Tuner Kids today watch Fast & Furious too much think horsepower is everything. It's not. Torque wins races. Torque is that thing that makes the tires spin and "puts you back in your seat feeling"
Just for reference, the Top 1992 Trans Am GTA & Camaro Z28 were making 245hp & 345 torque on the L98. The Firehawk had a 4 bolt main block with Forged internals making 350hp & 390 torque with better handling, lighter, 17"9 wheels, Ferrari F40 Brembo Brakes, a Germam Built ZF-6 speed a Dana 44 Axle and 3.54 gears.
Imagine what would have Pontiac done if their engines weren't killed off. Judging by Buick's progress, the Turbo Trans Am would have reached 400 HP in the 80ies.
If you bought a new 90s Pontiac T/A, Grand Prix you got this free magazine subscription called Street Legal Pontiac. They would advertise for SLP to do any kind of performance on your Pontiac firebird the Grand Prix. An SLP makes your hair stand up. Tires were pricey back then.
@@SparrowNoblePoland my 2005 GTO had 400hp, but they geared it wrong, you only got a 0-60 around 5.0 or more, BUT, if you were doing 60 and floored it, the thing took off like a rollercoaster and would literally throw you back in your seat. Personally I think they should have tightened up the lower part of the power band since I rarely need to quickly go from 100mph to 130mph, which it would do.
and with speed denisty intake, i quickly changed all that out to a huge K & N air filter, among other things. i pulled on vettes, miss the hell out of that car..nope ABS started in '93
LOL ironic both my (97 Z28 LT1) and my (99 SS LS1) both don't have traction control. But I'm good where I can drink a cup of coffee while spinning sideways leaving my busy road intersection near my house.
@Zero Cool I miss my white '88 T/A 5.7L that was a rare fully loaded car; T-tops, digital dash, steering wheel audio controls, Bose premium audio...that car had everything.
And you may be thinking same as me.... when their traction control hits because they rely on it we are gone. No, I don’t have a B4U but have def driven better and won against quicker cars.... but not that day lol
Damn. This car was faster than the Ferrari 348 and even the Testarossa to 60 mph. The more things change, the more they stay the same--value sports cars have been outperforming exotics all this time!!
Say what you want about GM, they had at that time 3 different 400hp Corvettes and a Firebird that was Corvette fast, all could be ordered by anyone at a dealer by filling out a form and writing a check. LOL, people all around were just tired of a cool looking car with only 200hp.
@@svtirefire I don't see why not considering they had the ZR-1 at 385hp and the following year it got a bump to 405hp. The F-body was always a driver's race with the Corvette. GM only made the Vette look better on paper.
I mean, it literally was "factory", considering it was an official package offered by dealers. That's like saying a GNX wasn't factory. Not factory would be something like the Macho Trans Am or Yenko cars.
@@BanCorporateOwnedHouses Accent on 'from the beginning'. 3rd gen was supposed to have 220HP, 4.9 Turbo V8 from 82, instead of 145HP Chevrolet engine. This means Pontiac could have outgunned Corvette by mid 80's unless GM would have invested to make Corvette even more powerful, and it's not what corporations like doing. As long as there is no or little competition, any corpo by its nature goes into 'save on everything' and would not progress a step for thousand years if only could.
@BA RA They made a white T-Top with GM's all aluminum 383 stroker (6.3l) (1989 TTA front springs), a dark green one and at leas one red convertible including the rollcage. The white one was right from the dealer lot, b/c the factory was sheduled to be closed down and the buyer had concerns about the workers effort on quality.
I raced one of these in VA in 92’ with my 89’ Mustang 5.0 notch back. I had exhaust 373 gears a cam and upgraded induction and mass air among other things. I could smack Corvettes around all day so I thought this car would be a pushover. IT WASN’T! We were door to door the whole way. For a factory car this thing was extremely impressive. And it had serious street presence. Respect! 👊🏻👌🏻
@@BoardwalkBullies with modern tires this thing could likely shave a few more tenths and keep pace with manual 5.0s/SS/Scats, manual Supras, Manual v8 r8s, and first gen gallardos. Pretty wild.
Damn that thing looks good and the performance is relevant today...before small upgrades. I would buy that today given the chance. Upgraded race seats, rear seat delete, wider tires, bluetooth touchscreen navigation, led lights, nitrous or supercharger, headers and x-pipe etc. Those looks and low price with heightened performance...wowzers.
Those things were pure, honest performance. One of my favorite cars ever made. Amazing that someone could go to a Pontiac dealer and order one. The Formula (batmobile/77/78 Bandit) nose and power bulge hood really looked great on the 91/92
impressive car from a time when fast cars were just beginning to make a comeback. the early to mid 90's. and back in the 90s when driving a manual was looked at as manly and an automatic as weak.
