Anybody know if there is a 4-Cylinder Trans-am/Firebird?

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Hunta the Red
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Anybody know if there is a 4-Cylinder Trans-am/Firebird?

Post by Hunta the Red » Tue Sep 27, 2005 4:37 pm

A Trans-am/Firebird that won't eat out of your wallet.

Gas prices around my way in Queens is getting to be $3.50

I am worried about getting a Trans-am/Firebird because of this gas guzzler probelm.
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Post by GB » Tue Sep 27, 2005 4:53 pm

The Firebird was available with 4 cylinders engine between 1982 and 1985 (maybe 1986 too but not sure).

It was a 2.5L engine with 90 hp... barely enough knowing the weight of the car body.

Trans AM always came standard from 1969 to 2002 with a V8 engine, except the special Trans AM Indianapolis 500 Pace Car limited edition from 1989, which was sold with a Turbo V6 engine (3.8L).

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Post by TurbomanKnight » Tue Sep 27, 2005 5:51 pm

What part of Queens you from?
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Post by FuzzieDice » Tue Sep 27, 2005 11:03 pm

Some base model Firebirds did have the Pontiac "4-tech" (no, not Tech 4 as some call it - trust me as I have the SAME motor in my Pontaic 6000). The motor was also called an "Iron Duke" because it is all cast iron. They are GREAT on gas, and they really are reliable and sturdy. And they can haul a big car around just fine. Just don't use the air conditioning. ;) At least, they haul my Pontiac 6000 4-door sedan (mid-size car) just fine. The trick they use is to torque it up good so you get more take-off speed. But it won't do a great 1/4 mile as you loose performance around 2nd or 3rd gear. Plus, these motors usually used the TH-125C transmission, which in the 80s (and I think 90s) had the notorious "Torque Converter Lockup" which gave the 3-speed automatic transmission a "4th gear" to save gas when you hit 40 mph and over. Problem was, those transmissions often would also get the converter "stuck" and not disengage on downshift, causing the car to jerk violently and stall out, either when slowing to a light or at the light. Then you had to unhook the TCC cable from the engine and wait about 10 minutes for the TCC to disengage before you can start the car. Otherwise, while you can start the car, it would just stall right out when in gear again. TCC fixes cost around $400 at a transmission shop but at my site in the articles section, there's an article on how to do this yourself in about an hour or two (it's for a fiero but said to be adaptable to any TH-125C type transmission). That's if you like getting under the car. :)

Since I don't get up past 35 mph most of the time due to city driving, I never really worry. The times I got up to 40, the car did fine anyway, usually. It's just an intermittent thing, I guess.

But all-in-all, if I had known Pontiac made a 4-banger Firebird, I could have actually HAD a car that looked like KITT when I wanted my first vehicle. I wanted a Trans Am but my dad said there were too many problems with them. He only knew of the Chevy 350 and heavy V8 Crossfire engine problems and figured that was what I'd have problems with. If he knew of the Iron Dukers in the Firebirds, believe me, I'd have one easily. :)

But they were so rare then that they weren't well known. They were usually the base model Firebirds. No fancy extras. And to find one these days, if you do - hang on to it as it'd be worth something! They are VERY rare now, I hear!

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Post by Army_F_Body » Wed Sep 28, 2005 1:36 am

For a good mix of power and fuel efficiency I recoment the 3100 V6.

I know I reported gettin' horrible mileage on mine, but it's been sitting forever and hasn't been tunned up in years.
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Post by sheltonw3 » Wed Sep 28, 2005 2:05 am

OORRR....you can buy a trans am body and install a 4 cylinder engine and save some really big bucks!!!!.....I've seen it done twice!
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Post by Army_F_Body » Wed Sep 28, 2005 3:07 am

sheltonw3 wrote:OORRR....you can buy a trans am body and install a 4 cylinder engine and save some really big bucks!!!!.....I've seen it done twice!
Since I have an efficient car, 2000 Civic, I think if I would go to the trouble of swapping the engine I'd put some big ole V8 in it. For a rare car they show up quite often in the LA area. I saw one parked in front of a Starbucks in Pasadena a while back. I was looking it over real close and the owner got spooked and came out and asked me what I was doing. Basically told me to leave it alone (no comradderie, sp?, between Firebird owners these days).

