Gen: 3 Firebird Trans Am

1982-1992 Firebird - Trans Am

3rd Generation Firebirds introduced: '82 Firebird, Firebird SE, and 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. The '82 Firebird was the base model, equivelant to the Camaro Sport Coupe, the '82 Firebird SE was a higher option level which could be loaded with more options than the Trans Am. The Trans Am was the highest performance level for the Firebird. In addition to being 500lbs lighter, the new 1982 Pontiac Firebird was the most aerodynamic production Firebird to date. Wind tunnels were used to form the body shape. The aerodynamic developements extended to the finned aluminum wheels with smooth caps and a functional spoiler. Trans Am received a turbo bulge hood styled loosely off the earlier turbo Trans Am. Plans had originally been made to use the Pontiac 4.9 turbo, but it was scrapped at the last minute. The hood remained and was made fuctional for the Cross-fire injected 305. The 1982 Pontiac Firebird SE could be had with every option the Trans Am could have but didn't use the bulged hood. Leather seating was also availble on all models. Firebirds were available several engines. The standard fuel injected 90hp 2.5L 4 cylinder Pontiac Iron Duke, a 102hp 2.8L V6, and two 5.0L V8's. The first and most common was the LG4, a basic carburetor equiped 305 producing 145hp. The other was a new fuel injected 305 using a fuel injection system similar to the 82 Corvette's 5.7L and producing 165hp. The base model Firebird came standard with 14" steel wheels. 14" aluminum and 15" aluminum wheels were available on the SE and Trans Am. Pontiac had also hoped to drop all the "Trans Am" badges from the new cars to save royalties paid to the SCCA for use of the name. Early promotional cars were marked "T/A" as an alternative, however the production cars came marked as Trans Am regardless. The WS6 option available on the SE's and Trans Am's included 4 wheel disc brakes, P215/65R15 Goodyear Eagle GT radials with 15" cast aluminum wheels, stiffer springs, thicker front and rear sway bars, a high ratio 12.7:1 steering box, and limited slip rear differential. Its dimesions were reduced, wheel base is shorter, and is a lighter car. It is also the closest in size to the 67 yet. Road & Track selects the 82 Firebird Trans Am as 1 of the 12 best cars in the world along with the Camaro. It won Best Sports GT category in the $11,000 to $14,000 range with the Camaro. 1st time a 4 cylinder was available in a Firebird. Windshield slope is 60 degrees, about 3 degrees steeper than anything GM ever tried before.

The 1983 Pontiac Firebird remained basically unchanged from the previous years 1982 Pontiac Firebird. All '83 Firebird models were switched to a T-handle automatic gearshift knob. Shift indicator changes for the Automatic Overdrive 700-R4. Midyear the L69 high output 305 was introduced. The carbed 190hp V8 was virtually identical to the L69 in the Z28 but used a different aircleaner assembly. Instead of the Camaro's dual snorkle aircleaner, the L69 Trans Am received yet another functional cold air intake designed to utilize the bulged hood. The Trans Am was selected as the DAYTONA 500 pace car. Pontiac sold 500 Daytona pace car replicas thru their dealerships. The limited edition cars featured full body ground effect skirts extending around the entire car. The front bumper grills were replaced with molded plastic panels, with the "Trans Am" script on the right panel. Also included were Recaro leather seats, special 15" "AERO" wheels with smooth covers, red gauge backlighting, leather appointments, Daytona 500 graphics, and a unique white and charcoal paint scheme. The pace cars were only available with the LU5 Crossfire injected 305 or the L69 carburated 305. Other special packages were also available such as the Recaro trim package which included the Recaro seats, and black paint with gold highlights.

