And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Typically, the only difference between the Camaro and The Bird in the early years was that the Bird had a "Beak", as I call it, on the front end. Personally, I believe the best years for The "Birds" was 1974-75... Reason being, the '74 had the fast back rear window, and the '75 was the first year for the "wrap" around rear window. Other than that, and the change from Regular to unleaded, was the only difference between those two years The Formula '74 had way more personality than most of all the other years. The handling was exceptional and the ride was smooth
the earlier firebirds were genuine gm design junk. the electrical systems were for shit. individual electrical components were the monkey models that were the cheapest knock offs of what other divisions like cadillac was using. HVAC was like waving a game program in your face; defrosters were worthless. rear quarter vision was very italian-whats behind you means nothing. corrosion resistance was nonexistent. paints oxidized within five years if they didn't dissolve from UV. absolutely the least expensive component parts in the suspension and drivetrain were the default parts. unit cost was everything. body seals and gaskets merely slowed in ingress of rain/snow and noise. the recycled steel sheet metal was of very poor quality and of unknown metallurgy-cheapest metals gm could find was fine with them. the stamping dies wore out and yet were still used by fisher body because unit cost was the prime concern which led to body lines which were sloppy and not crisp edged. panel alignment looked as if the inspectors were a bunch of drunkards out for a lark.
That said, I really like the LOOKS of the sixty nine firebirds and the trans am in particular. as richard widmark once said in a gm commercial,"no one sweats the details at gm".
Neat car. It's not as neat as your orange streak, hot as flowing lava, but a neat car all the same.
ReplyDeleteClearly, the most beautiful of the Firebird/Trans Am cars!
ReplyDeleteThey don't make 'em like that any more.
ReplyDeleteToo heavy. Sloppy handling. The first two years (67,68) were better.
ReplyDeleteBoat Guy
Typically, the only difference between the Camaro and The Bird in the early years was that the Bird had a "Beak", as I call it, on the front end.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I believe the best years for The "Birds" was 1974-75...
Reason being, the '74 had the fast back rear window, and the '75 was the first year for the "wrap" around rear window. Other than that, and the change from Regular to unleaded, was the only difference between those two years
The Formula '74 had way more personality than most of all the other years.
The handling was exceptional and the ride was smooth
the earlier firebirds were genuine gm design junk. the electrical systems were for shit. individual electrical components were the monkey models that were the cheapest knock offs of what other divisions like cadillac was using. HVAC was like waving a game program in your face; defrosters were worthless. rear quarter vision was very italian-whats behind you means nothing. corrosion resistance was nonexistent. paints oxidized within five years if they didn't dissolve from UV. absolutely the least expensive component parts in the suspension and drivetrain were the default parts. unit cost was everything. body seals and gaskets merely slowed in ingress of rain/snow and noise. the recycled steel sheet metal was of very poor quality and of unknown metallurgy-cheapest metals gm could find was fine with them. the stamping dies wore out and yet were still used by fisher body because unit cost was the prime concern which led to body lines which were sloppy and not crisp edged. panel alignment looked as if the inspectors were a bunch of drunkards out for a lark.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I really like the LOOKS of the sixty nine firebirds and the trans am in particular. as richard widmark once said in a gm commercial,"no one sweats the details at gm".