I don't see anything unusual, idiot light cluster and manual windows and mirrors

 

Must be a big person that drives it. Look at that driver seat cushion.

 

So all those idiot lights are in those small holes where trans ams got 4 big ports?

 

Yes. I have only seen it once in an actual car and once out of the car at a swap meet

 

Wow, so it's rare. I've never seen this.

 

I don't know about rare, but it is far less common.

 

Is that a very early 3rd gen? I've never seen that dash before and I think all Firebirds (except for the digital dash) had the four instrument pods from at least 1985 on. But I know that some early 3rd gen Firebirds did only have the two pods.

https://www.ebay.com/i/264074761095?...RoCqGcQAvD_BwE

Here's the bezel on eBay.

 

It's on a 1987



Cool eBay link.

 

It was standard on the Firebirds and shown up through the 1987 Firebird order guide.

 

I can't believe that I didn't know about this being standard through 1987. I think I saw an early 3rd gen on Facebook with it, but it's the only that one that I remember. And I've probably looked at hundreds of these cars in person and god knows how many in pictures.

 

I think this '85 up base dash lasted up through 1988,used cable driven AC Delco speedo.

 

Thanks. Very interesting. Never saw one in a car before.

 

The 1988 Pontiac product book shows full gauge instrumentation as now standard on the Firebird - New for 1988

 

Noted,up through '87. That base cluster could look cool if small digital gauges for the secondary instruments were installed to display through some of those idiot light holes

 

Thank GOD the GTA Notchback hatch was not actually available enough for regular production, as standard equipment.

 

Those are fighting words.....

 

Definitely agree with this statement (sorry Scooter).

 

Don't get me wrong (as my post probably suggests), I like the notchback and remember seeing a white one in the Fisher building back in the Summer of 1987 (or was it 88?)

Anyways, it was gorgeous, but not sure I'd like it as standard.

 

Don't know if Scooter has one to need the sorry statement, but I do have one. That said, I do see and understand why some dislike the look as it changed the lines. There are some angles that it doesn't look as nice as the normal hatch.

That GTA Notchback reference is from an early 1988 Pontiac product book printed in early 1987.

 

My 85 iron duke project car has this mickey mouse cluster. I like it because it as ugly as the rest of this car.

 

I have a hatch to put on my car. I have had two though

 

I've seen quite a few of those. The cars generally have a lot of "race car" low weight parts on them.

 

I agree with this. It was an interesting option, but I wouldn't have wanted it as standard.

This is a bit of hindsight though. I really liked the notchback concept when I first read about it. And in reality, from some angles I do like it. But from other angles, not being a true notchback, it just seems very awkward. Not to ruffle still more feathers, it reminds me a bit of the 1991-92 front end. I like the Banshee concept and didn't have a problem in theory with incorporating elements of that into the Firebird. But the execution has always left me a bit cold. It appears tacked on (although it wouldn't keep me from buying a nice clean 1991-2).

 

I actually read it wrong. I thought he meant not to have it at all I can understand not everyone wanting one.

I just wish the Kammback had been a production option too

 

Kammback would've been neat, also. Remember the Nissan Pulsar NX which had two hatches one could interchange?

 

Gross.

 

 

Here is the '82 to '84 version.

 

That's the non-four-pod dash that I remember.