1984 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am now available with the same ground effects as were used on the previous years pace car replica. Grill inserts in front fascia replaced with solid pieces. New 20 slot 15" aluminum wheels also available. For the 15th anniversary of the Trans Am, the 1984 Pontiac Firebird was released in another special limited edition Trans Am. Using the same body as the '83 Pontiac Firebird pace car replicas, but with new 16" 20 slot convex aluminum wheels with Goodyear P245/50VR16 unidirectional tires. The new wheel/tire combo was very similar to the current Corvette's P255/50ZR16 arrangement. This was the first appearance of 16" wheels on a third generation f-body. The 1500 15th Anniversary Trans Ams also included upgraded WS6 suspension with new 25mm rear sway bar vs the normal WS6's 23mm bar. The other features on the 1984 Pontiac Firebird included gray multitone and white leather Recaro interior, steering wheel, shifter, and parking brake handle, white striped taillights, white wheels, special blue stripes and blue hood decal, 4 wheel disc brakes, and ttops. The '84 Firebird that were available V8 engines were the LG4 and L69.

The '84 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am drag coefficiant is .32 but capable of .29 with standard Aero wheels over the High-Tech turbo aluminums. At the time it was the most aerodynamic car GM ever produced

All '85 Firebird models undergo redevelopement to boost sales. LB9 Tuned Port Injected 305 is released. The new port fuel injected engine replaces the 305 H.O. as the hot ticket. Using a tuned runner design the 305 makes 215hp. The new engine gains attention but is not available with a manual transmission. The 1985 Pontiac Firebird with Carburated V6 is dropped and replaced with new multi port fuel injected 2.8L V6 making 135hp. Borg Warner 9 bolt differential is available for first time. The new positive traction rear end in the 1985 Firebird is said to be stronger than the Dana 44. New improvements in the '85 Firebird involve changing the interior by adding new Recaro styled seats, a new dash with redesigned gauges that use an embossed graph patterned background, new door panels, new T handle shifter for autos, new ergonomic console, updated stereo, dash mounted map pocket, and new ergonomic steering wheel bring the '85 Firebird to a new level. Further attempts to put the 1985 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am model into higher regard include a new digital dash and a new overhead console.The console in the 1985 Firebird includes two manually adjusted reminder wheels, a positionable map light, a removeable "Firebird" flashlight, and a small pocket for a garage door opener or sunglasses.

T-tops in the '85 Firebird are also redesigned to use pin mounting rather than the previous years latches.1985 Firebird receives restyled nose with wrap-around strips known as "bumperettes" to replace the old grille/solid inserts. Wrap around strips also on bumper. New tail lenses introduced on 1985 Firebird.The classic Pontiac Firebird Trans Am "Power Bulge" hood discontinued in favor of new flat hood with twin louvered nostrils that are not functional. The 1985 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am receives restyled nose with integrated fog lights, new redesigned ground effects now standard. New "low density" taillights have grid pattern. Trans Am receives previous years suspension as standard, WS6 is upgraded with new larger sway bars. Aluminum 16" 20 slot wheels now available on all Trans Am's.

Recaro option no longer available, but Recaro seats were.

All Firebirds received center, high-mounted stop lamps to comply with Federal legislation; these were placed on top of the back hatch window. New tail light lenses were now introduced on the base Firebird, completing the replacement of the "slit" or "louvered" taillight lenses that had been a Firebird signature since 1967. The 2.5L 4-cylinder engine was dropped, replaced by the multi-port fuel-injected 2.8L V6 as the standard engine. The Firebird S/E model was discontinued at the end of the year. The rubber vinyl wrap-around rear wing became standard on Trans Am (available only in black; as these wings aged, these and those offered on subsequent model-year vehicles would suffer from cracking and splitting problems), the Wing spoiler was a credit option on the Trans Am, and mandatory if the louvered rear window was ordered. Mid year, Pontiac introduced a new light-weight, cross-lace wheel, available for the Trans Am.

1986 Only 26 Trans Ams with the 305 H.O L69 were built in 1986; it was discontinued because of fuel vapor lock (boiling) problems. The 305 TPI engine output was decreased from 210 hp to 190 hp. Paint RPO's were changed to reflect the new base-coat/clear-coat paint process. American Sunroof (ASC), licensed by Chevrolet to build the 1987 Camaro convertible, also built three 1986 Trans Am convertibles as a "design exercise".

