OK, the other day i went to McDonalds and as i started to back out i looked to my right and i saw this bad *** car but i couldn't recognize it, then i backed up more and i recognized the taillights, it was a firebird.
I have never seen anything like it, at first i thought it had to be a notch back but i'm not to sure. It had ground effects that i have never seen on ANY f-body. It appeared to be a wide body type deal, because the ground effects ran all along the side of the car and over the rear fender wells, it made the car look a lot wider. It was bad a$$. well at first i thought it was a notchback but i saw a picture of the notchback and it didn't look similar. it had the notch back type window but it had some vents that ran along the back.
and on the back of the rear hatch was a badge that read "Contempo"
It was a "Contempo" firebird.
is this a notch back or not?
the car appeared to be a 89 or 90 firebird.


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Don't drink and drive. You might hit a bump and spill your drink.

 

Did "Contempo" look like a dealer tag or actual badging? Did you see the front end? If so did the hood not totally line up with the front bumper? Might have a been a Tojan.

 

Yep i saw the front end, the front bumper and the hood lined up fine and they were stock....

 

Oh and what do you mean dealer tag or actual badging?

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Don't drink and drive. You might hit a bump and spill your drink.

 

Ughhh... Mcdonalds :P Do you think you could find the car and take some pics? I'm sure lots of people on the board would be interested.

[This message has been edited by 83T/A_Dave (edited August 06, 2001).]

 

I really doubt i will ever see it, i really wanted to take a picture of it but i was in a hurry to get outta town and i didn't have time.
i should have tried to find the owner, but again.. i was in a hurry...
the wierd thing is that even though it looked bad *** , it was old...
like it didn't have a brand new paint job or aftermarket wheels.
the whole car was a faded red...
i'm going to assume most people will think i'm full of it, but i know what i saw. And it was a firebird

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Don't drink and drive. You might hit a bump and spill your drink.

 

Reviving an old thread and proving someone right...a Firebird Contempo

 

I kinda like the hatch thing.

 

This is what a Contempo Camaro looks like with a wing and front spoiler. And I like the looks too. I've owned 2, one in the 80's and this one now.

 

sweeet ride... post up at nythirdgen.com

 

No offense, but I can see why they weren't that common. =/ I like the rear-hatch mix of a notchback and louvers. I've wanted to see something like that, but the wide wheel wells just don't suit that car. It looks like it's trying way too hard to be an import.

I mean it's not ugly, just definitely not my style. Definitely a rare find.

 

Hey, I realize it's a hit or miss look. I happen to like it. I put an IROC hood on it, just as I did with the one I bought new in 1987. I run wider wheels with spacers on the rear to fit the wells. I want to push the front wheels out a bit, but they rub when I add the spacers.

 

And in the 80's, there were a few companies who made different hatches. Here's one example.

 

that firebird makes me really see how much this car actually can look like a 80s model ferrari.
that camaro is sweet too looks alot like a porsche 944...or something of that nature.

 

Hey, thanks....And a very large 944 at that! I've heard Delorean, Lambo, you name it. Delorean is probably better, because it is definitely "OUTATIME". The 80's ran amuck with kits for the ThirdGens.

 

you ever show that thing? ive never seen it locally

 

I've shown at a few small local shows. I wanted to clean it up first and add an Iroc Hood which I just did. I'll start doing shows next summer. The front spoiler was in 3 pieces and needed repair and the nose had holes in it around the lights with LIGHT LOUVERS! I had never even heard of such a thing. Here's a pic of how I found it.

 

Me and a couple other members have been searching of a picture of another camaro with Light Louvers, we like the look because we love the 80's, but nobody makes them anymore, did they have a company name stamped anywhere on them?, i think i will have to steal your pic and post it in that thread

 

They are Traco Vortex. And I have pics...feel free to use what ever you like

 

Hey man. I think your car is really cool.

 

Talk about rare parts/concepts for camaros.....you just found the gold mine. Not only are those light louvers rare....but I bet most that are still in existence are not in that good of condition

 

Thanks alot, this is exactly what we were looking for, wish i could find some NOS ones from Traco, that would be cool even though most members are on the "dont like" side of these covers

 

I kinda like the light louvers, actually. I dunno, they remind me of the old 1st Gen RS's a little.

 

I know, I wasn't trying to hate or anything, I was just saying that although they're unique, I can see why they weren't the hugest trend is all. I don't mind the concept of fender flares, if you got the rims/tires to meet up with them, really.

