hi all, my name's Robby and I might be picking up a '86 TA here very shortly. i searched for about an hour trying to find a good forum about these cars, and this is the best one i found!

now, to why i'm here. what engines/transmissions do these cars have? what should i know about them, as far as known problems, little quirks, etc. 2nd, what can i do to start me in the right direction as far as making more power, that's also relatively cheap ($0 to ~500)?

thanks, i look forward to being here for a long time!

 

Check out the thirdgen.org technical section for your future car: https://www.thirdgen.org/1986-pontiac-firebird

 

yeah sorry about that, i found that shortly after i posted lol!

now how bout making more power

 

Try the engine board for the best combo on your specific engine. Chassis and power adder board maybe usefull aswel. But try and search before you ask, there are over a million post on this board, one is bound to provide you with the nessecary information.

Have fun

 

The big thing about an 86, is that it's an early car. They're overly complicated, and don't run as well as the later cars. From the MAF, to the wiring, to the emissions equipment layout, etc they're just not as dependable or user friendly as a later car.

 

That depends. They're no more difficult than any other 86-89 cars, and considering the premium you usually pay for a 90-92, I'd say that they are a perfectly good starting point. If you're doing major mods, it doesn't really matter what you start with because you'll be replacing it all, and if you're doing minor mods, the MAF cars are going to adapt better without chip modifications. Other than constant MAF failures, the 86-89 cars aren't any less reliable than the newer ones. Most of the parts/sensors are the same between the two except for the MAF, but you can buy a Wells SU145 with a lifetime warranty and be in the clear from that point on.

 

Choose an 85 over an 86 then, the 85 TPI equiped cars have an advantage out the door over the 86 versions

 

Why is that?

 

No absolutely don't do that. '85 cars were a one year only for the ECM. If you buy an '86-'88 you can run the '89 bin file for the PROM chip (with a few changes), which is the best tune for the MAF cars. You can't do this with an '85. The advantage to an '85 vs. '86 is the '85 has a better cam. That's it. Most guys change the cam anyway so you really gain nothing except a slower computer.

 

If you're going to keep it stock, and if you want a 305 TPI automatic, the 85 is the way to go. The 85 is noticably quicker than the 86+ cars because of a much better camshaft. However, when you start to mod the car, the useless 85 computer will be a hinderance, although you can swap to a newer one pretty affordably. Again... for major mods that require you to rip out everything anyway, or for no mods, the 85 is great. Anywhere inbetween, then no.

However... if you can get into a TPI 5 speed car, those got the same cam as the 85, and again, they are noticably quicker than their automatic counterparts.

I may be a bit more of a horsepower junkie than most people, but I wouldn't even consider buying a TPI 305 automatic because they're just too damned slow. At least with the 5 speed cars you got a bit more power, plus getting to do all that shifting helps you forget that the car is underpowered.

There's a reason why L98s and LB9 T5 cars cost more... they're worth it.

 

Unless it's just early and my memory is hazy, the TPI 305 wasn't offered with the 5-spd till 87 anyway.

I've owned an 83, an 84, several 86's, an 87, an 89, and 3 91's... 86's generally have more problems, they were produced in very high numbers, most of the higher performance combos weren't offered that year, etc.

Every part of these cars was constantly being improved to reduce warranty repairs. The difference between an 82 and a 86 is considerable, from 86 to 92 is another big change. The money is going to be the same regardless what year car you buy, might as well get the best developed example you can find. The only reason I'd take another 86 is if it was nearly free... It'd have to be under $1,000 or really damn nice.

PS: If you're going to be modifying it doesn't matter as much, but then this is History/Restoration... Modification and related concerns don't really apply here.