Firehawk prototype

 

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Actually that is car #1... It was the prototype...

John

 

Hey John, is that car #1 or the first press car? Car number 1 has production T-Ram and a regular production console. It also has Press Car #1 on the map pocket. I know they changed a few cars after the fact....but I also understand Ed still has (or had) the original press car as seen in this magazine?

 

T,
Yes, When I looked at #1 in 98/99 I was told that the car I was looking at was the car pictured in the magazines. He (It was either Mark Shickell or Mike Dumays) told me that they actually swapped out the pieces and parts to the regular production cars.

I suspect that there may be one more, #0 that is still owned by Hamburger... But I am going on by what I was told by SLP that #1 was the Press car. I think #0 may be one of the test cars tho that survived the testing, probably an emissions test...

John

 

I have some old old stuff from back in 85-87 on the SLP stuff being tested for a future model.... It shows the converted (2 TPI) dual quad carb intake that SLP even offerd very early on.
From what I understand, SLP had been doing testing for several years on the SLPpackage and firehawk stuff before the Hawk program.

 

I might be wrong, but I want to think that the SLP stuff was more or less introduced as OTC at dealerships in 1989... Cold Air intake, Runners, Headers, Cat-Back exhaust, etc...

John

 

Yup, it appeared in the GMPPC from 89-92, I had originals of all. Part numbers did change over the years though.

 

John's correct...as always.

That fits the 001 "Press Car" profile and was #1 production car built for public. Too bad they took off all the prototype and comp parts.... Last I heard Hamburger still had the car and probably always will.

 

Actually no, the car was sold, it was at the Trans Am Nationals a few years back IIRC. I offered to buy it when SLP was selling both #1 & #26. In short it was below their desired price, but they said Make offer, so I did... $15K oh well... At the time I could get a nice Ferrari 328 or 348 (I forget) for around $30K I was not about to drop that kind of money on a Car that may or may not increase in value, when I Know a Ferrari would almost definitely increase in value. Either way I never got either car..

Like I said before, I think the car that Ed has is a pre-production car... I want to think he still has a T-ram setup too... New, unused, but last I heard he was unwilling to separate with it.

John

 

Did the T-ram come in the firehawk ? I had a friend who had a forest green bird with a V8 and T-ram in it, never could figure out if it was "rare" or not.

 

They were sold after market by SLP and others. The intake is rare, the fact your friends car had one, could have been anyone.

 

SLP built an undocumented number of T-Ram's, ( rumors say less than 100) and they were all intended for the Firehawks.
They did not build as many Firehawks as they originaly intended, and sold off the remaining T-Rams.

I purchased the last one Summit had and installed it on my 87 IROC. My car is probably a 9 on a scale of 10, and if I left the T-Ram on it the sale price wouldnt increase much. The T-Ram by itself is a whole nother story. I have been offered 3500.00 for it and the accessories 4 years ago.

 

$3,500? That's impressive. I've never seen one sell close to that number. I'm not even sure a NOS unit would bring that?

I've also heard from two independent and very reliable sources there were just over 100 T-Rams built.

 

They are only worth what some one will pay, and several years ago I posted a thread on this sight regarding selling mine. 80% of the posts low balled what it was worth, but I got a couple of emails from sereious collectors offering a geat price. Keep in mind I have the kick down bracket for the A4 and CC, along with an extra set of gaskets, AC bracket, fuel lines and fittings and radiator shroud. I have every part SLP offered for a T-Ram along with the instalation direction and boxes everything came in.

Remember they are only worth what someone is willing to pay today. I dont know what one would go for now, let alone tommorrow, just what I was offered several years ago.

Anyhow, it seems to be doing the job now on my 87 with a zz4 shortblock and TF heads. It will be put to the test in a couple of months when the 195 AFR's and a bigger cam are installed.