Big Bird Bows Out

Рет қаралды 29,779

11 ай бұрын

At the luxurious end of the Firebird model range, Esprit offered a softer, quieter ride than the macho Trans Am. But was the power the same? And why does this Esprit have a Trans Am tail spoiler? The answers are revealed in this video.

Пікірлер: 253

@normende 10 ай бұрын

Steves' junkyard enthusiasm is obvious with his wet knees, grease stains and the way he pounds with his knuckles each feature he points out. He is my first stop each morning!

@Daniel-fd3wp 10 ай бұрын

Yes great info as always even though they’re reruns. 👍

@bobhill3941 10 ай бұрын

I do the same thing, I love learning from him. I never knew the 82' Firebird was shorter and lighter than 81'

@oldblueshhrchannel1847 9 ай бұрын

Get well soon Steve!

@scottpreble3330 9 ай бұрын

Thanks Shane for posting. You are a great friend to have.

@gmpny3945 10 ай бұрын

Thank you for posting another awesome video. You are a wealth of information for us car enthusiasts. MototTrend's loss, KZfaq's gain.

@rondpert5167 10 ай бұрын

Interesting to see the white fallout on the ground from the heatwave that's affecting the country.

@geec5636 10 ай бұрын

My favorite Pontiac was a 1978 gran prix. That car was cool. 301 v8 with full power.

@mikea69vette65 6 ай бұрын

Get well soon, Steve!!

@ultraviolettp3446 10 ай бұрын

Great job as usual, Steve. You always make sure to highlight the important things and nuances of each vehicle you cover. I am one who thinks that front end was a disaster on this design. It is odd that when that generation was released, it didn't look bloated with the thin bumpers - but those addon soft bumpers really ruined the look of the car.

@The_R-n-I_Guy 6 ай бұрын

We're all pulling for you Steve. Hope to see you soon

@gregtishshow 10 ай бұрын

I had a white 81 Esprit. Loved that old V6.

@jeffshadow2407 10 ай бұрын

To me, the 1979 style was the BEST, probably because I had one!

@anibalbabilonia1867 9 ай бұрын

Great video by the master of automotive history! Hope he’s doing well!🙏❤️‍🩹

@jeffreynolds3848 10 ай бұрын

Hi Steve, love your channel (love you!) and this episode; ‘sorry not to have commented for a while from here in U.K.... re: the nose of the ‘79-‘81 nose - I read in one of the ‘source’ books I bought after I got my ‘79 403 Trans Am in ‘84, that thro’ most of the development, the 4 headlamps were pop-up. It was very late that pop-up was ‘deleted’ to save cash, and too late to change any other part of the nose. I couldn’t find any archive pictures of this, and was so curious that I made my own set of 4 aluminium sheet, body coloured panels following the lines of the nose, that clipped on the headlamp bezels deep behind. They looked fab and brought the original design to life, and lived on the car most of each summer... ‘Keep doing what you’re doing & don’t change ANYTHING...! Jeff

@williamrogers. 9 ай бұрын

Love this info. Hope Steve can return.

@davidp2888 10 ай бұрын

I had a 1973 Firebird Esprit. I was 22 at the time and even though it wasn’t the Formula or Trans Am, it was adequate.

@andreamills5852 10 ай бұрын

Jim Rockford would be proud .

@jeffrobodine8579 10 ай бұрын

James Garner did not like the front nose of the 1979-81 Firebird so he decided to keep the 1978 for the duration of The Rockford Files.

@googleusergp 10 ай бұрын

He also didn't like the Formula, so they "de-Formulaized" it for the show.

