Regular Car Reviews: 1985 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 พ.ค. 2016
- Hey kid, I'm your uncle! I work at the Deka battery factory! I'm on disability because they owe me that much. Are you 18? Want a lottery ticket? Want to buy me cigarettes? I pay of one credit card with another credit card!
- ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
![เปิดบ้านสุดหรู "เเจ็ค the ghost" ลั่นถ้าป๋องกพลลำบากผมเลี้ยงเอง!! l [Nickynachat]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/1xbW4vULqGc/mqdefault.jpg)
I disagree with you on Pontiac's place in GM. What you describe as the "middle ground between Chevrolet and Cadillac" was Oldsmobile. Chevy was for the masses. Buick was for those who prioritized comfort and some luxury. Cadillac was the pinnacle of luxury. Oldsmobile was a mix of everything. Pontiac was for younger buyers or buyers who only had "Chevy" money but wanted more attitude, more excitement. If you liked the Camaro, but wanted to stand out and be different than all the other Camaros on the block, you got a Firebird. The Camaro kid can tuck his shirt in and try to impress the girlfriend's dad. The Firebird kid does a burnout in front of the dad while flipping him off after she jumps in the passenger seat while blasting Van Halen's Running With The Devil.
Brady Loretz funny you mention that boy friend was in the Pontiac Trans Am
Brady Loretz funny you mention that because that is how I met my current boyfriend was in a Pontiac Trans Am
Brady Loretz he owned a TransAm and loved the Halen
So he nailed you in the stinking soiled back seat at the first chance you let him?
@@LRS905 Sure did, although the back seats weren't stinking his T-Tops never leaked.
Am I the only one who thinks those rims on this car are SEXY?
Daniel A stock looks better tbh
I was personally always a sucker for the honeycomb wheels. These don’t look bad on this car but nothing has the appeal of the wheels I the bees
They do look really good
The snowflake wheels are beautiful
They're gorgeous 👍🏾
The Trans Am: official car of Schrute Beet Farms.
You beet me.
they should all have the Dyte Schrute conversion which consists of a blue flashing light on the roof
PIZZA DUDE and a missing front bumper
Dwight
PIZZA DUDE “Dwight, pull over...”
I would take this old Firebird over the Camaro and Mustang of this era, the Firebird was sexy and still looks good. I really wish we never lost Pontiac and it would make a comeback.
Let us pray for our fallen brother
I agree the Firebird has a cooler name than it's cousins the Camaro and the Corvette and it seems more grunge rock than the others which are Air Supply and Glam rock. I think that's why they picked one for the Karate Kid TH-cam series because it fits a more an 80s rock aesthetic.
I love the look of this car I don’t understand why they think it’s not worth it id love to go get one
I always had a sweet spot for 89 gta
Well anything over the Mustang of this generation
the official car of: " how hard is it to find one of these things that hasn't been made into a KITT replica?"
+Joe Eversole Are you the writer by chance? I mean seriously, this sounds Regular Car-ish
That's a fiero lol
+Kyle Counter lol not kit car, KITT... Night Rider!
+Joe Eversole one of the greatest comments I have ever read.
Its like finding a 69 charger that isnt a general lee clone..
Building one now but every always asks if its gonna be a general lee... NO!
Believe it or not...in 1985 the Firebird DID HANDLE compared to most other cars on the road.
... yeah ... Like the 911, A60 Supra, FB, FC, AE86, AW11 ... No, wait.
Yes, this.
I drove my dad's '84 TA all through the late 80's and, I would attest that it handled very well for a vehicle of its era.
@@binbesteroh470 i will compare to CRX, integra, 240sx, W201, E30
I have a 86 Trans Am with custom paint job and I love it.
3rd gens are the coolest.
Travis Kraft same here man. Best damn car I've ever owned.
second gens are cooler
4th gens are the best ones
Gm ruined the 3rd gens in the 80s they were getting better in the 90s tho
Turd gen is worst gen
I’m from Europe. I spend my day Watching various American channels, and I like every single one of them. This channel in particular is great because of its sense of humour, plus I can watch reviews of “normal cars” that aren’t such for european people.
However, I don’t quite get some of the criticism towards american cars, specially since those critics come from american people . Even With hard emissions regulations from the 1970/80s the cars look just awesome to me!! What I want to say is that you have the best group of “regular cars” on the planet!
It's more of the way those cars drive than anything.