Tim Beck's never seen Doomguy's smile. ;) That was the facelift the '91-'92 3rd gen Firebirds got right before the '93 4th gen model year, the Camaro got fender and side vents, and an arch spoiler for the Z28 models.
side note, that spoiler the Z28 models got was designed for the 82 Bird, modeled after the '69 TA. But it was canned for almost a decade until someone said "hey, lets put it on a Z28!"
u mother pancit! It really is, at night when you turn on the fog lights, (and when your headlight motors shit the bed haha) it almost looks like an evil grin. Although, for some reason ALOT of people will think it's a old Corvette for some reason. Drives me nuts
That's not even the "hot" version. They made three with a 366 inch rodeck aluminum block (made by Donovan) which made almost 400hp. Number 3 was the one I was looking to buy about 5 years ago. That one had the 366 inch and the competition package
Pontiac should've been allowed to build gonzo trim levels like this. But as always, GM didn't allow anything to be built that might take prestige away from their precious Corvette. Up yours, Chevy.
@@sidefx996 No shit lol. However once GM saw what SLP could do with the 3rd Gen Firebird and that it could potentially outgun their precious Corvette they ordered Pontiac to downplay the performance numbers and limited the Firehawk production to around only 25 cars per year for the remainder of the 3rd gen Firebirds. So yes, it was technically "available straight from your Pontiac dealer," but in reality good fucking luck actually getting one when only 25 total were made in both 1991 and 1992. That's what I meant, and that's what is pretty common knowledge about the history of the Firehawk, E I N S T E I N.
50k for that car (with the competition package) was some serious coin 25 years ago - and for the most part is still a pretty good chunk of change. though, its performance specs are still very good, would be a nice car to have today.
I love these videos! This bird looks like it has 100 thousand miles on it! Comes with a set of 30% tread tires off craigslist and about the dirtiest wheel well i have ever seen! Makes me feel like every 90s car i bought in the late 90s into early 2000s was showroom condition!
Now this, this is freaking awesome! I thought the first real powerful F-Body's didn't hit the streets until the 1993 Camaro and Firebird...it looks like I was wrong. I have owned two Trans-Am's in my life. My first one I got in 1996 when I was 17 years old. It was a 1994 25th Anniversary Trans-Am LT1 w/6-speed. My second I bought in 2002 and it was a 2002 Firehawk Trans-Am LS1 w/6-speed RAM Air. She was absolutely stupid fast in 02. I still have both cars and they're in mint condition. I miss Pontiac and SLP Performance. Damn you GM for getting rid of Pontiac for Buick.
nylonsteel In short, because they are extremely rare and make good power, second only to the HSR in my opinion. Designed by Ryan Falconer of Falconer Race Engines. They can easily sell for a couple grand. I've seen them go as high as $3000.
LOVE these old Motorweek shows!! If I remember correctly, this show was on Saturdays on PBS. BTW.... Has anyone EVER seen a Firehawk in person?? I've only seen one ever.
This 1992 Firehawk was so potent & ahead of it's time, "well reflected in its $40,000 sticker price" "add the competition roll cage & recaro racing seats pkg for another $10 grand" that it could take on a 2002 Ram Air WS6 and it can beat a Stock 2007 Mustang GT. It literally was And still is The Ultimate Factory 3rd Gen.
Lightweight and 350 hp in 1992 makes a fast car even in 2018. $39,000 in 1992 is around $70,000-80,000 today! For the same $39,000 you can get a used C7 that's even faster and more comfortable with better fuel mileage.
In the 3rd gen forums, that SLP intake is so obscure that they thought it came from an LS engine, I thought that was the only modification to the L98 block they put in the Firehawk as well, seeing as it would've easily outclassed the Camaro's 350 TPI by a long shot.
Jerrypintoswe, are, & the 19 people who hit like on your insane comment out of y’alls minds?? 70 T/A, 73-74 T/A SD, & the 98-2002 T/A WS6, are Much MUCH BETTER
well now that's your opinion. I've seen some pretty hideous 2nd gens myself. 3rd gen is clean and simple. the perfect sports car shape. that's why I like it. I've also had a 2002 WS6.
This was shockingly fast back in 1992 there was a handful of pieces of European hardware as in could count on one hand that might have been faster than this but there was a lot of stuff that was drastically more expensive that this Firehawk either matched or beat and that included everything from the ZR1 Corvette to the 911 turbo and possibly even a Ferrari testarossa Another thing that is absolutely astonishing is the video appears to show that this car handles and whatever the hell SLP did the four-link live axle it must be almost science fiction. Lastly the fact you get Ferrari f40 brakes on this is nuts but necessary given the performance and like somebody else said this thing is still fast by today's standards and at the very least performance car drivers today would be shocked by how fast something looking like this made 30 years ago is
This car made more horsepower then my 2002 Firehawk with an Ls 1 and My 98 SS camaro which was an Slp car as well. No idea there was a firebird like this in existence despite owning a firehawk. I like the wierd nose on this year and the overall body style. Pontiac often overstyled their cars in a gaudy way including the Firehawk I owned. The nose on this one is a bit out there but I dig it. Was a short lived style and i dont think many were bought. If I could find one that was a total rat for resonable money ( non slp) , I could see hot rodding it to be a semi sleeper. Unique anyway
Those are 17x9 wheels. Pretty big for the time period and still good in size today. Do you know how much performance tires cost by each bigger diameter alone?
