Junkyard Gem: 1992 Pontiac Firebird

Junkyard Gem: 1992 Pontiac Firebird

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Final spring, this sequence featured a 1992 Chevrolet Camaro RS in a Northern California junkyard, an instance of the ultimate mannequin 12 months for the extremely profitable third-generation GM F-Physique. On a later go to to that yard, I noticed the Pontiac sibling to that automobile, a Firebird that was born the identical 12 months on the similar Southern California manufacturing facility.

When the Chevrolet Division launched the primary Camaro as a 1967 mannequin, the Pontiac Division obtained its personal model of the F-Physique referred to as the Firebird. Whereas the 2 automobiles have been constructed on the identical chassis and seemed very related, the first-generation Camaros obtained Chevrolet engines whereas their Firebird colleagues obtained Pontiac engines (together with the modern SOHC straight-six). The 1970-1981 second-generation Firebirds nonetheless had some Pontiac-only engines, however Chevrolet and Oldsmobile energy crept beneath some hoods throughout that interval. The third-generation Firebirds first appeared as 1982 fashions, they usually drew from near-identical stockpiles of GM operating gear (together with the distinctly agricultural Iron Duke four-banger, which could possibly be thought-about a Pontiac-derived engine).

When the Camaro obtained the axe after 2002, the Firebird’s neck was placed on the identical chopping block. When the Camaro returned for 2010, the Pontiac model was sputtering to an agonized halt throughout its last 12 months and there was no probability of the Firebird’s return.

This automobile is a reasonably atypical coupe, although it does have the mid-grade 205-horsepower 5.0-liter Chevrolet small-block V8 as a substitute of the bottom 140-horse 3.1-liter V6. A 5.7-liter small-block was out there as nicely.

A five-speed handbook transmission was base tools, however few People needed a three-pedal setup by the early Nineties. This automobile has the elective four-speed computerized.

The MSRP with 5.0 engine, computerized transmission and air con (which this automobile has) began at $14,304. That is about $31,868 in 2023 {dollars}.

It was constructed at Van Nuys Meeting in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles County. By the daybreak of the Nineties, the Camaros and Firebirds made at Van Nuys Meeting had grow to be referred to as the worst-built GM automobiles made in North America, and the plant was shut down eternally quickly after this automobile was constructed. At present, a shopping center lives the place the manufacturing facility as soon as stood.

This automobile managed to drive greater than 150,000 miles throughout its life, so it beat the percentages.

The thrid-gen F-Physique was fairly antiquated by the early Nineties, however the fourth-gen automobiles dealt with higher and seemed up-to-date for the period.

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