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"... the TA's handling is about as close as most people would want to get to an honest-to-God racing platform.  ... The TA's chassis is extremely stiff, and its front and rear roll characteristics are well balanced and tuned to each other.  With near-neutral handling characteristics at the limit of adhesion, and just a trace of understeer that easily transfers into controllable oversteer, the TA ... is a blast to hustle through corners.  It makes good drivers better drivers, and instantly transfers a feeling of confidence to the novice.  It is a car whose handling and acceleration are guaranteed to transform a bored rush-hour commuter into a wide-eyed and grinning enthusiast.  This is a fun car."

- John Hanson, Motor Trend, April 1986.
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"Lean.  Mean.  And outrageously beautiful.  Trans Am for 1986 is raw power, sleek aerodynamics and crisp handling. 
And it's ready to prove its performance title ... whenever you are." 

-1986 Pontiac dealer brochure
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                STORY

• SUMMARY- For the ADD challenged visitors to my site who may be a little short on their Ritalin.  Read the "Cliff's Notes" on this car then decide if you want to dive into all the glorious details (found in each link below).
   

• "I LIKE MY CARS A LITTLE ON THE TRASHY SIDE" -  I don't drive mediocre cars. Life is too short to drive mediocre cars.
   

• BACK STORY-  I had the great fortune of having a low mileage, all original 1986 Trans Am basically land in my lap while I was surfing Ebay for 1988 to 1991 Corvettes one night.  Never one to let a good (or fast) thing get away, I acquired the car shortly to fulfill a teenage desire unfulfilled all those many years ago in high school when this car was brand new (and nigh on unaffordable).  Ah, well.  The folly of foolish pursuits and the fun that they must surely bring.
   

• THE MYSTERY MACHINE- This 1986 Trans Am is a real enigma, a collection of several small, unsolved mysteries.  I went into this purchase with low expectations and even low demands but what I got when I took possession of the car exceeded even my wildest dreams.
   

• DECIPHERING THE VIN AND RPO CODES- Deciphering the VIN Vehicle Identification Number and factory build codes of the TA, discovering her many options.
   

• SPECIFICATIONS- OEM factory specs and details for the 1986 Pontiac Trans Am.
   

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"The shape is lean, low, and aerodynamic.  Designed for performance.  Ready to set pulses racing on a hot Saturday night.
It's Firebird Trans Am.  And it's one of the most serious machines to ever put four tires to pavement."

- Pontiac Trans Am advertisement, 1985
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                PROGRESS
 

• THE TRANS AM DIARY - Follow along the times, the tribulations, and the restoration of this particular 1986 Trans Am.
   

• PROJECT PLAN- The process of restoring this car and all that it entails.
   

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"Acclaimed as one of the most visually stunning cars ever built, the Trans Am's styling will no doubt remain timeless.  
... If you think '57 Chevys still look good, you'll love the Trans Am - even 20 years from now."

- John Baechtel, "Different Strokes" comparison test
HOT ROD MAGAZINE, August 1986
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                MULTIMEDIA
 

• 1986 PONTIAC DEALER PRODUCT ORDERING MANUAL - FIREBIRD SECTION - Here it is, a rare look into the world of the dealership and product information / ordering.  8 out of 10 of these books were simply thrown away at the end of the model year so finding one is a real Grail quest.  This particular book is a three ring binder that each dealer received, a binder which held the information, options, and ordering slips for every Pontiac model offered in 1986.  I have scanned in just the information on the 1986 Firebird and added notes where appropriate.  This should be a real treat not only to owners of 1986 Firebirds, but all third gen Firebird owners as well.
   

• PONTIAC HISTORIC SERVICES DOCUMENTATION-  PHS can provide you with a wealth of information on your Pontiac, including reproduction window sheets.  Find out what PHS dug up for me on this 1986 Trans Am.
   

• WINDOW STICKER - a PHS supplied reproduction of the original new car window sticker.
   

