Recommended reading for
third gen Pontiac Firebird owners.

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One thing I have noticed is that there seems to be an over-abundance of third gen Camaro books and a shortage of third gen Firebird books.  Everyone and their mother has written some type of book about the 1982 to 1992 Camaro (probably because everyone and their mother owns a Camaro) but there are only a few good 1982 to 1992 Firebird books out there.  I hope to help your search for these books by finding them myself and posting them here.  If you know of any good Firebird books that include good information on the 1982 to 1992 Firebirds, drop me a line and let me know.

STANDARD CATALOG OF FIREBIRD: 1967 to 2002- John Gunnell- this is a really nice book to have since it details each year of Firebird production and lists engines, options, and RPO codes as well as prices (sometimes).  Some pictures are labeled wrong (a shot of the 1986 models clearly shows a Formula which didn't appear until 1987) and some of the information in the later years isn't broken down as much as you might like (which is strange since you would think it would be harder to find out detailed information the farther back you went, not the closer nearer the end of these cars when everything was computerized and indexed).  Overall, this is a book you need.  The few minor errors are more than overcome by the sheer volume of information available.  The RPO codes by year alone are worth the price of this book.  Highly recommended.

THE BEST OF HOT ROD MAGAZINE: PONTIAC FIREBIRD, TRANS AM, AND GTO-  This book is very well put together because it offers solid facts and figures in the form of reprints of old HRM articles and road tests on the various Firebirds and GTOs from the 1960s up to the fourth gen F-body.  While it is strange that this work should contain both the Firebird and GTO, owners of either will enjoy reading about the other.  The old GTO is a far cry from the current one (which looks like a stretched Cavalier and really has no personality of its own).  The good old days of the Firebird and GTO are gone forever, but you can relive a part of that by flipping through these magazine articles.  Each will take you back in time to an era when dinosaurs still ruled the streets.  Highly recommended.

BROOKLANDS ROAD TEST BOOKS: HIGH PERFORMANCE FIREBIRDS 1982 to 1988- Another invaluable resource book for the third gen F-body owner.  This collection of magazine articles and road tests are drawn from the likes of CAR CRAFT, HOT ROD, ROAD & TRACK, CAR AND DRIVER and other popular magazines.  From 1982 to 1987, these articles feature the heavy history on the first third gens and their introduction, all the way up to exotics like the Super Duty Firebird, the Super Trans Am, and covers models like the SE, the Formula and the GTA.  Road tests between Camaro and Firebird are given, as well as between Firebird and other sports cars like the Dodge Daytona, the Toyota Supra, and the Nissan 300ZX.  Highly recommended.

    FIREBIRD TRANS AM - by David Newhardt  - This book is one of the better ones but again, it tries to encompass all generations and in doing so, it only glosses over the more relevant facts and information of each generation.  It's chock full of information you probably already know by heart but a few tidbits may surprise you.  Good pictures, few mistakes, and a nice layout make this one to add for your collection.    Recommended.

    PONTIAC FIREBIRD TRANS-AM (1969 to 1999 Photo Album) - by George Scala and Wallace Wyss.

I have mixed feelings about this book.  On one hand, it has a rare foreword by Herb Adams (the "Father of the Trans Am") and lots of pictures (some of which you will not have seen anywhere else before).  On the other hand, the entire book is in black and white with the only color photo being the one found on the cover.  Now, while it is nice to see these pictures (some, as I have said, for the very first time), it is also wrong to view them in ordinary black and white.  The Pontiac Firebird was a vibrant, colorful car and in this book, a black Firebird could just as well be a dark navy blue or dark green Firebird.  You really can't tell what color some of these cars are.  The bottom line is if you just have to complete your collection of Firebird books (few that there are) then pick this one up.  You'll like the pictures but you'll curse the lack of color because while the book does the Firebird justice through representation, it's lack of color pictures is nothing short of criminal in nature.

    MUSCLE CAR COLOR HISTORY: FIREBIRD AND TRANS AM 1967 to 1994- Bill Holder and Phillip Kunz.  Lots of pretty pictures of the 1967 to 1981 Firebirds and then the pictures get kind of scarce with the models after that.  The fourth gen cars are barely a footnote in this book (at least this version which I own).  Numerous errors in information (such as saying that a turbocharged 350 cubic inch V8 engine was available as a factory installed option one year during the mid-'80s) otherwise detract from a good source book for the first two generations.  Odd camera angles on some cars show uninteresting aspects while other cars clearly show aftermarket parts or neglect (missing center caps, torn decals, etc.).  Available on Amazon.com.  The cheaper you can get this book, the better.  If you have the money to buy a good Firebird book, this is not your choice.  If you have money left over, then look at this one.  Given the overall quality of all of the other Firebird books and the general low number of Firebird specific titles in print, this could very well be the worst Firebird book every produced and should definitely be considered to be the last Firebird book you should purchase in your collection, if you purchase it at all.

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