@corvairjim1 10 ай бұрын

"The Rockford Files" was my favorite TV show from the mid to late 70's. I don't know why it is always overlooked as a "car show", since Rockford managed to get into a chase in nearly every episode - usually as the "chasee", not the "chaser". Anyhow, his Firebird was my favorite TV car from that era as well so, about 10 years ago, I combined my love of the show with my hobby of building superdetailed model cars, I converted an old MPC 1977 Trans Am annual "glue bomb" that I found on ebay for cheap and changed it to a base model Firebird. First, Ihad to get the correct Pontiac Rally II wheels with whitewall tires. I added tire valves to the wheels. I had to get rid of the shaker scoop, fender scoops, wheelwell spats, front spoiler, decklid spoiler, and close up the T-tops. I had to convert the drivetrain from a 4-speed to an automatic (with everything that entailed inside, too), and I gave it a non-shaker air filter housing. I added plenty of details, including: power steering, air conditioning, heater hoses, ignition wiring, and battery cables under the hood and, inside the car added suspended pedals, sun visors, a dome light, turn signal stalk, flocked carpeting, seat belts/shoulder harnesses, and a rear-view mirror. I cut the bucket seat backs from the cushions and hinged them for access to the back seat, then arranged a slide mechanism so the buckets could move fore and aft about 7/16". Then, as the finishing touch, a miniature portable business card printing press in the back seat. ... Then, one day, the cat knocked it off of the shelf. It was not pretty. Good thing I loved that cat, or she would have been in DEEP doo-doo. 💩 Roughly a hundred hours down the drain. 😢

@GoldenGun-Florida 10 ай бұрын

@@googleusergp This is untrue. The WRITERS of the series had the hood changed so that it appeared to be more of a base model, what a private investigator could afford.

@googleusergp 10 ай бұрын

@@GoldenGun-Florida Not entirely accurate. Mr. Garner didn't like the Formula look, nor did he like the look of the 1979 Firebirds, so they were changed.

@TEN-TIMES-HARDER 10 ай бұрын

You The man steve, I took my trans am apart so long i forgot where them gussets went lmao

@debbiebermudez5890 10 ай бұрын

Mr. B. Here ! Morning to all ! ☕️☕️🍩🍩 . LOL Snow in August ! 👀👀 have a good day !

@tomwesley7884 10 ай бұрын

Morning

@debbiebermudez5890 10 ай бұрын

@@tomwesley7884 ☕️☕️ 👍👍

@jeffreycarleton1535 10 ай бұрын

Hope all is well Steve,Shane,and Katie! I had access to an 80, or 81,firebird in early spring of 82, it was an ,Avis or hertz rental car, that my girlfriends Father purchased for her, he was a Delta pilot! It was silver originally, but silver paint doesn’t last long in the south for some reason. They had it repainted, kind of a root beer brown, it was a tight solid car really fun to drive! I understand why ,James Garner did all his own stunt driving in a firebird ,it was a blast to drive, especially on a lightly rained upon road surface! It could go pretty good top end wise, out on the interstate! I got pulled over for 110 mph in a 55 MPH zone coming back from Florida once! The car felt like she still had plenty left to offer at 110,It was so well balanced, not a single vibration, and road noise was minimal as well! Thankfully my girlfriend, had a bikini on, when I got pulled over, and the trooper was an older guy! I think that’s the only reason I didn’t go to jail that afternoon! Hell, I don’t think I even had a civilian license,all I had was a military and ,German license at the time, and I’d gotten pulled over in, south Georgia! Kinda one of those Boy, you in a heap a trouble moments! I miss both that car and the girl! The trooper, not so much!😂 great car! I also owned a 74 model like James Rockford drove but it had a 400 4bbl and true duel exhaust,I gutted the interior, like an idiot, and was going to use it as a bracket racer. But I had to sell it ! Both were great cars! Good old days!

@googleusergp 10 ай бұрын

It was probably a Van Nuys, CA assembled car. Due to CA air regulations at the time, they used water-based paint and the silvers, blues, blacks and other darker colors faded badly. GM blamed the paint suppliers, the paint folks blamed GM. The customer lost in the end in most cases. Norwood, OH cars had lacquer paint.

@jeffreycarleton1535 10 ай бұрын

@@googleusergpthanks for the information! I’ve always wondered why certain colors gave up in the Georgia and Texas sun! Now I know! Thanks again! I love a silver paint job on a car but have always shied away from it because of this!