SLP had something in the early 90s, not sure what happened to make them primarily appearance packages, they went down because they were so tied to F-Bodies, when they went, SLP went
Seriously guys many of you have a car that does a stock 13.0 second 1/4 mile? I know plenty of people mod their cars, usually making them sucky to drive as they feel a need to throw on a loud exhaust. But what do you drive that is any better than this car from over 25 years ago as far as performance goes?
I had a 2005 s type r jaguar about 5 years ago..it ran a 12.90...0 to 60 was under 5 and it had a 6 speed auto and 4 doors and weighed close to 4000 pounds if not more with a 2.89 highway gear..i gave 12 grand for it...it flat out moved.i raced motorcycles on the highway and it was still pulling enuf at 155 when the speednlimiter kicked in the front would drop down still 18-24mpg
@@ztwntyn8 Also the Firehawk handles a lot better It would be really good on the circuit with a stiffer suspension kit and bigger brakes and a different gearing setup for the corners .
Simon Hammond If you watch the KITT movie, I believe Knight Rider 2000 if I remember correctly you can see something resembling this. And the one portrayed in KR 2000 was also in Back To The Future 2, when Marty goes to the year 2015.
+4gasem We definitely live in a golden time if you love horsepower and efficiency! Where the SLP Firehawk shined was the Horsepower to Weight ratio, the 3rd gen F Bodies were decently light...
I remember when this car had almost as much power as a zr1 corvette. Now 350hp doesn’t seem like all that much And they came in more than red, I’ve seen green, white, blue and yellow versions and one red convertible version
God that car in 1992 had to have been a monster. Prob Hellcat equivalent today. This was barely after the dark ages of the 80’s where Ferrari’s barely broke into the 400’s
Probably the biggest problem with this thing was the new LT1-engined 'Vette. $33k for 300bhp, same gearbox & shocks, can be easily upgraded for 400hp+.... and all for about $15k more than the Firehawk. Hmmm... any thoughts?
Man, I remember working at my dads bodyshop back when I was 13 in the winter one of dads friends copied a few pages of information for me from SLP on the 1992 firehawk. I was sooo excited because 5.0 fox bodies had been beating up on birds and Camaro tip for long enough. Not only that but grandpa was about to replace the 75 Trans Am with a new one but he didn’t bite and got a 95 TA and didn’t wait for the WS6 next year or the GT that year or maybe that was over in 94 but he did get trans perform button and a damn hard top no t tops lol. Crapped out on that one but is still around in great shape with low mileage.
Wow just 1992 and this sports the F40 supercar brakes, 350hp N/A 16valve V8 and does 60mph in just 4.6s !! Performance package costing $9995 on top of a $40k price, just wow, thing's pure sex and in the 90s you'd be able to challenge just about anyone on the road, hell in '92 the Viper R/T would have trouble doing 0-60mph much faster. What a fucking savage this was, 90s cars rule !
There is a 92 Firehawk sitting ten miles from me that has been sitting there since 2000 rotting away in the drip edge of a barn. The old man refuses to sell it gets mad if you ask but doesn't take care of it. It wasn't his kids or wife's I have no idea why he's letting it go to waste.
Love the codename for the option package: "B4U". Shows in its own cute and funny way that it's a go-fast option. GM had done this again, with the 454 SS package for the '90 CK 1500 - that package was called the "RPO B4U".
I think GM had a pretty good idea what the 1993 Firebird was going to look like, and changed the 3rd-gen Firebird for so they'd have more resemblance from the 1992 to the 1993 models. I think they also did that with the styling of the 1969 Firebird: Changed it in anticipation of what the 1970 model would look like.
It's not a TPI. It had the SLP proprietary T-Ram intake. It might have had the L98 heads I'm not sure but it had a hotter cam. The LT1 really wasn't a better engine. My 91 Formula 5.7L TPI would hang right with the LT1 F bodies. It wasn't until the LS1 came out that the Fbodies got significantly faster. Now I am building a 1000whp Procharged LS3 stroker for my 91 Formula just to have that car be relevant fast for today's standards. Yes I still have the car and have had it since 1996.
0-60 in 4.6 seconds is fast by 2017 standards. Yet you'll hear moronic comments of only 350 HP?!
and they ignore 395 ft lbs.
Tuner Kids today watch Fast & Furious too much think horsepower is everything. It's not. Torque wins races. Torque is that thing that makes the tires spin and "puts you back in your seat feeling"
Imagine this thing on modern rubber!! Sub-4 second 0-60 EASY!!
Nitto or Mickey Thompson drag radials
I'm sure this car isn't as heavy as the new ones too
0-60 in 4.6 seconds in 1992 was very fast. This thing would smoke 99.9% of the cars on the road back then.
