I have an ongoing spat w/ a friend of mine who believes that the Trans am is not a Firebird. It is just called a Trans Am, not a Firebird Trans Am. I know there are Firebirds and Firebird Formulas, but its also Firebird Trans Am, right? I don't think Pontiac Trans Am sounds right. Pontiac Firebird Trans Am sounds right. Sorry for the lame topic but please help clear the fog.

Thanks

 

I was gonna research that myself. I have a friend (also in Orlando) that owns a 4th gen Firehawk. We always argue that same subject. The Firebird is the model, the Trans Am, Formula and Firehawk are sub models.

Just like the Camaro is the model and the Z28, Berlinetta and SS are submodels. This is my take on it, but I could be wrong.

I hope someone enlightens me with accurate proof so I can shove it in my friends face!!!

 

ive seen some old 1983 commercials and dealer video brochures that call the trans am a sport model of the firebird. as they looked the same except for the hoods its easier to grasp the concept of the firebird being the line, and the coupe, SE, and trans am being packages

they are available on the net, you just need to find them.

 

looking thru my 1990 pontiac brochure the different models for this year are

Trans Am GTA
Firebird Trans Am
Formula
Coupe

so it looks like the Firebird Trans Am was one of the models.

 

I was educating oner of my gf's about cars once.

I said that technically, its a Firebird Trans Am BUT no one ever says that---and just says Trans Am. Cause everyone knows that a Trans Am is a Firebird already and you'll just lookn dumb isf you say Firebird Trans Am

 

i agree totally with you on that one. Thats how i feel on the subject.

 

I can't belive anybody would argue this.

You take a car, stick some stickers on it, maybe add an option or 2 here or there..... and now it's not the kind of car it was any more? What is this guy, blind or something???

I don't know what's funnier; that, or Pontiac licensing the Trans Am name for their Firebird model when they didn't even run the races. As some of you may recall, that's what RPO Z28 originally was: it was the production version that was required by the SCCA rules at the time, in order to qualify to run in their series. Chevrolet ran the races, Pontiac didn't. Pontiac had no such car. They didn't even run in that series until many years later, after the rules changed and the cars changed (when GM started running 305s). Posers.

 

Firstly, Pontiac did run the Trans Am series beginning in '67, but they were forced to use Camaros with Firebird stuff grafted on because, as usual, the Chevys always got the preferred treatment by GM and Firebird bodies were not available yet. Pontiac ran their own design 303, not the 302 Chevy motor. The team ran pretty well in practice, but always seemed plagued with bad luck in competiton, and I believe it was '70 or '71 when the Pontiac driver was killed when he hit a bridge abutment in practice, and nobody knows to this day why he crashed. RB83l69, I suggest in future that you resist the temptation to slam things that you know absolutely nothing about, or at least do some research first. You just make yourself look like an A$$

Secondly, Trans Am, GTA, Esprit and Formula are "option packages" on the Firebird, IROC is an option package on a Camaro and Cobra is an option package on a Mustang. The option package comes with certain features standard in the package.

This is confusing because other cars have been different in this respect, as a Pontiac LeMans in 1964 was available with the GTO package, but starting in 1965, the GTO was not a package, but considered a different car and dissassociated with the Tempest/LeMans that it was originally built from. Why? You'd have to ask GM...

Troy
So Cal

 

Help me out with remembering what production model of car Pontiac sold 500 of to be able to run in that series. I'm really struggling with that. What model of car was it? What engine did it have? What RPO code did you use to order it? My memory is really getting dim with age, but somehow I don't recall a single one of those things.

 

Also, the 303 cubic inch engine was never in production and no more than a handful were ever made. The tunnelport heads were a neat design, but not practical. I thought that the Ram Air 5 castings were a similar (if not the same) castings...

Pontiac did race the 2nd gen cars and the crash was by Jerry Titus in a modded out T/A.

 

yeah thats too bad about the 303 not making it.

