The Firebird Thread

[Vette Ninja]

If you cut the head off, the body will die.
Why, GM did you cut Pontiac's head off?!
Trans Am wasn't just a car it was Pontiac. Its design, attitude, and excitement influencing the other Pontiacs MADE the division. Now its absence will unmake the division.

[demonspeed]

This was always one of my favorite brochure pictures...

[Vette Ninja]

Originally Posted by demonspeed

This was always one of my favorite brochure pictures...

Two of mine:

[johnstarnes]

Originally Posted by Vette Ninja

If you cut the head off, the body will die.
Why, GM did you cut Pontiac's head off?!
Trans Am wasn't just a car it was Pontiac. Its design, attitude, and excitement influencing the other Pontiacs MADE the division. Now its absence will unmake the division.

Wow, wonderfully stated! I could not agree more and was disappointed and baffled when Lutz championed its demise as a great decision of his. SURELY GM had a more modern platform that they could have used to spawn a very cool looking Firebird for the 21st century! Futuristic sleek looks and reduced front and rear overhang and a more modern engine....it COULD have lived on and remained an icon for both Pontiac AND GM. Real dumb move Lutz, one of many.

[EldoFan]

I rather like this one myself (10th Anniv. Firehawk)



I try to keep myself out of these great debates.......but it seems to me that for the longest time, Pontiac was chugging by on the backs of the 'Firebird' and 'Trans Am' names......even with the G8 around, many people still equate 'Pontiac' with 'Firebird'.........along those lines, it doesn't quite make sense for the 'bird to stay dead & buried, esp. when you have people out there clamoring for the brand as a whole to be axed......

[steve jones]

Thanks for the Firebird thread. My first new car was a 1978 WS6 Trans Am. Within the first year I installed a built up 428HO with open 1973 455SD exhausts. The sound of that engine was intimidating. I am restoring a 1970 Firebird now. Firebird00 thanks for the youtube commercials.

[steve jones]

I just traded my brother out of an engine out of his Cigarette boat. With a cam change and some head work it should make a powerfull package for my Firebird. Unfortunately I ran out of Pontiac engines several years ago and my 1970 Firebird will be Chevy powered. I'm restoring it to be a period correct 1970 style hot rod. The front will ride slightly higher than the rear and I have a set of Indy mags from the early 1970's. It's starting to come together.

[garnermike]

Owned a 1996 WSG Formula (rare), a 2002 Formula Firehawk (#738). Sold the Hawk in Dec. 2008 to buy a Solstice GXP.
Firebirds were my entry into the world of performance cars. Have owned 3 other makes of fun cars, but always will have a soft spot for 'Birds.

That said, I do LOVE the Solstice. Have used mainly GMPParts to upgrade hp to 320 and torque to 350. A rocket ship! The only downside is knowing that I won't be able to buy a new one in a few years....

[BurninrubberGT]

[Archangel]

Thanks for the space to allow us Firebird freaks to share our love for these suckers.

[Archangel]

Originally Posted by demonspeed

This was always one of my favorite brochure pictures...

Amen

Do any of you remember that commercial during the IROC series races where a beautiful black 1997 Trans Am Ws6 was shown with a crow on the roof and then started driving down through a parking lot (I think) ????

[RatPackCadillac]

Pontiac is (was?) my 2nd favorite GM brand next to Cadillac. I wish GM could have put out the Firebird now with Zeta - every photoshop or pic I see of a Zeta Firebird is just fabulous and shows the potential. Too bad GM did not have enough money in their pockets to fully develop a Firebird and Camaro at the same time, and at least just kept Pontiac alive as their bad-to-the-bone brand with one great car, instead of a whole army of G's (not talking about the homies either.)
I sure as hell would get a Firebird if they still made them instead of a Camaro, which now is the only choice of pony left in GMs stable. Imagine a 2010 Firebird, with the same independent rear suspension and all.

My favorite 'birds are the 4th gen F-bodies. I grew up in the 90s, so chalk it up to that. Even though Pontiac's styling might have fallen of the face of the earth at this point, and they had too many 'non-performance' (a.k.a shouldn't be a Pontiac in the first place or a rebadge) models watering them down, this is my favorite generation of Firebirds ever. Pontiac had not totally lost its identity just yet and these Firebirds were sleek and aggressive, even stylish if you got the right options. In 1999, they put traction control on them and they got even better in the next 3 years before GM killed the F-bodies.
Firehawks are just too cool for words, and are at the top of my list for sickest Pontiacs ever made (aside from the big-butt 65 Bonneville.)
Here's one of my favorite videos, a 2001 Firehawk just tearing it up all over the place.

+ YouTube Video

I could not think of a better example of "Driving Excitement".

[Firebird00]

Originally Posted by Archangel

Amen

Do any of you remember that commercial during the IROC series races where a beautiful black 1997 Trans Am Ws6 was shown with a crow on the roof and then started driving down through a parking lot (I think) ????

Yep...

You Tube

[Archangel]

Originally Posted by Firebird00

Yep...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThEp7...om=PL&index=40

Thanks

[johnstarnes]

I would LOVE to see sketches and clay models demonstrating the new "look" that Wellburn HAD said was being devised for Pontiac! I can't help but wonder if a new Firebird was in that mix....the death of Pontiac must have broken the hearts of the design team working on this new "look".