On my 1989 Firebird, I have the color option called "Flame Red". As you can see, it is very worn out.
When I purchased the car, I asked if the paint had been exposed to a lot of sunlight and heat. He said that it was, but the contributing factor was that the paint style they had used that year had a faulty overcoat.

I was just wondering if that was true? The car is great except for the paint, and it doesn't bother me much (makes me feel like a teenager still), but it'd be interesting to know the details...

 

Yep, the original factory paint on 3rd gen is notorious for clear coat peeling and color fade. Yours is pretty typical of what you find on a lot of 3rd gens with original paint unless they were kept garaged and out of the weather most of their lives.

 

Yup, its true. You better just sell it to me so you don't have to deal with that headach !!!

 

looks like flame red to me.

clear coats peel. any clear coat. sun does damage. if the car isn't kept inside the majority of the time your clear coat isn't going to last forever.

also burgundy/this color red has one of the higher color fade. just the way it is. get her painted and enjoy or don't get her painted and enjoy!

 

I will inevitably paint her, just kind of interesting to know the history of this stuff.
I'm not planning on selling it since it's my first car. Just the tradition in my family to keep classics and work on them for the remainder of our lives.

 

24 year old paint on a driver, yeah, its gonna fade and ear away.

Imagine how many times it has been washed, waxed over the years.

Not too mention the drastic changes in sun and temperature it has seen.

Good looking color, will look great with a fresh coat.

 

My black 89 was all primer gray on its top surfaces when it was 2 yrs old.
Due to the wonderful restrictions by our government paint quality took a dive for awhile.

 

I had original Original white paint up to about 4 months ago and I thought the paint was fine until I put on a new front bumper cover and right front fender on,when the shop tried to feather in the paint it was surely old and faded but the clearcoat was still intact so I had the whole car repainted.

 

I'm probably going to paint the car silver when I get enough cash to do it. I like the color now, but it's always been my dream to own a silver car from the third-gen era, whether that be a Camaro or Firebird.
Plus I have orange racing seats. That would look killer with a silver exterior.

 

Ugh.. keep it the orginal color! Its good looking when done properly. It's also cheaper than doing a complete color change.
Its also a color thats not seen much on 350 cars. Yours is the 2nd or 3rd Ive seen in 20 yrs or so.
Orange racing seats???? Y, school colors????

 

The Van Nuys cars used water based paint due to California restrictions and the paint notoriously sucks.
I agree with TTop350 - you should paint it the original color. That color is beautiful when it is freshly sprayed.

 

Hmm. I have seen it a lot. I got one sitting here at the shop right now

 

I agree 100%! Paint it the original color. With modern paint, it'll look great and last a long time if you take care of it.

 

Just something I found on the net.

 

^that looks sharp.

 

+1, Yummy!

 

My buddy had a flame red 90 formula, Always looked great in the light great color on these cars

 

Agreed, great color, keep it!

As stated, a color change, done right takes a lot more, time, effort, and cash, especialy if you're paying someone to do it.

A color change without jamming, just looks embarassing.

I'm going to repaint again, in a fee years, thought about going to that color, but might go back to the original bright red.

 

Well post up a pic !!

There is one in my garage also. Its not a 350 car but it is a TTOP TPI auto car.

 

here's my 89 Formula 350 in the same color...I converted to 91-92 nose...I like the color and haven't see it to much.

 

I agree on keeping it flame red, to do a correct repaint in silver would be a pain. If you want silver just paint the lower part of the car silver

 

I had a flame red plain jane LG4 1986 Z-28 then a loaded 1987 flame red 350 TPI IROC I like the color but it never really got any respect.. ...people always said why didn't you get red or black? what I wanted was Yellow but couldn't find one. And I didn't want red or black.

 

Are you saying that Flame Red is a rare color for 350 Formulas or just rare for the whole Firebird line-up?

 

Nope, Just saying "I" haven't seen many 89 350 cars in that color and that doesn't mean they are "rare" at all.
I have heard there arn't many formula 350s in that color but thats unconfirmed.

 

Nope. I just like orange.

 

What he said. My TA is flame red and would not ever want to change it. My paint is faded as well, but not as bad as some I seen. A color change is always going to be a ton more work and money if done right.