Big Three (Ford, GM and Chrysler) tried making economical engines that pass emissions out of huge V8s.
Well, how do you do that? By making them comically underpowered!
After the emissions and oil crisis came in full swing the same engines that were made in the 60's and early 70's made less than half the power.
A great example is the C3 Corvette. In 1970 the 5.7 V8 made 370hp while in 1975 it made only 165 to 205 hp depending on the version.
Corvette is a sports car. It's meant to be the highest performance GM has to offer.
The biggest offender (as far as GM goes) is probably the 454 (7.4 litre) Big Block. In late 60's/pre-emission 70's it made some 450hp, but in the lowest point of "Malaise Era" it barely made 200hp. 200hp out of a 7.4 litre V8.
A very popular car at the time was Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser. A 2,3-2,5 ton station wagon with a 307 (5.0 litre) V8 that made 140 hp.
140 hp in a car that weights 2,5 metric tons. If you thought old Naturally Aspirated Mercedes Diesels were slow, this moved slower than tectonic plates...
And all that is just the power. Consider the dreadful handling, the God-awful build quality, cheap materials, poor fuel economy, etc. and you can see why Japanese became so popular.
Japanese cars were not only cheaper, but also better made, had better fuel economy, were faster, more reliable, most of them handled better...
Said by a guy who hasn't had to actually WORK on an early unibody or EFI. Yeah, there's a lot of looking awesome. But BEING awesome? That takes well thought-out and oftentimes painful and expensive aftermarket modification - which isn't afforded to a lot of countries where regs aren't so kind to non-standard vehicles, did you know?
US cars often coped for all the money shelved off to the designers and marketers, by skimping on the actual builds. Because that do be how the US are. For every little genius design stroke or pioneering engineering decision, done once on a drawing board or in a handshake across a boardroom, you'll find to balance it out in costing terms an equal amount of shoddy craft and subpar materials choices or attention to detail, replicated across dozens or hundreds of thousands of chassis, topped in hamfisted clockpunchiness only by British Leyland. For every new slimmed and trimmed or improved design saving on 20% materials and 6% fuel, there's two instances of job-creating bureaucracy and regs coming in to either soak up the money difference or just to block the implementation of the design practically, because EPA gonna EPA.
Americans love a good story, so when they get to be the ones doing the good storying you see performance like you can't imagine. But unfortunately this also means that when there is no good story, but simply the ordinary day to day plodding and scrapping together to earn the paycheck, they will lose enthusiasm and attention like nobody else. This is the blessing and the curse of the United States of AmCAN I GET SOME ONION RINGS WITH THAT TO GO?!
These car reaffirms why I have no idea why I love Pop up headlights so much
"She sleeps with ex-boyfriends because she doesn't want to add to her number." Haha holy shit, nearly spit up my drink to that one. Which is milk as cliche as that sounds...
I've been a bachelor forever and this is a real thing. That phrase really helps build the character in that monologue.
Lets not forget the show "Knight Rider" that show kind of helped glorify the Pontiac Trans Am
Much how Back To The Future glorified the Delorean.
The Doge Collective
Exactly
He specifically mentioned that in the video with "shove Mr. Feeny in there as a voice" and "I had the flashy red light on my Neon"
I remember for awhile you could order a Pontiac Trans Am with the same blacked out wheel covers as K.I.T.T
Yesss!!
I see this vid was made 6 years ago, and didn’t age well lol. Now in 2022 all the 3rd gen Camaros and Firebirds have shot up in value and collectibility. The 80s are hot again. C4 Vettes are going up, Fox Mustangs arent cheap anymore either. It’s a whole new used vehicle market now for these 80s cars.
I really appreciate how well filmed the reviews are getting. Every clip makes sense in context and looks good.
+TheLeafySpring Thanks :)
+RegularCars I congratulate you for having that whooshing red light that instantly makes any car better.
Who does the intros?
+lpphoenix131 the Roman. the writer of the scripts and co-creator of the show.
I'm new to the channel so i wasn't sure!
why don't they make cars as good looking as this, anymore?
+George Tsiros Because most people choose not to wear a mullet these days.
+Charles Wellington lll No, you definitely wear a mullet.
Because the working stiffs who would be buying this can only barely afford a used Ford Fiesta in this era, and the Camaros and Mustangs have gone upmarket.