@googleusergp 10 ай бұрын

@@jeffreycarleton1535Both of my cars are Norwood, OH produced. I shy away from Van Nuys, CA built cars or any GM car built at the "Terrible Three: Fremont, CA (closed in 1982), Southgate, CA (closed in 1982) and Van Nuys, CA (closed in 1992). GM shed no tears when they shut those plants down. The quality was poor in all three of them.

@kc0lif 10 ай бұрын

snow in August cool. pontiac had one next year.

@NatPeterson.89_ 10 ай бұрын

the fact he knows what kind of vehicle it is by just the outer rim is next level

@B.V.Luminous 10 ай бұрын

No, it's from research and finding an Easter egg in the documents.

@ericwieboldt7042 10 ай бұрын

@@B.V.Luminous the rim on the roof bud

@racefan1647 10 ай бұрын

He wrote the year (36-37) on the rim with a Sharpie.... that's called researching and taking notes.

@terrencegiordan2775 10 ай бұрын

Garbage model garbage engine right where it belongs.

@B.V.Luminous 10 ай бұрын

@@racefan1647 how do you think this guy *knows* anything about any of the reviews he does? Research. He's not stupid, but he has to memorize shit just like the rest of us.

@HotRod-wv4vm 10 ай бұрын

my dad had 2 grand ams, 73 if memory serves me right, great handling car

@haroldb2663 10 ай бұрын

That reminds me of the Red Bird, which I think was the Esprit appearance. They ended in 1979. Though of the Skybirds, Redbirds and Yellowbirds the Skybird was my favorite,1977-78.

@googleusergp 10 ай бұрын

All targeted at women buyers with softer fabrics and color touches. Yes, many were based on the Espirit.

@madmike2624 10 ай бұрын

my wife had 2 skybirds. One pre children, the other after they were grown and gone.

@dogismyco-pirate 10 ай бұрын

Thanks for all the great content!

@johnkranyics281 10 ай бұрын

Good thing they put around the yard to keep Steve cool in August. 👍👍🇨🇦

@johnkranyics281 10 ай бұрын

Snow

@nickjervis8123 10 ай бұрын

Hi Steve When you have a You Tube channel like this you build a relationship with the people who follow the channel. People you will never meet become your friends. So when we get repeat videos with no explanation some of us show concern for you. Please remember to inform us if you are on holiday or Heaven forbid poorly. Thank you Nick Jervis UK 🇬🇧

@madmike2624 10 ай бұрын

Well said my brother. Hopefully he is at roadkill nights and not hospital bound again!

@albertgaspar627 10 ай бұрын

In 1965 Ford figured the Mustang could be optioned out as a commuter car, a GT or a "mini thunderbird" with the Pony option interior, and in 1969 there was the Grande option. Chevy had the Rally Sport, but that's arguably more of an appearance package than a luxury one. Firebirds had the Sprint before the Espirit, and Dodge the SE for their pony car. they downsized luxury before Detroit downsized it by 1977.

@_Dave_S 10 ай бұрын

I had a 79 Formula then later an 80 Esprit. Both were fun cars to drive. Still wish I had one of them. Thanks for the video Steve!

@peterantonopoulos2572 10 ай бұрын

Morning Steve....

@vet-7174 10 ай бұрын

Good morning gents! 🇺🇲

@charlesdalton985 10 ай бұрын

Hope Steve is ok.

@jerrys9226 10 ай бұрын

Are these repeat episodes?

@jerrys9226 10 ай бұрын

I just noticed the snow.

@googleusergp 10 ай бұрын

@@jerrys9226Yes.

@rockettcustoms6266 10 ай бұрын

@@jerrys9226 All repeats on this channel

@customprc 9 ай бұрын

@@jerrys9226No they are not, Steve is in the hospital fighting for his life.

@tkflanagan4449 10 ай бұрын

Steve..........THE BEST!!!!😀🌏

@badger7015 10 ай бұрын

thanks for the great walk back. so much great knowledge you share in each of your videos. love them.

@donaldallison 10 ай бұрын

I take it this was filmed a few months ago.

