scottmoyer

Talk about a low mile, nearly perfect car!

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/19...s-am-pace-car/

ksr

Never a big fan of those white wheels, but otherwise what a car!

I was in early 3rd gen Firebirds but don't remember what the console was like. Here, it looks like hard plastic. I wish they had stuck with that rather than the soft-touch consoles that warp.

jkris53406

iTrader: (5)

Amazing!

Drew

iTrader: (58)

What a waste that car sat in a plastic bubble instead of ever being enjoyed in the traditional fashion. Some poor fool loved that car, and has no idea what it's like to actually drive it on a regular basis.

Or maybe it only took 84 miles for the original owner to decide CFI was a mistake... Maybe it's had 4 owners and each one drove less than 20 miles and decided CFI was a mistake. Oh well, it's a garage ornament now, no sense in crying over what could have been.

Drew

iTrader: (58)

The hard plastic is just as warpy and brittle as the plastic inside the vinyl consoles. If this car was an 85, the console might have some waves, but it wouldn't be trashed. A typical high mileage 82-84 Firebird often has a trashed console just like a high mileage 85-92. If it's taken care of either can stay nice.

The early Firebird console just strikes me as blocky, even compared to the bare bones Camaro console. It looks really out of place in a refined car, like something that belongs in a Fairmont, or maybe a 1980 Pontiac Parisienne.

ksr

I agree that the look of the soft touch console is better. But it seems like even well maintained ones cars often have warped consoles. Hard plastic can get brittle, but the hard plastics in my '88 GTA aren't warped and still look great, new actually. My car had one owner for its first 30 years and it arrived in wonderful shape. But, there's warped edges on the console and some cracks on the edges of the spoiler. It's seems like those two things just deteriorate without extreme care.

JimRockford

It’s honestly amazing that this car survived with such low miles. I always wonder what made someone buy it new,but then resist the urge to drive it and basically store it away for nearly 4 decades. The whole point of owning these cars is to drive and enjoy them. I wouldn’t enjoy having something that I could only sit in or trailer around.

beautiful car though. I wish I could find a 1982 trans am in black and gold with t-tops in this condition. I’ve noticed that the third gen cars are finally starting to come into their own and getting the recognition they deserve. These were stunning looking cars when they were new,and still are today. Especially compared to the ugly crap being produced now.

JimRockford

GM seemed to improve the quality of the plastics used on the third gen cars as time went by. I’ve owned several 82’s and 83’s and some of the the plastic pieces would get “chalky” and turn grey with age and exposure to the sunlight. This doesn’t seem to happen to the late model third gens as much.
I really like the clean interior layout of these cars. The fourth generations are just hideous inside. Nothing even remotely sporty or stylish about them.

ksr

I had a convertible 4th gen. 1998. It was a fun, fast car, and the seats were really comfortable. But the look of the interior just wasn't as nice. The material may not be first rate, but I liked the design of the 3rd gen Firebird interior. Don't like the Camaro as much, but really it's just that empty part of the dash over the radio. I prefer the wider instrument panel in the Firebird. I have a digital now, but the four gauge pods backlit in orange were a great look.

I'll never understand buying a car and then not driving it, but there are some people who just like having and looking at cars. I could never do it. Especially with something like this. Great car, but it was a moderately priced, common car. What's the point of preserving it like some museum piece?

topduarte

iTrader: (8)

I like it. I would offer $4500 for it.

ksr

If it was my car, I'd be pretty insulted with your offer.

Current bid is $7,500.

-=Z28=-

iTrader: (3)

For all those who cant understand why someone bought this and parked it, maybe he bought a few? I'm guessing the person was well off as you all damn well know us blue collar folk woulda driven the crap out of it. Lol

kentuckyKITT

iTrader: (4)

Somebody just sat in the passenger seat and put the seat belt on a bunch of times over the years. The receiver is absolutely destroyed.

QwkTrip

iTrader: (22)

Some people spend a lot of money to have their old car restored. Don't need to do that.... this is basically a frame off restoration ready in the waiting. Take off the dumb stickers, throw away everything mechanical, LS swap that puppy, and you'll have the equivalent of a sweet (and basically new) resto-mod for cheap.

84 1LE

iTrader: (9)

Was the crossfire considered an H.O motor?

Agent13

iTrader: (6)

No, and no Daytona had that decal on the hood scoop from the factory. Makes me wonder how it got there.