In spite of rumors abound there were NO L98 (350ci TPI) cars made in 1986 according to Pontiac.

The Firebird body remained basically unchanged. All center, high-mounted stop lamps were relocated to a new position between the spoiler and the rear deck lid, and the large Firebird hood emblem disappeared forever. All V8's now received factory roller camshafts, and faced with consumer demands for more power, GM officially released the new 5.7L with tuned port fuel injection. Available only with an automatic transmission, it produced 210 hp and takes the top performance seat from the 5.0L TPI. L69 production is stopped, leaving the LG4 as the only remaining carbureted V8 used in the F-body. Trans Am GTA (Gran Turismo Americano) was introduced, available with the LB9 305 TPI engine (which was returned to 215 hp) or the L98 350 TPI. Gold 16-inch, flat-mesh, diamond-spoke wheels were standard on GTA, with 16-inch, 20-slot wheels standard on Trans Am.

Firebird Formula was re-introduced, available with a choice of V8's (LG4, LB9 305 TPI, or L98 350 TPI), 16-inch convex wheels, and the earlier Trans Am "Turbo Bulge" hood. The wrap-around wing was updated and now standard on Trans Am and Formula; the regular, flat-surfaced spoiler from earlier Trans Am models was now made standard on Firebird. Trans Am and Formula were also offered with an optional 140 mph speedometer.

1987 WS6 was standard equipemnt on the Formula and GTA from 1987 - 1992, and optional on the Trans Am. WS6 from 1987 thru 1992 included 36mm front sway bars, 24mm rear sway bars, high speed steering box, gas filled struts and 16" Wheels with 235/50R16 Tires. Later WS6 cars used ZR rated tires.

The Trans Am GTA was Pontiac's pride and joy with a standard 5.7L 350 Tuned Port Injection (TPI). Many people like to say that the engine itself was pulled directly out of the C4 Corvette, which itself began using the engine in 1985, but the heads on the Corvette were aluminum whereas the Firebird heads were cast Iron, although it did give the GTA performance numbers comparable to GM's flagship performance platform from whence it came. The GTA came with a standard TH-700R4 (4L60) automatic transmission, A/C, new seats with inflatable lumbar and side bolsters, special door panels, epoxy-filled emblems, body-colored ground effects, a special GTA horn button, and the legendary WS6 performance handling package. All of these options were packaged into the Trans Am under the RPO code Y84, and the model was produced until the end of Third Generation F-body production in 1992.

Dealerships could Finally order a Firebird Convertible from an approved manufacturer. ASC (American Sunroof Company, Later "American Specialty Cars")(of ASC McLaren fame) offered Pontiac Dealerships a Firebird/Formula/Trans Am/GTA convertible. ASC was contracted to do all of the official F-body Convertibles from 1987-1992. However due to fuel economy restrictions mandated by the EPA, a convertible Firebird would have been assessed a $1200 Gas guzzler tax because the LB9 & L98 when paired with a Trans Am or GTA would have been lower than 22.5 average MPG. For this reason Pontiac did not directly offer a convertible through dealers like the Camaro. The Conversion of the Firebird was identical to the "Factory" Camaros made the particular model year. The exception was the obvious cosmetic changes, the rear quarter caps, spoiler (Which was a Base spoiler Wing cut off) and the high mount 3rd brake light were Firebird convertible specific.

To order a Firebird Convertible the dealership would order a T-top Firebird and have it Drop shipped to ASC, One Sunroof Center, Southgate, MI 48195 for the conversion along side "Factory" Camaros. Once complete, ASC would ship the now Firebird convertible to the participating dealership for delivery. This remained the procedure for dealerships through the 1989 model year. According to ASC they did not convert any Firebirds for the 1990 model year. As popularity increased and car became lighter & more aerodynamic for the 1991 model year the process was simplified as Pontiac offered a convertible through normal dealer ordering channels via RPO's. A Total of 173 Firebird Convertibles were reported by ASC for 1987.

