Driving a 2001 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am WS6 Firehawk Clone
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 พ.ย. 2023
- Get Entered to WIN this awesome 450 hp Trans Am WS6!
go.getenteredtowin.com/regula...
DEADLINE to ENTER is November 15th @ 11:59pm (PST).
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Something I've always appreciated about RCR is that these reviews abandon the pretense of objectivity. Not a lot of time is spent reading advertisement statistics or minute build details that any other reviewer could share. RCR does its best to capture feelings, sensations, and cultural context.
These free-form driving videos highlight this principle. You can see just how much of Mr. Regular's true, honest emotions and opinions make it into the final review. Every candid laugh and dry comment (read: "...bring out your inner hillbilly") shapes the meaning of the car to the driver and viewer.
Eh sure. Objectivity can still exist in an in-depth, more emotionally leaning review imo.
@@hiepphambui3941 Oh without a doubt, and many good reviews do! I just meant to praise the fact that RCR seems to focus on incorporating Brian's personal commentary into a broader narrative on the car-of-the-week's sociocultural significance.
In total I've had four F bodies. The 99 trans Am I had was my absolute favorite. Took it on my honeymoon of my first marriage. I'll never forget, we got to the northern end of the outer Banks around dusk. I turned the headlights on which caused them to flip up of course, a kid on the other side of the road saw it started pointing at it and got all excited. That was a pretty cool memory
That kid's name? James Pumphrey.
Did your mullet tingle?
@@viscountslappy5085 child please. My mullet grew 3 inches on the spot
Me too 2 v6 firebird and 3 trans am ws6 all 1998 till this day I still have 1 total of 5 f-bodies
@@viscountslappy5085 no, but your mom's did as the hair on her legs stood on end from the goosebumps
Such a cool car. At least i can console myself with a Holden v8 wagon.
Honestly, I'd rather have that.
@@illegal_space_alien the build qaulity is better on the last of the Holdens that's for sure.
I was detailing cars in 2001 one of our customers bought a ws6 in a light gold metallic. I vividly remember pulling up to the spot where I was supposed to pick up a 99 Denali and seeing a trans am in its place. I was probably 17, what a good day that was. 😊
Traction control was an option. If that has it there should be a switch on the center console. - Sincerely, an owner of an 01 WS6.
While the drivetrains are great, most people overlook the suspension and chassis design on these cars. Double wishbone up front, torque arm out back, composites everywhere, motor pushed far behind the strut towers, the ability to tuck 315 square tires under stock fenders, etc. The factory tuning is pretty soggy (even on the SLP cars), but basic handling mods make them feel glued to the road.
F-bodies have always had a really good chassis.
I wouldn't say that the roundness of the WS6 makes it soft. The exterior design of the WS6 is very busy. Nostrils, body lines, and a sharp aerodynamics makes it look more aggressive than it's Catfish Z28/SS cousin.
🎵”East Bound and doowwn
Loadin’ up and truckin’
We’re gonna do what they say can’t be done
We got a loong way to go
And a short tiime to get there
I’m east bound just watch that bandit run” 🎵
My shelf is overflowing with mugs, this is has to be our time to win! Thank you RCR
So.many.mugs
I thoroughly enjoyed this, it was a nice surprise this morning.
I always thought the F bodies looked cool as a kid and into my early teens.
My cousin had a 35th anniversary one new in 02. My uncle had a 3rd gen over 25 years ago he told me about the "door sag". He said it was from rusted subframes and you had to slam the doors to get them to close on bad ones. The doors were that long to facilitate entry/exit from the back seats.
Chai was real funny, glad you guys had a great time ❤
I just bought a white 95 Firebird Formula 6 speed convertible with the LT1 with 81k miles. It is my first F body and is a blast to drive and is super loud with Magnaflow exhaust. It rattles a bit, there's some wind noise, and the interior looks slapped together - but I don't care. It's a shame Pontiac discontinued these after 2002, and it's a shame how Pontiac no longer exists. New muscle cars are cool and faster than this, but Mr. Regular is right - this car is way more fun. I'm 30 and I remember seeing these new (especially the 98-02 facelifted version) when I was a kid and always thought they looked incredible, and they still do.
Please enjoy it, and when it's gone, buy another one!
