After looking at other 3rd gen Trans Ams online, I thought I noticed something weird about my car. On my front bumper where other cars have the Trans Am lettering on the right side of the front bumper. Mine is located on the left side. Same on the back bumper, other cars have Trans Am on the back right. Mine has it on the back left. Mine also says Firebird on the side, while others sway Trans Am. I checked the VIN, it is a real Trans Am. Wondering if there is a factory option for these weird lettering changes. And the service tag has fallen off and idk the options. I believe it is fully loaded.

Thanks, Sean

 

Upload some photos.

Probably was repainted, or at least the decals redone and installed incorrectly.

 

Here's the front.

 

i don't believe it was repainted. But there are some spots where the paint is coming off. There seems to be a red primer underneath. Is this a possible sign of a repaint?

 

The front decal is also too high and crooked. It's definitely not original. The Firebird decal on the side doesn't belong either, it should also say Trans am. I also can't tell if the sail panel bird is the correct one, but it's in the wrong place (common mistake when repainting and applying new decals). It's fairly common for incorrect decals, installed in the wrong positions after a car was repainted.

 

The factory didn't use red primer. They used a gray e-coat primer. You might be seeing the clearcoat peeling off and the red basecoat underneath would be dull matt finish.

It could be original paint, or maybe part of the car was repainted. Even if not repainted, the decals could have been redone at some point in the past.

 

Yeah that's probably it. I don't care too much about it. I just drive it around to get me to A to B. But maybe later I'll have it repainted. I just noticed this and was wondering what was the deal.

Thanks, Sean

 

I would have thought this, but how could someone mess up that badly to put the decals on the wrong side of the car? And why change it from Trans Am to Firebird?

 

Great looking car. No big deal just take the incorrect decals off, look at some pics on where they are supposed to go, and get the correct ones off e-bay to go back on if that's what you want. I love the bird on the hood!

 

Thanks Guy. That's probably what I'm going to do this winter. I love the bird too.

 

No idea why, but it's typically just poor attention to detail. It could have been that the replacement decals were ordered from the dealer, in which case it would not be a kit, but each one individually ordered and the Firebird fender decal may have been mistakenly ordered instead of the Trans am decal. What also typically happens is whoever removes the old decals doesn't take pictures and measurements of the old ones and then when they go to put the new ones on, they do it from memory. Probably didn't remember that the fender said Trans am and not Firebird and thought "well, that's what the dealer gave me, so it must be right". That crooked Trans am decal on the front is just someone being sloppy in their work. It could have been a DIY job, or just a crappy body shop. If my car came back from a shop with the decals all wrong, I would certainly reject it and make them do it again, but many people just don't care and accept it.

It looks like a great car though. I'm not trying to pick on it, just answering your question on why the decals look different. You could leave the decals, or change them, either way it's a cool car.

 

Yeah I don't mind the difference. I just found it interesting. Thanks guy. I love it too

 

https://www.phoenixgraphix.com/transam/8586ta.php

 

Thanks guy.

 

that Firebird decal on the front fender looks aftermarket / not original and the bird emblem on the sail panel looks like its too high as well.

 

Yeah I can see that now. But why would someone have it say Firebird instead of Trans Am?
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