The Firebird remained basically unchanged. The 170 hp LG4 carbureted 5.0L V8 was dropped in favor of the new 170 hp L03 5.0L V8 with throttle body injection. All V8's engines received serpentine belt systems and the A/C compressors were moved to the passenger's side of the engine, de-cluttering the engine compartment. The Firebird Formula received new high tech 16x8" aluminum wheels with distinctive silver "WS6" center caps. The GTA wheels were slightly restyled, and the convex 16-inch wheels were dropped as all Trans Ams received the 16x8" diamond-spoke aluminum wheels, available in different colors (white, red, charcoal, and black) in addition to the GTA's gold. The GTA received new a steering wheel with integral radio controls.

The Trans Am was made available with body-colored ground effects like those on the GTA. The optional convertible model also carried over, and now optional on the GTA was a new "notchback" hatch: rather than the large, glass hatchback that had been common to the Third Generation Firebird, the optional notchback consisted of a fiberglass trunk lid with a small, flat, vertical glass window. The notchback also incorporated redesigned rear seatbacks with integral headrests. The notchback became popular with onlookers, who often assumed the notchback-equipped GTA was a Ferrari, thereby encouraging some owners of the type to dub their GTA the "Ferrari Back." Many Trans Am owners were unaware that the $800 notchback option was even available, and for those who were, the vehicle typically had to be ordered from the factory, on a six-month waiting list, as the notchback was retrofitted to the vehicle. In rare instances, a dealership would get a notchback-equipped GTA on their lot. Another reason for the relative obscurity of the notchback is that the sales information was not very well disseminated to Pontiac salespeople, so many of them had no idea it was available as an option.

As attractive as the notchback was, GTA owners were constantly plagued with structural and cosmetic issues with the design. The fiberglass would blister, causing surface bubbles resembling a bad case of acne. The Pontiac repair solutions were simply to sand the notchback down and repaint it, but the problem would always return, and GTA owners could expect multiple trips in order to achieve a final repair of the problem, or to have a new notchback installed. The notchback was intended to carry over and be standard-issue on the 1989 20th Anniversary GTA, but the plan never materialized; the aforementioned quality control issues apparently caused GM not to carry it over to the next year..

ASC continued to offer a Convertible for dealerships in 1988. A total of 104 Firebird Convertibles are reported from ASC for Pontiac Dealerships.

Tuned Port Injection L98 350ci factory under rated at 230hp and 330ft.lbs of torque. 0-60 5.4 sec, standing quarter mile 13.6 @ 103mph.

Trans Am GTA production figures US:9765 Canadian:1261

GM made a new dual catalytic converter exhaust system (RPO code N10) available, freeing up 13% more power from some LB9 with M5 - and L98-equipped Formulas and Trans Ams; so equipped, LB9 engine output was increased to 225 hp while the L98 increased to 235 hp. The N10 option remained available throughout the balance of the Third Generation production run, however the L98 powerplant was only available with an automatic transmission, whereas the LB9/N10 combination could only be coupled to a 5-speed manual (RPO code MM5) and a limited-slip differential (RPO code G80) using a 3.45 performance axle ratio (RPO code GM3). According to a March 1990 (Vol. 35, No. 9) Car and Driver article, when the latter set of options were combined into the relatively unassuming (and 300-pounds-lighter) Formula body, which shared same WS6 suspension with the top-end Trans Am GTA, it created a "sleeper" Firebird that could out-perform the heavier Trans Am GTA (even when equipped with the L98 engine) at a roughly 30% lower sticker price. Car and Driver also reported that, aside from the special-edition Turbo Trans Am offered only in 1989, these "sleeper" Formulas were the fastest Third-Generation Firebirds capable of accelerating from 0-60 mph in under 7 seconds and boasting a top speed of more than 135 mph (217 km/h) (quite impressive for the day). Although not an exhaustive comparison, these claims would seem to be supported by a simple examination of the weight-to-power ratios of both models: a 225 hp Formula at a curb weight of 3,300 lb (1,497 kg) versus a 235 hp Trans Am GTA at a curb weight of 3,600 lb (1,633 kg); the weight-to-power ratio for the Formula is 14.67 lb/hp compared to 15.32 lb/hp for the Trans Am GTA. According to the same Car and Driver article, very few of these "sleeper" Formulas hit the streets; only about 50 were built each model year, as almost all LB9-equipped Formulas came with an automatic transmission which disqualified them from receiving the high-performance N10 and GM3 options.

