Pontiac Firebird (1982) – Ultimate Guide
Introduction
- A new, aerodynamically restyled Firebird was 1982’s foremost news from Pontiac.
- Instead of the previous four models, the revised Firebird came in three variations:
- base coupe
- luxury SE coupe
- Trans Am coupe
- Each one had its own suspension and tire setup.
- Engines:
- Base engine was now a fuel-injected 151-cid (2.5-liter) four cylinder hooked to a four-speed manual gearbox.
- The SE carried a standard 173-cid (2.8-liter) two-barrel V-6, also with a four-speed transmission.
- The Trans Am had a 305-cid (5.0-liter) four-barrel V-8 with a four-speed transmission.
- Trans Am buyers could also step up to a dual throttle-body (crossfire) fuel injection V-8 with fresh-air hood induction.
- Body:
- A low nose now held electrically controlled hidden halogen headlamps.
- Park/signal lamps sat in squat slots inboard of the headlamps, barely visible with the headlamp doors shut.
- The twin air slots contained horizontal bars.
- At the rear was a large, contoured, frameless all-glass hatch.
- The tail lamps were housed in a full-width back panel.
- The Firebird SE added full-width black tail lamps, body-color body side moldings, lower accent paint (with striping), turbo cast aluminum wheels, P205/70R14 steel-belted black sidewall tires and rear stabilizer bar.
- The Trans Am included bird decals on hood and sail panel, front fender air extractors, front and rear wheel-opening flares, and an aero wing deck lid spoiler.
- A WS6 suspension (optional on SE and Trans Am) included P215/65R15 steel-belted radial (SBR) tires on 7-in. aluminum wheels, larger stabilizer bars, four-wheel disc brakes, a posi-traction rear axle, and tuned springs, shocks, and bushings.
- Standard Firebird equipment included P195/75R14 glass-belted black sidewall tires, hubcaps, a black-finished grille, a front air dam, power brakes, power steering, a front stabilizer bar, side window defoggers, and a black-finished instrument panel.
- Interior:
- Reclining front bucket seats were standard.
- A new Formula steering wheel had an energy-absorbing hub.
I.D. NUMBERS
| Pontiac introduced its new 17-symbol Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) | ||
|---|---|---|
| It was located on the upper left surface of the instrument panel, visible through the windshield | ||
| Position | Character | Description |
| 1st | 1 | US built |
| 2nd | G | General Motors product |
| 3rd | 2 | Pontiac Motor Division vehicle |
| 4th | A | Manual seatbelts |
| 5th | S | Firebird |
| X | SE | |
| W | Trans Am | |
| 6th & 7th | 87 | Body style number: two-door plainback special coupe |
| 8th | * | Engine type where * is replaced by the following
|
| 9th | ? | A check digit that calculates the characters in the serial number and gives it a single digit code and can be used to verify that the serial number is legitimate |
| 10th | C | The model year where C = 1982 |
| 11th | _ | Manufacturing plant code |
| 12th to 17th | 100001 and up | Production sequence serial number |
IDENTIFICATION
| Model Number | Style Number | Body Type | Seating | Factory Price | Shipping Weight | Production Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2F | S87 | 2-door Hardtop Base Firebird – Four | 4 | $7996 | 41,863 both 4 & V8 |
|
| 2F | S87 | 2-door Hardtop Base Firebird – V6 | 4 | $8121 | ||
| 2F | X87 | 2-door Hardtop SE – V6 | 4 | $9624 | 21,719 | |
| 2F | X87 | 2-door Hardtop SE – V8 | 4 | $9819 | ||
| 2F | W87 | 2-door Hardtop Trans Am – V8 | 4 | $9658 | 52,960 |
ENGINE
| VIN Code | R or 2 | X or 1 | H (Chev) | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cylinders | Four (inline) | 60° V-6 | 90° V-8 | 90° V-8 |
| Valving | Overhead valve | Overhead valve | Overhead valve | Overhead valve |