Nutz4Gunz45 the dodge demon goes 0-60 in 2.3
Yeah most cars are so slow from that era
This thing was Ferrari fast! It is even fast today. 13 sec quarter is the performance sweetspot
LIL SKIPPA the Demon wasn't around back then. You Do know that right?
Nutz4Gunz45 4.6 seconds is still fast today.
Just for reference, the Top 1992 Trans Am GTA & Camaro Z28 were making 245hp & 345 torque on the L98. The Firehawk had a 4 bolt main block with Forged internals making 350hp & 390 torque with better handling, lighter, 17"9 wheels, Ferrari F40 Brembo Brakes, a Germam Built ZF-6 speed a Dana 44 Axle and 3.54 gears.
Imagine what would have Pontiac done if their engines weren't killed off. Judging by Buick's progress, the Turbo Trans Am would have reached 400 HP in the 80ies.
If you bought a new 90s Pontiac T/A, Grand Prix you got this free magazine subscription called
Street Legal Pontiac. They would advertise for SLP to do any kind of performance on your Pontiac firebird the Grand Prix.
An SLP makes your hair stand up.
Tires were pricey back then.
354 gears
@@SparrowNoblePoland my 2005 GTO had 400hp, but they geared it wrong, you only got a 0-60 around 5.0 or more, BUT, if you were doing 60 and floored it, the thing took off like a rollercoaster and would literally throw you back in your seat. Personally I think they should have tightened up the lower part of the power band since I rarely need to quickly go from 100mph to 130mph, which it would do.
Why tf would GM get rid of Pontiac
I was born in 1990, and I gotta say... Cars/trucks from the 90's, still appeal to me more than anything new these days!!!!
Cars form the 80s and 90s had a lot more personality and style IMHO...they tend to really stand out today...!
I would take this over 90% of the cars out today.
@@STUPIDYOUTUB00000000 This guy is almost 30, I don't think he's a little kid lmao
I'm from 1999 and 80's and 90's cars also appeal to me a lot (especially the interiors... there's just something about them)
@@GewelReal
They feel more organic, have character. New cars are sterile and unfeeling.. I know what you mean
Now that's a musclecar experience---no traction control or fancy gadgets, just punch it and hang on for dear life.
and with speed denisty intake, i quickly changed all that out to a huge K & N air filter, among other things. i pulled on vettes, miss the hell out of that car..nope ABS started in '93
Yea real men don't need sissy traction control. Long Live Live Axle RWD.
justsomeguytoyou 😂😂
LOL ironic both my (97 Z28 LT1) and my (99 SS LS1) both don't have traction control. But I'm good where I can drink a cup of coffee while spinning sideways leaving my busy road intersection near my house.
@Zero Cool I miss my white '88 T/A 5.7L that was a rare fully loaded car; T-tops, digital dash, steering wheel audio controls, Bose premium audio...that car had everything.
4.6 seconds is great . Beats alot of today's cars .
And you may be thinking same as me.... when their traction control hits because they rely on it we are gone. No, I don’t have a B4U but have def driven better and won against quicker cars.... but not that day lol
Great performance coming out from a car built 25 years ago. It was fast back then, and is still fast today
Damn. This car was faster than the Ferrari 348 and even the Testarossa to 60 mph. The more things change, the more they stay the same--value sports cars have been outperforming exotics all this time!!
2018 Mustang GT does zero to sixty in 4.0 seconds with 460 horsepower. 4.6 in 92 was great and still is fast
Add similarr tires to the Firehawk and it'll be even closer
Keith Walker It wouldn't "destroy" it there, fanboy. It may win (it better, with 28 years of tech under it's belt), but would be close.
Who needs overhead cams when you have GM torque?!
Only the 2018 10 so auto does 60 in 4.0 . The stick is closer to these numbers . Maybe 4.4 at best .
@@soulerflare7 It'll get smoked from a roll.
0-60 in 4.6 seconds......in 1992. And a 13.0 quarter mile!
SICK FAST for its time, and still able to hold its own today.
Say what you want about GM, they had at that time 3 different 400hp Corvettes and a Firebird that was Corvette fast, all could be ordered by anyone at a dealer by filling out a form and writing a check. LOL, people all around were just tired of a cool looking car with only 200hp.
Also $40,000, a brand new 5.0 Mustang was like less than $15,000 and you could make it faster than this for only a couple grand more.
I see "Retro Review", I click LIKE.
im a simple man..
i reply telling you no one gives a fxxck loser.
Try to remember how hard it was get performance from cars and be emission compliant at the same time in the 80's and 90's.
90's was less difficult, more like the 70's and 80's before electronic fuel injection became common.
honestly this is what it should have been from the factory
GM never would have allowed that. Too much competition for their precious Corvette.
@@svtirefire I don't see why not considering they had the ZR-1 at 385hp and the following year it got a bump to 405hp. The F-body was always a driver's race with the Corvette. GM only made the Vette look better on paper.
Too expensive to build
I mean, it literally was "factory", considering it was an official package offered by dealers. That's like saying a GNX wasn't factory.