You are correct about the heads. They ports were way too huge on such a small engine. They speculated at the time, that they would be great on a high compression 455.

I have a road test some where ofa 303 auto (!!) t ran mid 16's.
All top end--no bottom.

 

You are probably thinking NASCAR.
Close to a thousand cars had to be built, to race. That's why the '86 Grand Prix with the bubble back had to be built. Same thing with the Monte Carlo (remember the Monte Carlo SS with the bubble back, or turtle back?).
As for cars being named for racing, Pontiac has almost always named their cars for racing.
Bonneville
Grand Am
Grand Prix
Formula
Trans Am
And then, how about SLP? They only built 25 in '91 and '92 total! But there were Firehawks racing in the Firehawk series.
Gee, I wonder if Chevy named the Malibu for Malibu Grand Prix tracks all over! (Just teasing you, not slamming!)

Hope this helps,

George

 

Dude, sell that tired Z and go out and buy a Firebird already. I think it would be therapeutic for you. This incessent hatred of the fairer of the F-bodies is really masking a deep seated desire to own one. Heal yourself.

 

Those were the "Canadian Firebirds" that had the 303... supposedly, they were built in enough numbers to be legal, but no one has ever seen one I don't think.

 

Actually the GTO was an options package for both '64 and '65 and it wasn't until '66 when they made it a model line of it's own, then went back to being an option in '73 for the '73 and '74 models.

 

Yes, its a Firebird Trans Am.

Don't mind RB, he's just upset that there are better cars out there than his. He'll get over it.

 

A Trans AM is a Firebird but a Firebird is not a Tran Am.

 

 

....and nobody calls it that.

They just say, "Pontiac Trans Am"

 

Basiclly the Trans am is an Option Package for the Firebird.

OH & They dont say the 35th Anniv Firebird. Its always the Anniv of the Trans am which started in 69 (only white with blue racing strips were the color of the trans am in 69)

 

Yeah, people can understand the concept that there is a Mustang, then there is a Mustang GT version, Mustang Cobra version. There is a Camaro, then a Z28 version of Camaro, SS, etc. When it comes to the Firebird I always hear confusion. It's funny how people cannot grasp that the Firebird has different variations.

It seems that to the average guy they are all either Firebirds or all Trans Ams.

Then of course, there is Formula which further adds to the confusion, breezing right over the top of their heads.."is a Formula a Trans Am or Firebird?"
Alas, and then the Pontiac Firebird Trans Am(or Formula) SLP Firehawk.
Don't even bother trying to explain that one.

I just let people call them whatever they say and go on.
But is it kind of funny when you are driving a car with huge bird decals all over it and "Trans Am" on every side of the it and they STILL call it a Firebird or Camaro.

 

I have a really SIMPLE way to tell whether or not a Trans Am is actualy a "Firebird Trans AM..."

Q. Are there little Firebreathing Bird decals anywhere on a Trans AM?

A. YES!

Therefore the Trans AM is technically a "Firebird Trans AM" Just like the GTA would technically be either a "Firebird GTA" or more accurately a "Firebird Trans AM GTA".

On a slightly side note, is it slightly redundant to call a GTA a Trans AM GTA when GTA stands for Gran Turisimo Americana, when translated its essentially Grand Touring America? Thus its Trans America Grand Touring America.

And I too have heard people call my car a Formula Trans Am ...

John

 

GM's 3rd Gen F-bodies Camaro/Firebird.

 

dammit why does gm have to be so confusing, couldnt they just keep it pontiac firebird and maybe add some letters and **** for different models , sort of like...the mustangs...sorry guys

 

They did... technically, its a Firebird T/A, so they did just add letters!

 

This Post is getting DUMB & DUMBER....

 

 

:lala: :lala:

 

If you want a Crash course in the different models of Firebird, go to the Trans AM Nats in Dayton OH. My wife can now distinguish between all models at 200 yards.

John