Pontiac Firebird 1967-2002 - 91 Third Gen buy??????

ok guys i just looked at a '91 firebird with a throttle body injection 305(no not tuned port), auto and thats all i know about the drivetrain. the body is in ok shape with no dents just fiberglass cracks on the front bumper and clear coat coming off behind the t-tops and down the driver side rear quarter. is got cloth interior and im not sure on mileage. it doesn't run and the guy selling it says its electrical. he wants $500 for it. should i buy it. i would fix it up some and change it to a 5-speed. i dont know a whole lot bout third-gen f-bodies. but as far as i could tell its not a formula or trans-am. it looks like a base firebird. is it worth $500. i dont have any pics either. but that is explained to the best of my knowledge. im just wondering if it's worth it. it seems like a good deal too me. but idk???? u tell me....

Buy it and drop an LT1 or LS1 in it! Or at least a good performing 350. 305's were the one of the crappiest V8 engines for Horsepower. For $500 it sounds like a pretty good project car.

yeh im tempted so bad to buy it. and i have pretty good knowledge of the lt-1 as i have one. i also have access from a friend to alot of 350's too. but if i do get it im def swapping in a 5 speed because one auto in my collection of cars is enough. i also think i might be able to talk the guy a little lower because we dont know exactly what is wrong with it. so i might be able to get it for even 400.

Dude you should buy it, sounds mint.

If the floor boards arent rotted and the rear quarter panels look okay( pull the interior panels, takes 5 minutes) it def worth it. Parts are pretty cheap and thirdgen.org will give you enough info on anything your looking for.

For $500 I would buy it and park it in the back yard just to piss the neighbors off.

But honestly if its just a Firebird (not a Formula or a TA) and its in as bad a shape as you say thats about all its worth. And if you had to spend any money on it to really get it going then your throwing money away because you will never get it back out of the car. A 5-speed conv on the car will cost more in parts that the car is worth.

As for the guy that said "drop a LS1 in it".....LOL. How many conversions have you done? They don't just DROP IN. Figure $3K MIN for a running gear...another $2K to get it running in the car with exhaust and other odds and ends you need, IF he can do all the work himself. So now he's got $5,500 in a 91 Firebird that still needs paint at min. You can buy a VERY decent 98 TA for $5,500 if you shop around...thats what I would do.

But with that said for $500 I would buy that 91 too and see if I could get it running....just to see if I could! :D

As for the guy that said "drop a LS1 in it".....LOL. How many conversions have you done? They don't just DROP IN. Figure $3K MIN for a running gear...another $2K to get it running in the car with exhaust and other odds and ends you need, IF he can do all the work himself. So now he's got $5,500 in a 91 Firebird that still needs paint at min. You can buy a VERY decent 98 TA for $5,500 if you shop around...thats what I would do.

It all depends on the true condition of the car, without seeing it in person, who knows how much one would purchase it for or what that person is purchasing it for. If it's a car that just needs TLC. Paint, engine work but is very workable for the $500 it costs. Then it can very well possibly be a good project vehichle to do up over time.

Rule books don't say you have to drop in an LS1 and obviously yes there would be a good bit of work and a bit of cash involved, but it's not something that hasn't been done before, and if you don't have deep pockets to start with it allows you to get the neccesary stuff over time instead of throwing out $5k for a 100k mile 98 TA that's going to need TLC in some fashion anyway, a 98 is still 10 years old and if it's selling for $5k you know it was daily driven so it's gonna have the wear & tear of 10 years and being driven everyday, and then with the exception of the engine you'll be dumping a good bit of money into the maintenence of it over a year or two. If I myself purchased a 3rd gen for $500 I'd be buying it to fix it up over time as I had the money and turning it into a nice car even if it had even if going the route of a basic built 350 in it. But I'm only speaking for myself and my tastes not to anyone elses.

According to the original poster this car in question also is probably a Formula as it has the 305 in it. Firebird's had 3.1's and Formula models came with either a 3.1 or 305.

well 1 bad ass formula. i know what a formula thirdgen looks. like and u could be right about it. cause when i first saw it and it had a 305 i imediatly started looking for anything that told me it was a formula. but it doesn't have the hood or any badging. sure someone could have taken all that off. but it has just plain firebird badging on the front fender and looks like a base bird. so idk???? yeh i would basically buy it and acctually over a few months fix it up. cause after looking it over. i didnt tell the guy this but it could probably be running with just a little regular maitnence. like tune up and a few other things. so idk. it would be cool if it was a formula because i love my 96 formula and to have a 91 would be cool too.

sounds like a base modle bird
formulas had the tear drop hood would have been a dead giveaway

for 500 if it runs buy it!
i say drive it, get your 500$ out of it
if it lasts ya a lil while then great if not, then make some decisions on what to do
but for 500$ you cant go wrong

and if you spent 5500 on an ls1 swap id double check your expensies
now if that included afetermarket parts like headers ect... i understand
the swap alone is nowhere near that expensive

According to the original poster this car in question also is probably a Formula as it has the 305 in it. Firebird's had 3.1's and Formula models came with either a 3.1 or 305.