@xfactorautomotive1496 10 ай бұрын

Hmm...what makes you think that? 🙄

@kenzollweg1304 10 ай бұрын

Hello from Detroit, they should of called it the terrible 200, had replace a couple of them transmissions

@carlhuddleson1028 10 ай бұрын

We had a 75 esprirt with a 350 engine ..one owner beautiful car red with black interior

@bad41137 10 ай бұрын

Seen it

@leonardhirtle3645 10 ай бұрын

The firebird esprit was Pontiac’s version of the camaro’s berlinetta.

@truckerdaddy-akajohninqueb4793 10 ай бұрын

70,000 in it's last year? Those were good numbers

@googleusergp 10 ай бұрын

Down quite a bit from 1979. There were 117k+ Trans Ams alone in 1979.

@markf5735 8 ай бұрын

Get well Steve!

@mikealba1814 10 ай бұрын

Once again pristine magazined write ups !

@ricksaint2000 10 ай бұрын

Thank you Steve

@clearviewtechnical 10 ай бұрын

Only Steve would be able to identify that random rim from a vehicle built over 80 years ago!

@texan176 10 ай бұрын

Pretty amazing how well these sold when less than 10 years prior before the pollution controls, the Firebirds were high power in comparison. Pontiac’s success was from making cars that were fun and very customizable from the factory or dealer even when they were not very high quality or fast. After the Firebird was gone in 2002 so was the fun factor. They had a few fun oriented cars like the Solstice and GTO then the V8 G8 as the last hurrah but it was never the same again.

@countryroadautopartsusa6466 10 ай бұрын

The Pontiac 265 CID is one of the rarest OEM engines ever.

@aussiebloke609 10 ай бұрын

Ir memory serves, that "little extra room in the speedo" is because the mandate was for a max of _85 mph_ (not 80) to be shown. And with each mark indicating 2 1/2 mph (don't ask me why they chose that), that last little mark would indicate 85 mph, rather than 90.

@tonidmc 10 ай бұрын

Already posted

@BCaldwell 10 ай бұрын

No shit Sherlock.....

@Ramcharger85 5 ай бұрын

Always preferred the Pontiac Firebird to the Camero. 😊

@johnwalsh7256 10 ай бұрын

My favorite car program. 🚗

@garycorbin2789 10 ай бұрын

The Esprit, has its own TV iconic Character that drove it : James Garner : Jim Rockford .

@pjcornell9691 10 ай бұрын

I miss Pontiac! Still love and drive my 2006 GTO....

@googleusergp 10 ай бұрын

I have three Pontiacs, two Trans Ams and a Pontiac G6 convertible. I almost made that three Trans Ams about a year and a half ago. I was going to buy a 1981 Nascar edition Y85 Trans Am, but the seller and I couldn't agree on price.

@hughmarloweverest1684 10 ай бұрын

Thank you.

