2001 Pontiac Firebird WS6 Trans Am LS1 5.7

Summary:

If you want a car that can easily be made to run a Corvette to death... get one of these!

Faults:

Rear differential has been replaced 3 times. Once because of a bad bearing, a second because of poor performance in fixing the first issue by the dealer and the third by myself to make sure the problem was taken care of correctly.

Cracks in running light covers allows moisture to settle in lens. Bulb is located in the bottom of the running light. Guess what happens when water meets electricity and a hot bulb. Replaced both lens and had to rewire the pigtails.

Front disc brake rotors have been replaced twice by the dealer and a third time by myself. The aftermarket parts seem to be holding up much better than the factory pieces.

AC compressor failed internally and had to be replaced.

General Comments:

For all the bad points, repairs andthe issues with factory parts not being up to the task... all in all this has been a pretty good car. It has great power and torque and the factory did underestimate that with the ring and pinion and spider gear quality. If you had issues with the rear end, you like myself were probably driving the car to it's potential.

Consider that it is faster than a 1970 454 Chevelle straight off the showroom... bet it leaves you stranded a lot less than that beloved muscle car... trust me..I owned one.

This is a fantastic car, very fast, handles well, awesome stereo, good seats and easy to see instrumentation. My car now has 110,000 miles with no rattles. I have read poor reviews on this car as far as build quality... I believe it is all how it has been taken care of. Mine has been a daily diver since day one.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 1st May, 2008

13th Sep 2009, 15:32

I am looking at buying a 01 WS6 with 110 000 miles on it, and I am a little leary because of the high mileage and the type of car. What is your advice?

2001 Pontiac Firebird SLP Convertible 3.8 V6

Summary:

Look at this thing! You realize it's a firebird?

Faults:

Power Steering Pump had to be replaced at 34000, but this was my fault due to donuts in the parking lot.

Shrill noise when car is started in the cold, but I have heard this is common on all F-Bodies.

General Comments:

This is my dream car.

Being an SLP, this car handles like an absolute dream, like no other car I have ever driven.

It is also remarkably quicker a V6 should be, easily keeping up with some V8's.

Not a good idea to drive one in the winter time, this is how I killed my first firebird.

The convertible top is power operated and is very easy to raise and lower, even driving at about 25 MPH.

The gauges look cool, and the steering wheel audio controls are a nice option.

The engine has a nice rumble, and the car is a huge head turner, especially with the top down it is not uncommon to have random people hanging their head out the window screaming "DUDE I FREAKIN LOVE YOUR CAR".

I would recommend this car to anybody who loves fun in the sun driving and wants to look good in the summertime, and to anybody who lives and breathes performance.

The only thing I hate about the car is it has a mind of its own at times, when it sees a mustang it gets very angry, and will at times attack without warning, speeding up and racing it against my will, at times even fully devouring the mustang and spitting out the driver. This has gotten me in trouble at times.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 3rd February, 2007

7th Feb 2009, 20:31

Great review, I'm about to buy my first '01 Firebird and can hardly stand waiting for Monday. I feel that mine too may have extreme self control issues when it comes to Mustangs.

17th Feb 2009, 21:24

Yeah...10 less hp at twice the rpm and no torque... wait that's called gutless.

19th Feb 2009, 11:55

True... but that means that it would only slightly have more torque if it were a 6 cylinder. But it would be at a higher rpm range as with Hondas, which would still make the Firebird faster on take off. You want fast - there's the supercharged 3800. The 3800 could have been more powerful, but was held back because GM couldn't produce a tranny that would be able to take the power if a more powerful 3800 was produced.

Funny thing - the Accord 4 cylinder has 1.4l less displacement, but the 3800 still produces the same or better gas mileage in cars that weigh more than the Accord. I guess a better torque range and slower spinning engine will do that.

12th Mar 2009, 18:13

Ah, I hate it when people buy V6 Camaros and Firebirds and think they have something. They don't hold a candle to much of anything on the road. They run low 16s in the quarter mile for God's sake. If you've driven the LS1 counterpart, you know there is a BIG difference between the V6 and V8. What's worse is when they put dual exhaust and an intake on it. It's sad because they'll get dusted by a mildly fast rice burner and they'll think they smoked a fast Camaro.

In reply to 12th Mar 2009, 18:13

16th Jul 2012, 18:29

My V6 Firebird runs 14s in the 1/4 and has beaten Mustang GTs. Maybe a lot of it depends on the driver?

18th Jul 2012, 12:53

These 3.8 V6's would beat Mustang V8's all day long, even with the automatic. I used to do that with my Camaro.

In reply to 18th Jul 2012, 12:53

8th Aug 2013, 01:09

3.8 V-6 automatic Camaros can beat Mustang GT V-8s all day?

You must live in a dream world.