 

Hey Johnny, Where abouts in Albany? I'm from Colonie. I went to a ton of car shows between July and September. Never once saw that sick Contempo >.> and honestly wish i had haha!
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Join us at www.NYTHIRDGEN.com

 

Wow, I'm glad I was careful when I removed them!

 

Hey, no worries here. I don't take that as hate at all. Some people like some things and some like others. I had one of these in the 80's, sold it to buy my wife a Honda...then she left with her childhood sweetheart. I swore I'd find one again and it took 20 years. Here's a pic of me with my old one around 1990...

 

I'm in Schodack and did a couple of small local shows. Now that I've fixed the spoiler and nose and have the hood on, I can show next year. And I just joined nythirdgen

 

That looks pretty good IMHO.

 

That looks good too. Not too many kits out there look good on these cars. I never even knew these existed.

 

Its kinda tuff to tell from the pictures because they make the car look very short compared to what they actually are. Now you guys have me on the hunt for one

Sometimes I think about whether or not this cars will be worth any real money 50-60 years from now....but if they ended up that way those contempos would be top dawg for sure.

 

I like the Contempos. Always have. When I bought mine in 1987, I called Contempo in Warren, Ohio to buy the kit. They said they only sold complete cars or spare parts for those with cars. But he told me of one that hadn't sold, the two tone gray one I bought. The Contempo guy said they only made 50 Contempos. And supposedly, my current one is one of 4 GT's, which is basically the car with a huge wing (Fiero-like) and the front spoiler. And they were pricey, my old one was loaded and was $19400 and my current one was $20,100 and not as loaded. That was big money for 1986. A rough one did just sell in Florida, she was asking $3000. Here's a couple of pics of the brochure..it's called a Cantara

 

If I had the $$, I'd be all over this. I think it's pretty cool.
http://bakersfield.craigslist.org/cto/1994984114.html

 

That's a rare one too. There weren't many made in 1985.

 

And if it has been a SouthWest car all its life that could mean great things.

 

@ "***** to the wall power"

 

I think you might have seen the ferrari kit cant remember name of car but was gm deal on jesse james monster garage he wasted a piece history and made a snowman float for a parade out of it find old episodes might be it was weird but badass

 

So much reminds me of the Ferrari 348 clones I saw in Amsterdam in 1991. The only clue as to the origin was the shape of the doors and the dash pad.

 

that craigslist ad has about the same exact story(copied exactly pretty much) as this one from 2005 on this board


https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/sout...-sale-big.html

wonder if its the same one with new paint

 

No, that's a different car. This newer car has the entire Contempo kit on it. To tell you the truth, that white car only had an earlier version of the Contempo hatch. It didn't have the side skirts or the fender flares.

 

Some of the cars had the Contempo logo on them. My first one didn't, but my current one does.

 

yeah, I noticed that about the one from 05, did contempo's only come with the stock flat hood?

looks more like whoever originally owned the one from the 05 post just got ahold of the hatch and put it on as the "do it yourself" contempo, but thats as far as they went

i just think its funny how the CL ad has the same story, sounds like the CL guy was trying to tell a story on why the car is rare, by searching google and copying whatever he found

 

Yes, he probably pulled stuff from where ever he could find it to tell his story. And yes, that white one just had the hatch. And all Contempos came with flat hoods. I put Iroc Hoods on mine. Contempos were based off up loaded up Base Firebirds and Camaro Sport Coupes. The fender flares didn't conform to Z28 and TA noses. That's why my GT is rare, it has a front chin spoiler. After a lot of research, it turns out it's the lower spoiler off of a Choo Choo Team Camaro. I called Choo Choo and the molds are gone, but luckily, a local guy fixed mine. Here's a pic of my old Contempo with the standard front end.

 

A few more pics of my car..it has an Iroc Hood now and the front spoiler is fixed. I haven't taken new pics yet. Notice how when they made this car they didn't even remove the multi-stripe that ran around the car. You can see it on the nose and tail. If I ever get around to painting the whole car, I'll def take that off.

 

This might be the first necropost where I actually agree with the revival. Great piece of third gen history!

 

Now thats a nice car!

 

Thanks!

 

so did these just have engines like other camaros or where they suped up an bit?

 

Standard engines. It was merely a body package.

 

i wish there was a way to get one of those hatches...