Well, I finally traded my old '91 Firebird (for a '99)with 180,000 miles ... (SHAMELESS VANITY)

Self | 3/30/06 | Self

[Chi-townChief]

A couple of weeks ago, I had a brake line fail, no big deal in itself, but when the car was on the hoist, you could clearly see the carpeting coming through the rusted floorboard. One seat bolt had already rusted away and I figured that someday soon I may wind up sitting on the street. On top of that, the driver's side door was getting real hard to close so I thought I better get something before the door falls off.

So I started looking: one Camaro was a real dog, one was great but expensive, and there was a 2001 Firebird about 50 miles away I wanted to see. It wasn't real good but a dark blue '99 was on the same lot for about 1/2 the price . So the old Bird and 4 G's got me the '99.

The only downside is it has the 3.8 liter V-6 where the '91 had the 5.0 liter eight so the cool sound of power is not there. But I'm still happy with it; the six actually has more horses than the old eight (200 vs. 170) and is pretty torquey so it goes when you step on it. For the city driving I do, the gas mileage is about the same; I haven't had it on the highway yet.

The real irony is that I traded Firebirds at a Mitsubishi dealer; GM really screwed up big time when they dropped the F-body cars.

[cmsgop]

I had a perfact 89'IROC Z-28 5.7 I wish I did not sell

[cmsgop]

Nice spelling Dork

[spetznaz]

Congrats. Have fun.

[Dog]

Should have bought Ford.

[opinionator]

GM really screwed up big time when they dropped the F-body cars.

Yeah, those GM execs are only interested in making a profit.

[Old_Mil]

Enjoy it - it might be your last Firebird...Always liked those cars; I wanted one when I was in high school in the worst way. Instead, an oldsmobile was my first car - one that wouldn't run half the time, and the other half it ran at half the posted speed limit.

A teenage driver's nightmare, but a perfect care from the perspective of a parent of the same!

[ScreamingFist]

'91 Dodge Ram 250, Cummins Turbo Diesel.....210,000 miles.....everyday driver. Built and rides like a tank, probably will it to my children.

[Born Conservative]

Here is MY dream car...

 

[Dog]

Check out the keywords..

[cmsgop]

Never! LOL!

[Mr. Lucky]

Many years ago, what first attracted me to Mrs. Lucky was her cherry 1967 Firebird. Sweet car (sweet wife).

[saganite]

I would rather push a Chevy than drive a Ford but I own Chrysler.

[Mr. Lucky]

...GM executives are only interested in making a profit.

How's that workin' out for them.

[Chi-townChief]

Last year, I bought a 2002 Camaro convertible to replace a totaled '91 >>> It looks like my '91 Camaro may be down for the count

Same thing, trading the 5.0 liter for the 3.8. Funny thing is that even with the newer cars, my insurance went down because of the smaller engine.

[Dinsdale]

If your going to dream Pontiac at least dream 'Super Duty'.

[Chi-townChief]

Yeah, that was the one I wanted but was about 25 at the time so the insurance was a real killer and I ended up with a Dodge Polara. When I finally bought the '91 Bird new, I kept saying how it was the car I wanted 15 years earlier.

[knarf]

I miss my '68 .. with the tach on the hood ... 350 .. ohc.

[Kokojmudd]

I drive an 89 Corvette with 291000 miles on it.

[Chi-townChief]

Yeah, that's what I was thinking too. If and when the Camaro/Firebird is reintroduced, the price will probably blow me out of the water.

[bannedfromdu]

I had a 91 mustang with 338,000 miles on it. Loved it so I took it to a local speed shop and had them fix it up.

Now I've got a super fast car at a third the price of a new one.

Camaros and Firebirds are just snack treats for it

[Chi-townChief]

The V-8 seemed like it would run forever and I never had any trans maintenance but the car was just rotting away. It will be good for a project or parts to whoever gets it.

[Windsong]

In addition to that, why not adopt a bassett hound and call him "Fred"?

[Chi-townChief]

There was a 2000 Formula sitting next to this car with the Corvette LS1 engine but a little too expensive and fancy for a work car. The six is just right, in this case.

