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V6FBody Online's - Techbase:

2nd Generation FAQ: General Information

What is distinguishing between each model year?
When was the Camaro Z28 available?
What Firebird models were available?
What is a Firebird Esprit?
What special edition Trans Ams were available?
What was the WS6 special performance package?
What is a DKM Macho T/A?

What is distinguishing between each model year?

Camaro:

70 1/2 to 73 - All have round tail lights.
74 - New front end with a big aluminum bumper. New rear with rectangular tail lights that wrap around to the side.
75 - Same as 74 except new big wrap around rear window. First model with a catalytic converter.
76 - Same as 75 except polished aluminum panel between taillights.
77 - aluminum panel between rear lights on LTs
78 to 81 - New front and rear end without bumpers.

Firebird:

70 1/2 - Split semi-oval grille openings in Endura nose clip with single round headlamps. Eyebrow-shaped tail lamps and a thin chrome bumper in the rear. "Eggcrate" grille design. Low-back bucket seats with separate head rest. Parking lights below the headlights in valence. Formulas had twin low, wide snorkel openings at front of a fiberglass hood. Trans Ams had the perennial 'shaker scoop' hood.
71 - High-back buckets with integral headrests. Honeycomb wheels were new this year. Rectangular fender air extractors were added to all models for '71 only. They were smaller and placed lower than the Trans Am's extractors. A rare rear-seat console was a new option.
72 - Stretched honeycomb grille design. Last year for rear consoles.
73 - Shaker and most Formula scoops were blocked off for "noise" reduction. Rectangular open mesh grille. Schinella's "Screaming Chicken" decal debuted on the T/A hood. All Super Duty Formulas received Shaker hoods.
74 - "Shovel nose" with smaller main grill openings and enlarged lower openings. Plastic covered rear bumper with black bumper strip front and rear. Taillights were larger with no more chrome on the rear end.
75 - Wrap around rear window added. Parking lights in horizontal bar grille design. KPH speedo scale.
76 - Cleaner styled bumpers without black strip and bumperettes. Parking lamps moved back to lower bumper openings. Quad chrome exhaust tips were new. The black & gold "Limited Edition" T/A was introduced with the first Hurst hatch roofs. Grille design was a honeycomb mesh. Formula hood, now made of steel, lost snorkels and gained bulged 'openings' farther back. It also gained rocker panel and hood scoop graphics and stripes.
77 - "Batmobile" nose. Quad rectangular headlamps. Restyled shaker scoop with edges more angular than previous years. New 15 X 7" aluminum snowflake rims. Octagonal pattern grille design. The Bandit drove one. Revised Formula hood with lower, squared-off 'openings' and bulges farther back.
78 - A mid-run replacement of the Hurst hatch roofs with larger T-tops made by GM's Fisher Body Div. was the only change from the 77's along with a switch to the crosshatch style grille.
79 - Revised nose with dual grilles in the bumper. Recessed quad headlamps. Parking lamps reside at the corners of the bumper grilles. Rear tail lamp panel is blacked out and stretches from side to side. License plate recessed in bumper. 10th Anniversary T/A came with the first 15x8" "Turbo" aluminum rims.
80 - Introduction of the turbo hood with offset hood bulge. Shaker was available on non-turbo 4.9L (301) and 5.0L (305) engines. The boost "gauge" light meter appeared on the hood bulge of the Turbo T/A's.
81 - Virtually identical to the 80.

When was the Camaro Z28 available?

1970 1/2 thru 1974 and 1977 thru 1981.

What Firebird models were available?

Base, Esprit, Formula, and Trans Am models were available from 1970 1/2 thru 1981.

What special edition Trans Ams were available?

