Car Stuff: Random Sighting #25

Sometimes unusual cars show up at odd places and times. A month or so ago, when it was still quite cold, the Mrs. needed to do a mundane errand on a Sunday afternoon. I decided to go along for the ride and to get out of the house for a while, which prompted her to suggest we entertain the dog by taking her for the ride.

That meant I would have to walk the dog around the parking lot while the Mrs. took care of her task, instead of just waiting in the car. But if I hadn't gotten out of the car in that parking lot, I would not have spotted this totally '80s Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. Check out the T-tops! And those wheels! (I wonder if the headlights are stuck in the open position?)

Back then, this was absolutely the ultimate car to have for a certain type of macho dude, who probably also had a substantial mustache and a Members Only jacket. I'm not being critical; that's just how it was. I have no idea what sort of person owns this car now, but the owner does seem to be making an effort to keep it clean and in good condition, which made it all the more surprising that it was out on the road in late winter.

The third-generation Firebird (and its cousin the Chevy Camaro) was made for 11 model years, from 1982-92. Changes during that time were fairly minimal compared to the changes the car had received every couple of years during the 1970s. I can say that this car is at least a 1985, as that's when the louvers appeared in the hood. And if you look closely at the back of the car, you can make out the center brake light under the spoiler, making this at least a 1987 (cars first got these lights for 1986, but for that year only, Firebirds had theirs at the outside top of the rear window), or possibly an '88 or '89; it's also possible it's a '90, though that was a shortened production year. (A redesigned front appeared on the 1991 models.)