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Post by sheltonw3 » Wed Sep 28, 2005 3:53 am

Army_F_Body wrote:
sheltonw3 wrote:OORRR....you can buy a trans am body and install a 4 cylinder engine and save some really big bucks!!!!.....I've seen it done twice!
Since I have an efficient car, 2000 Civic, I think if I would go to the trouble of swapping the engine I'd put some big ole V8 in it. For a rare car they show up quite often in the LA area. I saw one parked in front of a Starbucks in Pasadena a while back. I was looking it over real close and the owner got spooked and came out and asked me what I was doing. Basically told me to leave it alone (no comradderie, sp?, between Firebird owners these days).
Its quite the opposite here ,there are so many firebird/trans am onwers here and theres even a guy with heavily modded bandit trans am with a 77 body and it has a 455 with custom shocks and suspention for drag racing and here in oregon its actually legal to drive a street drag car here!

the guy at the 76 gas station offered to sell me some racing fuel!....I would have taken him up on the offer ,but my engine is not designed for the special fuel that the stunt cars used on the the show!....but overall were all friendly here!....I used to live in a village section where there was 7 trans am/firebird owners that were neighbors!....sometimes we would even parade to safeway in our cars and there would suddenly be 5 or 6 trans ams,formulas,firebirds,firehawks just cruising on through!
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Post by Hunta the Red » Wed Sep 28, 2005 6:21 am

TurbomanKnight wrote:What part of Queens you from?


From East Elmhurst, NY near Astoria Blvd

You know whats funny?

They lowered the gas prices down from $3.50 which I saw over the weekend down to $3.19 and to $3.00 when I passed by the gas stations near my house on Tuesday when I was taking the bus

Must have been Hurricane Rita that hiked up the gas prices real quick down in Texas over the weekend
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Post by Hunta the Red » Wed Sep 28, 2005 6:30 am

FuzzieDice wrote:Some base model Firebirds did have the Pontiac "4-tech" (no, not Tech 4 as some call it - trust me as I have the SAME motor in my Pontaic 6000). The motor was also called an "Iron Duke" because it is all cast iron. They are GREAT on gas, and they really are reliable and sturdy. And they can haul a big car around just fine. Just don't use the air conditioning. ;) At least, they haul my Pontiac 6000 4-door sedan (mid-size car) just fine. The trick they use is to torque it up good so you get more take-off speed. But it won't do a great 1/4 mile as you loose performance around 2nd or 3rd gear. Plus, these motors usually used the TH-125C transmission, which in the 80s (and I think 90s) had the notorious "Torque Converter Lockup" which gave the 3-speed automatic transmission a "4th gear" to save gas when you hit 40 mph and over. Problem was, those transmissions often would also get the converter "stuck" and not disengage on downshift, causing the car to jerk violently and stall out, either when slowing to a light or at the light. Then you had to unhook the TCC cable from the engine and wait about 10 minutes for the TCC to disengage before you can start the car. Otherwise, while you can start the car, it would just stall right out when in gear again. TCC fixes cost around $400 at a transmission shop but at my site in the articles section, there's an article on how to do this yourself in about an hour or two (it's for a fiero but said to be adaptable to any TH-125C type transmission). That's if you like getting under the car. :)

Since I don't get up past 35 mph most of the time due to city driving, I never really worry. The times I got up to 40, the car did fine anyway, usually. It's just an intermittent thing, I guess.