Wrong...91-92 base FIREBIRDS could come L09 305s in them. Wrong again...Formulas NEVER came with V6s. In 91 you could get the L09 TBI 305, the LB9 TPI 305 or the L98 TPI 350.


well 1 bad ass formula. i know what a formula thirdgen looks. like and u could be right about it. cause when i first saw it and it had a 305 i imediatly started looking for anything that told me it was a formula. but it doesn't have the hood or any badging. sure someone could have taken all that off. but it has just plain firebird badging on the front fender and looks like a base bird. so idk???? yeh i would basically buy it and acctually over a few months fix it up. cause after looking it over. i didnt tell the guy this but it could probably be running with just a little regular maitnence. like tune up and a few other things. so idk. it would be cool if it was a formula because i love my 96 formula and to have a 91 would be cool too.

Actually 91-92 Formulas are obviously different than 91-92 Firebirds...much more so than the 87-90 cars. Besides the hood, the front and rear bumpers, and wing are completly differnt and it doesnt have ground effects. The front bumper will have black inserts in the "tear drops" that house the turn signals. There is no mistaking a base Firebird and Formula in 91-92.

But I think the FIREBIRD badge gives it away....



and if you spent 5500 on an ls1 swap id double check your expensies
now if that included afetermarket parts like headers ect... i understand
the swap alone is nowhere near that expensive

I said $5000 (the car is $500). If you find a decent low mile LS1/trans it will cost you $3000 MIN. Assuming that includes all the wiring you still have to do exhaust, motor mounts and cross members, cooling, AC conversion, get the speed sensor talking to the 3rd gen speedo, plus the other million tiny things you will need to make it work (I know I have done a couple in my life.) All that adds up QUICK and having another $2K to have it in the car and running is in no way a stretch. And thats assuming he has the know how and tools to do it himself.

It all depends on the true condition of the car, without seeing it in person, who knows how much one would purchase it for or what that person is purchasing it for. If it's a car that just needs TLC. Paint, engine work but is very workable for the $500 it costs. Then it can very well possibly be a good project vehichle to do up over time.

Rule books don't say you have to drop in an LS1 and obviously yes there would be a good bit of work and a bit of cash involved, but it's not something that hasn't been done before, and if you don't have deep pockets to start with it allows you to get the neccesary stuff over time instead of throwing out $5k for a 100k mile 98 TA that's going to need TLC in some fashion anyway, a 98 is still 10 years old and if it's selling for $5k you know it was daily driven so it's gonna have the wear & tear of 10 years and being driven everyday, and then with the exception of the engine you'll be dumping a good bit of money into the maintenence of it over a year or two. If I myself purchased a 3rd gen for $500 I'd be buying it to fix it up over time as I had the money and turning it into a nice car even if it had even if going the route of a basic built 350 in it. But I'm only speaking for myself and my tastes not to anyone elses.

I think you missed my point...a BASE 91 Firebird thats in the condition he described just IS NOT worth spending the money on to do a LS1 converstion on it. Its a worthless car for the most part....if your going to take time to do that start off with a Formula or a Trans Am thats in decent shape to start with. Dont waist the time and money on a $500 91 Firebird....because when you get through you will have $5000 or what ever in a $500 car. :eyes:

If the car is decent, then buy it and fix it as cheap as possible and drive it as is. But any big money you spend on it is thrown away.

I would buy it as long as it has minimal or no rust. Rollers in good shape sell for that much. Make sure to check the floorpans and quarter panels. And an LT1/T56 swap would be much cheaper and pretty simple. You can use all the standard SBC stuff - motor mounts, headers, etc. Even transmissions. An LT1 T56 will even bolt up to that 305. Swapping to a T-5 5-speed with the 305 would definitely be a waste of money.

But 97ramsst is correct. Most of the base Firebirds came with ground effects. They all had different front and rear bumpers, a smooth hood, a flat deck spoiler, and "Firebird" emblems on the front fenders. The Formula's had no ground effects, no fog lights, had the "tear drop" offset cowl hood, a wrap-around type wing, and would have "Formula" decals on the lower driver and passenger doors.

The base Firebird was available with a 305TBI and a 3.1L V6. The Formula could have a 305TBI, 305TPI, or 350TPI. The actual Trans Am had the ground effects like the base model bird, and was available with the TPI 305 or 350.

I would buy it as long as it has minimal or no rust. Rollers in good shape sell for that much. Make sure to check the floorpans and quarter panels. And an LT1/T56 swap would be much cheaper and pretty simple. You can use all the standard SBC stuff - motor mounts, headers, etc. Even transmissions. An LT1 T56 will even bolt up to that 305. Swapping to a T-5 5-speed with the 305 would definitely be a waste of money.

But 97ramsst is correct. Most of the base Firebirds came with ground effects. They all had different front and rear bumpers, a smooth hood, a flat deck spoiler, and "Firebird" emblems on the front fenders. The Formula's had no ground effects, no fog lights, had the "tear drop" offset cowl hood, a wrap-around type wing, and would have "Formula" decals on the lower driver and passenger doors.

The base Firebird was available with a 305TBI and a 3.1L V6. The Formula could have a 305TBI, 305TPI, or 350TPI. The actual Trans Am had the ground effects like the base model bird, and was available with the TPI 305 or 350.

Was the 305TPI motor base on the TA in 91-92? I know you could get 305 TB TAs in 90. I can't ever remember seeing a 91-92 TA with TBI...so you maybe right.

I've never seen a 91-92 Trans Am with TBI. They've all been TPI cars. The Trans Am came with the 305 and some with 350 and most GTA's had the 350, except the 5-speeds. All 5-speeds had the 305.