The 4th gen f body is the perfect blend of old school and modern enough interior/engine. The 98-02 ls1 cars with less weight up front drive as good as anything from their era. More raw and connected than a c5, more practical with a rear seat, more rare with less made than corvettes and FAR less left in good condition and the end of an era.
I'm biased, I own two. I have a 01 formula that has 175+k and a 99 t/a with 62k that lives in my garage. They really do everything well for the type of driving most people do, cruising around, making cool noises, some wind in your hair...even reliable and cheap to run. Ask yourself, what does a 4th gen supra do better than a 4th gen f body? Is it 10x better?
Btw, traction control is a single button and was an expensive option new. It does very little, even with traction control you can drive like a total monkey before it gets involved. Then it's a single switch to turn off
I would not have clicked, but then I saw it was another gem from the Roman.
Driving roads like that are what it's all about! 😎👍
I remember seeing one of these at a dealer as a kid. I instantly fell in love with it. I've never owned one.
6:57 For sure. Was lucky enough to have an 11 year old IROC-Z as my first car and when you closed one of the doors, one of the windows should be cracked bc they probably wouldn’t completely shut otherwise. They actually felt and moved solid when kept in good shape.
Autumn drives in Appalachia are the best, and this is a heluva car to do it in.
Yup I effin miss western Maryland, now here in Texas there are just two seasons summer and winter and it's still summer 😂😢
God I hope I can win this. This'll be the first non-boring car I've ever owned, and I've always loved f-bodies
UGGH, I had to park my 89 IROC in 10 and Friday I finally got the $ to put it back on the road and this vid is just making the need to start this now overwelming. Vs in the spring.
If you dont think the Trans Am was seen as aggressive back in it's hey day, you must have missed the Ad campaign.
This is the car I've so far been most excited to enter to win.
The clunk that F body doors make is the official soundtrack of ass-tier build quality.
The Firebirds always seemed to be a little...fatter on the inside, the Camaros weren't so obvious with their noise.
And although their build quality wasn't the best, it's certainly better than the '80s GM vehicles where you practically had to get it running start to close the door.
It’s part of the charm.
I always watch TH-cam at 2x speed but not this vid.
Set playback to normal and enjoyed that glorious LS music.
Mr. Regular needs to just embrace his inner winga dinga.
I still remember driving my mentors modified 2001 WS6 for high school graduation, such a special experience driving one. The car that made me love V8's and made me fall in love with cars again. Good luck to everyone who entered
NICE! F-Body FTW!
I'm probably gonna submit for a review later, but what are the odds that Roman would be interested in a double feature of SN95 V8 5 speed mustangs?
A GT and a Mach 1, both the same year.
I don't recall if he ever had the chance to drive those packages.
Man, Pennsylvania is beautiful in the fall.
They don’t all have traction control I believe it was an option even on trans ams.
I have it in my well optioned formula, it’s a button in the center dash. I usually turn it off as soon as I get in the car as I only drive it on dry days.
Firehawks were a product of SLP with quite a few differences from a WS6 so I'm confused about the "clone" statement unless someone went through a LOT of money and trouble to swap out and match everything that SLP would have done before sending to a dealer, including the little things like badging.
SLP did both Firehawks and WS6s only up thru '97. In '98 WS6 conversions went to ASC.
No official Firehawk production in '98 (only a handful of prototypes).
Any Firehawk-specific spoiler that was offered was an SLP option, otherwise they had the same spoilers as WS6s (be it the low-profile Formula or the up-level T/A style)
'98+ WS6 hoods allowed for a raised lower airbox / radiator support that allowed more air to flow to the filter compared to the lower, more subtle Firehawk ram air hood.
Not all Firehawks were rated at 345. IIRC, '99-'00s were rated 327 or 335-ish. Keep in mind that this was just a marketing game, all LS1s were heavily under-rated, just some more than others. YES, slight variations between models due to exhaust and intake differences, but not much.
SLP offered suspension, airbox, and exhaust upgrade options on the Firehawks that were not available on WS6s. These options (if equipped) and the hoods are the main mechanical differences between Firehawks and WS6s.
5:40 Maniacal adrenaline-fueled cackling is definitely the working theme music for a car like this. 😁
Cool as hell, but wasted on me. Can't drive stick, and wouldn't try learning on a 450 hp rocket sled.