@googleusergp 10 ай бұрын

Another re-run. I hope Mr. Magnante is doing OK..... No, the engine designation moved from the 5th digit on 1972-1980 GM car VIN numbers to the 8th digit. (On 1973-1980 truck VINs, it was the 3rd digit and also became the 8th in 1981). The Espirit was Pontiac's equivalent to the Camaro Berlinetta in these years and was targeted towards women buyers. This would be a typical car that a young professional single female might have driven---perhaps a secretary, teacher, saleswoman or other professional lady. We got the VIN, we win: 1G2 for US made Pontiac, A for manual seat belts, T for Firebird Espirit, 87 for two door coupe, S for 4.3L (265 CID) V8 with two barrel, Pontiac produced, aka "Baby Pontiac V8", aka RPO code "LS5", 1 is a check digit, B for the 1981 model year, N for Norwood, OH assembly and the rest is the production sequence. The Norwood plant closed in August 1987. My parents had an '80 Bonneville Brougham with a 265 V8. We only had it two years and it was stolen in the fall of 1982 and never recovered. The policeman that took the report stated it likely was exported to the Middle East at the time. No tag, can't brag, but easy to figure out, no doubt: 81 or B for 1981 model year, 2FS87 for Pontiac (2) Firebird (FS) two door coupe (87), N for Norwood, OH assembly, L for lacquer paint technology, A51 for bucket seats, possible 75R for Red standard vinyl interior trim, 75L and 75U for Spectra Red lower and upper exterior paint, among other codes. Norwood, OH built cars had tags that are more informative and easier to decipher for the lay person. The Van Nuys, CA made cars often had limited information on the tags and were more "Morse Code" style where you had to know some of GM's internal lingo to decipher. Correct, usually that molding set up is the "D85" Decor Group, which some other Firebirds had. Not correct, all Firebirds in 1981 came standard with a console. All of them will show "A51" on the cowl tag for bucket seats (also standard) in a Firebird. You could get a column shift in earlier 2nd generation cars, but not by 1981. My 1980 Turbo is an exact duplicate of the car on the cover of that magazine, but mine has gold snowflake wheels and a base Camel Tan interior. That's not entirely correct on the turbo sound. They do "whine" but yes, it's a mild set up and boost is limited in stock form, on purpose. Correct, the RPO code "D80" spoiler was optional on Firebird and Espirit, but standard on Formula and Trans Am. John McKay's Used Cars, where this was sold at one time is still on Marlboro Road in Brattleboro, VT. The original buyer/person that ordered this vehicle was a bit of a skin flint as it doesn't have the optional C60 air conditioning system, which is evidenced by the push-pull knobs in the kick panels. AC was required with the Turbo 301. Correct and not correct on the rear drums. 1978 WS6 cars still had rear drums, whereas 1979-1981 WS6 cars TYPICALLY got rear disc brakes, but there was a shortage of parts for a time, so they were "WS7" (all the WS6 parts less the disc brakes). My '79 10th Anniversary 400/4 speed is a WS6 car, my '80 Turbo says "4 Wheel Disc" on the right door handle, but it's an error as the car isn't a WS6/WS7 car. It was stuck there by an errant worker at Norwood in January 1980.

@ccg1171 10 ай бұрын

🤦🏼‍♂️

@googleusergp 10 ай бұрын

@@ccg1171?

@MicroSoftner 10 ай бұрын

@@googleusergp👍

@crustyoldoffroader7436 10 ай бұрын

Hopefully he’s working on his police car and not dealing with health issues.

@madmike2624 10 ай бұрын

pretty sure he was at roadkill nights. sure would be nice if he informed us!!

@Raptor3388 10 ай бұрын

For the last 6 months or so of the 1981 production, the Formula was offered with the 3.8L V6...tough times.

@rotaxtwin 10 ай бұрын

But you got the good suspension, right?? Hah!

@deanstevenson6527 10 ай бұрын

The MustFang Fox 5.0 for 1979 did the same 16.7 second 1/4 mile the 5 liter Firebird required a Turbo to do. The delight of a 822 pound weight reduction. For 80-81, the Turbo ( Canada still had them) and 4.2 liter Fox Stangs were barely able to break 18 second quarters and the Trans Am romped away..

@googleusergp 10 ай бұрын

You've got a few things mixed up there. The only 5.0 liter Firebird in these years would have been a Chevy 305 V8. The Pontiac 301 was a 4.9L. In 1979, the Mustang's 302 V8 was only two barrel. You could a 400 V8 with four barrel in 1979 in a Firebird. It would eat the 5.0L alive and outhandle it too. Plus you could get four wheel disc brakes on a 1979 Firebird, couldn't get that in a 1979 Mustang. The four-eye Fox was a nice car, but it was saddled with typical "Motorcrap" ignition and carburetion back then, which was a detractor.

@deanstevenson6527 10 ай бұрын

@@googleusergp oh Yeayaaahhhhh, it was still doing 14.7s with the 400 option TransAm in 79. MotorCrap...GoogleUserGP....you always crack me up, especially when I'm wrong. Have a great day™✓. By the way, our Zespri's 🥝 have been for a time pulled from sale, but I'm stuck with previous wrong comments..so lap it up. GM, ~GP , each for the win...lol

@toddbob55 10 ай бұрын

Mustang was a better built car

@googleusergp 10 ай бұрын

@@deanstevenson6527No problem, eh? LOL.

