It’s an epidemic, I tell you. And this Sunbird snuck up so fast on my right, I couldn’t peel off a shot until he was already past me. Given its brazen right-lane pass at blinding speed and the big dual exhaust bellowing on this baby, I know it has to be powered by the thundering 3.1 V6. Good thing it had that spoiler to keep him from going airborne. This is getting embarrassing.
Yep, this whole “Getting Passed On The Right By A ____” thing might as well be an official CC sub-series now.
No, that is one of the OHC 4 cylinders. Those engines had two exhaust outlets (though at almost 20 years probably been replaced). The V6 had a badge on the front fender. Most of the cars originally purchased by the rental agencies (most of these) had 4 cylinders.
Are you thinking of the Quad Four?
No, the “122” engine, based on an Opel design, and built in Brazil.
The Quad Four was miles ahead of the old Brazilian OHC 1.8/2.0 TBI fed four.
Sis had an 84 ‘bird with the 88hp SOHC 1.8 and all its buzzy glory. in comparison the 115hp 2.3 Quad OHC (SOHC version) in her ’94 Achieva felt like a rocket, ready to rev and much smoother, and didn’t sound as much of a bucket of bolts at high rpms.
This car’s high-speed stability is undoubtedly due to its wide track. No wonder Pontiac was the Excitement Division.
Oh boy, I can see a new series brewing now, as another commented said “ROAL” (rental cars of a lifetime). I have a pic of one of these I rented, too.
I believe that the OHC 4 was Brazilian sourced, maybe someone else knows for sure. Like Paul. It was definitely not the Quad 4.
People over there are always in a hurry. Speed demons. Also, I didn’t knew that those Xbs were soo slow. ;o)
One of these days one of those “right-hand passers” are going to offer Paul, what I used to call, ,”half a peace sign.”
Will he digitally alter the digital profanity? Perhaps photoshop out the angry driver? OR…maybe just NOT wipe the license plate number!
Can’t wait. “Birds of a Lifetime – OR – My Lane is the Slow Lane.”
Has anyone measured the downforce from those rear spoilers, at legal speeds? Assuming there is any downforce.
Long ago, Smokey Yunick, the Popular Science car-clinic columnist and racing mechanic of the 1950s and 1960s…dryly commented that spoilers of that type would take effect at speeds of around 100 mph.
Meaning, of course, they’re worthless on street rides. Which might be just as well…the pressure on something like that, where it never was evaluated, might just make the whole thing unstable.
Note the lack of angle of that wing, and it also does not appear to have any sort of aerodynamic profile/cross-section. On the other hand I know there has been a handful of rear wings on cars where they have quoted the difference in lift/downforce so you know they actually do something.
Good timing Paul. I saw a metallic aqua Sunbird convert this very afternoon, parked in an alley. From my fleeting glimpse, it appeared to have a white interior! Guess I’m going to have to go back for pictures–if it’s still there.
I wish I could see the front, I could get a better fix on the age of the car. I’m thinking early 90’s. It’s def the last gen of the second refresh. In the unlikely event that it isn’t a de-badged car, it will be the 122 ci 4 cylinder engine. The Quad 4 wasn’t installed in these cars until 1995. Otherwise, we’re looking at the 3.1 liter 60 degree V6.
IIRC the converts were all done by Heinz Praechter’s ASC (American Sunroof Conversion) Company. They were done down the road (so to speak) from Lordstown assembly in North Jackson, Ohio. It was the Sunbird LE trim level, too, rather than the SE or GT levels.
Not a bad little car, really. Oddly, I don’t really care for convertibles, but I would be happy with one of these with the V6. Zippy little cars…
My sisters first new car was a 1985 Sunbird GT with the turbocharged 4 cyl engine.
A fun ,quick car she enjoyed until the first Minnesota winter hit.
Horrendous car to get started at temps below 20 degrees IIRC.
It would flood ,which would bring a tow to the dealer to have the contaminated oil changed. The car did have a frost plug heater ,but i honestly don’t remember if it didn’t make a difference, or my sister didn’t always have access to a plug in.
Anyway two winters of this nonsense combined with some other expensive headgasket issues, and this Sunbird became the first and last GM vehicle she ever owned
A few years ago someone abandoned a Sunbird convertible just like that one beside the road just around the corner from the house. That’s probably an inevitable side effect of living close enough to the disposal facility that I could make my dump runs with a wheelbarrow. When it first showed up it was intact and in good shape but for some minor front end dings. I couldn’t tell about the interior though, as the car was filled with trash up to the belt line. Of course it hadn’t stood there very long before someone slashed the top – probably just because they could.
No clear title, probably.
Sounds like it was a landlord disposing of an abandoned tenant’s car. Fill the car up with trash out of the apartment, and then just tow it to the dump and leave someone else to deal with it.
A lot of good older cars are probably lost that way.
I had the cavalier version of this. Bought it on a whim one fine spring morning for 400 bucks off cl. It had 200k on it and it lasted me a year and 10k of trips to the beach before the slushbox quit. Which had absolutely nothing to do with me determining that it could chirp the tires through third.