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HISTORY OF THE 1982 TRANS AM AND 1982 TRANS AM RECARO EDITION
The Recaro Trans Am is, after all, a Firebird and a Trans Am, depending on how you look at it, and 1982 was also the first year of the third major redesign in Firebird and Trans Am history, so I'm going to give a little background into the new-for-'82 Firebird and Trans Am before moving on to the Recaro specifics. I will also use the terms "Pontiac" and "PMD" (Pontiac Motor Division) interchangeably.
The brand new 3rd Generation of Firebirds in 1982 was formally announced in December 1981 and debuted on January 14, 1982. This new F-Body project had been in the works on and off since 1975, but had been postponed in order to work on other lines which were considered higher priorities. The brand new '82 lineup introduced the totally redesigned Firebird (the base model), Firebird S/E (Special Edition) (the luxurious model), and Firebird Trans Am (the performance model). The body style was a new 2-door hatchback coupe and remained true to its heritage as low, sleek, and sporty, and the drivetrain platform remained rear-wheel drive. Firebirds were now based on a shorter 101" wheelbase. The cars lost about 500 pounds on average, 2" in width, and 10" in length, compared to the previous model. Dual vent-type grilles were set inside air slots in the ultra-low nose. New retractable "flip-top" headlights used quartz halogen lamps. They were electrically operated and concealed - their covers lying flush with the steel skin. The interior was re-designed with a new full-length console and aircraft-inspired gauges. A new, more economical "uni-body" design was used instead of the subframe design in place since 1967. Premium leather seating was available on all models. The old wishbone front suspension was replaced with a new modified MacPherson strut design. At the rear, coil springs replaced the old leaf springs. A live axle was still used, and a panhard rod (a.k.a. anti-sway bar) behind the axle helped absorb lateral loads. The overall theme of the new cars now was an underspoken implication of high tech futurism. The look was stunning, and was met with rave reviews across the board. As it turned out, however, all available drivetrains, detuned to meet EPA / CAFE standards, left plenty to the imagination. Still, sales soared compared to the previous year, so the redesign was proving to be a success.
The Firebird was the base model (a.k.a. F/B). Equivalent to Chevy's Camaro Sport Coupe, it came with a new (and very dismal) Pontiac-built 90HP, 24MPG/35MPG 2.5 liter inline 4-cylinder engine and four-speed manual transmission. This engine is affectionately known as "The Iron Duke." Standard Firebird features included "level one" suspension, 14" steel wheels, power front disc brakes, power steering, console, Formula steering wheel and dual outside rear-view mirrors. Notable options: S/E's 2.8V6, leather seats. 41,683 Firebirds were built, and they were the lineup's "economy leader".
The Firebird S/E (a.k.a. S/E), equivalent to the Camaro Berlinetta, was a higher option level which could be loaded with more options than the Firebird and all the options of the Trans Am. The S/E got Chevrolet's 102HP 2.8 liter V6 as standard equipment, "level two" suspension, bright exterior accents, color-keyed mouldings, 14" turbo cast aluminum wheels, premium Viscount bucket seats, an electric hatch, rear washer/wiper, and full-width smoked tailights. "S/E" raised letter identifiers were found on the sail panels. Notable options: Trans Am's LG4 V8, WS6 performance package. 21,719 S/E's were built, and they were the lineup's "luxury leader".
The Firebird Trans Am (a.k.a. Trans Am or T/A), was the equivalent of Camaro's Z28 package. Standard was Chevy's carbureted LG4 V8 rated at 145HP, and optional was Chevy's fuel-injected LU5 V8 rated at 165HP. Both engines used a single exhaust pipe with dual resonators and outlets in the rear. These were called GM's "corporate" engines. They are discussed more below. The Trans Am came with "level three" suspension, black exterior accents and mouldings, functional heat-removing front fender extractors, front and rear opening wheel flares, a rear spoiler, 14" turbo cast aluminum wheels, and sport hood with off-center hood scoop, a.k.a. "power bulge," a.k.a. "power blister," though some low-VIN carbureted models got a flat hood like the one on Firebird and Firebird S/E. Trans Am decals were located on the front fenders behind the wheel wells. Firebird logo decals were used on the sail panels. Notable options: Everything the S/E had optional or standard was either already standard or optional on the Trans Am. 52,962 Trans Am's were built, and they were the lineup's "performance leader".
Generally speaking, the quickest way I know of to distinguish a 1982 Firebird from a 1983-1984, with which 1982 is often grouped or characterized, is to check the dashboard gauge cluster for 1) white needles on all gauges and 2) a 6-digit odometer. 1983-1984 got orange needles and a 5-digit odo. There are other ways that are almost certain to tell a 1982 apart from 1983-1984, but some overspill into 1983 and lack of truly hard data makes them less reliable.
