ok ive seen two types of firebird front ends im wondering about.....im not a huge ird guy so i dont know that much about them. but why do some birds have different front ends (some have black inserts on them, almost like little guards and some have just the smooth front end with no inserts) than others. i thought it was just the year but ive seen older ones without the black inserts and visa versa??? im lost

 

The black bumper guards started being put on the 'birds in '85 and went until they changed the bumpers on them in 91 if I remember correctly. The Trans Am's had a completely different front and rear bumper.

 

ok i thought it was like somthing like that but does anyone else know the complete story trans ams, formulas, gtas, and firebirds alltogether all years?????

 

On the main part of this site there is a tech data section which has the breakdown of each year and motor options, changes in bodies etc etc.

Here's the link

https://www.thirdgen.org/tech/techdb.shtml

 

Firebirds and TAs got grilles from '82-'84, with some '84s getting a smooth filler piece instead of a grille.

Then from '85-'90, Firebirds/Formulas(available from '87) got the impact pads in place of the grille, and TAs/GTAs(available in from '87) got a gfx nose.

Then in '91 & '92, the nose changed to the smoother-sloping, more rounded-style design(batmobile-like, as some described it). There was fake grille inset some and not in others. I'm not sure if that grille was a model-specific thing(like Firebirds got it and TAs didn't), or if the grille was a model-year design change(like '91s got it and '92s didn't). I think it was a model-year design change. But I'm sure someone will be along to let us know.

 

perfect! thank you....dammit ive always wondered why ive seen such differences!!!

 

The 85-90 Trans Am nose (no grilles) was available on the base firebird in the sport apearance package. The package included the TA nose and aero package with out the aero spoiler (the wrap around one). I am not sure what years the sport appearance package was available on the base firebird.

Does any one know if the sport appearance package was available on the Formula? Just curious.

 

91-92 Formulas and base Firebirds without the Aero package had the grille inserts.

 

85-92 I believe.

Quote:

Does any one know if the sport appearance package was available on the Formula?

No. Formulas did not have GFX at all. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

 

Yeah, generally Formulas were based upon the "base" firebird and all third gen formulas that I have seen have the base firebird appearance. However I have heard stories of a very few Formulas with the aero package. I was just curious if anyone could verify this or if anyone has actually seen one.

On a side note, since the Z20 package from 1988 was dealer installed, did anyone have a package installed on a Formula? That would be an oddity.