George Tsiros because angry headlights! >/|||\
Because pointy cars and flip up headlights are bad for pedestrian safety.
Not that I care though, Imma continue to drive my c4.
Firebirds (82-92) are actually appreciating now....getting pretty expensive...even for ragged out rust buckets
Too bad allot I mean ALLOT of them are or was in salvage yards now.
Same with the Camaro of that generation as well. I was lucky to find one for $2.2k that runs well and only needs some maintenance and minor cosmetic repair. Also, both the 3rd gen firebird and camaro are getting harder to find now
@@BallisticGhast6 That is great. I also just picked up an 84 Trans Am same deal as yours. Runs great. Just some minor repairs and a detail. Love these cars. God bless and good luck with the Camaro.
I paid $2.3k
rfa70 Thanks dude
I love my 84 trans am bro and I’m only 23, my grandpa had a 89 and ever since then I’ve been in love 💯💯💯 so idc what you say about this car I’ll always love it no matter what
Always had a soft spot for these. My first car was a POS slow 1990 Firebird. Loved that car.
a 90 firebird is not a slow POS, now my first car 84 cavalier was a slow POS!
cant help but love the body work and rims
Better looking than a fox mustang. sleek and low slung > boxy
One of the most beautiful designs ever.
I have a -88 Trans Am GTA with 350 TPI V8. It has a Holley Stealth Ram intake and Edelbrock exhaust. Such a great car and fun to drive. Not the fastest, but it has a lot of charisma. Pretty rare car here in Finland.
She may not be the fastest girl in town but I bet she's the prettiest. 💘
Everybody loves the trans-am.
"The kind of guy that imagines this car is a fighter, like an F22 raptor, or an A wing, when he drives it he imagines he's flying into combat..." 3rd gen Pontiac owner, guilty.
Figured the C4 corvette was like an X-Wing because of the long nose. I had a 87 300z and those, rx-7's, miatas etc reminded me of A-Wings.
The Trans Am is the kind of car Doug DeMuro drove during his high school years.
Too American for Douche DeMuro
Finally, my favorite car ever! love my thirdgen. For the record, they handle amazing if you confident enough to throw them around.
Joe Eversole Subframe connectors then you put in adjustable panhard bar/ torque arm and put adjustable shocks on it then it handles on rails.
Yeah, it's a really well balanced chassis. If you can tame it then it'll carve your canyons. Motor Trend got it to pull .83g on the skidpad, which in the 80's was super car levels of grip. Though, without mods the Camaro IROC-Z was the better handling car.
It doesn't rain ofter in your location, right?
That description of the waitress is one of the more depressing things I've heard in a while lol.
Firebird. The mullet of cars.
John Disbro thats the iroc z camaro
You guys are amazing observers of life and culture... and good car reviewers too.
The 85 Trans Am DID NOT come with a 350. That did not happen until 1987. they came w/305. Seeing your car made me noticed it had been modified!
+w41duvernay You are correct.
+w41duvernay
Also, no F body came with a 350 and a manual transmission, not counting the Firehawk.
cptnoremac
They did from 93-97 both the LT1 and LT4 were small block 350's and could be had with six speeds. The LS1 (98-02) was a 347.
Something Funny
I meant the 3rd generation Firebirds and Camaros. I thought the 4th gen was on a different chassis.
It was an upgrade but they had much more in common than different.
Sometimes... sometimes I feel you might let your personal life story color your opinion of these cars a bit.
+Charles Wellington lll don't be degrading him. he's clearly someone with a theorethical degree in psychology
+williwonti Thats the point.
You guys is SMRT
really well anallasis.
Yeah no shit! I don't relate to any of his extravagant analogies but they sure are entertaining
A car doesn't have to put up good numbers to be great fun to own and drive. Sounding good is a big help though, and a V-8 is a win there. Stigmas should be irrelevant when it comes to how much you like a car.
Just found you, WOW!!! What a beautiful slice of Americana. Well done!
To be fair though, Harold Slovinsky's got a decent paying job, no kids and has to buy less groceries due to his wife leaving him, so he can totally afford to have two cars!
Silver linings, right?
+MoldyLowmaine he wants to own the cars that kids like so maybe he is going through a mid life crisis?
I don't think there's a whole lotta maybe there. The only way he could be going through more of a midlife crisis is if he was buying red Corvettes for traveling down to Ocean City on the weekends 'cuz it's a "GOOD, FUN TIME, and the Three G's are footing the bill!"