1982 Drivetrains
Engines Type Displacement Horsepower Torque Induction Application OHV I-4 151cid/2.5L 90@4000 134@2400 TBI F/B, S/E OHV V-6 173cid/2.8L 105@4800 145@2400 2bbl F/B, S/E OHV V-8 305cid/5.0L 145@4000 240@2000 4 bbl F/B, S/E, T/A OHV V-8 305cid/5.0L 165@4200 240@2400 TBI T/A Transmissions Type Gear Ratios Application Saginaw 4-speed manual 3.60 2.48 1.66 1.00 3.51-R F/B, S/E Saginaw 4-speed manual 3.50 2.48 1.66 1.00 3.51-R F/B, S/E Saginaw 4-speed manual 3.42 2.28 1.45 1.00 3.51-R F/B, S/E, T/A Turbo Hydramatic TH200c 2.74 1.57 1.00 2.07-R F/B, S/E, T/A
More Trans Am info
The Trans Am was the most aerodynamic production car GM had ever made at the time. Wind tunnels were used to sculpt the body to perfection. Coefficient of drag was a low 0.32. Two years later it would drop again to 0.299. This was achieved thanks to Trans Am's well thought out design, including functional rear-wing spoiler providing considerable down-force, long sloping 62-degree windshield, long parabolic-design hood with very low front, aero-type wheels with smooth aerodynamic wheel covers and integral perimeter brake vents, front and rear wheel opening flares to smooth airflow over the wheels, and overall fuselage-inspired body design on all models. The interior carried on with the airplane theme as well, utilizing the suggestion of cockpit-type gauges, ergonomic climate controls and radio controls easily reachable by the driver and passenger, etc. The specially tuned suspension of the WS6 performance package turned out an impressive 0.856g of lateral acceleration in skidpad tests.
Other Trans Am notable features included black-colored matte-finish mirror housings and rear spoiler, and new off-center power bulge based loosely on the early 1980-1981 Turbo Trans Am. Plans to use the same Turbo engine were unfortunately scrapped at the last minute, mostly due to GM politics and CAFE standards, but the power bulge was now fully functional with Ram-Air cowl induction if ordered with the LU5 engine.
1982 held some key innovations. It was one year earlier that the ECM computer system was adopted by GM, and 1982 kept up with this system which continued through to 1995 before being upgraded. The LU5 engine in 1982 was the first-ever fuel injected small block to be used on an F-Body. This is a very important milestone which is always overlooked, even by enthusiasts. Also, 1982 saw the first use of a functional cold-air induction hood (Ram-Air) since 1973; another significant historical event for the Trans Am and Z28. Trans Am was the 2nd fastest American car of the day, right behind the L83 350 Corvette, also Cross-Fire injected. A little-known fact about the slogan "We Build Excitement" is that it was adopted by Pontiac during this period to promote the new '82 Trans Am. The many variants of the "excitement" slogan fit Pontiac's intended image so well that it was utilized successfully up until the end of Pontiac. At the time, actually, since Pontiac didn't yet have the finished product to support the slogan, it started with "The Excitement Begins," and then followed with "Now The Excitement Really Begins," and then when the '82 Firebird was in full flight, so to speak, the slogan became the world famous "We Build Excitement." Incidentally, during the Screamin' Chicken era, 1973 - 1987, 1982 was the only year in this time period when there was no significant large hood bird. There was a small one up on the front edge of the hood. Pontiac's attempt at subtlety wasn't well-received by many, so the distinct louvered hood bird appeared quickly in 1983.
The Trans Am would have been even faster than the Corvette if the Pontiac 301 Turbo (LU8) with its 200HP had lived on. But outshining the Corvette is a big no-no at General Motors, as is well known. No car could ever be rated at performance numbers equal to or higher than the performance numbers of the Corvette, although many rule-breakers managed to sneak through over the decades. This was not to be in 1982, unfortunately, and since Corvette was rated at 200HP, it turned out that GM's internal politics, made worse by Big Brother's strict enviro-laws, killed off Pontiac's 301 Turbo engine even after successful prototypes were tested. The inferior Chevrolet small block V8's were left as the only options available, even on Pontiac cars. The duo became known as GM's "corporate" engines. There was another Chevrolet 4bbl V8 rated at 180HP which also never made it to production for one reason or another; mostly Chevy's stubornness and desire for the Z28 to be faster than the Trans Am, which never happened anyway. A 118mph top speed for the LU5-equipped Trans Am is nothing to brag about today, but by 1982's standards, with the government's unbelievable choke hold on all car makers, all the legislations, regulations, and restrictions which had apparently dealt a knock-out punch to automotive innovation, all of GM's red tape and the EPA's red tape that Pontiac had to muddle through, the Trans Am was truly impressive in how much it actually achieved, and this cannot be underestimated. At the risk of sounding cliche, it must also be noted that comparing 1982's performance with today's performance is literally apples and oranges.