@googleusergp 10 ай бұрын

@@toddbob55That's debatable. Neither car was the bastion of quality back then.

@moonbeamskies3346 10 ай бұрын

Keep in mind the true muscle car era ended when the 1972 models came out, although there were still a few hanging on for dear life for a while. 1979-81 was the nadir of performance. 1982 was when the gradual recovery began.

@truckerdaddy-akajohninqueb4793 10 ай бұрын

I had a 267 in a 1980 Impala Gutless wonder

@googleusergp 10 ай бұрын

Small V8 era. They were built for economy not speed and yes, you didn't win any races with them, but they were reliable if you drove them as economy cars.

@MichaelandCathy1999 10 ай бұрын

I had a 267 (4.4 litre) in an 83 Cutlass Brougham, more gutless

@xfactorautomotive1496 10 ай бұрын

Completely different engine. 267 is a small block Chevy engine.

@googleusergp 10 ай бұрын

@@MichaelandCathy1999Since you're in Canada, that makes sense. No 267 V8 in a US destined Cutlass back then---it would have been a 260 V8 here. A lot of GM products got Chevrolet V8s in Canada since GM of Canada produced Chevrolet V8s.

@googleusergp 10 ай бұрын

@@xfactorautomotive1496Correct, but he's in Canada, so a lot of GM products did have a Chevrolet V8s whereas US destined models many times had "divisional power".

@rossdean1997 10 ай бұрын

Jim Rockford would be proud.

@johna.4334 10 ай бұрын

Wow, snow on the ground in August. What the...???

@orchids3332 10 ай бұрын

It's SNOWING in AUGUST wherever Steve is.

@MitchGrooms 10 ай бұрын

great video

@jamesstewart3771 10 ай бұрын

In 1998 I got my ex a 79 esprit . It was loaded , t -tops , 301 , dual exhaust, vinyl TA interior . It was the same color as this one red , on red . Pretty cool car . The only problem was it gave her the idea that she could handle my 94 Trams Am Gt . She almost killed use one night .

@TheHelado36 10 ай бұрын

I love Pontiac !

@thomasknox2325 10 ай бұрын

Wow you know your stuff I thought for sure that was a Volkswagen rim

@eth39232 10 ай бұрын

End of the line for the Pontiac V8.

@aaron71 10 ай бұрын

In 81 the 4.3 V8 made 120hp and got 18/27 city/hwy. The 3.8 made 111hp the same year with 20/30 respectively. Was it worth the extra $75 for that 9hp? What an odd engine! Now I want to build one and put a T5 behind it.

@lb9gta307 10 ай бұрын

Only 9hp difference but 90 degree V6s aren't known for their smoothness and the V8 produces a better sound than the V6. You got a better driving experiance with the V8.

@sjhudon386 10 ай бұрын

Plus more torque. With that short stroke it might like to rev!

@drdean9913 10 ай бұрын

Snow in August ?

@MichaelandCathy1999 10 ай бұрын

It’s a repeat vid, he’s on vacation

@99somerville 10 ай бұрын

Still a good looking car.

@DanaLeeGibson 8 ай бұрын

I had a 1979 Firebird with the 301, horrible engine. We miss you Steve, hurry back!

@Bill-cv1xu 10 ай бұрын

👍

@ron8802 10 ай бұрын

Awsome episode...😁..but .....please....no snow episodes...😕

@o.c.smithiii2626 10 ай бұрын

Same engine & steering wheel on my 81 Bonneville.

@o.c.smithiii2626 10 ай бұрын

The engine had a mix of SAE & Metric fasteners under hood.

@gregorykern9679 10 ай бұрын

Looks like Steve weighed a bit more here. Snow on the ground lead me to think this was recorded awhile before Summer. Other videos he has released lately show him about 20 lbs lighter.

@smithp573 10 ай бұрын

Rear coils on a 2nd Gen? Towing assist shocks?

