Stolen Firebird Retrieved from Atlanta Lakebed 30 Years Later
Firebird found while water was lowered for repairs on dam, not the first third-gen F-body to be discovered in the drink.
Thieves have a way to ruin anyone’s day, especially if they snag our LS/LT-powered ride of choice. However it’s done, when and wherever it occurs, there’s no doubt that any one of us would rather be shot through the heart than lose our beloved cars. Our only hope is that our Camaro, Corvette, or SS is returned to us intact.
Sometimes, though, we might not want our ride back if it’s been through the wringer. Such is the case with this third-gen Firebird in Atlanta. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the car was recently recovered from the muddy lakebed of Mirror Lake after having been stolen 30 years before.
Recovered by the Cobb County Police Department August 13, the 1983 Firebird was discovered after the Mirror Lakes Estates Homeowners Association had the neighboring lake’s water level lowered for repairs to the dam. Once spotted, the police department said its underwater search-and-recovery team sent divers down to ID the wayward F-body, whose roof was the only piece exposed in the otherwise murky depths.
“We had a mud hole and then all of a sudden a car appeared,” neighbor Renee Mahaffey told Atlanta FOX affiliate WAGA-TV. “It was buried in the mud, barely visible It’s kind of unnerving but it’s exciting, too. I was convinced Jimmy Hoffa was in there.”
While no murdered union bosses were found in the Firebird’s trunk, the Cobb County PD learned the car had been reported stolen in 1989. Since then, it has accumulated damage to its body — including completely broken windows — and lots of mud in the cabin.
And it wasn’t the only one to land in the drink. Earlier this summer, a black Trans Am had been recovered from Mirror Lake after the lake’s water level fell due to a burst pipe in the dam holding the everything together, prompting repairs to said pipe.
“We think it was a long time ago and trees were much smaller and it was easier to push them in at that time,” Jo Darnell told WAGA-TV. “We don’t think it could possibly happen at this time.”
As reported by the AJC, no word was given as to whether or not the Firebird’s original owners were contacted about their recovered machine. We’re not sure they would want it back, though, as it might not be worth the effort to restore.
Photos: Cobb County Police Department/Facebook; WAGA-TV
Join the LS1Tech forums now!