This is the Slovinsky comment the kids like.
"neck tattoo says I'm gonna be a born again christian in 32 years from now when this downward spiral I'm on bottoms out" oh Mr. Regular, I love you.
I don't think I've ever laughed so hard while watching a car review. Just watched a review on the Lumina ,Thunderbird and Taurus. Keep up the good work man!
Haha, accurate! I had an '86 Trans Am & was my first real "performance car" with a 5-speed & 305 fuel injection. $900 invested, a/c didn't work & also had the cracked dash. Good times 😎
Which Knight Rider is best Knight Rider
my Knight rider is best Knight rider because
My Knight Rider is best Night Rider because Neon Kitt
The first one.
Version two point oh, was da best Knight Ryder, cause of 'super mode' ;) look it up
My Knight Rider is best Knight Rider because 30 minute Ford commercial.
I hoped for a Dwight Schrute reference and you delivered.
What does Dwight have to do with it? I know he's a character from "The Office", but that's about it...
@@vtr0104 he drives a Pontiac firebird
vtr0104 He drives a red firebird
1985 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am:
The official car of my uncle. Seriously, this was his first car back in the day. And he still has it, but he only brings it out for car shows.
This is the most entertaining stuff.... Ever. This absolutely rocks. Keep doing these car reviews. Thank you!!!!!
Man the feels. My mom had an 82. Drove it through the 80s, then parked it when I hit high school. I drove it my senior year.....for two weeks. Then a wrapped it around a tree, face first. Such a pile, but I loved that car.
+Joe Eversole You're welcome!
+Joe Eversole That car had been in a three car pileup when I was in high school. Broke my nose on the dash. Even after that, my mom got the car fixed. And I totalled it. She was heartbroken. Before it was sent to the boneyard, she pried the firebird emblem off the steering wheel. Still has it too.
+lunchmeat5000 middle school, not high school.
+lunchmeat5000 My mom had a 1986 Mustang (this was the early 90s when she had it though)... black with one of those fake canvas tops that wasn't really a convertible, and a completely gutless 4 cylinder. It had a MAROON colored interior. I remember dropping a banana peel on the floor and I stepped on it accidentally, she was pretty mad and I said, "Don't worry mom, this car is yucky anyways." As a four year old who didn't know or care anything about cars at all... I hated how that vehicle looked.
+Jesse Crandle Ours was metallic turd brown with tan interior. Same color scheme as my grandfather's 81 280zx(miss that car too.)
My mom used to act like it had turbo boost. I'd press the "program" button on the radio and she'd stomp it. Yup, I blame my mother for starting me on loving cars and going fast.
YOU MUST DRIVE A 1989 TURBO TRANS AM!!
Gen 3 with Grand National internals makes for quite the car
And I have one....
@Shawn Stafford Maybe he knew what he had....
That or a firehawk. Good luck finding one of those though from this generation
This is seriously one of the funniest videos on youtube.
Thank you!
"[…] as American as hating your neighbour."
i love love love those wheels.
Those wheels look fantastic, good god. Needs to sit slightly lower though.
agree 100%...nice wheels, about 2 inches too high.
+T1g4h Stanced Bro!
Ugh, am I the only one who longs for the days of 9 inches of ground clearance Stock?
+Leslie48 I don't! But I also drive a truck... Then again if you think about it most American muscle cars are just trucks that happen to look like cars.... Maybe auto manufactures should just have a trim level called the "'Murican" for all of their cars that includes four wheel drive, a factory lift and mud boggers along with exhaust stacks and just for shits and giggles a gun rack above the back window
I own a 4th-gen F-body and the first thing I did when I bought it was get some good 1.25" lowering springs.
Stock, GM pony cars look more like 4x4's than performance cars
TwilightTheShooter
Cars are getting lower and lower, and are being sold less and less while 'Crossovers' are the new hip and now thing... because the average 'Murican' driver doesn't give two rusty nuts about cornering or find an inability to see air between body and asphalt aesthetically appealing. Maybe 'regular cars' should go back to 8-10 inch ride heights by default and let the custom scene do it's thing.
Very funny review guys I loved it I used to have an 88 formula 350 no power options at all, just the engine and the WS6 suspension, they used to call it a light-body, if you had it tuned right you couldn't lose. I only ever lost to an 87 Grand National that was chipped, God I wish I still had that car.