@Mac10Daddy 10 ай бұрын

Didn’t Jim Rockford have a Pontiac Firebird Esprit? But wasn’t it the only one equipped with the 400?

@stevedriver1476 7 ай бұрын

thanks for a great show on a less than great car. ugly front, poor performance but the owners loved them. steve in Australia p/s i cant talk i have an 82 z/28

@robbchastain3036 10 ай бұрын

Just a note to say thanks to all new subscribers, let's get Steve to that 100,000 mark so he gets that plaque and maybe forgets some of the sting of getting his television show cancelled by Motor Trend. But when he shows us his KZfaq award, he will have to wear his chef's hat 'cuz he is still cookin' up fantastic shows in the junkyard. 😀

@Project_Low_Expectations 10 ай бұрын

Always been a 77-81 Firebird fan… NEVER heard of the 265 though.

@googleusergp 10 ай бұрын

RPO code "LS5" used in various GM vehicles in 1980-1981. The VIN code was an "S" and it was the 301 V8s baby brother. Olds had their 260 V8 and Chevrolet had their 267 V8 in the same "Small V8" era.

@michael14420 10 ай бұрын

Why did you say 7th digit? Was it just a misspoke?

@toddbob55 10 ай бұрын

Buddy had that exact car in high school wasn't the best built car GM dropped the ball as far as quality and ride and comfort

@googleusergp 10 ай бұрын

Surely was a Van Nuys, CA built car. One of the "terrible three" GM facilities in CA.

@KevinCruz-pu2ue 10 ай бұрын

Hey dude I don't know what's going on, but this is another reposted video like yesterday. You gave us this one on Feb. 28th. Hope you're OK and can get this fixed soon.

@holgerwittmann8419 10 ай бұрын

In todays sports car thinking: What you have? A 6 liter engine. Oh wow, so you got 3000hp or so? No, 120.

@gillesjacques1022 10 ай бұрын

Picture on the right hand page the car, the left hand page, the Marlboro man. 😂😅

@artjones2498 10 ай бұрын

snow on the ground in august...up there in mass....gonna be a long winter??? of a very short summer????...

@tomwesley7884 10 ай бұрын

Drats, vintage episode

@markmonroe7330 10 ай бұрын

Excellent video Steve. Thanks for sharing. I was wondering what the "peak" years for smog, lowest horsepower and general crap performance were. I am guessing 1979-1981 maybe? Maybe include 1982? Things started to upswing a bit in 1984-1985 and then once direct fuel injection had a solid roll out in 1986 - things got significantly better from there year over year.

@googleusergp 10 ай бұрын

Not 1979. You could still get a 400 Pontiac V8 in a Firebird Formula or Trans Am and it was a good performer. The early 3rd generation F cars were slouches and powered by wheezy small block V8s. Fuel injection woke them up by the later 1980s.

@lb9gta307 10 ай бұрын

1983 was the year Firebirds started to get their performance back with the introduction of the L69

@googleusergp 10 ай бұрын

@@lb9gta307 I'd say a bit later in 1985 with the 305 TPI VIN code "F" engine. Although I'm not a fan of a "Chevyiac", it did bring power and reliability back to the V8s. I'm no 3rd generation fan, never was, never will be.

@lb9gta307 10 ай бұрын

@@googleusergp the L69 cars were quicker despite having less peak hp. The 305 TPI cars without the peanut cam gained power over the following 4 years and in that time became considerably quicker but not in their first few years.

@googleusergp 10 ай бұрын

@@lb9gta307Nothing "HO" about an "L69". It's a wheezy small block with no business being in a Pontiac. I'd take the "lesser" TPI engine and they were more refined and better performers (mileage, reliability, etc.) overall. The 350 "L98" was better, but I still would pass them all up for a 2nd generation with a 400 or a 455.

@edmonk4912 10 ай бұрын

hmmmmmmmmmmmmm snow in the middle of August? Is he in Canada?