Not factory would be something like the Macho Trans Am or Yenko cars.
@@BanCorporateOwnedHouses Accent on 'from the beginning'. 3rd gen was supposed to have 220HP, 4.9 Turbo V8 from 82, instead of 145HP Chevrolet engine. This means Pontiac could have outgunned Corvette by mid 80's unless GM would have invested to make Corvette even more powerful, and it's not what corporations like doing. As long as there is no or little competition, any corpo by its nature goes into 'save on everything' and would not progress a step for thousand years if only could.
4.6 in 1992? Damn, that's still a luxury today
That's a gem. Chances are you'll never see one in your life time. They are so rare.
I guess the best one could do is build a standard 1991 with modern components.
I see mine every day in my garage
I love it!!!
@BA RA They made a white T-Top with GM's all aluminum 383 stroker (6.3l) (1989 TTA front springs), a dark green one and at leas one red convertible including the rollcage. The white one was right from the dealer lot, b/c the factory was sheduled to be closed down and the buyer had concerns about the workers effort on quality.
@BA RA yeah I thought they only came in red? Maybe he mistaked it for a firebird or trans am
I raced one of these in VA in 92’ with my 89’ Mustang 5.0 notch back. I had exhaust 373 gears a cam and upgraded induction and mass air among other things. I could smack Corvettes around all day so I thought this car would be a pushover.
IT WASN’T!
We were door to door the whole way. For a factory car this thing was extremely impressive. And it had serious street presence.
Respect! 👊🏻👌🏻
@Civility went out the window
Now that I’m awake, would you like me to put you to sleep?
That 5.7 is a legend
This car is so timeless! It’s still considered pretty quick and those wheels look so good.
4.6 sec only !!!!
This firebird 1991 is quicker than my dodge challenger SRT8 2013 😨😨😨
Zabuza Momochi yep!
it also weighs 1500 pounds less
Zabuza Momochi - nothing beats a good power to weight ratio. But the SRT8 should be hitting a much higher mph in the 1320.
Challenger is a boat
Challenger is a boat
A classic that will never be forgotten!! Beautiful!
Beautifulls cars of Pontiac
These are happy cars. If you can't smile while driving it.......get out.
I love it! 😎
Where is the EJECT lever? 🤔🤔😆😆
It's a cool ass car! Yes the horse power is not up to today's standards but can we all get over it please!! appreciate the car!
no one seems to understand how spoiled they are right now..
Pretty impressive performance from a car 25 years ago!
0-60 in 4.6 would be pretty impressive for a modern car.
4.6 seconds was insane in those days. That's almost first gen viper tier.
Still excellent in these days as well.
It's today's V12 Mercedes AMG territory until you get to the 1/4.
@@BoardwalkBullies with modern tires this thing could likely shave a few more tenths and keep pace with manual 5.0s/SS/Scats, manual Supras, Manual v8 r8s, and first gen gallardos. Pretty wild.
Actually the 13.0 quarter they got out of this car is better than the 13.4 they got out of the '93 Viper they tested.
I’ve always loved the formulas. I think I found a new love now. Now, if only I can find one.....
Damn that thing looks good and the performance is relevant today...before small upgrades. I would buy that today given the chance. Upgraded race seats, rear seat delete, wider tires, bluetooth touchscreen navigation, led lights, nitrous or supercharger, headers and x-pipe etc. Those looks and low price with heightened performance...wowzers.
Those things were pure, honest performance. One of my favorite cars ever made. Amazing that someone could go to a Pontiac dealer and order one.
The Formula (batmobile/77/78 Bandit) nose and power bulge hood really looked great on the 91/92
"it's a miracle it's street legal". Wow!
That's a pretty good sentence.
Boy this car sounds amazing. Screw the mustang. I'd kill for this
impressive car from a time when fast cars were just beginning to make a comeback. the early to mid 90's. and back in the 90s when driving a manual was looked at as manly and an automatic as weak.
One 7 Decimal 2 Eight Yep!!
Still a fast car! Would love to find one of these! Got a ride in one circa 94 sucker WLH !
Love these retro uploads!
That front end looks aggressive as fuck
Tim Beck's never seen Doomguy's smile. ;) That was the facelift the '91-'92 3rd gen Firebirds got right before the '93 4th gen model year, the Camaro got fender and side vents, and an arch spoiler for the Z28 models.
side note, that spoiler the Z28 models got was designed for the 82 Bird, modeled after the '69 TA. But it was canned for almost a decade until someone said "hey, lets put it on a Z28!"
u mother pancit! It really is, at night when you turn on the fog lights, (and when your headlight motors shit the bed haha) it almost looks like an evil grin. Although, for some reason ALOT of people will think it's a old Corvette for some reason. Drives me nuts
I think it looks like crap. If you want to look at a good front end of a car look at the 67 Mustang!
1Flynlow, wonder if anyone's done a video of a spoiler swap from a Z28 to a '82 Rooster!
That's not even the "hot" version.
They made three with a 366 inch rodeck aluminum block (made by Donovan) which made almost 400hp.