Firebirds optioned with T-tops received new ACRYLIC plastic tops made by Leximar for GM. The new tops were lighter in weight and tinted darker, but were more dome shaped and aged rapidly. GM replaced many sets with tops made of glass under warranty, but the Acrylic tops continued as standard-issue through 1992. All Firebirds optioned with rear disc brakes now received PBR brake calipers and larger brake rotors, which resolved issues encountered with previous-model rear discs and increased stopping power. Introduction of GM's Vehicle Anti Theft System (VATS) or PASS-Key made all Firebirds more theft-resistant. The system was adapted from GM's higher-end Corvette and Cadillac vehicles in response to an escalating trend among car thieves to target the Camaro and Firebird. VATS incorporated a small resistor into the ignition key shaft which was read by a sensor when the key was inserted. VATS-equipped cars also displayed anti-theft system warning decals in the lower rear corners of the side windows. A new CD player was offered, shoulder belts were added in the back seat, and the convertible model carried over.

The Trans Am was selected to pace the Indianapolis 500, and Pontiac marketed another pace car replica. This special, 20th Anniversary Turbo Trans Am (TTA), based on the GTA, was only available in white with a tan interior, and came equipped with the turbocharged Buick 3.8L V6, originally developed for the Buick Regal Grand National. At the time, these replicas were as close to the actual pace car as any replica previously offered; the only differences between the replica cars and those that actually were on the track during the race were the additions of strobe lights and safety equipment to the latter. 1,555 were produced, 5 of those being test cars. Out of 1,550 cars produced by PAS, the actual pace cars were randomly selected and sent to Indy for testing and modification, and when the TTA was released to the public, they were underrated in power. Not all came with T-tops or with leather interior; there were hardtops and cloth-interior cars. But every TTA had an automatic transmission пїЅ the TH2004R. Still, the TTA was, at the time, widely regarded as the fastest production car in existence пїЅ ironically a title it had briefly (at least for 1989) usurped from its GM stablemate that had supplied the engine: the Buick Regal Grand National (although as noted above, the LB9/N10/MM5/GM3-equipped Formula was quite possibly a close contender as well). Performance numbers obtained by Car and Driver during a June 1989 test of the TTA seemed to support such a claim. The five test TTA's, because they were for pre-production use, were pulled off of the assembly line without regard to color, and therefore were not necessarily white. At least two of these test cars were sold to private individuals, so there are at least two extremely rare, non-white, factory TTA's in existence; in fact, one is known to be red. Only three convertible TTA's were built by ASC, one of which was bought by the president of PAS, with the other two falling into private hands.

TTA production figures:

1,321 T-Top & Leather Interior
187 T-Top & Cloth Interior
24 Hardtop & Leather Interior
15 Hardtop & Cloth Interior (Base)
3 Convertible (prev. T-Top) & Leather int.
4 Test Cars with T-Top & Cloth Interior
1 Test Car with Hardtop & Leather Interior

ASC continued to make Convertibles for Pontiac dealerships. A total of 330 Convertibles were reported by ASC. A portion of those were 350 powered Convertibles. Interestingly 1989 was the First year a US Dealership could order T-top and a 350 Engine in a firebird. Since all Convertibles started as a CC1 (T-Top) car and converted by ASC 1989 would also be the only year to get a 350 powered Convertible for the Firebird.

