CraigsList Find: A Questionably Customized 1986 Pontiac Trans Am
One-of-a-kind interior sets this one apart from other third-gen Firebirds
At a glance, this 1986 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am on Kansas City CraigsList doesn’t look too bad. The bronze-ish fender flares contrast nicely with the custom blue paint and that color combination works well with the wheel choice. The tall rear wing isn’t even particularly egregious as an accoutrement to the whole of that color-and-wheels setup. However, the rest of this third-gen Firebird goes to Tacky Town pretty quickly from there.
The drama-mask hood brings a message of startling accuracy. Few cars’ bonnets serve as harbinger of doom so accurately, but this is a special General Motors (WT)F-Body. We’re not really sure what the “Smile Now, Cry Later” refers to unless we’re reading all of it backward. Heck, maybe it’s “Now Cry, Smile Later” or “Now Smile, Cry Later.” It doesn’t matter too much, although the owner can get bonus customization points for a clamshell-style hood.
Under that hood is a pretty standard Chevy 350 and an automatic transmission. Everything is nice and shiny under the hood, which suggests this car, whatever else you think of it, is a labor of love for its owner. The seller admits he (or she) has too much money in it (over $8,000), but aside from some bolt-on chrome under the hood and the paint, it’s hard to understand where that money went until you look…
…inside the car. Whatever animal gave its life for the interior material, it died along with a few dozen of its comrades. From the looks of it, every square inch of the console, dashboard, seats, and even the shifter is covered in 1981 sofa material. Ironically, much criticism has always been directed at General Motors for their use of chintzy plastic on the interiors of cars like the Fiero and Firebird, so this spongy-looking material is probably a step up in terms of cabin comfort, right?
It’s clearly not a look for everyone, but most people should know by know that there’s a buyer for everything. While the $6,500 price tag seems a bit high for a mostly stock Firebird, this piece of cougar bait does come with the absolute guarantee that there is no other car quite like it in the world.