But all-in-all, if I had known Pontiac made a 4-banger Firebird, I could have actually HAD a car that looked like KITT when I wanted my first vehicle. I wanted a Trans Am but my dad said there were too many problems with them. He only knew of the Chevy 350 and heavy V8 Crossfire engine problems and figured that was what I'd have problems with. If he knew of the Iron Dukers in the Firebirds, believe me, I'd have one easily. :)

But they were so rare then that they weren't well known. They were usually the base model Firebirds. No fancy extras. And to find one these days, if you do - hang on to it as it'd be worth something! They are VERY rare now, I hear!

HAHAHA wow my dad told me the same thing too

He told me to keep away from V8 cars

He says the cars you wanna look for are the 4-cylinder 40mpg type of cars

Its funny tho cause I was on Autotrader.com and I put in Pontiac Trans-Am's in the searchbar in 4-cylinder mode from 1982-1992

And NOTHING came up in the search
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Post by Hunta the Red » Wed Sep 28, 2005 6:37 am

sheltonw3 wrote:OORRR....you can buy a trans am body and install a 4 cylinder engine and save some really big bucks!!!!.....I've seen it done twice!

WOW interesting................

Thats a great idea Shell,

How much do you think in your estimation would it cost in putting in a 4-cylinder engine inside a 1990-1992 Trans-Am?

I didn't know that was possible, putting in a new engine sounds expensive but for a dream car it sounds like its worth it.

WOW that would be crazy then KITT can be used as a commuter car if that happens!!
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Post by Hunta the Red » Wed Sep 28, 2005 6:45 am

Army_F_Body wrote:
sheltonw3 wrote:OORRR....you can buy a trans am body and install a 4 cylinder engine and save some really big bucks!!!!.....I've seen it done twice!
Since I have an efficient car, 2000 Civic, I think if I would go to the trouble of swapping the engine I'd put some big ole V8 in it. For a rare car they show up quite often in the LA area. I saw one parked in front of a Starbucks in Pasadena a while back. I was looking it over real close and the owner got spooked and came out and asked me what I was doing. Basically told me to leave it alone (no comradderie, sp?, between Firebird owners these days).


I know, I saw a sweet Burgandy Red 88' Trans-Am in Jamaica Ave, NY in an outdoors parking lot like 2 months back and I was scared to go up and take a look at it because I thought the owner was gonna scream at me thinking I was a car theif.

I felt like I was in the 80's looking at it man that car is so throwback-ish yet so present day looking

Dude had his car in polished condition....man I got jealous
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Post by FuzzieDice » Wed Sep 28, 2005 2:12 pm

Well, if you swap out the engine, you'll also have to get a matching transmission AND matching computer to run the replacement engine. AND a prom that will work in the computer and run the engine. Just throwing another engine in a car isn't all that easy. I know of a guy on A-Body.Net that had swapped out I think it was a 3100 and put in an L64 in a Pontiac 6000. He detailed all the things he had to do and ended up having to get rid of the car as rust ate out critical parts of the frame to the point where the car was no longer repairable - after all that work. :( Poor guy (and poor car). :(

The Iron Dukes only got 23 mpg highway at best, which wasn't bad at all in those days.

I've checked out some folks cars around here. :) Usually though the owners were right there. I try to be sure of that and ask about the car. People are usually friendly enough to spend a moment or two talking. One guy had a '72 Corvette Stingray in maroon/red in MINT condition and was selling it! I didn't have the money but boy that car was SWEET! I saw a few T/As. And not all were in great shape. Ones that were, it was no more than a passing "Like your car!" "Thanks!" deal. :) Except the KITT look-alike (minus nose, scanner and electronics) I parked next to at a grocery store one summer. That's as close as I got! The owner said it had 300,000 miles on it! It was in MINT condition. He was pretty nice about it all too.

In my area there are a few cruise nights going on so people with older cars usually are used to people oggling them. :) But at the same time yes, people are cautious. That's why I always wait and try to approach the owner BEFORE I approach the car too closely. :)

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