Pontiac had also hoped to stop using the "Trans Am" nameplate and corresponding badges and decals in 1982 to avoid having to pay royalties to the Sports Car Club of America for using the name. Early promotional cars were marked "T/A" as an alternative; however the production cars came marked "Trans Am" regardless.
The 1982 Trans Am was chosen by many numerous race car drivers as the basis for their race cars, be it funny cars, stock cars, etc., and by at least 2 major circuits as their pace car for the year. First off was Daytona 500. The pace car debuted on January 30th at the Daytona 24-hour International Motor Sports Association endurance race. Some 2 to 4 were built and used at the Daytona / NASCAR races, and were never heard from again. As if GM was admitting that their drivetrain options were substandard in 1982, these pace cars used a 350 engine and 4-speed overdrive transmission with lock-up torque converter, none of which was optional on production cars available to the public. The pace cars would do 0 - 60 in 7.5 seconds and go 145.6mph, compared with 0 - 60 in 8.8 seconds and 118mph for the LU5 engine. Secondly, on June 8th 1982, Pike's Peak Hill Climb announced they had also chosen the new Trans Am as the pace car for their 60th anniversary race to be held on Independence Day 1982. Also known as the "Race to the Clouds", it had been paced by a T/A only once before; in 1980.
Recaro Trans Am info
On January 28th, 1982, PMD announced the specially equipped Recaro Trans Am in an internal bulletin broadcast. This package was only available on Trans Am's which were black with gold trim and had charcoal interior done up in Parella cloth. On top of all the Trans Am goodies, this limited edition included standard multi-adjustable Recaro front bucket seats (AQ9), standard T-tops (CC1), standard WS6 performance package (WS6) (including 4-wheel disc brakes (J65), limited slip rear axle a.k.a. positraction with 3.23 : 1 gears (G92), 32mm rear sway bar, 21mm front sway bar, stiffer springs & shocks, quick 12.7 : 1 steering box ratio), P215/65R15 steel belted Goodyear Eagle GT radials (QYH) on Recaro-specific 15"x7" gold-painted turbo cast aluminum wheels (N89/55P), and a choice of the 165HP Cross-Fire dual throttle body injected (TBI) 5.0 V8 engine (LU5) with functional cold air induction hood and a 3-speed automatic Turbo Hydramatic TH200c transmission (MX1), or the 145HP 4bbl 5.0 V8 engine (LG4) with a four-speed manual transmission (MM4). The Recaro option price was $2,968 with the LU5/MX1 combo or $2,486 with the LG4/MM4 combo. No other drivetrain options were available, though an original LG4/MX1 Recaro is known to exist. Special black exterior door handle inserts proclaimed "RECARO T/A" in gold lettering for identification. The Firebird logo and Pontiac lettering on the taillights was done up in gold paint as well. It was the best that PMD and Recaro had to offer in 1982.
It's interesting to note that the disc brake rear axles, part of WS6, were all gone halfway through 1982 production, and were replaced by drum brake rear axles, as part of WS7 (same as WS6 but with rear drum brakes), and therefore only a fraction of Trans Am's got rear discs. Now, the LU5 engine was introduced later on in 1982 production, so only a fraction of Trans Am's got LU5's. There is a rumor that there was just a 10 day overlap between disc brake axles and LU5's both being available at the same time, so this combo is presumed to be rare - and truly I have seen only a few non-Recaro Firebirds with it - yet each and every LU5 Recaro Trans Am I've seen has rear discs, with the implication being that black and gold Trans Am's were handpicked from the "good bunch" to make Recaros with both rear discs and LU5's, considered the best brake and engine options. It should be noted that Motor Trend Magazine tested an LU5 in January of 1982, so that could blow the late intro LU5 theory right out of the water, unless they were testing a prototype.
It's also interesting to note that the LG4, standard equipment on Trans Am, is about 3 times more common than the optional LU5 in 1982 overall, but on Recaros, the LU5 is about 5 times more common than the LG4. This too, is possible evidence that Recaros somehow held higher status and sense of priority than regular Trans Am's. It's as if the goodies were available on a first-come-first-served basis, and Pontiac was forcing Recaros to the front of the line.
PMD said they would build "about 2000" Recaros for the 1982 model year. An official number has never been found, so the "about 2000" figure stands as the accepted total production numbers. Recaros represent less than 4% of the total number of Trans Am's made that year.
PMD's full-line promo videos and brochures in 1982 usually featured a zooming red Trans Am on the cover, or one of each other model with, surprisingly, two F-Body's; one Firebird S/E and one Trans Am, since they were the models surrounded by all the attention and the buzz. They were marketed more heavily than any other Pontiac model. In stark contrast to the sad events surrounding the F-Body's demise after the 2002 model, The Trans Am in 1982 was PMD's flagship and regarded as such.