Number 3 was the one I was looking to buy about 5 years ago.
That one had the 366 inch and the competition package
Pontiac should've been allowed to build gonzo trim levels like this. But as always, GM didn't allow anything to be built that might take prestige away from their precious Corvette. Up yours, Chevy.
Hey Einstein this car was available straight from your Pontiac dealer 🙄
@@sidefx996 No shit lol.
However once GM saw what SLP could do with the 3rd Gen Firebird and that it could potentially outgun their precious Corvette they ordered Pontiac to downplay the performance numbers and limited the Firehawk production to around only 25 cars per year for the remainder of the 3rd gen Firebirds.
So yes, it was technically "available straight from your Pontiac dealer," but in reality good fucking luck actually getting one when only 25 total were made in both 1991 and 1992.
That's what I meant, and that's what is pretty common knowledge about the history of the Firehawk, E I N S T E I N.
Now they are falling in line with the electric vehicle scam
0 to 60 in 4.6 and 13 sec 1/4 mile is still Modern Muscle car numbers in 2018 and Insane after all this time wow.
50k for that car (with the competition package) was some serious coin 25 years ago - and for the most part is still a pretty good chunk of change.
though, its performance specs are still very good, would be a nice car to have today.
$98,570 today. Yikes!
Thank you so much for putting this up! It was added to my favorites. I have always wanted one of those’s bad boys!!
Hardly the car we would want to drive to work? Oh yah that would suck------- Not!!!!
What if your commute is bumper to bumper city traffic?
svtirefire then you go to work by the back roads duhhhhb
EXACTLY!! It would be like a Friday on a Monday! 😉😉😈😈☠☠
@@svtirefire use the CarPool lane ( AKA Personal Speed Track! ) lol.
I'm not a fan of muscle cars, but this thing is a beast even by today's standards.
Wow. 350hp and 360tq back in 92 was strong. Cool looking old car.
Autism Apocalypse 390 torque...lol
I love these videos!
This bird looks like it has 100 thousand miles on it!
Comes with a set of 30% tread tires off craigslist and about the dirtiest wheel well i have ever seen!
Makes me feel like every 90s car i bought in the late 90s into early 2000s was showroom condition!
what? its a test car jackhole
Now this, this is freaking awesome! I thought the first real powerful F-Body's didn't hit the streets until the 1993 Camaro and Firebird...it looks like I was wrong. I have owned two Trans-Am's in my life. My first one I got in 1996 when I was 17 years old. It was a 1994 25th Anniversary Trans-Am LT1 w/6-speed. My second I bought in 2002 and it was a 2002 Firehawk Trans-Am LS1 w/6-speed RAM Air. She was absolutely stupid fast in 02. I still have both cars and they're in mint condition. I miss Pontiac and SLP Performance. Damn you GM for getting rid of Pontiac for Buick.
That intake manifold is worth big $$$ if you can find one.
Curious why?
the plant burned down that made them so they lost the tooling to cast them. extremely rare.
I bet there are a couple around metro Detroit floating around
nylonsteel In short, because they are extremely rare and make good power, second only to the HSR in my opinion. Designed by Ryan Falconer of Falconer Race Engines. They can easily sell for a couple grand. I've seen them go as high as $3000.
MOST H8D
Who cares about the intake lol
The car itself is RARE AS FUCK
OH GOD, IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL. I WANT IT, I WANT IT SO BAD.
A 1992 doesn't sound like that. Awesome!! I loved the styling of the 1991-92 Firebirds.
LOVE these old Motorweek shows!! If I remember correctly, this show was on Saturdays on PBS.
BTW.... Has anyone EVER seen a Firehawk in person?? I've only seen one ever.
There are 4 In My Area that turn up at Car Shows but they are later Years. 96 ,98 , 01
I've only ever seen a 4th gen, kicking serious ass at Cordova Raceway
This 1992 Firehawk was so potent & ahead of it's time, "well reflected in its $40,000 sticker price" "add the competition roll cage & recaro racing seats pkg for another $10 grand" that it could take on a 2002 Ram Air WS6 and it can beat a Stock 2007 Mustang GT. It literally was And still is The Ultimate Factory 3rd Gen.
Holy shit this car is fast. i never knew they made a Firehawk back then that could smoke most cars today lol
They Were $50k for a Pontiac. Most back then Would opt for the Vette.
Lightweight and 350 hp in 1992 makes a fast car even in 2018. $39,000 in 1992 is around $70,000-80,000 today! For the same $39,000 you can get a used C7 that's even faster and more comfortable with better fuel mileage.
Third gen is best gen
In the 3rd gen forums, that SLP intake is so obscure that they thought it came from an LS engine, I thought that was the only modification to the L98 block they put in the Firehawk as well, seeing as it would've easily outclassed the Camaro's 350 TPI by a long shot.
Jerrypintoswe, are, & the 19 people who hit like on your insane comment out of y’alls minds??
