Watch a 1983 Pontiac Firebird with an LS1 from a 4th gen car make a quick run on the rollers.
The 3rd generation Pontiac Firebird and Chevrolet Camaro are often slighted for being a bit short on power in stock form. Doubly-so when compared to the big-power GM muscle cars from the 2nd and 4th generation of each. However, the simplest solution to add a serious increase in power to a 3rd gen Firebird or Camaro is to swap in an LS1. This particular F-Body has done just that, and now it’s time to hit the dyno and see what it can do.
When the video begins, the 1983 Pontiac Firebird is already “rolling” on the dyno at low RPM. After a few seconds, the driver hits the throttle and the LS1 roars in the background. After 14 seconds of hard throttle, the run ends and the cameraman moves closer, giving us a quick glimpse of the engine bay. Afterwards we see the interior – which features the steering wheel and dash board from a 4th generation Firebird.
Next, the camera moves around to the front of the car, where we get a good look at the LS1 V8 tucked under the hood of this 1983 Firebird. It has a cold air intake and it appears to have headers, but it is hard to guess as to what else has been done to the engine before it was fitted into this 3rd gen Pontiac Firebird.
Finally, the video ends with a look at the dyno screen, which reads out corrected numbers of 372.3 rear wheel horsepower at 5,700rpm and 359.9lb-ft of rear wheel torque at 4,705rpm. Considering that a stock LS1 Firebird makes around 300 rear wheel horsepower, 372.3rwhp suggests that this LS1 has some work done to it – likely making this one quick 3rd gen Firebird.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
