The Pontiac Sunbird is a small car manufactured and marketed by Pontiac over two generations.
The first generation was marketed as a subcompact hatchback, wagon and coupe (1976–1980) — as a badge engineered variant of the Chevrolet Monza, which was based on the Chevrolet Vega.
The second generation (1982–1994) was marketed as notchback coupé, sedan, hatchback, station wagon, and convertible as a rebadged variant of General Motors' J-cars and was manufactured alongside the Cadillac Cimarron, Buick Skyhawk, Oldsmobile Firenza, and Chevrolet Cavalier at GM's South Gate Assembly and Janesville Assembly plants.
The Sunbird nameplate ran for 18 years (with a hiatus during the 1981 and 1982 model years, as the 1982 model was marketed as the J2000) and was replaced in 1995 by the Pontiac Sunfire.
Facelift (1988–1994)
Production under the Sunbird name was continued until 1994. The trim levels on both the sedan and coupe were base, SE and GT. The Sunbird SE coupe, SE sedan and the GT coupe and convertible had partially concealed headlamps, a feature that originally appeared on the Isuzu Impulse, that gave the appearance of "raised eyebrows" when the headlights were on. The base model initially had the 1984-87 front fascia with exposed sealed beam headlamps. The engines were both the carryover 2.0L 96 hp (72 kW) I4 and the turbocharged 165 horsepower 2.0L four. GM discontinued the Safari name on the Sunbird station wagon models.
In 1989, the base model received a smoother, more aerodynamic front fascia and the model was renamed "LE". An LE coupe joined the lineup also, with the same features as the LE sedan, but for a slightly lower price. The SE sedan was discontinued. In all models, however, a new dashboard was added. It somewhat resembled that of the larger Pontiac Grand Prix, redesigned for 1988. The most notable change from the previous dashboard is the placement of the stereo. A redesigned AM/FM stereo unit was placed high in the dash. If a cassette player or compact disc player (new for 1989) were ordered, they were relocated at the bottom of the dash.
For 1990, the GT and SE coupes received a smoother front fascia with hidden headlamps. The GT convertible is discontinued, replaced by a turbocharged LE convertible, which also retains the GT suspension and steering. In all models, GM's passive seatbelt system was introduced. The seatbelts were mounted on the doors and would stretch out when latched.
The turbo four was deleted for 1991, replaced by the Cavalier's 3.1L V6. With Multi-Port Fuel Injection, it produced 140 hp (100 kW) at 5200 rpm, and 185 lb⋅ft (251 N⋅m) of torque at 4800 rpm. Although there was less horsepower under the hood, power came much quicker and smoother than the Turbo, with about the same fuel economy. The V6 engine could be ordered in any model, save the new-for 1991 base value model. The SE coupe received the LE coupe front fascia, but the GT's fascia could still be ordered with a sport package exclusive to SE coupes.
The largest change for the '92 model year was a revision of the base engine. The 2.0 L SOHC TBI four was replaced with the 2.0 L SOHC MPFI four resulting in a fuel economy increase and power increase. Power was increased from 96 hp (72 kW) to 110 hp (82 kW) and torque increased from 118 to 124 lb⋅ft (168 N⋅m). An SE sedan was once again available, and the base models were dropped and the convertible moved from LE to SE. The only change for 1993 was the addition of a glass rear window with defroster on convertibles.
As the Sunbird came to a close, the trims were pared down. The SE sedan, SE convertible and GT coupe were dropped for 1994. The LE sedan, LE coupe and LE convertible (moved from SE to LE), and SE coupe stood pat for one more year. The SE coupe was essentially the '93 GT coupe with a lower price.
Most Sunbirds were built in Lordstown, Ohio and Ramos Arizpe, Mexico. The last one rolled off the assembly line on April 27, 1994. The Sunbird was replaced by the Pontiac Sunfire in 1995.
GT
The Sunbird GT model was introduced in 1986 as a coupe, sedan, convertible or fastback hatch with a 1.8 L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine of the Family II range (LA5) as standard equipment. The 150 hp (112 kW) 1.8 L turbo engine had been available since 1984. In 1987 the engine was upgraded to the 165 hp (123 kW) LT3.
All GTs featured semi-concealed headlamps and fender flares and "Turbo GT" badges replacing "Sunbird" badges. However, on the turbo delete cars the "Sunbird" badges were replaced by "Sunbird GT" badges. The sedan was dropped for 1988 and the interior for the coupe was redesigned for 1989. The convertible was dropped for 1990 and the turbo followed in 1991. Replacing the turbo four-cylinder for 1991 was GM's 3.1L V6 that produced 140 horsepower (100 kW), but was quieter and smoother than the turbo. After 1993, the GT coupe became the SE coupe when the lineup was consolidated prior to the new model to arrive for 1995.
Sunbird in Mexico
From 1988 to 1992, the US Chevrolet Cavalier was sold in the Mexican market as a replacement for the Chevrolet Citation in the compact segment, due to the dismissal of the last one in 1987. The Sunbird was first sold in Mexico in 1992 as a 1993 model; prior to this, the Sunbird had been badged as the "new" Chevrolet Cavalier, seeming like an exterior redesign for the compact, but preserving the same interior as the "previous" model, also replacing the Pontiac badges with Chevrolet bowties. A unique characteristic for the Mexican version was the offering of the second generation LB6 MPFI 2.8L V6 engine as the single powerplant for either base and top models, either attached to a 5-speed manual or a 3-speed automatic transmission.
The Pontiac Sunbird GT was also renamed, being sold as the Chevrolet Cavalier Z24, and having the LH0 3.1L MPFI V6 as the standard engine, either with the same 5-speed manual or 3-speed automatic powertrains used by the regular models. Both versions of Sunbird labeled as Cavaliers were sold until 1995, when the new generation of the Chevrolet Cavalier, and the new replacement for the Sunbird, the Pontiac Sunfire, were introduced both as separated models in Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
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