END of PONTIAC

[FIREWALL]

GM just dumped their Pontiac line.


Anyone here ever own a 60's or 70's GTO or Firebird ?

Got any pics ?

[GoldenRivet]

I owned a 1997 Pontiac Firebird Formula from 1997 - 1999... then i repalced it with a 1999 WS6 Trans Am from 1999 - 2004.

i loved those cars. both had a problem with loosening exhaust flanges on the right side which would make a loud open header type sound when downshifting for deceleration. both were also plagued with pop up headlamp motor problems.

very sexy cars though!

i will never EVER forget that 1997 Silver Firebird Formula - pulling into senior prom and opening the door of the car to let my long legged - beauty queen of a girlfriend out of it - she wore a flashy silver sequin dress.

boy i miss her

the car too

growing up my dad had a GTO in the garage when i was between the ages of 6 and 7.

[FIREWALL]

A little Muscle Car Trivia.

What was the FIRST Muscle Car ?

[Schroeder]

Ford T-Model?

[AVGWarhawk]

Never owned a Pontiac. We were Buick fans until 1988. GM lost it's appeal and quaility.

[GoldenRivet]

according to google search... the 1949 Oldsmobile rocket 88 was arguably the first muscle car.

never heard of it.

but it bears a nice resemblance to the 1949 Cadillac my old man used to own.

sounds cliche - but i swear to god he purchased it from a little old lady who had owned it since new.

it had the original spare tire, and believe it or not a vehicle registration sticker on the windshield from 1950 (perhaps it was an inspection sticker) one or the other.

[FIREWALL]

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

Never owned a Pontiac. We were Buick fans until 1988. GM lost it's appeal and quaility.

The Buick Grand National was a killer machine.

[GoldenRivet]

Originally Posted by FIREWALL

The Buick Grand National was a killer machine.

yes.

but IMHO it lacked sex appeal

[FIREWALL]

This was recognized as the beginning of the Muscle Car era.

The 1964 Pontiac Lemans GTO.

[AVGWarhawk]

Originally Posted by GoldenRivet

yes.

but IMHO it lacked sex appeal

The Grand National was not sexy but it had some juice for a six banger and a turbo. I liked the all black with black wheels...nice tinted windows...it was a mean looking car. We had a 78 Regal and 83 Regal. Both good cars....up to 1988....we gave up on GM and the unreliable money buckets.

[AVGWarhawk]

This is why Pontiac is in the crapper.....where is the excitment in this vehicle?

[FIREWALL]

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

This is why Pontiac is in the crapper.....where is the excitment in this vehicle?

I know it comes with a key. Just where do you WIND it up ?

[AVGWarhawk]

This was their next mistake...GTO rehash. Looked nothing like the original. Ford/Chevy/Chysler made their modern version with definite throw back to the original muscle cars, ie Mustang etc. This GTO was nothing but the G6 with a big motor shoe-horned in. Nice idea to bring the GTO badge back...how about making it look somewhat like the original?

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

This is why Pontiac is in the crapper.....where is the excitment in this vehicle?

That thing is butt ugly.

Seriously, the last 5 years saw an eventual emergence of old fashioned american design, manly, exiting, great, like in the 50/60ies and early 70ies, unlike the utter boredom that appeared the following decades. I fell in love with all the retro muscle cars, no matter how politicly uncorrect that maybe is. And cars like the Chrylser 300C had a style that could be called "massive" in a Gotham City way.

But, too little, too late and not up to world standarts.
It's a real shame by this once great and proud industry

[AVGWarhawk]

Originally Posted by Bewolf

That thing is butt ugly.

Seriously, the last 5 years saw an eventual emergence of old fashioned american design, manly, exiting, great, like in the 50/60ies and early 70ies, unlike the utter boredom that appeared the following decades. I fell in love with all the retro muscle cars, no matter how politicly uncorrect that maybe is. And cars like the Chrylser 300C had a style that could be called "massive" in a Gotham City way.

But, too little, too late and not up to world standarts.
It's a real shame by this once great and proud industry

Exactly as noted in my GTO post. What a shame they did not throw back to the original GTO in the styling que. The mustangs looks like the old 66-70's. Sold like hotcakes. Dodge did it and now Chevy. I always laughed at Pontiacs, 'We build excitment!' I might have missed the boat on the excitment part.....Pontiac sure did.