The old “priceless” MasterCard ads have led to a great privately-made spoof featuring a worked 4th gen Firebird.
This week’s Throwback Thursday video features a spoof on the old MasterCard “priceless” ads, with the focus of the spot being a modified 2000 Pontiac Firebird Formula WS6. In stock form, the WS6 Firebird was a wicked machine, but this owner wanted his 4th gen F-body to be an even more formidable foe at the drag strip, so he added a handful of high performance goodies.
To showcase those features and an unfortunately crappy day at the track, this Firebird owner put together a short video parody of the MasterCard ads, where he lists the prices of each item needed to have a great day, but where the Priceless ads for the credit card generally end up with a pleasant outcome – this does not.
The video explains that this 2000 Pontiac Firebird Formula cost the owner $27,000 while a custom cam and heads combo added $8,500, 6-piston Wilwood front brakes added $2,500 and admission to Orlando Speed World for SLP Customer Appreciation Day was free.
In a MasterCard ad, this is where it would say something like “a great day at the track – priceless”, except this Firebird WS6 owner didn’t have a great day at the track. Instead, as he launched with his built LS1 Firebird and went to power shift from 2nd to 3rd gear, the clutch gave out. Smoke flows from under the rear end of the car as the driver tries to keep the car moving down the track. Hopefully he has a friend with a trailer to get him home, as that clutch didn’t seem to keen to put any power to the real wheels.
The video ends with the normal end of the MasterCard ad, pointing out that the owner could have used some driving lessons.
"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.
