Chris and Toni Harris' FIRE-AM
Chris' Fire-Am features the VSE-offered Corbeau racing seats from the Stage III package, which keep the occupants in place but don't fold forward. Combine that with the VSE rollbar and access to the rear seats was quite limited. The rest of the interior, including the 8-track and AM/FM radio, is stock except for the CB radio and intercom system.
Chris and Toni found this one-owner, orange Fire-Am on a popular Internet auction site in October of 2004. Already possessing the black '76 Fire-Am Motor Trend cover car, the couple was looking for a way to get the correct graphics for their project. They contacted the West Palm Beach, Florida, owner of this Pontiac, Richard Ferruggia, and asked if he would provide them with rubbings of the decals so they could recreate them. At the end of their conversation, Richard said, "If you care that much about Fire-Ams, you should come down and buy mine." So they did!
According to Chris, Richard had his silver '77 W72 400 Trans Am with the automatic trans and 3.23 rear transformed into a Fire-Am at a dealership in 1979 after he saw-you guessed it-the May '78 issue of Motor Trend. It has all the components of the Stage I package, plus a few others from Stages II and III. He also decided to have the F-body repainted in Ford Tangerine Orange to better match the Fire-Am graphics.
All the receipts for the parts purchases from VSE were included with the paperwork when the F-body was sold to the Harrises. Though the engine on this 46,054-mile Fire-Am has never been rebuilt, it has been upgraded with the VSE parts, including the Holley carb and Street Dominator intake, 180-degree headers, and the special oil pan and pickup required to fit the headers.
Toni Harris tells HPP, "Richard was very attached to this Fire-Am. He told us that he was a grocery bagger when bought it and had to make payments on it. He even met his wife while driving it. He showed the car quite a bit over the years but only put 200 miles on it in the last five to six years."
Currently, this Fire-Am is being well cared for by the Harrises while they restore the '76 Fire-Am.
Chris' Fire-Am features the recommend VSE wheels of the period: Appliance 15x8-inch steel wheels with 0 offset. Tire size is the VSE-recommended 255/60R15.
CONCLUSION
So how collectible are Fire-Ams? Only the market will decide. Regardless, they are fascinating tuner F-bodies that performed with the best that the world had to offer back in the day and looked great doing it, and they can still provide a wild ride today. A collectible car that can still be driven to its limits if you so choose-does it get any better?
FIRE-AM PACKAGES
Herb Adams firmly believed that you could build a street car with race-car performance, and he set out to prove it, assembling a '79 Fire-Am that was street-driven, magazine-tested by Popular Hot Rodding, and then raced at Daytona. His philosophy regarding the suspension setup was to use stock springs (in most cases) to maintain ride quality and large stabilizer bars to increase roll stiffness instead of stiff springs paired with small bars. The advantage of Herb's method was the car still had an acceptable ride and was better controlled over bumps. Reinforcement of the chassis and installation of solid bushings with nylon inserts reduced deflection.
FIRE-AM STAGE I: STREET PERFORMANCE
- VSE 1 5/16-inch front stabilizer bar with spherical rod-end-equipped end links
- Revised wheel-alignment specs
- VSE 1.00-inch rear stabilizer bar
- VSE modified rear-spring hangers
- VSE front-structure kit
- VSE front-end lowering kit
- VSE battery-relocation kit
- VSE 8-inch-wide wheels and recommended tires
- VSE advanced-design oil pan and pickup
- VSE large-diameter bolt-in rollbar
- Fire-Am graphics
FIRE-AM STAGE II: AUTOCROSS
VSE's battery relocation kit puts the heavy battery in the trunk to improve weight distribution, thereby aiding both traction and handling.
- VSE brake-cooling ducts and backing plates, drill cooling holes in the rear drums
- VSE metallic pads and shoes
- VSE Koni shocks (later VSE/Moroso adjustable)
- VSE Corbeau bucket seats, racing belts, and harnesses
- VSE oil cooler and remote-filter kit, wet-sump system
FIRE-AM STAGE III: ROAD RACE
- VSE solid front-suspension bushings, heavy-duty front hubs and spindles
- VSE heavy-duty Ford rear, solid rear-suspension bushings
- VSE Hurst/Airheart 12-inch disc brakes, front and rear
- VSE Doug Nash five-speed transmission
- VSE dry-sump lubrication system