70 T/A, 73-74 T/A SD, & the 98-2002 T/A WS6, are Much MUCH BETTER
everyone has their favorites.
1flynlow, that’s true, but I just don’t get why someone would choose the ugliest body style as their favorite one
well now that's your opinion. I've seen some pretty hideous 2nd gens myself. 3rd gen is clean and simple. the perfect sports car shape. that's why I like it. I've also had a 2002 WS6.
I was a kid in the 90s and never even heard of the Firehawk. I knew about the Trans Am though. Even as stock it was pretty awesome.
I loved this car back in the day. Fast and great looking - the 4th gen F bodies were fast but not as good looking IMO
This was shockingly fast back in 1992 there was a handful of pieces of European hardware as in could count on one hand that might have been faster than this but there was a lot of stuff that was drastically more expensive that this Firehawk either matched or beat and that included everything from the ZR1 Corvette to the 911 turbo and possibly even a Ferrari testarossa
Another thing that is absolutely astonishing is the video appears to show that this car handles and whatever the hell SLP did the four-link live axle it must be almost science fiction.
Lastly the fact you get Ferrari f40 brakes on this is nuts but necessary given the performance and like somebody else said this thing is still fast by today's standards and at the very least performance car drivers today would be shocked by how fast something looking like this made 30 years ago is
I'm a pure Honda fan but this car is F'in awesome. Would love to have one.
Man what a beast.13 seconds at 106.Damn.
92 were the best firebirds ever
Pontiac always made the best GM cars.
That was a badass car back in the day, hell it's still badass. Just like the GN/X.... burned brilliantly and gone in a flash.
Used to autocross with a guy that had one of these. Gorgeous car and damn fast.
Option package "b4u", oh the irony!
This car made more horsepower then my 2002 Firehawk with an Ls 1 and My 98 SS camaro which was an Slp car as well. No idea there was a firebird like this in existence despite owning a firehawk. I like the wierd nose on this year and the overall body style. Pontiac often overstyled their cars in a gaudy way including the Firehawk I owned. The nose on this one is a bit out there but I dig it. Was a short lived style and i dont think many were bought. If I could find one that was a total rat for resonable money ( non slp) , I could see hot rodding it to be a semi sleeper. Unique anyway
Still on my lottery list. A collectors item now
These retro reviews are so addicting
True beauty. 2023 and haven't seen any.
Gorgeous! I'd almost pass up a date with Lauren Morrison for this car!
those wheels are so 90s
alexander1485 and the car?
They would look great on modern cars too. Manufacturers just choose to stick ugly wheels on their cars now.
Still looks good tho
Those are 17x9 wheels. Pretty big for the time period and still good in size today. Do you know how much performance tires cost by each bigger diameter alone?
Those wheels are expensive if a miny set is found.
SLP had something in the early 90s, not sure what happened to make them primarily appearance packages, they went down because they were so tied to F-Bodies, when they went, SLP went
Dwight Shrute, that is all
I Love These Cars!!! I Always Wanted One When I Was Growing Up!!!
Seriously guys many of you have a car that does a stock 13.0 second 1/4 mile? I know plenty of people
mod their cars, usually making them sucky to drive as they feel a need to throw on a loud exhaust. But what do you drive that is any better than this car from over 25 years ago as far as performance goes?
that car is no longer stock. FAR from it.
I had a 2005 s type r jaguar about 5 years ago..it ran a 12.90...0 to 60 was under 5 and it had a 6 speed auto and 4 doors and weighed close to 4000 pounds if not more with a 2.89 highway gear..i gave 12 grand for it...it flat out moved.i raced motorcycles on the highway and it was still pulling enuf at 155 when the speednlimiter kicked in the front would drop down still 18-24mpg
Love those 3rd gens that goes for the 3rd gen Camaros also!
this car was the dodge hellcat of their time.
Noseefood. Apples and Oranges. The Viper was in existence during that time. However the rest of Chryslers Dodges were just K cars
@@eddielt1sl but the viper was ass. One of the lowest hp/liter engines ever.
@@qwerty-dm8gr I agree, hp per cubic inch was rather anemic for that v10
Except real enthusiasts owned these. I’d buy a 92 firehawk today but I would not buy used hellcat
@@ztwntyn8 Also the Firehawk handles a lot better It would be really good on the circuit with a stiffer suspension kit and bigger brakes and a different gearing setup for the corners .
Love the look of the 90's third gen Firebirds, I wonder if the designers got inspiration for the nose cone from KITT?
It´s from the Pontiac Banshee concept car from 1988, the concept that became the 1993 model
Simon Hammond If you watch the KITT movie, I believe Knight Rider 2000 if I remember correctly you can see something resembling this. And the one portrayed in KR 2000 was also in Back To The Future 2, when Marty goes to the year 2015.
I think it's one of the worst body styles on a sports car
1992: 330hp is a monster!
2017: Hold my beer.
Freddy Romo It's almost like technology progresses
LOL but 4.6 0-60 is still pretty good even by today's standards...