The following special packages were offered:

   

   1976 Limited Edition - 400/455  - black and gold - 15x7" honeycomb rims
        (polycast plastic over steel) Pontiac's 50th anniversary

        (643 Hurst T-Tops and 1,947 coupes)

   1977 Special Edition - 400 - black and gold - 15x7" snowflakes

   1978 Special Edition - 400 - black and gold - 15x8" snowflakes
        Gold Edition - 400 - gold - 15x8" snowflakes

   1979 10th Anniversary - 400 4spd - 2-tone silver  - 15x8" turbo rims
        Special Edition - 400 4spd - black and gold - 400 auto

   1980 Indy Pace Car - 301 turbo- white - 15x8" turbo rims
        Special Edition - 301 turbo- black and gold

   1981 NASCAR Recaro T/A - 301 turbo- white/blk roof - 15x8" turbo rims
        Special Edition - 301 turbo- black and gold

What is a Firebird Esprit?

The Esprit began with the 1970 model. It can be identified by a "T" as the second digit in the VIN. It was placed between the base model and the sporty Formula. The Esprit was the luxury Firebird. It came standard with the custom interior in either cloth or vinyl, simulated wood grain dash, added acoustical insulation, concealed wipers, windshield radio antenna, chrome wheel well trim, vinyl side molding, and a 3-speed automatic transmission. Other popular options included power locks, power windows, AC, cruise control, tilt steering, remote trunk release, rear window defroster, 8-track tape player, and vinyl top. There were no spoilers, air deflectors or hood scoops on these cars.

In 1977 Pontiac introduced the Skybird, originally to be named after the 1976 show car called Bluebird, but that name was already used by Bluebird Body Company located in Georgia. The Skybird was coded W60. It consisted of a Lombard Blue two-tone paint scheme, coded #21 with an accent code of #58 (Bright Blue) for 1977 and a paint code of #30 (Lombard Blue) and the same accent paint code for 1978. It came with loads of blue stripes and a special "feathery" Skybird decal. Color matched grills, taillight bezels, snowflake 15" x 7" wheels (YJ8), white wall tires (OBW), color matched custom cloth (24B) or custom vinyl (24N) interior, including seatbelts (AK1), Formula steering wheel (NK3) and carpet. The Skybird was available with several engine combos from the Buick 231 V6 to the Olds 403 V8 engine, for smog and high altitude areas. Some of the models may have received a gold spoke steering wheel or Hurst t-tops. Total price for the Skybird package was an extra $342 with cloth interior and $315 with vinyl. In 1978 it was up to $461 with cloth interior and $430 with vinyl.

The Redbird option replaced the Skybird midyear in 1978. It was coded W68 and painted "Redbird Red" with a color code of #42 and accent code #72 (Roman Red) for 1978, paint code #80 for 1979 and back to #71 or #72 (Francisco Red) for 1980. The Redbird option consisted of the same options as the Skybird, except the base color was Red and the stripes were gold. The custom interior was available in vinyl (74N) or cloth (74B). The Redbird option continued until midyear 1980. Some of the 1979 models received the gold steering wheel, dash, and front arrowhead emblem just like the Special Edition Trans Am's. Engines available for 1978 and 1979 were the 3.8 Buick V6 to the Olds 403 V8 powerplant. In 1980, the Redbird was available with the 3.8 Buick V6 to the 5.0 Chevy 305. Total cost for the Redbird package in 1978 was $465 with cloth interior and $430 with vinyl interior. In 1979, it was up to $491 with cloth interior and $449 with vinyl.

In mid-1980 the Yellowbird was introduced. It was the third and last color change for the Firebird Esprit Appearance Packages. The Yellowbirds were coded W73 with a paint color code of #56 with an accent color code of #37. They also consisted of the same options as the Sky/Redbird, including the the Redbird's gold stripes. The Yellowbird came with the camel tan (62B) custom cloth or custom vinyl (62N) interior and had blacked out taillights with yellow horizontal ribs rather than the usual color matched section. Most of the Yellowbirds received the gold steering wheel and dash. The Yellowbirds could also be ordered with an extra-cost rear spoiler (D98) for $58. Total price for the Yellowbird option was $550 with cloth interior and $505 with vinyl interior.

What was the WS6 special performance package?