Excellent intro and outro song. Glad you are back RCR!
Optional extras on this car: A sleeveless shirt and a trucker cap that says 'Boobies and Ranch'
firebird188 get the upgrade to the trucker cap that says “Shithead”, with the rubber chunk of shit on the bill
my [likely inbred] cousin had that hat in the ‘80s, and in the late ‘90s committed vehicular manslaughter in a firebird
ha-cha-chaaaaa
AC/DC t shirt and mullet comes standard with these
Sleeveless shirt is an option
Sadly the previous owners kept them before I bought my 87
My 85 has a 305
I’m in Allentown if you need to review another one
No
305? I thought those had a 307 not a 305 (kinda like the Cutlass had a 307 instead of the 305 that was in the Monte Carlo)
James Price mines a 305 carb
I had a 87 for two years or so in the 1997-98 time frame. It was my last American car; all 'Merican before it and all kraut and rice after. This one really made me smile, thanks!
I'm in love with its shape, every detail of it.
watching the intro after "Fireflies" became a meme kind of hurts my soul.
I KNOWWWW
Even hearing a joke of that drivel hurts my soul.
Nah that just makes it better.
"Hall'n Oats mustache, will ride eternal" - hilarious
Love my 86 Trans Am WS6 305, first car that I'll never forget. All black with the 305 LB9 Chevy V8 with T-tops. Best car ever!!! Dad bought it as a factory order from Pontiac in June of 1985.
These are awesome. I've been laughing my ass off all day at work
My family has owned 5 Pontiacs, that I know of, a 1986 Pontiac Sunbird (only car my dad bought new), a 1966 Le Mans (basically a GTO with cooler taillights), a 97 V6 Firebird (parts car to be used for the motor for a 1970 Opel GT, but never happened), and a 99 and 04 Grand Prix GT's (both 3.8's leak, but are bulletproof)
Actually, starting with the first year of that model in 1982, the base model offered the 2.5L "Iron Duke" engine that GM used in pretty much everything. I had one in high school in the late 80s, which I loved right up until my brother wrapped it around a tree. It didn't have any pickup to speak of, and it sounded like a Honda Civic, but actually wasn't really much worse than the 2.8L 6-cylinder upgrade, the gas mileage was pretty damned good, and it actually handled better than my '82 Trans Am, particularly in the rain and snow.
I know nothing about cars, nor do I have any interest in them. But this was probably one of the most entertaining videos about a car I've ever seen. You actually made cars sound interesting to me!
I'm so glad you're back to making review videos!
thats a 305 they didn't put a 350 in with a 5 speed.
that's exactly what I was thinking
engine swap could be
+maybellene500ss that's what I'm thinking. he says it's an 85 but it has a serpentine belt. They didn't use that belt system til 88.
+dav8388 he did say the owner tore out the fuel injection for a carb... who knows what else has been done to it?
All will be explained in the video tomorrow. you are right, that engine doesn't belong there. This Firebirds far from stock!
Yay! Another Review. Thanks Mr. Regular.
I drove a 91 Firebird in the late 90s to early 2000s in high school. I just turned 40 and I want one for my mid-life crisis car! Your description of it really hits home! lol
LOL This was my first brand new car.....The narration is funny and awesome and tells the story!!~
My Mom had one when I was in first grade. I thought I was the coolest kid in school getting dropped off by Knight Rider
1985 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am
The last car sponsored by Delco Electronics
Hahaha!
+RegularCars Imagine the beauty of a 1977 Trans Am SE Firebird though.
No my dad had a 98 chevy venture and it had a delco stereo
+george pacan I made it as a joke.
ok
I have an '86 TA, that I bought new from the dealer. No t-tops, 5-speed. It's made for looking good, cruising the highway, doing serious miles. Sometimes I would throw sheetrock or plywood in the back and just strap down the hatch. Most people don't think it fits, but other than sticking out about a foot it's fine.
I still have an '87 TransAm, for about 15 years now, and it's still awesome!
back to form!! i must admit i stopped watching the falcon videos pretty early.. it feels good to be back.
Those rims are sexy as hell.
The aftermarket rims on that Trans Am look incredible. Very nice!
Hey, I had an 88 Firebird when I was 17. Lots of good memories in that old bird.
As a Gen-Xer I gotta say the '80s Firebird is my 2nd favorite car of all time, right behind the Lamborghini Countach. Yea I said it! I know both cars are shit, but to this day damn they're nice to look at!
