I know it's a little off topic, but I couldn't think of anyone else to ask. After my Third Gen Firebird took a pretty savage rear ending, I'm out looking for a new car. A 1980 Bird (I know, I know, second gen :P) has popped on to the market and I'm thinking about buying it, but it has a 301 in it. I know the turbo charged Trans Am with those engines had a tendency to blow, but I always assumed that was because of turbo lag.

Basically what I'm asking is this, does anyone have anything to say about the non Turbo 301s?

 

The turbo 4.9's didn't blow up. They where just dogs and all their ancillary components broke.

There's nothing wrong with 301's as long as you don't have intentions of going fast. They don't have much of an aftermarket and I don't think the engine itself can be made to make a lot more power.

 

Well, my 2.8 Bird was plenty quick for me, so I don't think that's a big problem. Though my friend with the 84 Z28 will problably want to run against it, just so he can gloat about beating it. :P

 

Your 2.8 is probably a bit faster than the 301 powered Pontiac

 

Lol, probably

 

I take it from that smiley face that the 2.8 will have been quite a bit quicker?

I use past tense because some dick rear ended me about a week back and killed the poor Firebird (he rear ended me at about 80 kph, compared to my 0 kph). I need a new Firebird, I'm going through withdrawls here. :P

 

There's a guy on here trying to sell a red bird that's had a lot of work done to it - I think he's down to 4 grand now.

 

Sorry, this is gonna sound snotty....by my standards a 301 T/A would be disgustingly slow. I think they're a 16 second car with the potential to be a low 16 second car. My second T/A, an'80, was originally a NA 301 car. The guy before me ripped out the 301 and replaced it with a mild 350.

I do love the the late 2nd gen T/A's though. They're awesome cruisers and comfortable as hell. And there is nothing cooler than sitting behind a shaker hood. Unless that shaker isn't shaking because it's a 301 that will idle at 350 RPM

I'm gonna own another one some day.

 

yes those 2nd gens are great..The only thing I didnt like with my 75,77 and 79 Camaros were the unreclinable seats and the tiny trunk.

 

Yeah, my seats sucked too. I always had lots of head room though and i'm 6'5". I don't remember the trunk being small. I just remember it leaking. On both cars, lol.

 

From what I remember of the mid 70s the trunk only needed to be big enough to carry a couple of 24s and reclining seats were regarded with some suspicion as too many people were passing out in them at field parties and choking on there own vomit.

 

I'm sorry I missed most of that decade

Oh well, I lived my own version during grades 9 through 13.

And grade 13 part 2.

And the period of time after that.

But then I wasn't allowed to do anything, ever again.

 

I really like the early second gens. What ever year they started covered up the bumbers I didn't like them from that point on.

 

By the way, does anyone happen to know the specifics on the 80 Firebird Esprit? I'm really just looking for the horse and torque, just out of curiousity. I know the non-turbo Trans Ams in 80 used a 301 that produced 155 horse, but it seems unlikely to me that they would have had the Trans Am and an Esprit kicking out the same amount of power.

 

W-code=140hp

Y-code=155hp