The WS6 package was first officially offered by Pontiac in 1978. Although rumor says that it began in '77 as a mid-year addition. It included:

15" X 8.0" aluminum wheels shod with 225/70R-15 Goodyear's
1.25" front anti-roll bar with hard plastic bushings
.75" rear anti-roll bar
Stiffer rear springs
Stiffer rear shackle bushings
Firmer shock valves
Closer ratio steering
Lower control arm supports

The 1979 (possibly even the 1978) WS6 package added rear disc brakes and a 14:1 constant ratio steering box in place of the 15:1-13:1 variable ratio unit.

The lower control arm support is not really on the control arm, but about that area on the curved part of the sub-frame that was on the WS6 cars. This support is small and relatively thin. It is about the size and length of a big pencil connecting frame to frame for the inside of the curve.

What is the DKM Macho T/A?

DKM stands for Dennis and Kyle Mecham who worked at their father's Pontiac dealership in Glendale, AZ (Mecham Pontiac). In 1977, DKM started modifying stock Trans Ams which were sold to other Pontiac dealerships around the US. These "Macho T/A's" start out as factory Trans Am with the high performance engine/suspension package and custom cloth interior. The car got special DKM paint, accents, and graphics (including a console plate and MACHO T/A rocker panel and rear spoiler decals). Each car is uniquely numbered on the console plate, front fender, and rear spoiler. A "Plain Jane" version was available with just colored paint accents, no large MACHO T/A on the rocker panel, or Trans Am decals. The "bird" on the hood was either a full-hood style or smaller style (like that of early 70's) on the nose.

Cars could receive 4-speed Borg-Warner or 5-speed Doug Nash transmission. Automatic trannies were reprogrammed for quicker shifts and powered by the Old's 403 ci smog engine. A Hurst shifter and various handles were also available. Available on the engine were Hooker or Headman headers, dual exhaust with crossover, dual cats, and no mufflers. The shaker hood scoop was made functional, and the carb and distributor were rebuilt and tuned to each car. A Rayjay 301E turbo (7 lbs.) option was made available late in '78. The boost gauge was cut into the dash or the console. An aluminum air cleaner sealed against the carburetor to force all the air from the turbo down into the engine. Turbo cars also got TURBO in big letters on the trunk and fenders (in place of the "Trans Am"), a trunk mounted battery, water injection with anti-knock unit, oil pressure restorer, Hurst Competition- Plus shifter, and Goodyear GT radial tires. Only eight are rumored to have been built in '78 and only 22 in '79.

On the suspension, the WS6 package was added (if not originally ordered from the factory). Four wheel disc brakes were an option on the later '78 Macho and became standard with the '79 WS6. Front springs were compressed and retampered making the front 1.5" lower. Koni shocks were also added on all corners. Some cars got a 1" rear swaybar. 8" Monocoque or American Specialty wheels or 9" wheels were all available options with Goodyear radials. Plus any rear gear ratio could be had.

Inside, the dash got a 160 MPH speedo and a 8000+ RPM tach. Audio Mobile, Concord, or your choice of aftermarket AM/FM/Stereo tape player, speakers, and power booster were available. Some Macho's had three dials cut into the console for the sound system. A power moon roof was also an option. Recaro LS or Scheel 410S seats were options and the rear seats could be upholstered to match either the Recaro or Scheel seats. Chrome black, or interior-color keyed roll bars were also available. Outside, a fiberglass lift-off or a lift-off/tilt hood was optional (saving 60 pounds).

When Pontiac dropped the 400 ci (6.6L) engine during 1979, DKM decided to transplant a H-O turbocharged Chevy 350 under the hood. These cars were known as Tallon Super Tourers. Also added were hooker headers, a dual exhaust system, Doug Nash street 5-speed with Hurst linkage, American alloy wheels (15" x 9.5" / 15" x 11") and Perrelli tires, gold Moto-lite steering wheel, matching dash insert, trunk mounted battery, and Macho T/A handling package. Plus the hood, fender flairs, front fenders and air dam were all replaced with fiberglass pieces from American Fiberglass. Power was rated at 457 HP @ 6800 RPM and 410 ft-lbs torque. It's unknown how many Tallons were actually built.