Shot and posted by Mike Hayes. I’m going to let you all write the commentary.
Cohort Pic(k) of the Day: Fourth Generation Pontiac Firebird Convertible
– Posted on March 7, 2022
-
-
Curbside Classics Archives
Shot and posted by Mike Hayes. I’m going to let you all write the commentary.
Are those the biggest and least-well-integrated headlight covers on any car ever made? Those things appear to be almost the size of a small sunroof panel.
I don’t know why, but the face of this car with the placement of those low bumper lights makes me think of the old logo for Thrush mufflers.
If you think the covers are poorly integrated closed you should see them opened. Very clunky and amateurish
I would have seen those headlights, gone ‘nope’ and bought a Mustang GT
This to me, is more Malaise Era than anything out of the 70s/early 80s.
The 93 to 97 front end on the base and Formula was a cleaner and less cluttered look.
To paraphrase Ralph Nader, “Unattractive From Any Angle.” Not my cup of tea!
This exact thought! To think, Firebirds used to be the the epitome of cool, and then they became this.
Cleaner yes, but I didn’t like that pointy look, I thought the 98s were gaudy but I did prefer their more square jawed nose to these when they came out.
I imagine this beats even the Corvette in square footage of windshield per interior volume. Plus a vast amount of exposed black plastic around the wipers. Definitely looks better at a distance.
This generation is the only generation F body I liked the Camaro better. The fire breathing WS6 Trans Ams could at least back up all the aggressiveness, and scoops and spoilers everywhere, but I’d feel downright uncomfortable driving a 3.8 powered version that just doesn’t have the oomph or make the right noises to match the styling. V6 Camaros and Mustangs didn’t have that awkwardness, at least unless you were trying to make them that way via the jc Whitney catalog. Firebirds had the poseur garb factory installed.
Mind you I was 9 when this refresh debuted and at the time I loved it, so we know who were supposed to be impressed by this styling, 9 year olds. My Dad, who at one time owned a 78 Trans Am, derisively calls the 98-02 Firebirds the batmobile, and at the time I wouldn’t hear any of it but coming into adulthood I realize he was right.
If a Dwayne Johnson movie was to be turned into a car.
I got some spare respect for that gen Camaros, but I can’t decide whether the right attribute here is rather “laughable” or more like “utterly hideous”.
To say something nice: I like it, how the tacky stripes distract from those awful “nostrils”.
Before the 1998 came out I had seen a picture of a preproduction version that had fixed headlights. They seemed decent but I can’t find that particular picture anywhere – just the gaudy aftermarket options that are available.
I have a 1996 Trans Am currently awaiting me to get some more ambition. GM in their infinite wisdom made this one of the least serviceable cars ever, hence my hesitation:
– The LT1 intake manifold leaks from the factory.
– The EGR valve which needed replacing required some imaginative contortions to reach.
– There is no access panel to get to the fuel pump.
– Replacing the gas tank requires lowering/removal of the (7.5″) rear axle and exhaust.
– Spark plug replacement must be performed by Gumby.
– Dexcool almost guarantees the heater core will get plugged.
When I first bought it – in 1998 – my boss at the time called it the “Batmobile.” It’s definitely not everybody’s cup of tea (is any car?) but I did enjoy many nice drives with my car.
Could you be referring to the fixed headlight covered by MotorWeek?
I remember that, I wondered why none of the Firehawks I’d see in magazines later(I’m not sure i’ve ever seen one in the flesh) had that front end, it’s a substantial improvement in my eyes
Sure miss my “95” Camaro convertible!! Was a fun ride!
In Denmark the coupes of these were popular to convert to pick-ups. You’d carve out a small bed where the trunk (and rear seat? Don’t actually know if they had one) used to be and then mount the rear glass over the bed as a hardtop. This way the only tell was the yellow licence plates as opposed to white ones.
The reason was of course that this way the car fit into a cheaper tax bracket.
For that readon these were tremendously popular here for a V6 or V8 powered car. Cheap performance. It may never have been the first choice but offering performance as cars three or four times the price, they suddenly looked pretty attractive.