so i have been looking around this site and a few others and i noticed that out of every post i have looked at, only one other person owns a firebird s/e, my question i have is how uncommon is this car? i have looked around and have never really found any price for it (most firebirds being sold are trans ams). if anyone could please send me a message more about about this car that would be great (its a v8 5 speed manuel)

 

Although I'm sure it is a rare car, it is not desirable enough to drastically affect the value of the car. No S/E should sell for more than a comparable condition Trans Am.

The main point of the S/E was to have a loaded-out base model Firebird without having to get all the Trans Am suspension, trim, and mechanicals. IIRC, the standard engine in the S/E was the 2.8 V6, but you could still get the LG4 305 as an option. They are still cool cars as it is very difficult to find base model Firebirds with options, but once again I would not pay close to Trans Am prices for one.

You mention that the car is a V8 5 speed...that sounds fishy as the 5 speed was not available until 1983, and then only as an option as the 4 speed was still standard. A manual transmission should make the car slightly more desirable/valuable, but probably still not approaching T/A prices.

 

It was the "chick car" of its day, all image, little to no performace; in a way, the equivalent of the Camaro Berlinetta, or the 6-cyl Mustang. Lots of trim, soft ride, no power or handling. The Trans Am was the "desirable" testosterone type of vehicle of its day, like the Z28 Camaro was compared to the Berlinetta.

Rare or not, not "desirable" or "valuable", just on accont of being a S/E. Nobody cares.

It's either not a 82, or not a 5-speed, or isn't original. Doesn't help the value any unless it was a VERY clean and meticulous swap of whatever into/onto whatever car/drivetrain.

S/Es were EXTREMELY common at the time. However, since they aren't the sort of thing that quickens the pulse of the general buying public, they haven't generally been as carefully preserved as the more "top-of-the-line" performance models have been. Certainly not as sought-after today.

If you have one and it's a nice car (could easily be, don't get me wrong there), enjoy it, use it, get your money's worth out of it; but don't expect anybody else to care very much when selling time rolls around.

 

when i say 5 speed, i mean 1-4 plus reverse

 

thanks for the info, it is greatly appreciated

 

Then you're the only one who means that when they say that.

The rest of the world calls a transmission with 4 forward gears, a 4-speed.

4-speeds were the stock manual trans in 82, so that makes a bit more sense. You have a 4-spd.

 

There were 21,719 Firebird S/E's built in 1982. The number of those equipped with a V8 and a 4spd would be lower.