings Motor News classifieds and on eBay Motors. As I write this in July 2014, there’s one with 835 miles advertised for $31,500.

1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am hatchback coupe

I recently revisited this very early post, modifying it enough to classify it as brand new.

“From saber-like nose to rakish tail, the Trans Am is a brilliant orchestration of aerodynamic function.”

It is hard now to remember how new and wildly aerodynamic the 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am looked when it debuted—Car and Driver wrote that it’s “exterior sculpturing is an absolute knockout.” The Trans Am suddenly made every other American car (and more than a few European ones) look like they were standing still.

The Trans Am didn’t just look aerodynamic, either: the drag coefficient of .323 is still respectable even in 2019. Pontiac’s choice of pop-up headlights (over the Camaro’s open headlights) and careful airflow tuning yielded an impressive result.

Unfortunately, the mechanicals did not come close to backing up the looks. The top of the line engine for the Trans Am was the LU5 Cross-Fire 165 bhp 5.0 liter/305 ci V8 with throttle-body fuel injection—and that was only available with a three-speed automatic transmission, yielding about a nine-second zero to sixty time (Motor Trend managed to do it in 8.89 seconds). If you wanted the four-speed manual transmission, the best engine choice available on the Trans Am was the base LG4 145 bhp 5.0 liter/305 ci V8 with a four-barrel carburetor—and approximately ten seconds from 0 to 60 mph.

These performance issues did not, however, prevent Pontiac from implying the world in their commercials for the Trans Am.

Standard exterior and mechanical equipment on the $9,658 Trans Am (about $26,000 in today’s dollars) included power brakes (front disc/rear drum), hidden electronically-controlled halogen headlamps, dual sport mirrors, an all-glass rear hatch, a rear decklid spoiler, and 205/70R14 steel-belted radial tires (still a readily available size) on 14-inch turbo cast-aluminum wheels. Inside, reclining front bucket seats and side window defoggers were included.

Options included a special performance package ($387 bought you the special handling package, four-wheel disc brakes, and 215/65R15 blackwall tires on 15 x 7 aluminum wheels), power windows ($165), power door locks ($106), a tilt steering wheel ($95), and air conditioning ($675).

Third-generation Firebirds have a strong following, and 1982 Trans Ams make regular appearances in the Hemming’s Motor News classifieds and on eBay Motors. According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, all the money for a 1982 Trans Am with the Cross-Fire engine in #1/Concours condition is $20,400, with a more normal #3/Good car going for $7,600. When I updated this blog entry in February 2019, there was a Black/Gold 1984 Trans Am with black seats, a 5.0 liter/305 ci V8, a five-speed manual, and 1,971 miles for sale in Hemmings for $23,000.

Please make mine Black, but I think I’d hold out for the 1983 version and its five-speed manual transmission/190 bhp L69 HO engine combination.

Updated in February 2019.