• FACTORY NEW FIREBIRD WORK ORDER - reproduced as best as possible given existing information, here is what the build sheet / factory work order for this Trans Am should have looked like.
   

• FACTORY / DEALER MEDIA INFORMATION- Visual info for the 1986 Trans Am, from scans of original dealer brochures to magazine advertisements, test reports, and the documentation that came with the car originally (including an exclusive offer from Pontiac for Firebird / Trans Am fashion accessories).
   

• "EXCITING MACHINE" 1986 JAPANESE PONTIAC DEALERSHIP IMPORT BROCHURE - Rare!  Featuring a black and gold 1986 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am and some interesting not-available-in-America options.
   

• SCRAPBOOK- Current pictures of the '86 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am.
   

• 1986 BLACK AND GOLD PONTIAC FIREBIRD TRANS AM COMMERCIAL - here is a 30 second commercial that shows the aggressive stance that Pontiac took during the mid-1980's in regard to advertising.  In later years, they would back off and by the end of the third generation Firebird, advertising for this model would be almost non-existent.  The look on the TA driver's face at the end of the commercial explains it all quite nicely without a single word having to ever be said.
   

• Here are a pair of links to two rather catchy Pontiac commercials I found on YouTube.  I remember when these commercials were brand new and in circulation ... during the last part of my teenage years.  These commercials also show what was all so right (and all so wrong) with the 1980's.  White suits, neon, smoke, rain puddles, gloomy streets, guys jumping into open top convertibles, hair bands and power chords.  Sure beat that angsty, whiney Nirvana crap that came along afterwards.

PONTIAC COMMERCIAL #1                    PONTIAC COMMERCIAL #2
 

• "BLACK TRANS AM" - by Jen E. Jensen - a great song, self parody, of the reputation that these cars came to have.
   
• "TRANS AM - HIGHWAY WONDERLAND" - all the way back to 1979 with Sammy Hagar, the "Red Rocker."  His classic ode to Pontiac's top of the line performer and his own (then) red '79 TA.

   

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"  ... these cars have enough performance to set your pulse racing.  The engines fire with a lusty, soul-stirring burble.  You push the throttle and blast away with a smack in the back that only big-torque V-8s like these provide.  You need to watch it if the road is damp or icy; these tails wag fast and furiously.  The little GM V-8s respond powerfully from low revs, they run cleanly through the midrange, and they will thrust on satisfyingly to the 5500 rpm redline.  On the road, opening them up from around 3500 rpm in second or third when you're hitting the apex of a good bend is just plain glorious.  You fairly pelt out, perhaps with the tail just starting to edge into oversteer.  This is classic muscle-car motoring, and these cars do it well." 

-Mel Nichols, "Family Feud", Automobile magazine, May 1987

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"It doesn't take long to realize the Trans Am is simply the better car ... and nowhere is this fact more apparent than in the drivetrain.  Alright, agreed, it's old-fashioned V8 power driving rear wheels through a 4-speed automatic transmission.  No future-think, leading edge of technology here.  No eye to the future.  And no apologies, because the setup simply works great.  The 5-liter engine - rated at 205 hp - carries GM's latest sequential port fuel injection system.  Although the FI engine is only available with the 4-speed automatic, it's definitely worth trading off the 5-speed manual for the performance offered by this induction system (the 5-speed can be had only with the carbureted V8).  With eight cylinders ... the 5-liter engine delivers big-time torque through a hair-trigger, snapping your neck from a standing start with a quick, smooth, predictable transition from the bottom of the powerband to the top.  ... the TA drivetrain was a gem. Confident, sure, strong and more race car-like." 

- John Hanson, Motor Trend, April 1986.
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Gone but never forgotten ...

FIREBIRD
1967 to 2002
RIP

TRANS AM
1969 to 2002
RIP

1926 to 2009
RIP

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"If you want horsepower overload... Ooh, if you like kicks just take her to the floor and you’re red lined and shifting gears, hear the engine roar of my Trans Am..."
- Sammy Hagar, "Trans Am" STREET MACHINE album 
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