If your high mile GM coupe/fastback has a drivers side door that shuts properly the hinges are probably on their second rebuild.
2 door W cars had the same idiot issues with closing as they aged. But I still love those big doors on F and W cars!
Ls1 Fbodies rejuvenated the muscle car wars
T-TOPS.
umbilically tethered to the carousel lounge, Anchorage Alaska, 2013
Off topic. But video idears. 2nd gen Corvair? Or a Pontiac Sunfire?? Maybe even a Saab 9-5 sedan???
WS6… I buy hustler mags so I can pretend to read the articles…
Firehawk? I remember that episode of Viper.
Love these cars
I own a 2002 WS6
Built on 8/7/02
706 of 851 in Bright Red T Top Automatic
ASC Build #11,733
My Trans Am is best Trans Am because it's rare 😂 You're just like the Corvette boomers
@@darksu6947 a better corvette since I have 4 seats to haul some females lol
@@Cheeseburgerperson141 Why would you want to ride around with such abysmal creatures? 😄
You are a riot!! Lol😅!!
Nice fire chicken
Its a beautiful car but it would be wasted on me. Hopefully someone out there gets it that drives it like it deserves to be driven.
Chai should've rated the back seat.
i hope i win i miss my 02 z28 that i used to own
It's like everything, a trend starts, then everyone copies it - it becomes dull and the new thing comes along, wash rinse repeat. Everything today looks the same, especially with the glut of SUV's and pickups, all of them edgy with sharp corners. So, of course the Trans Am sticks out a bit.
Anyone who has owned one I’m looking at a 2002 WS6 speed manual with 30,000 km interior doesn’t have a scratch, but it hasn’t been on the road for probably 5 to 10 years so it doesn’t run is $20,000 Canadian too much
You dont need first. Immediately puts it in first after that comment.😂
Assuming I heard right, who is ... The Champ?
I looked it up and i cannot find what the firehawk gave you in this generation.
I know the earlier ones gave you an LT4. I think this one they just upped the rating of the V8 to 345 without changing anything?
But this one has actual mods so. Sure
The Firehawk is pretty much an appearance package on 98-02 cars. Different exhaust, could have a different lid but otherwise mechanically identical with different hood. Don't tell the ws6 boys this, but the Firehawk and formulas are actually the rare 4th gen birds in terms of production numbers. The most common way to find a 98-02 trans am is as a ws6.
@@tommyistommy correct me if I'm wrong...but the LT4s made 330hp right? Wouldn't that make them more powerful than the later LS1 WS6s? Or did they detune the LT4s in the firehawks?
@@rubberwoody the lt4 Firehawks are so limited in production, I don't think they detuned the lt4 at all in the Firehawks.
The ls1 ratings are 100% wrong on all 98-02 f bodies. They all make 345-350hp just like a C5 did. GM claimed the 98-00 base cars made 305, 01-02s 310 and 320 98-00 /325 01-02 for WS6/SS cars. The ls1 Firehawks made 335hp. All of the ls1 numbers are total BS, they all make the same 350 as a Vette. Actually, the f bodies usually dyno a little higher due to no torque tube 😂 the 7.5 inch 10 bolt doesn't rob any power
But if you are going by rated horsepower, yes the lt4 made more than anything that wasn't a ls1 Firehawk or c5
I love this car my brother has a 98 ws6 and I'm sitting in my 01 camaro ( fully built) watching this
What is the light on the dash complaining about
Mileage/data display, it's only flickering due to the vid refresh.
Heavy ass doors for decades-GM
-YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY, FOO!
PONTIAC
I would love those cars if they werent just so damn ugly! I mean they should have realized by '97 that the design was hideous, even compared to the blobby stang at the time! The pontiac was definitely better, but what they really needed was a redesign to make them a little more boxy, and with the great performance numbers it would have killed it in sales!
I had a 99 z28, thought it was an awesome engine in a crappy car. A pillar is massive and blocks your view in corners. Interior quality is a joke.
owo whats this?
where does he keep getting these cars to give away, buyin em?
"Giving away". Ok sure. They have what is essentially a lottery or numbers game, but it is legally allowed because it is a "giveaway". Interesting to think about.