1994 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am 5.7 lt1

Summary:

Love it still even with its problems

Faults:

Driver side headlight motor went bad. Motor keeps running and makes a terrible noise when shut down.

Making weird noises in the enging compartment, had it checked out, and found out my lifters are going bad.

Needed to clean the battery connectors, easy fix.

Recently head gasket blown. Started blowing out white smoke then my water level went to red. Called a repair shop, and they told me I cracked a head, then he told me I should rather then just get the head gasket fixed to just to get a rebuilt engine instead.

General Comments:

If anybody can give me any feedback on what to do it will be appreciated.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 6th May, 2005

25th May 2005, 09:18

Feedback on what to do?

Two options:

1) have a rebuilt engine put in it.

2) just sit in the driver's seat and go, "vroom, vroom!" while pretending to drive.

1994 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am 5.7 V8

Summary:

One of the sexiest cars on the road

Faults:

Headlight motor is making weird noise when shutdown. Needs to be replaced.

Left taillight bulb went out.

Driver side power window has to go down in sections, or it will stick. Probably have to be replaced soon.

Had it in second the other day, and heard a knocking noise when I got on it. Since that happened, ill probably never try shifting again.

This is probably normal, but when I started it a few days ago, when it was about 40 degrees, the car started to idle rough, but after a few minutes went back to normal.

Failed all 3 emissions test. I'm guessing it is a clogged converter, but who knows. I need to take it to the shop soon.

General Comments:

This car has a few problems, but I love it so much. I get complements on it all the time, and the chicks love it. Over time though, I know I'm going to have to spend some money to get it back the way it came new. The car is in really nice shape, being 10 years old. I wash and was this beast 1 every few days. Hopefully this car will hold up for some years to come.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 17th October, 2004

18th Jul 2005, 02:33

The rough idol is probably due to the cat or your timing is off.

4th Aug 2005, 00:31

I just fixed a clunking in mine when it shifted, it turned out it was just a bad transmission mount. They go out because the car shifts so hard. It's an eleven dollar part that you can easily change yourself if you have any common sense, the dealer will charge $160.

1994 Pontiac Firebird Formula LT1 350

Summary:

No wonder Mustang outsold the F-body three to one

Faults:

Opti spark (ignition).

Transmission.

Rear end.

Headlight motor.

Power window motor.

Assorted odds and ends.

General Comments:

If you have to have a V8 muscle car, then just get a Mustang and build it. F-body cars are horribly built.

The tranny is designed to burn out around fifty or sixty thousand miles. If you are thinking about getting one, put a huge cooler on it and start praying.

The Optisparks are more temperamental than the tranny. You are not supposed to get them wet, but the idiots at GM put the Optispark right under the water pump. The Optispark is a 350 dollar distributor that you HAVE to have that is non-interchangeable. Many are too scared to even wash under the hoods of their cars or drive in the rain.

This thing eats power window motors like it's candy. Apparently something else GM can't get right.

The rear end is a positive traction 7.5" rear end. Why even bother making a positive traction rear end that small? This thing makes 325lbs of torque at LOW RPM. So the clutches burn out of the rear end very fast. Many underpowered V6 cars come with larger rear ends than that. Another obvious oversight was not putting in a twelve bolt from the factory.

This car runs strong to about 65-75, then it starts falling on its face. Get a six speed for more speed and top end. Plus the T56 is better quality.

I take care of my cars and do not buy junk. This was a well documented and maintained car. I have not overstated anything in the least. These are very serious problems that are being overlooked by the factory, and people with under fifty thousand miles are having these type issues, so it's not just the mileage.

In general, if your car doesn't need a transmission, rear end, distributor, or windows that work - then this is the car for you.

I bought this over the Mustang for the sixty-seventy horsepower difference stock. With the money I put in just keeping this car on the road, I could have put a hundred horsepower in the Mustang. All of my friends with Mustangs beat their cars to death, and have the same amount of repairs as me. The only difference is they had their Mustangs three years, and I have had mine for three months.

Please do not take my word for it, search the different forums and look at what is considered "high mileage" for these things. Read the LT1 tech forums on camaroz28.com and see the barrage of problems these things give. Now I know why they are on every street corner car lot.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 15th July, 2004

19th Sep 2005, 20:13

I have some very simple comments:

1. If you maintain the car the way it's supposed to be, you won't have any problems. It's as simple as that

2. As for the transmission, I have a Formula with 100k on it, and it's been serviced every 30,000 miles like it's supposed to be, and it shifts smoother than any car. As a matter of fact, I recently put a shift kit in it, and when I took the tranny apart, it was perfect; that's right... perfect!

3. Most of the parts people complain about having to replace on F-bodies are common things that go wrong; no car is perfect.

Overall, for the money, Formulas in my perspective are great and reliable cars if you take car of them. And I only agree with one statement that everyone says... the Optispark IS ridiculous, but I haven't had that problem.