+David Duarte The Countach is beautiful from the rear, but the front and profile views are pretty ugly. Now the Ferrari 308, that's one gorgeous car, if not the fastest on the block.
+Random Person Amen to that. The beauty in the popular car industry - especially in Europe - died quite a while ago. I was just checking the BMW museum in Germany half a month ago and... well, let's say I was pretty damn depressed. The new models look identical to the Mercedes counterpart in way too many viewing angles.
cptnoremac I couldn't disagree more. The Countach is amazing looking from every angle! The insane wedge shape from the side with the black design at the doors, the white light markers located under the pop up headlights! Amazing!
The Ferrari 308 is a classic design too. It's more of a simple, subdued, classic fluid design that is more appealing to the masses. The Countach design was meant to be outrageous, and it still is. That's what was so great about it.
David Duarte
I have no reservations about more extreme designs. I love the Pantera and the GT40. I just don't think the Countach pulled it off.
***** there are so many here in Southern California u can pick them up really cheap. Probably cheaper to buy one here and ship it to Europe lol
I REALLY Like the Third Gens.
Every single video in this channel is a piece of art.
Omg the intro is so RAW! you know your driver archetypes
'85 was the 1st year the Trans Am, Camaro Z28 / IROC-Z AND The Corvette Introduced the TPI System in the same Model Year, trying to gain more power and say goodbye to Carburetion. They finally did away with Carburetors for 1988 Model year, it was either Throttle Body Fuel Injection or Tuned Port Injection.
The Corvette of course, got the Aluminum Heads and Intake to make more power and be lighter, whereas the Camaro and Trans Am got stuck with the Heavier and less power making Cast Iron heads and intake.
The TPI was a Great system for it's time, It made the 350 5.7 cars into Low End RPM specialists for Monster Torque, Burnouts and donuts and Fast Takeoffs, Hard Launches. Up to 4500 RPM, when they Max out and count on the 4 Gears of the Automatic 700R4 or Manual T5 or if you have swapped Tremec 6 to take them up to 150 MPH with enough road.
The TPI is still Gen 1, The LT1 was the son of the TPI and Gen 2, so The TPI is the Grandpa of the LS1, which is Gen 3 and Gen 4.
The LT1 and LS1s specialized in still low to mid range Torque but now also can live in the High Range Rpms for Horsepower.
PhenomProductions23 👍
TPI system was garbage even for the days...many guys thrashedt their guarante by fitting the first rochester their hand could reach.
150 mph on the stock engine?...highly delusional. ever build one?
PhenomProductions23 the 5.7 didn't have 5 speed manual only the 4 speed Auto and it never came out till 87 for TA and 86 and half for the IrocZ.
With a T5 manual trans with the 0.63 5th gear a stock 5.7 liter TPI engine in a 3rd gen f-body will do 150 mph. They were tested to the 140s with the automatic, whose 4th gear was 0.7. More gearing=more speed.
@Adrian my first car was a 1987 Camaro RS with the 2.8l V-6. Was a very fun first car that taught me a lot about car control.
Firebird, trying to be the Bandit on the salary of a 7/11 clerk
+Charles Wellington lll I'd rather be homeless than indian
+Josh Arthurs I'd rather be homeless than be a dad
Just a small loan of a million dollars down at 7/11
7/11 doesn't exist in Central and Northern PA. Jokes on you.
who cares
this guy has a great imagination!!good storytelling!
I think he should do a book!
I grew up in this era cars the Pontiac Trans Am and the Chevrolet Iroc camaro will always hold a special place in my heart
I really don't know what you're talking about here. In the late '80s early '90s, I owned an '85 Trans Am and I loved it. It was a T-top with a 5.0-liter Tuned Port Injection engine. I don't know what the top speed of it was because the speedometer topped out at 85, but I know that it would go faster than I was willing to take it. Not because it wasn't capable but because I knew my limits. I will tell you this, in the day I did outrun my share of cop cars and it would corner like it was on rails. This was the second Trans Am that I've owned in my life. My first one was a 1978 with T-tops and a motor the size of Kansas. It too would scream down the road and the only thing that would slow it down was the fact that I couldn't pass a gas station. My only regret is that after my '85 was stolen I never had the opportunity to buy another one. For years I was so hurt by the A-Hole who stole my pride and joy that I couldn't bring myself to getting another one. By the time I could emotionally handle it family life made the extra expense out of the question. Now that there no longer is a Trans Am line or a Pontiac for that matter, I don't trust a 17 plus-year-old sports car.
