First Generation Firebird
Posted By: Bartbird Firebirds Snubbed - 06/04/19 04:05 PM
Just wondering how many of you have Haggarty Insurance and get their magazine.

I was kind of put off by their complete ignorance of Firebirds in 2017 which was the 50th ann of the Bird and Camaro and all they talked about was the Camaro, Camaro this, Camaro that, blah blah blah, ..............the Firebird blows the Camaro away, it's a step up and Burt Reynolds didn't drive a Camaro, Birds were always better looking and have a much more interesting history.
Posted By: Bob S. Re: Firebirds Snuffed - 06/04/19 06:40 PM
Poncho power plant far superior to Chevy
Posted By: cme469 Re: Firebirds Snuffed - 06/04/19 11:50 PM
Yes and yes to both comments. I once read an article in Car Craft or Hot Rod that referred to the Camaro as the “sister car” of the Firebird. Look at the specs, the heavier parts and even the sticker prices!
Posted By: wovenweb Re: Firebirds Snuffed - 06/05/19 01:36 AM
Okay, I thought this was a thread about Firebirds going to the crusher. I've done that with one myself.

I think this was meant to be Firebirds snubbed?
Posted By: Firebob Re: Firebirds Snuffed - 06/05/19 04:30 AM
I wouldn't discount the sbc so easily. The Pont motor, by design, is a more powerful motor, yes, but you really don't hear many Chevy owners bitching about overheating issues. And for the most part they seem to be fairly trouble free. I'm not saying I want one in my bird but they do seem to be engineered pretty well.

I do think the bird is a far superior car on many levels( obviously). I think advertising had every thing to do with why camaros are more desirable to the uneducated masses.

Just my opinions.
Posted By: cme469 Re: Firebirds Snuffed - 06/05/19 03:40 PM
As GM was moving towards the “one size fits all” corporate engine in the late 70s, the SBC (that had been around since the mid 50s) found its place moving into the future. It was capable of producing respectable hp, was smaller in size and less weight than many of its corporate siblings, and was also cheaper to produce. As with everything else today, cheaper to produce seems to win out over what other choices might have been made.
I have a SBC in one of our work trucks (one ton flatbed) that has been pulling for years without issue, never gets hot (only has a 2 core rad) and would want nothing else for that purpose. Though I could use a bit more torque.
Then again, I’ve never seen a Pontiac head bolt strip out, compare the size difference of that bolt to the SBC. Back when our cars were built, our heads had fully machined combustion chambers, SBC heads did not. Oh, and there’s the torque thing.
Many other differences, pros and cons, will surely be debated as long as fuel is being processed, but the bottom line for me is....
I run a Pontiac engine in my muscle car....
and a small block Chevy in my work truck. whistle
Posted By: oldskool Re: Firebirds Snuffed - 06/05/19 06:11 PM
"...I run a Pontiac engine in my muscle car....
and a small block Chevy in my work truck."


Have run a Pontiac engine in all my race cars. For towing those cars to the track, I used a Caddy 472, Ford 360, Ford 390, several Chevy 350's, GMC 454, Ford & Chevy inline six, IH V8, & 7.3 Ford Diesel. Also pulled trailers with a 400 sbc powered dually, and a 6.0 powered 3/4 Ton.

Of all those tow vehicles, my favorite was a black 1984 GMC 454 4-speed dually pickup. It looked good, was smooth, & had plenty of torque for pulling. Gas mileage wasn't that great. But gas was cheaper back then. Pulled both drag & dirt Pontiac powered race cars with it. My wife even drove it to work for a while. She loved driving a stick.

Attached picture '84 GMC Dually.JPG
Attached picture '84 GMC & 2nd Gen Bird.JPG
Attached picture New Ford Hauler 300 Six.JPG
Attached picture Ford Pulling Goose.JPG
Posted By: cme469 Re: Firebirds Snuffed - 06/05/19 09:59 PM
HECK YEAH !!!
Posted By: billy1979 Re: Firebirds Snuffed - 06/07/19 11:35 PM
Exactly why i decided to buy a firebird vs a camaro. Everybody and their mom seems to have a camaro. Every car show i attend is always packed full camaros, chevelles and novas. Very seldom do i see any first gen firebirds which made me want one even more. Better to stand out than to blend in.
Posted By: colorado68 Re: Firebirds Snuffed - 06/09/19 12:43 AM
OP
Have had Haggarty for 11 years now. They don't cover the Firebird enough.
Recently dropped the magazine subscription for the very fact you pointed out, not much recognition.

I get more folks commenting they see too many Camaro's and appreciate seeing a Firebird.
Posted By: Bartbird Re: Firebirds Snuffed - 06/09/19 05:20 PM
yeah, Hagarty magazine isn't very good, I'd prefer they drop it and give us a drop in insurance rates because we are paying for it, the few elitists running it and contributing to it have very limited knowledge from what I see, very closed minded, they also seem to lean towards big buck rare foreign cars, everything is about money and $$$$$$$$$$ and not so much the cars, the readers writing in about their cars is much more interesting reading than Leno or Wayne Carini talking about his latest triumph or loss, I live near Wayne and when at a show he goes right to big buck boys and ignores all the po'boys with their real rides, he centers on trailer queens.

In 2017 I really hoped they were going to do the Firebird story, the Delorean and Banshee connection, how GM screwed John and used the Banshee for the new 68 Stingray and how he got the brass to let him and only Pontiac use the F body for a vehicle as perhaps a bandaid or apology and then he gathered his troops and said "I want everything we have including the GTO drivetrain in this car and I want it now"........... and we ended up with a killer car, better looking and always 1000% better than any Camaro
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