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Auto Detailing and AppearanceShare tips and tricks on how to make your Third Gen shine! Get opinions on products or how something tasteful looks on your Chevrolet Camaro or Pontiac Firebird.
Re: My latest 3rd gen.....87 T/A with 10,800 miles
Originally Posted by Drew
Purty.
That air cleaner needs to go in a box. The 88-89 setup drops in and no one will ever know the difference.
Huh??
I need pics Mr. Wizard.....I'm not following you.....how could anyone NOT notice the difference?
the 88-89 air cleaner is a completely different set up than the 87
Re: My latest 3rd gen.....87 T/A with 10,800 miles
Most people would never know it's not correct, short of a car show judge familiar with thirdgens. It's a no cutting, no drilling, bolt on substitute that gets rid of a bunch of potential MAF/filtered air leaks. I just never cared for that overly complicated approach to silencing intake air. The 88-89 version is elegant in it's simplicity.
Re: My latest 3rd gen.....87 T/A with 10,800 miles
Originally Posted by Drew
Most people would never know it's not correct, short of a car show judge familiar with thirdgens. It's a no cutting, no drilling, bolt on substitute that gets rid of a bunch of potential MAF/filtered air leaks. I just never cared for that overly complicated approach to silencing intake air. The 88-89 version is elegant in it's simplicity.
I agree the 88-89 set up looks WAY better.....BUT....I think a LOT of guys would notice, even guys that dont know a lot about 3rd gens.
Re: My latest 3rd gen.....87 T/A with 10,800 miles
Idk, the 85-87 Firebird intake ducting is a pariah in my book. That's the assembly responsible for the "Firebirds have 5hp less than Camaros" myth. Always looked completely out of place on a thirdgen, to my eye.
Always seemed to me the 88-89 air intake just fit the look and feel of the car better. It's a no harm upgrade. Right up there with putting an L69 air cleaner on a LG4, it's righting a colossal wrong. But I suppose if your goal is to maintain originality above all else...
Re: My latest 3rd gen.....87 T/A with 10,800 miles
A while ago there was a short discussion about the 5.7L sticker on the Trans Am - or lack thereof.
Looking at the P&I manual, it does not show the 5.7L sticker for the Trans Am. There was, of course, one for the Formula. Never seen one used that was factory on the Trans Am?
Re: My latest 3rd gen.....87 T/A with 10,800 miles
Originally Posted by JT
A while ago there was a short discussion about the 5.7L sticker on the Trans Am - or lack thereof.
Looking at the P&I manual, it does not show the 5.7L sticker for the Trans Am. There was, of course, one for the Formula. Never seen one used that was factory on the Trans Am?
This is for the 1987-1988
Regardless, really sharp looking Trans Am!
JT - Thanks for pointing that out. I agree with you, after looking at my 82-91 P&I catalog, I see no reference to a 5.7 decal for the 87-90 T/A (or any other model for that matter)
The only time I see reference to a 5.7 decal is not until the 1991 model year. Very strange, someone must have added it at some point. However, in June 2018 the car scored
395 / 400 by the Pontiac-Oakland Club International - with a 3 point deduction for a POI sticker in the rear window, so I'm guessing they missed the 5.7 decal as well.
Now I have a difficult decision to make.....remove it to be original, or leave it because it looks good?......
Re: My latest 3rd gen.....87 T/A with 10,800 miles
Originally Posted by dagwood
what are those caps on the pass side strut tower nuts? Is that something original that I've never seen for some reason?
I'd assume someone stuck, whatever those are, on there after the fact(ory) for some reason.
Originally Posted by BizJetTech
JT - Thanks for pointing that out. I agree with you, after looking at my 82-91 P&I catalog, I see no reference to a 5.7 decal for the 87-90 T/A (or any other model for that matter)
I'd sure want to do a deeper dive into the P&I catalog than stopping at the illustration, to make a determination before removing the decal. The illustrations won't always show every variation. The Firebird PDF is out there, take the group number of the 5.0 badge on the illustration, find that section in the part number catalog, and start digging.
