Firebird Trans Am Convertible in Bright Purple Metallic Hits the Marketplace

Firebird Trans Am is one of only five made with this color with an Arctic White top and interior.

If you have been dreaming of cruising around town this summer in a fourth generation Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Convertible in a particularly rare color, we have the car for you. This Bright Purple Metallic LS1 Trans Am was posted to the LS1Tech Marketplace by “TexasTea86” and if you want a clean, rare Firebird from that era, you will be hard pressed to find a better option than this gorgeous purple-and-white drop-top Pontiac.

Rare Trams Am Introduction

When the OP first posted this 1998 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Convertible in the marketplace, he provided the following information.

Bright Purple Metallic Trans Am, extremely limited build quantity in this color (1 of 42) and has factory optioned Arctic white convertible top and interior which brings it to a 1 of 5 made. Automatic 4 speed transmission and completely stock LS1. Runs very strong with no engine knocks. Car does have a few tasteful modifications including Forgestar 19in F14 style staggered wheels w/ Nitto 555 fresh rubber (305s out back), konisport adjustable shocks, Wilwood big brake kits front and back, and an Alpine double din conversion radio with matching alpine 6.5 speakers all around. Car will also come with OEM WS6 ram air hood (just needs to be stripped and color matched) and a brand new uninstalled Texas Speed 224R camshaft. 224 intake/224 exhaust .600 lift 112LSA makes for a nice well mannered cam and still compliments boost applications if needed.

He also included 11 pictures, several of which we have included here. He is asking $17,500, which is well above what Kelley Blue Book or other valuation companies list as the expected pricing, but keep in mind, this car is rare and it is modified. Although the OP calls the car stock in the listing, it has aftermarket brakes, suspension, wheels and stereo system. He also includes a WS6 hood and a brand new camshaft, so the car comes with upgrades, should the buyer decide to install them.

Bright Purple Metallic

The OP mentions in the listing that this 1998 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Convertible is one of just 42 in Bright Purple Metallic while it is one of just five with the white top and interior. We did some searching online and found that not only was a Trans Am Convertible in Bright Purple Metallic rare, any 1998 Firebird in this color was rare.

According to Trans Am World, Pontiac built 32,974 Firebirds for the 1998 model year. Of those, only 466 were painted Bright Purple Metallic, accounting for just 1.4% of the total production that year and making this color the rarest of the lineup for 1998.

While all of the Bright Purple Metallic cars were relatively rare in 1998, there were only 42 non-WS6 Trans Am Convertibles finished in this color. When you add in the white interior and top, this is one of the most unique factory-built Firebirds from 1998.

if you have $17,500 laying around, you could enjoy top-down cruising this summer in this rare-and-spotless 1998 Pontiac Trans Am Convertible in Bright Purple Metallic.

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Patrick Rall

"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.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com