YES! I've been dying for a third gen f-body review! '91 Formula owner, love these cars. Thanks and keep up the incredible work!
I still have an 88 TransAm and loved that car. The year I bought it was 98 from the original owner and he took very good care of it. And so did I, that's why I still have it
I was a fox body mustang kinda guy during this time but man I wanted one of these. I couldn’t afford it but I gotta say this guy looked after this well. Those wheels are spotless
>11 minutes ago
Fuck I'm glad I stayed up until 4am
The third gen Trans Am wasn't offered with the Chevy 350 V8. It came with the 305 until 1987.
+Rowdy I will add that the 350 swap is an incredibly popular mod for third gen trans ams
+Rowdy 87 is still third gen, but I was about to say the same thing. This year of the TA did not come with a 350 from the factory. Another dead giveaway is that it's a manual, so even if it was an 87 or newer, it would have come with a 305. The 350 TPI L98 made too much torque for the T-5 manual that they used in the 305.
RoachOverlord I was unaware that the manual transmissions were unsuitable for the 350. Also I didn't mean to imply that the 87s weren't third gen.
I'll have to do some looking into about the manual transmissions with the 350. Both are swaps I fancied.
+Rowdy The T-5 just couldn't handle that engine. The T-56 that they used in the fourth gens is much more solid and it would be the best bet for a swap.
+RoachOverlord It can barely handle a 305...it's whining in my '84...but it makes a really fun car ! I don't think I'd love my '84 as much if it had an auto;
I've owned three f-body cars, 86 z28 then 85 trans am (both tpi 305 lb9) & now 95 z28 lt1. All with t-tops of course. Very fun & easy to find parts.
finally some fbody videos. you have done a couple of them awesome. life is not complete without an fbody car.
Regular Cars you really should review.
WJ Jeep Grand Cherokee
early 2000's Ford Taurus
first gen Neon ACR or R/T
late 90's early 2000's Buick LeSabre
LX platform Dodge Charger/Magnum
last gen Pontiac Grand Prix
Lexus IS series
late 90's Mercedes S500
Ford Escort(the American Corolla)
Jeep Comanche
AMC Eagle SX4
+turshin they did a jeep Comanche video, and they did a video on the mercury sable, which is just a Taurus.
Never seen either of those. Checking them out now.
And a PT
rubberwoody that Comanche video wasn't a conventional "Regular Car Review" though it was very cool.
turshin yeah sorry, though if you want more info click on the link to his road and track article about it
As I remember, you could only get the 305 with the 5 speed. The 350 only came with an auto. This was done on purpose so T/As and Cameros wouldn't get too close to Corvette performance.
Ah, just saw the other video. This car's had an engine swap and mods. Wonder what kind of power it make as a carburated 383.
Tooth Decay you hit the nail on the head
Great videos. While cruising along in my 89 firebird V6 daily driver that I've owned for 17 years now (I know...right?), I often tell myself, "Hurry up and get with the 2000's and find myself a nice 00-02 TA".
this is a very accurate description of the third Gen f bodies. you nailed it
Junk? Really? The TPI is great. It's bogged down by all the emissions crap but by itself, the TPI is one hell of a set up. And in 85, they didn't have any 350s, especially not with a manual.
+Evan Hooper (Aluminia) I'm salty. I have two 86s.
This year Trans Am had beautiful styling; better than the Camaro and Corvette. It would be considered an exotic in Europe.
It would also be considered a car for pimps, at least in Germany. These things were pretty common together with Merc W126 coupes and Corvettes.
They don't deserve this reputation though.
Such a beautiful, well balanced design.
Got an 86 from my grandfather for my first car, was a standard with a carburetor. Even though it broke down every couple months still my favorite car ever, still have it but needs a new rear axle.
I had a 1985 Pontiac Trans-Am with a 305 Tuned Port Fuel Injection 5.0L, which was fast, and I still like the style of it, I'd love to have that same car! I miss my Trans-Am!
Finally a car to track my medical records.
"I pay of one credit card with another credit card!"
Am I the only one who caught that in the description?
I liked these. I still like these. Never could explain why though.
Can't help it, I still to this day, 30+ years later, love how they look.
Yeah I like them too