Edit: I bet that the following is the same car.

http://www.mcsmk8.com/83-PONTIAC-DAYTONA/83-TA.html

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

Cool car to look at but I couldn't own it..

scottmoyer

They are the same car. The listing on BaT shows the VIN and one of Matt's pictures has a door sticker with the VIN. Matt Garrett seems to have quite a few low mile GM museum pieces.

ksr

I really like it, but I'm with you. Much as I really liked having "FORMULA" written across the sides of two past Firebirds, I don't think I could live with all the graphics here.

84 1LE

iTrader: (9)

Makes me wonder what else isn't original and it only took 84 miles to modify it.

Diabeetus_Prime

Is anyone going to mention something about that exhaust? That isn't factory for the pace cars is it? It's neat either way.

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

The exhaust is very factory for 82-3 cars

Diabeetus_Prime

The more you know I guess

JimRockford

“KSR”,I have always felt the same way about the Camaro dash. I’ve only owned one third gen Camaro. All my other third gens have been Trans ams and Forumulas. Funny thing though,I’ve gotten more compliments on the Camaro and more people asking me if it’s for sale than I ever did with the trans ams.
I guess more people like Camaros.

WildCard600

More people must have no taste or culture as well.

In a past life I had a '89 Camaro, and I loved that car. What I really wanted at the time was a Trans Am though. Camaro RS was much cheaper since it was the undesirable "base" model. Being a broke HS student getting ready to graduate I went with what I could afford.

JT

iTrader: (1)

From the Golf Cart Clipboard Steering wheel:


to the oil pressure gauge stuck in the tachometer because they ran out of room:


to the vents stuck under the dashboard:


The Firebird side is

Drew

iTrader: (58)

It's funny how many people don't appreciate the Firebird for the superior automobile it is.

JimRockford

Everything you guys said about the Camaro is true. I’ve always preferred the Pontiac Firebird/Trans Am lineup over the Camaro. I only bought the Camaro because it was a one owner low mile all original car at a price I couldn’t pass up. The paint still shines and even the dash and interior are perfect. I have one guy who’s really been persistent about buying it. He had this same exact car but wrecked it and couldn’t find anything that’s not beat.
I’m not kidding though,people have amazed me with all the comments about the Camaro. Going through the drive thru I got free fries because “my Camaro was awesome”,and A month or so ago two women in their 40’s walked by as I was in the car in a parking lot at the supermarket and one said to the other “if a guy had a car like that when I was in high school I was all his”. Lol. That one kind of surprised me the most. I was under the impression most folks saw these as “****** mobiles” even though those were not the types driving them back when they were new.

The Camaros not a bad car,but I’ll take the Trans Am any day.

JimRockford

I am curious,has anyone ever talked to any of the GM designers or heard any stories as to why the Camaro dash was designed the way it was? The gauge layout,steering wheel and dash are all lacking compared to the pontiacs. The only thing I really like and think is cool is the shift indicator plate with the red indicator that moves to highlight the gear your in.

JimRockford

Why did this site remove the word “m u l l et” ? It looks like I said something off color but I didn’t.

Drew

iTrader: (58)

That goes back about 20 years. Terms like Mull it, Re dneck, Ri ce, etc used to be thrown around a lot so the admins thought it'd be funny to censor them like foul language.

84 1LE

iTrader: (9)

Isnt that around the time the site went corporate?

JT

iTrader: (1)

No, those terms were censored prior to that and have no relation.

Drew

iTrader: (58)

I'm thinking it was back when Dirk and Macgyver converted the forum to UBB software. The corporate overlords didn't take over until several years later.

The look they were going for with the dash and gauges was fighter jet. The story goes that's where they got the idea to put a clock in the console.

JimRockford

I wonder then,what was the inspiration for the fourth gen dash? A toyota celica? 😝

ksr

It's been so many years now - and I've always had the Pontiac bias - that maybe my memory is faulty. But when these cars were new on the lot, I think a lot of people really did prefer the Firebirds. My bias again - but that front end is one of the nicest designs of all time. The flip up headlights are a relic of the past, but they're just beautifully integrated there. Of course, "Knight Rider" helped too.

But no matter how popular Trans Am and Firebirds ever were, there was always one heck of a lot more Chevy dealers, and Chevys were a little cheaper. Chevy is by design GM's volume leader. The people who most wanted these car were often younger people who had to watch every dollar. The biggest year for Firebirds was 1979 and they sold what seems like a staggering number today, 211,000. But even that same year, Chevy moved close to 300,000 Camaros. As time went on, being that there were one hell of a lot more total Camaros than Firebirds and the Camaro name was eventually revived, I think it elevated the 3rd gen Chevys over the eyes of the Pontiacs in a lot of eyes.