I had to laugh because my Durango's 5.7L is 360HP and 390lbft and is dead stock. No doubt that number was damn good for the year though.
+4gasem We definitely live in a golden time if you love horsepower and efficiency! Where the SLP Firehawk shined was the Horsepower to Weight ratio, the 3rd gen F Bodies were decently light...
390 ft lbs is STILLl impressive.
I remember when this car had almost as much power as a zr1 corvette.
Now 350hp doesn’t seem like all that much
And they came in more than red, I’ve seen green, white, blue and yellow versions and one red convertible version
God that car in 1992 had to have been a monster. Prob Hellcat equivalent today.
This was barely after the dark ages of the 80’s where Ferrari’s barely broke into the 400’s
When 300+ HP were a lot.
Now we see 700, 800 and more HP's in cars.
Amazing....
Probably the biggest problem with this thing was the new LT1-engined 'Vette. $33k for 300bhp, same gearbox & shocks, can be easily upgraded for 400hp+.... and all for about $15k more than the Firehawk. Hmmm... any thoughts?
PSA for those born after 92,350hp on the pre LS iron block is hot,I'm talking damn hot.
That 13 is still impressive today,never mind 1992.
This Firehawk could take on a Ram Air WS6 10 years Later in 2003 when the 4th Gen was discontinued.
Man, I remember working at my dads bodyshop back when I was 13 in the winter one of dads friends copied a few pages of information for me from SLP on the 1992 firehawk. I was sooo excited because 5.0 fox bodies had been beating up on birds and Camaro tip for long enough. Not only that but grandpa was about to replace the 75 Trans Am with a new one but he didn’t bite and got a 95 TA and didn’t wait for the WS6 next year or the GT that year or maybe that was over in 94 but he did get trans perform button and a damn hard top no t tops lol. Crapped out on that one but is still around in great shape with low mileage.
Wow just 1992 and this sports the F40 supercar brakes, 350hp N/A 16valve V8 and does 60mph in just 4.6s !!
Performance package costing $9995 on top of a $40k price, just wow, thing's pure sex and in the 90s you'd be able to challenge just about anyone on the road, hell in '92 the Viper R/T would have trouble doing 0-60mph much faster.
What a fucking savage this was, 90s cars rule !
Always loved that 1991-92 front bumper , reminds me of the 1977-78 firebird grill......
nice performance car, plus i love the sound
That's nearly the same as a Buick GNX 0 to 60 time very impressive and yes they both would smoke most vehicles today.
Only 25 were made this is a rare car today
Better then a Corvette in it's day.
Man this thing's a beast. The F-body to have!
There is a 92 Firehawk sitting ten miles from me that has been sitting there since 2000 rotting away in the drip edge of a barn. The old man refuses to sell it gets mad if you ask but doesn't take care of it. It wasn't his kids or wife's I have no idea why he's letting it go to waste.
Where is it located Bud?
Just outside post falls Idaho on highway 41
Hes going to fix it up some day
Jon Ruger way too far away from me. just go steal it one night!
Love the codename for the option package: "B4U". Shows in its own cute and funny way that it's a go-fast option. GM had done this again, with the 454 SS package for the '90 CK 1500 - that package was called the "RPO B4U".
Popular Mechanics also wrote an article about SLP engineering and this car.... Can´t wait for Doug DeMuro Quirks and Features review...
nice looking firebird just needed to be black
$49000 may not seem line much but thats
87,000 IN 2019 DOLLARS.
No, $49,000 then, seemed like a lot. Yikes, that's big bucks!
Exclusivity Costs Money. It's not like you're gonna see another today or tomorrow out on the street. Not then and not today. As only 25 were built.
Wow! 350hp in 1992 was a lot of power! 1/4 mile and 0-60 times are almost identical to 1993 Supra Turbo.
Nice video. I have always loved the Fire Birds. The Special project birds like this is add even more to the breed to like. :)
Damn I didn't know they were that fast. Good looking car too.
Always wondered why they changed the front ends on the 3rd gen firebirds. The early-mid year firebird's bumper looked better.
I think GM had a pretty good idea what the 1993 Firebird was going to look like, and changed the 3rd-gen Firebird for so they'd have more resemblance from the 1992 to the 1993 models.
I think they also did that with the styling of the 1969 Firebird: Changed it in anticipation of what the 1970 model would look like.
Better than the LT1 94 Firehawk they tested and this had the TPI engine which most people would say is worse. In GM small blocks it's TPI
It's not a TPI. It had the SLP proprietary T-Ram intake. It might have had the L98 heads I'm not sure but it had a hotter cam. The LT1 really wasn't a better engine. My 91 Formula 5.7L TPI would hang right with the LT1 F bodies. It wasn't until the LS1 came out that the Fbodies got significantly faster. Now I am building a 1000whp Procharged LS3 stroker for my 91 Formula just to have that car be relevant fast for today's standards. Yes I still have the car and have had it since 1996.
So rare back then,this car was whodini car you didn't see,name was just being establish.
This and the TTA are lust worthy Third Gens for sure.