Video: Introducing the 1985 Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am

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Here’s a detailed look at one of the of the most popular American performance cars of 1985, the Pontiac FIrebird Trans-Am.   

 

Except for the corny bit at the end that may have you groaning out loud, this original Pontiac dealer film is a fairly straightforward explanation of the FIrebird Trans-Am lineup for 1985. Now in the fourth year of the third-generation 1982-92 design cycle, the Trans-Am received an exterior refreshening for ’85, with a new front fascia, a revised aero package, and a flat hood with functional air vents. Pontiac’s product team boasted that the drag coefficient of this new package as low as .31—fairly impressive for the mid-’80s.

Buyers could choose from two available suspension packages, the standard Rally Tuned calibration or the WS6 high-performance setup with trendy 16-inch Aero Tech aluminum wheels. Three 305 CID V8 engines (all small-block Chevrolets, in fact) were offered: the LG4 with four-barrel carburetor and 155 hp; the L69 four-barrel with 190 hp; and a new LB9 with multiport injection and 210 hp. A bit curiously, the L69 was available only with the five-speed manual gearbox, while the LB9 with EFI came only with the four-speed automatic. Naturally, the vinyl hood chicken remained a popular Trans-Am feature. Video below.

 

6 thoughts on “Video: Introducing the 1985 Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am”

  1. Flashback!

    The “Doris” is Doris Biscoe, the ‘anchor woman’ for the Pontiac Video Network. PVN was part of the yearly training for dealers and salespeople, distributed in the fall to train staff on the new products.

    The ‘newsroom’ of the broadcast was a discarded Channel #2 set, reconstructed in the Argonaut building studios of GM Photographic. Doris Biscoe and Larry Adderly would ping pong stories back and forth…cut away to video screens and transition to the next, making the format highly flexible and inexpensive to produce.

    Our chief client was Marketing and Production Director James H. Graham, aka, “the Lion.” Mr. Graham was the leader at Pontiac responsible for shepherding most of the great placements from Pontiac since the ’60s including the Monkees and “I Dream of Jeannie” to “Smokey and the Bandit, ” “Rockford Files,” and “Knight Rider.”

    Film was by GM Photographic, which had a ‘staff’ of extremely talented professionals, several of whom dragged me into the Gridiron Lounge next door to the metal foundry during the lunch break on the Grand Am shoot … perhaps another time.

    Talent is the timeless Peter Carey, still working in town, consummate pro and great guy!

  2. I had a 1985 Trans Am with the port injected engine. A beautiful car, but it seemed cursed with issues. I ordered it the day after Thanksgiving 1984 and it took until Memorial day 1985 before I could get delivery, apparently due to many issues with the new for 85 rubber whale tail spoiler. The car was plagued with clogged fuel injector issues and would stall while at stop lights almost causing me to get into several accidents. The AC system was full of leaks too. The car was stolen from a bar across the street from the GM Tech Center while I was there after work in the spring of 1987, I was one day away from it being missing 30 days and getting my payoff when it was found in a local shopping mall parking lot. It had been driven to FL and back and beat to death. Once I get that car back I sold it as quickly as I could and went and put a down payment on a 1987 Grand National which I still own.

  3. I’ve got a 88 version of the Trans Am’s little brother, the Formula 350. It was the stripped down performance member of the family, with a TPI 350, 200R4 automatic, power brakes and steering, AC, a AM/FM cassette radio, and 16″ alloy wheels and nothing else. Manual roll up windows, little carpet padding, and some of the most uncomfortable manual bucket seats I’ve ever ridden in. It runs like a scalded dog, corners like it’s glued to the road, but anything over an hour and my tail is killing me from driving it. Love the car and how it looks, but hate to drive it much.

    • Forthgen seats are dramatically better, fit on the same tracks, upholstery is either common of close depending on base or custom trim. The seat itself was a Fisher product that Pontiac was ‘voluntold’ to use. Entire team hated it, but too late to change. ’93-up seat much better. Looking for a set for my Formula.

  4. My brother had an 86, 305tpi, 4 speed auto, 16×8 16×9 alloy wheels.
    RHD conversion as usual let it down somewhat
    The front overhang on those things is crazy. Just getting in my driveway was a chore.
    Another friend had a 84 IROC and he did some damage coming in a bit quick.
    Drove very well, handled and stopped well but was a gutless slug! My 2 ton Galaxie is quicker!

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