I still think at some point you will see a spike in Firebird prices, as the volume fades and the name Pontiac becomes more and more rare.

I like the 3rd gen Camaros and would buy one. I'd love to have a Z-28 convertible. It's a beautiful car too, just to my eyes not quite as nice. But the dash winner is Firebird, no contest.

topduarte

iTrader: (8)

I thought the asking price was $6k???

ksr

Probably something like that. The press was always praising every Japanese interior. In some cases I understood it, but not always. You could criticize some of the interior materials of the 3rd gen Firebirds, but the dash layout was great.

ksr

When I looked, it said current bid was $7,500. If I had an 1983 Trans Am with 84 miles on it, I'd be holding out for a lot more than that.

JimRockford

I agree that the materials definitely could have been better but the design was great. These are beautifully layed out cars and very comforntable. You can even sleep in them on trips as the seats recline into a bed.

Im surprised that 79 was a such a great year for the Firebird. I didn’t care for the restyle and James Garner didn’t either which is why he kept 78’s until the end of Rockford Files. The 77-78 front ends were great.

Big&BadGTA

iTrader: (1)

I know the previous owner, and he's a collector. Never drives his cars. Ever. They sit in an old warehouse which was modernized for filtration. Quite a character.

Seller on BAT is a good guy, too.

83DaytonaTA_Ian

So incredibly jealous of whoever buys this car! From the few pics in this thread (didn't visit the link, wouldn't load where I'm at) this is freaking clean and beautiful!

I really want those wheel covers - mine are just gone lol. At least mine behaved this past summer, even after getting the AC reinstalled and functional.

Had to go back and look when someone mentioned the extra decal on the bulge.... Definitely not on mine... Don't remember ever seeing those on any stocks pics either.

Definitely miss mine right now.... It's all lonely back in Michigan while I'm stationed here in Germany.

Must - get - ticket home - it's calling to me!!!

I think I'm getting cabin fever - how 'bout y'all?

83DaytonaTA_Ian

Just got the link to open up on computer (was on my phone)...

Oh my gawd! That body is gorgeous.

Not gonna lie - gonna proclaim, actually - just spent the last 10 minutes saving every relevant picture (40 of 46).

Gotta have those reference pictures!!!

Also, it says "Agent13" is the leading bidder right now.... Any relation to you, @Agent13 ? Honestly, I hope so.

To be bored in Germany on a Saturday night... LMAO!!!!

BizJetTech

iTrader: (3)

As QwkTrip has pointed out.....only one way I'd ever consider this car is if I was going to go LS or GM crate motor swap right off the bat!
IMO....the Cross Fire InJUNKtion is one of GM's worst engines EVER

KMK454

Automatic transmission. I'd have parked it and forgotten about it too...

ksr

We're on the same page sir. My favorite 2nd gens by far were the 1977-78 cars, at least as far as styling goes.

1983LU5TA

Have you ever owned one, or even driven one for that matter? I have owned/built 16 thirdgens. 6 of them were LU5 cars. My current 83 CC1 Trans Am is a factory LU5 car. It goes 14.50s, gets 17mpg city, and 25mpg hwy. All I did was bumped timing, mildly ported base, L98 manifolds, 3” magnaflow y-pipe, and 3” catback. It’s a daily driver and runs like brand new. People that badmouth the LU5 and L83, are usually the ones that screw with them without knowing what they’re doing. A water manometer is your best friend when owning one. I have encountered people that talk negatively about CFI, and have admittedly never seen under the hood of one. They do it because they heard it from an idiot friend of theirs or a halfwit relative.

Drew

iTrader: (58)

Well... I tried to... To say my CFI test drive was a disappointing disaster is the understatement of the year. To imply that there was nothing wrong with CFI, when it was nothing but a gimmick that caused problems for GM, is to attempt to vainly rewrite history. Oh yeah dawg, CFI was the ****, that's why GM went back to a hot 4bbl, then dumped it entirely in favor of TPI, and everybody knows it was crap aside from the fanboys and apologists. Give me a break.

Note this is the History/Originality subforum, how well something works after mods isn't exactly relevant to most topics around here. No one is going to buy this car so they can chop it up and go racing.

BizJetTech

iTrader: (3)

YEP - had one back in the day when I was a very young working in a Chevy dealership as a junior technician.
It was crap, and every tech in the dealership thought the same......sorry, as a master tech
(that got out of cars a LONG time ago) with 35 years experience, and having built hot rods of all makes & models for over 40 years, you wont change my mind.
But I am happy to hear you enjoy them and had success with them....to each his own.....good luck!

BizJetTech

iTrader: (3)