View Full Version : What's this car?
TVR IS KING
04-04-2009, 11:45 PM
My girlfriend sent me this and it immediately started tormenting me. What is it? It reminds me of an old Nissan 300zx, but the badge throws me off, and it looks different.
Halp!
f6fhellcat13
04-05-2009, 12:03 AM
That's an 80s (third gen) Pontiac Trans Am or Firebird.
TVR IS KING
04-05-2009, 12:11 AM
I thought it might have been American as well, but it's hard without seeing the arse of the car. Then I might've picked it.
Thanks!
What's with the badge? It's so badly NOT the red triangle thing on current Pontiacs.
P4g4nite
04-05-2009, 12:15 AM
http://www.pontiacpower.net/pictures/85ta03.jpg
'85 Trans Am: Gentlemen, start your mullets.
P4g4nite
04-05-2009, 12:16 AM
http://www.stencilsandstripes.com/images/Pontiac/78_TransAm_red.jpg
'Badge' is a little one of these babies.
f6fhellcat13
04-05-2009, 12:17 AM
The badge is a firebird, slightly shrunk from the 2nd generation.
http://www.carclay.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/red-1973-pontiac-firebird-trans-am.jpg
EDIT: Damn!
P4g4nite
04-05-2009, 12:20 AM
EDIT: Damn!
My pic was better too :D
To paraphrase Mad Max .. "I am the Knight Ride-aaah (http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1131196/knight_rider_kit_intro/)" :eek:
TVR IS KING
04-05-2009, 12:31 AM
Ohh that makes sense. But now I'm even more confused. A trans am with a firebird badge? What's the difference anyway? Both are old Pontiac sports coupe things? Or is it like the Holden Astra (http://images.cracker.com.au/cracker_images/47000/46600.jpg) and the Holden Astra (http://www.nextcar.com.au/rt.i.holden.astra.AH.coupe.3524.r.75.71.JPG), where Holden decided their line-up had room for both at once.
P4g4nite
04-05-2009, 12:35 AM
To paraphrase Mad Max .. "I am the Knight Ride-aaah (http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1131196/knight_rider_kit_intro/)" :eek:
Mad Max...?
Mad Max...?
Quoted For Truth .. as they say :p
YouTube - Mad Max Thrashes The Night Rider. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3xjSH62aP4&feature=related)
clutch-monkey
04-05-2009, 02:46 AM
flaming chicken!
silverhawk
04-05-2009, 03:07 AM
spotted this in February.
blingbling
04-05-2009, 03:38 AM
the trans am is a pontiac firebird type
culver
04-05-2009, 11:39 AM
The car was always the Firebird. As blingx2 said, Trans Am was a subtype. Think Subaru Impreza WRX. We just call the thing WRX.
I have to say I think those were very good looking cars for the time. They looked great with 20/20 vision. That is 20 yards away at 20 MPH. Sadly they were not made by Toyota, instead they were 1980s GM which was about as bad as you could get. They styling was good (if 80s trendy), the engineers were told they had no money and had to use existing parts. The cars could move fast (for the time) but rattled and had exceedingly stiff ride. Great to look at but never try to talk with one.
roosterjuicer
04-05-2009, 12:43 PM
the car in the first picture is an 82-92 pontiac firebird. firebird is the model. trans am is essentially the equivalent of a camaro z28 its basically just a trim level.
roosterjuicer
04-05-2009, 12:54 PM
I have to say I think those were very good looking cars for the time. They looked great with 20/20 vision. That is 20 yards away at 20 MPH. Sadly they were not made by Toyota, instead they were 1980s GM which was about as bad as you could get. They styling was good (if 80s trendy), the engineers were told they had no money and had to use existing parts. The cars could move fast (for the time) but rattled and had exceedingly stiff ride. Great to look at but never try to talk with one.
i had the camaro equivalent of that car. mine was a 92 z28 g92 car. it was the peak of the era. it is decently fast for people who think new civic si's, rsx's, integra's, celica's, lexus is 300's, ect are decently fast. it handles pretty well.
but its a pretty old car, it gives a rough ride, the steering kind of darts all over the place, its not too comfortable, it creaks, rattles, water leaks in during the high pressure wash at a car wash but it does ok in the rain. mine never had any problems.
thing is, is it was made at a time when engineers couldn't figure out how to make decent power while still having decent mileage and smog characteristics while keeping the price managable. The 3rd gen's started in 1982 and the v8's produced barely 200hp haha. 1992 was the best year for the 3rd gen fbody and they made 240 horsepower, 300ish torque(245/350ish for the automatic 350) , got about 26 on the highway and about 17 in the city. and revved to a whooping 5000rpms (horsepower topped out at about 4300). the 1993 (4th gen) made 285 or 305 (z28/ss) and got about the same mileage. by 1998 they were making 320 with better mileage.
i have since moved on to a 2002 z28 (ls1, 6speed) and it blows the 3rd gen out of the water in every imagineable way including gas mileage. its amazing what a few years does engineering wise.
Ferrer
04-05-2009, 01:30 PM
i have since moved on to a 2002 z28 (ls1, 6speed) and it blows the 3rd gen out of the water in every imagineable way including gas mileage. its amazing what a few years does engineering wise.
That's what's called progress. :)
I've always wondered what it'd be like to live with an American 70's-80's car. There's a 1977 Corvette for sale near home, but at 18.000€ I find it expensive. Is it?
LeonOfTheDead
04-05-2009, 01:36 PM
That's what's called progress. :)
I've always wondered what it'd be like to live with an American 70's-80's car. There's a 1977 Corvette for sale near home, but at 18.000€ I find it expensive. Is it?
it's about 24.000 $, yes it is.
roosterjuicer
04-05-2009, 02:37 PM
That's what's called progress. :)
I've always wondered what it'd be like to live with an American 70's-80's car. There's a 1977 Corvette for sale near home, but at 18.000€ I find it expensive. Is it?
yeah, that is expensive. american cars were pretty weak from 72 was the last good year for musclecars
coolieman1220
04-05-2009, 07:50 PM
that's KITT!
in1fastcar
04-06-2009, 05:51 AM
To be more precise this is a Pontiac Trans Am GTA this is one of the baddest T/A's ever built. 350TPI making like 285 HP this was one mean, fast, good looking car.
in1fastcar
04-06-2009, 05:56 AM
Ohh that makes sense. But now I'm even more confused. A trans am with a firebird badge? What's the difference anyway? Both are old Pontiac sports coupe things? Or is it like the Holden Astra (http://images.cracker.com.au/cracker_images/47000/46600.jpg) and the Holden Astra (http://www.nextcar.com.au/rt.i.holden.astra.AH.coupe.3524.r.75.71.JPG), where Holden decided their line-up had room for both at once.
Firebird bird for the modern Pontiac is the base version while the T/A's are a much nicer version. Both are Firebirds but the T/A's got all the goodies like the v8's, leather, power everything. That is the difference.
roosterjuicer
04-06-2009, 06:28 AM
To be more precise this is a Pontiac Trans Am GTA this is one of the baddest T/A's ever built. 350TPI making like 285 HP this was one mean, fast, good looking car.
i dont think there was ever a tpi motor that made 285 from the factory
P4g4nite
04-06-2009, 07:06 AM
its amazing what a few $dollars$ does engineering wise.Fixed.