1989 Firebird Convertible production figures From 1989 ASC order logs

3 - TURBO TRANS AM (V6 Turbo)
140 - GTA or Trans Am -w/L98 (350 TPI)
42 - FORMULA 350 - w/L98 (350 TPI)
9 - GTA or Trans Am LB9 "F" (305 TPI)
16 - FORMULA - W/LB9 (305 TPI)
4 - Trans Am LO3 "E" (305 TBI)
58 - Firebird or Formula - W/LO3 (305 TBI)
38 - Firebird - W/LB8 (2.8L V6)
10 - Exported
4 - Unknown
- - -

324 Produced (Data from 1989 ASC order logs)

As a side note there are a known 4 L98 Powered Camaros made in 1987, making the total number of L98 Powered Firebird and Camaro Convertibles produced some of the rarest and sought after third Gens made with a total of under 200 produced for both lines all years combined.

1990 A driver's side air bag was made standard. The Firebird interior again received a re-design, this time the changes were much less drastic: the lower dash and under-dash panels were altered, and accessory switches were moved to a new panel above the heater and radio controls. The console got a new shift indicator and different leather boot, steering wheel mounted radio controls disappeared from the GTA (due to the addition of the airbag), and the L98 engine was no longer offered in the T-top cars due to fuel economy regulations. The LB9 and L98 platforms were updated with new speed density fuel injection, and the elimination of the MAF sensor reduced production costs and supposedly improved performance. All L98-equipped cars now received the N10 dual catalytic converters as standard, which technically was a mid year change for 1989.

Like the Camaro, the 1990 Firebird only received a half-year production run, as Pontiac labored to release the re-styled 1991 model. Production ceased on December 31, 1989.

ASC reported making no Firebird Convertibles for 1990.

All 1991Pontiac Firebird models received restyled noses loosely fashioned after "Banshee" show car as Pontiac was developing the new fourth generation platform. 1991 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am's ground effects restyled as well. 1991 Pontiac Firebird base model available with 1991 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am ground effects. Trans Am and 1991 Firebird Formula receive new fiberglass constructed flat wrap-around wing spoilers. The new styling brought higher sales, up from 1990's sales.

All L98 cars now receive N10 dual cats standard. Trans Am and '91 Firebird GTA get updated 2 piece taillights with "PONTIAC" scripted in orange across the panels. Center high mounted stop lamps move to inside top edge of hatch. '91Firebird convertible reintroduced. Firebirds with ttops were sent to ASC for conversion to convertibles. Previously ASC converted cars for customers but it had never been through GM. The '91 Firebird convertible was available with the LHO 3.1L V6, the L03 5.0 V8, and the LB9 5.0 V8. Production improvements led to use of new body sealants that added to the rigidity of the body.

1992 Final year for third generation platform. 1992 provided few changes in the 1992 Pontiac Firebird models. Mid-year tuned port injected cars received blank throttle body plates rather than the "TUNED PORT INJECTION" plates of prior years, and black painted valve covers rather than the previous years silver components. The end of the L98 in the Corvette led to rough cast runners finding their way into L98 birds. Some '92 Firebird models received special rubber snubbers on the rear hatch frame designed to make the hatch more stable. Very few 1992 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am's, GTA's, and 1992 Firebird Formula's were produced this year as some buyers were waiting for the new 93. Firehawk was introduced. Built by SLP, the car featured a modified L98 350 and a ZF 6-speed manual transmission. Only 25 Firehawks were built, with sticker prices in the $40,000 range. Below are the specifics:

11 of the cars had the "Competition Package" 3 of the cars were produced with aluminum-block engines 4 of the cars were painted colors other than the mandatory Red. One was aqua, one was white, one was blue, and one was green. One car had T-Tops One car was a Trans Am Convertible. This was also the last 1992 car built. The 1992 option code for an SLP car was B4U. Although the last car produced in 1992 is listed as car #27, only 25 Firehawks were produced. Car no.'s 18 and 23 were cancelled and never built.

Produksjonsantallene 82-92.

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992