@lb9gta307 10 ай бұрын

Not unless he's on top of a fairly tall mountain

@stevecutlas7556 10 ай бұрын

Is that vehicle for sale I want to buy it

@Justiceincorporated. 9 ай бұрын

😊

@mitchierochbyrrb 9 ай бұрын

Didn't Rockford drive an Esprit?

@WhittyPics 10 ай бұрын

My 84 Grand Prix had a steering wheel like that.

@Richard_Biggs 9 ай бұрын

Wealth of information

@sped6954 10 ай бұрын

I never knew there was a console delete for these F-Bodies. Every last Camaro and Firebird I've ever seen has had a console. Very interesting. I'm gonna have to go see if I can find a pic of that. At 3:55 when you went inside, you said something about the "engine turned dash" not being available on the Esprit. I know what it is and what it looked like, but why was it called that?

@dannyschoolcraft5984 10 ай бұрын

It should be called machined, or engraved. The engraving on the panel is circular. If heard it called motor turned also, and doesn't seem to be correct to me. If you see a metal watch or bracelet with writing on it, that's called engraved. I guess that's where the word engine, that Steve used came from.

@googleusergp 10 ай бұрын

It was due to the "swirl pattern" on the dash plate which was popular back then. I remember a lot of vending machines sold those "engine turned" type decals that people would stick on their note books, skate boards, bicycles and the like. Also, Mr. Magnante is not correct on the console for 1981. All 1981 Firebirds got a console as standard equipment. Yes, the console was not standard in the early years, and you could indeed get a column shifted 2nd generation F body. I have seen several over the years. It's rare, but they did exist.

@RonnN-gf8tm 10 ай бұрын

My buddy had a brown 79' Fire chicken 305 V8. High school...he never put that 350 in it...kept saying..next year

@LuciFeric137 10 ай бұрын

*secretary version. Fify

@genehunsinger3981 10 ай бұрын

who didnt own at least 1 of these,,,haha.Any-1 looked good behind the wheel of 1 of these.

@googleusergp 10 ай бұрын

I own two, and one has been in my family since it was new.

@GoldenGun-Florida 10 ай бұрын

Yet another re-upload?

@jeffreycarleton1535 10 ай бұрын

Yes, I think I’ve seen this one before as well! Pryor commitments perhaps! Hopefully they’ll be able to post some new stuff soon! Katie may be on strike! Renegotiating her compensation package, now that they show her face!😂

@GoldenGun-Florida 10 ай бұрын

@@jeffreycarleton1535 I believe that re-uploading the same video is a waste of everyone's time.

@rockettcustoms6266 10 ай бұрын

@@GoldenGun-Florida That's why I'm unsubscribing,.

@GoldenGun-Florida 10 ай бұрын

@@rockettcustoms6266 I've stopped watching them until I first search to see if it is a duplicate. There is no viable reason that I can determine to re-upload the same video other than to simulate new content by "releasing" the video at 6 AM to appear to be new content. Otherwise, why not re-upload a dozen sometime in the afternoon? Imagine if some of the popular KZfaqrs did this? Why not upload all of your videos 100 times to get more space and more views? I find this all unacceptable.

@raymondcanessa7208 10 ай бұрын

My 2015 Toyota Corolla takes 8.5 seconds to reach 60 mph from a standstill and achieves the quarter-mile in 16.85 seconds. About the same as the Trans Am

@googleusergp 10 ай бұрын

Except a 1979 is faster and handles better than a Corolla. No dig on the Corolla, I plan to buy one as my next commuter car.

@dado8117 10 ай бұрын

Is it worth your manhood 😅

@raymondcanessa7208 10 ай бұрын

@@googleusergp 1980 Pontiac Firebird Turbo Trans Am 0-60 mph 8.0 Quarter mile 16.5 Compare 1983 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am 0-60 mph 8.5 Quarter mile 16.4

@raymondcanessa7208 10 ай бұрын

@@dado8117 manhood ?

@googleusergp 10 ай бұрын

@@raymondcanessa7208I'll take the 301 Pontiac turbo (I own one). I do not recognize third generation Firebirds as real Pontiacs. They are "Chevyiacs". The last real Firebird for me is 1981.