[Chi-townChief]

Edmunds has a pretty nice Firebird history page here >>> http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Features/articleId=68211?synpartner=edmunds&pageurl=www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Features/articleId=68211

[Ladysmith]

Oh man, I can't stop chuckling here.

[bondjamesbond]

Bump

[Phantom Lord]

I had a perfact 89'IROC Z-28

Did you have a mullet as well?

[hispanarepublicana]

I want a red or pale yellow 65 mustang, or a 1973 Chevy Pickup.

[peteram]

I'll never forget my '83 Bird. 5.0 liter with a 4 barrel carb and a 5-speed Borg-Warner transmission. Boy - when Pontiac said that they build excitement, they weren't kidding. Got her up to 110 one night on a lonely two-lane highway outside of town. Thought I was going to be airborne.

That was a fun car.

[cmsgop]

Very Funny,So Funny Indeed!

[Inyo-Mono]

My Father-in-law still has a 1962 Chevy Impala that he bought brand new. Hasn't bought a car since. It's in great shape and only has about 160,000 original miles on it.

[TexasTransplant]

>>>>"Got her up to 110 one night on a lonely two-lane highway outside of town."<<<<

I had a '61 Pontiac Catalina that would do that in second gear, bald tires and nonexistent shocks didn't scare my passengers... until I hit third gear.

;^)
TT

[Hank Rearden]

So what kind of trailer do all these Firebirds get to park in front of?

[peteram]

First Car: 71 GTO
Second Car: 77 Camaro (nothing special, but it did have 8 cylinders.
Third Car: 80 Camaro (8 cylinders AND T-Tops)
Fourth Car: 83 Firebird (5.0 liter, 4bbl carb 5 speed xmission)
Fifth Car: 90 Firebird (the firs car I ever bought new)
My car now: Jeep Grand Cherokee (Well....I got married)

[Phantom Lord]

I had a '79 Camaro. Wish I still had it solely because it was a rocket. My neighbor put an engine in it he built in his garage that was 400+ HP and I bought it off him for $1900 an hour before he left for the airport to move to California. It was my first car.

And the Camaro styling really went to crap in the 80's.

[Phantom Lord]

My Father-in-law still has a 1962 Chevy Impala that he bought brand new. Hasn't bought a car since. It's in great shape and only has about 160,000 original miles on it.

He has only driven 160,000 miles in the past 43 years? 3,720 miles a year? I guess its possible. My mother bought a 1984 Ford T-Bird in 1996 with 16,000 miles on it. It was her hair dressers mothers. She was in her 80s.

Or does he wiggle out of the "hasn't bought a car since" by having his wife by them?

[advance_copy]

If ever a thread needed more cowbell...

[cmsgop]

OKAY!

WHO PUT MY NAME IN THE KEYWORDS !!!!!!!!!!!

[Born Conservative]

I don't think you can make an analogy between a '78 Trans Am with a .454/4 barrel carb and a Basset Hound....

[SVTCobra03]

What you should have done was buy a 2002 WS6 Trans-Am and dropped in a Lingenfelter 427 CID LS1.

[SENTINEL]

Here is mine !!

[FreedomFarmer]

"We're needin' some beer for a little party."

[Inyo-Mono]

He has only driven 160,000 miles in the past 43 years? 3,720 miles a year? I guess its possible.

Yes, it is true. We live in a very rural, isolated, small town and he has never driven anywhere except to work.

[Chi-townChief]

The one next to yours. (went with the clean response)

[reagan_fanatic]

"I gotta be honest with ya - I could've used a little more cowbell..."

[advance_copy]

YES! Cowbell is beautiful, man, just beautiful.

[sushiman]

" I miss my '68 .. with the tach on the hood ... 350 .. ohc."

A good buddy of mine had one back around 1970 . Olive green with black interior . Great car . I ended up with a 1967 Camaro SS-350 . Since selling it back in the 70's I must have had 10 dreams since then about having her back ...My first car .

[Chi-townChief]

Evidently, a lot of folks aren't happy with car threads.