| Block | Cast-iron | Cast-iron | Cast-iron | Cast-iron |
| Head | Cast-iron | Aluminum | Cast-iron | Cast-iron |
| Bore & Stroke | 4.00 x 3.00 in. | 3.50 x 3.00 in. | 3.74 x 3.48 in. | 4.00 x 3.00 in. |
| Displacement | 151 cid (2.5 liters) | 173 cid (2.8 liters) | 305 cid (5.0 liters) | 305 cid (5.0 liters) |
| Compression ratio | 8.2 : 1 | 8.5 : 1 | 8.6 : 1 | 9.5 : 1 |
| Brake H.P. | 90 @ 4000 rpm | 105 @ 4800 | 145 @ 4000 rpm | 165 @ 4200 rpm |
| Torque (lb-ft) | 134 @ 2400 rpm | 142 @ 2400 rpm | 240 @ 2000 rpm | 240 @ 2400 rpm |
| Main bearings | Five | Four | Five | Five |
| Valve lifters | Hydraulic | |||
| Carburetor | Throttle-body fuel injection | 2-barrel Rochester E2SE | 4-barrel Rochester E4ME | Throttle-body fuel Injection |
TRANSMISSION
| Four-speed Transmission | Standard |
| Three-speed Turbo-Hydra-Matic | Optional |
| Final drive ratio with V-6 | 3.23 : 1 |
| Final drive ratio with V-8 | 3.23 : 1 |
CHASSIS
| FEATURE | Firebird | SE | Trans Am |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheelbase | 101.0 in. | 101.0 in. | 101.0 in. |
| Overall length | 189.8 in. | 189.8 in. | 189.8 in. |
| Height | 49.8 in. | 49.8 | 49.8 |
| Width | 72.0 | 72.0 | 72.0 |
| Front tread | 60.7 | 60.7 | 60.7 |
| Rear tread | 60.6 | 60.6 | 60.6 |
| Tires | P195/75R14 GBR BSW | P205/70R14 SBR BSW | P205/70R14 SBR BSW |
| Steering | Recirculating ball | ||
| Front suspension | Modified MacPherson struts with coil springs between lower control arm and X-member | ||
| Rear suspension | Torque arm/track bar with coil springs | Torque arm/track bar with coil springs and anti-sway bar | |
| Brakes | Front disc, rear drums | ||
| Ignition | Electronic | ||
| Body construction | Unit | ||
| Fuel tank | 16 gal | ||
OPTIONS
| 151-cid four (Firebird SE) | $125 credit |
| 173-cid V-6 (Firebird) | $125 |
| 305-cid four-barrel V-8 (Firebird) | $295 |
| 305-cid four-barrel V-8 (Firebird SE) | $170 – $195 |
| Dual EFI engine package (Trans Am) | $899 |
| Turbo-Hydra-Matic (Firebird) | $396 |
| Turbo-Hydra-Matic (Trans Am) | $72 |
| Limited-slip differential | $76 |
| Power four-wheel disc brakes (Firebird) | $255 |
| Power four-wheel disc brakes (in performance package) | N/C |
| Heavy-duty radiator | $40 |
| Heavy-duty battery | $22 – $25 |
| Heavy-duty alternator | $51 |
| Engine block heater | $17 – $18 |
| California emissions | $65 |
| Trans Am Recaro option | $2486 – $2968 |
| Special performance package (SE and Trans Am) | $387 – $417 |
| Firebird custom exterior | $73 – $134 |
| Firebird luxury trim | $299 – $844 |
| Air conditioning | $595 – $675 |
| Cruise control | $145 – $165 |
| Power windows | $152 – $235 |
| Hatchback roof | $790 – $826 |
HISTORICAL NOTES
1982 Firebird Notes
- Introduced on Jan. 14, 1982
- While other Pontiac models dropped in sales, the Firebird increased from 70,899 to 116,382
- The new Firebird design received extensive wind tunnel testing
1982 Automotive Notes
- GM news:
- Ford news:
- Chrysler news:
- AMC news:
- Other makes news:
- Top American Automobile Corporations for 1982
1. General Motors 3,516,326 2. Ford 1,162,642 3. Chrysler 592,605 4. AMC 101,915 5. Others 2,412
- Top model year production for 1982
Chevrolet 1,297,357 Ford 748,732 Buick 739,984 Skyhawk 47,918 Skylark 145,855 Century 102,965 Regal 225,419 LeSabre 98,820 Electra 76,232 Riviera 44,071 Oldsmobile 702,340 Pontiac 541,061 Mercury 328,597 Plymouth 247,936 Dodge 241,359 Cadillac 235,584 Cimarron 25,968 Seville 19,998 DeVille 98,820 Eldorado 52,018 Fleetwood Brougham 37,330 Fleetwood Limousine 1,450 Chrysler 103,310 AMC 101,915 Spirit 20,182 Concord 43,810 Eagle 5010,965 Eagle 3026,958 Lincoln 85,313 Checker 2,000 Excalibur 212 Avanti II 200
1982 FIREBIRD Photo Gallery
Keyword: 1982 Pontiac Firebird