Re: My latest 3rd gen.....87 T/A with 10,800 miles
Originally Posted by Drew
I'd assume someone stuck, whatever those are, on there after the fact(ory) for some reason.
I'd sure want to do a deeper dive into the P&I catalog than stopping at the illustration, to make a determination before removing the decal. The illustrations won't always show every variation. The Firebird PDF is out there, take the group number of the 5.0 badge on the illustration, find that section in the part number catalog, and start digging.
Good idea Mr. Wizard......that is just what I will do....thanks!
Re: My latest 3rd gen.....87 T/A with 10,800 miles
Check the 87ish brochures also. I've looked into it a little bit, but really don't have a dog in the fight to really dig into it. Ultimately it could come down to a judgement call and personal preference. To me it sure doesn't stand out as wrong. It'd be kinda silly of Pontiac to hide the fact that it's a 350 when they're bragging about the same car having a 305.
Re: My latest 3rd gen.....87 T/A with 10,800 miles
Originally Posted by Drew
Check the 87ish brochures also. I've looked into it a little bit, but really don't have a dog in the fight to really dig into it. Ultimately it could come down to a judgement call and personal preference. To me it sure doesn't stand out as wrong. It'd be kinda silly of Pontiac to hide the fact that it's a 350 when they're bragging about the same car having a 305.
I agree 100%....seems odd the car was not nicked for the decal at by POIA when it was judged.....and I seem to remember seeing new T/A's in the showroom back in 1987
with the decal......maybe someone else will chime in as well.....would be nice to definitively figure this out
Re: My latest 3rd gen.....87 T/A with 10,800 miles
Originally Posted by Drew
I'd sure want to do a deeper dive into the P&I catalog than stopping at the illustration, to make a determination before removing the decal. The illustrations won't always show every variation. The Firebird PDF is out there, take the group number of the 5.0 badge on the illustration, find that section in the part number catalog, and start digging.
It's not in the Parts section either. The 5.0L/ 5.0L F.I are the only two listed for the Trans Am. So no on Parts and no on Illustration. Besides a factory photo, I'm not sure what more concrete material is available. That 5.7L sticker is only found on the Formula hood, from what I can see.
I, too, question why the 5.0L would be advertised but not the 5.7L on the Trans Am. However, I've seen nothing to support it exists from the factory. But I wouldn't remove it myself.
Re: My latest 3rd gen.....87 T/A with 10,800 miles
Originally Posted by Drew
Check the 87ish brochures also. I've looked into it a little bit, but really don't have a dog in the fight to really dig into it. Ultimately it could come down to a judgement call and personal preference. To me it sure doesn't stand out as wrong. It'd be kinda silly of Pontiac to hide the fact that it's a 350 when they're bragging about the same car having a 305.
Well....for those following....the 5.7 decal mystery is officially SOLVED !!
I just had a long conversation with the previous owner......He added it !!
Now I gotta decide.....remove it (for originality sake)....or just let it be (cuz it looks cool) ??
Re: My latest 3rd gen.....87 T/A with 10,800 miles
Originally Posted by BizJetTech
Well....for those following....the 5.7 decal mystery is officially SOLVED !!
I just had a long conversation with the previous owner......He added it !!
Now I gotta decide.....remove it (for originality sake)....or just let it be (cuz it looks cool) ??
Re: My latest 3rd gen.....87 T/A with 10,800 miles
Originally Posted by BizJetTech
Well....for those following....the 5.7 decal mystery is officially SOLVED !!
I just had a long conversation with the previous owner......He added it !!
Now I gotta decide.....remove it (for originality sake)....or just let it be (cuz it looks cool) ??
Man....I think I'd actually remove it. The car is so original....
EDIT: Who am I to give advice to anyone....I put an entire stripe kit on a DX3 car lol
Re: My latest 3rd gen.....87 T/A with 10,800 miles
Gorgeous car! I'd leave the decal. It looks great and not out of place at all. I'm going to add the same stickers to mine after engine swap myself, of course there is nothing original to my car at all
02-28-2020, 04:57 PM
