The thick, leather-wrapped...
The thick, leather-wrapped Formula steering wheel that boasts a 15th Anniversary emblem and the like-wrapped gearshift and emergency-brake handles were part of the package.
Each 15th Anniversary T/A came with the highest level of options (see window sticker), including the WS6 handling package that increased rear sway bar size to 25 mm working in conjunction with the massive 34mm front bar. The shocks were tuned for their new rolling stock-white-faced aluminum 16x8-inch wheels wearing the new 245/50VR16 Goodyear Eagle tires, rated for 130 mph. The 15th Anniversary T/A was the first Firebird ever to be offered with 16-inch wheels and tires, and they contributed to its 0.87g handling performance. With 10.5-inch ventilated front and 10.5-inch nonventilated rear disc brakes, stopping from 60 mph took only 130 feet. While not entirely impressive by today's standards, this put the Trans Am on par with the Corvette and ahead of many other performance cars of the day.
Under the hood rests the most powerful engine option for 1984, the L69 305 H.O., which generated 190 hp and 240 lb-ft of torque, a healthy 15hp bump from the previous year's Crossfire Injection variant. Fuel is delivered through an electronic Q-jet, and the cold air is inhaled through a func-tional offset hoodscoop. The cam timing is 202/206-degrees duration at 0.050 with 0.403/0.415 lift and a 114.5 LSA. The heads feature 1.84/1.50 valves. Steve's example is shifted automatically via a 700-R4 trans, making it 1-of-1,000, and the rearend sports a limited slip and 3.73 rear gears.
Conclusion
The condition of the '84 was immaculate upon delivery, and Steve has done an excellent job making sure it stays that way. He has put about 13,000 miles on it because he enjoys driving it so much. "I had a show judge notice that I drove it because he found some debris under the rocker panel, but I didn't care," he says.
Nevertheless, his enjoyment on the road certainly hasn't put a damper on his car-show success. Last year alone he took top ranks at several, including Best in Show at the Kar-Go Carburetor Auto Show in Garden City, Michigan; Outstanding Vehicle Award at the United Street Machine Custom and Rod Show in Taylor, Michigan; and the Judges Choice Award at the Michigan Nationals.
This is Steve's first classic car, and he couldn't be happier to be involved with the Pontiac community and the hobby, proving to him that there was more in Vegas than meets the eye.
 Given their suspension and...  Given their suspension and wheel/tire credentials, the 15th Anniversary Edition Birds were stellar in the corners. To hold the driver in place for these high-g maneuvers, a pair of Recaro seats adorned with Trans Am lettering was installed. The grey cloth seats matched the grey carpeting and white interior accents. |  Think the '84 Anniversary...  Think the '84 Anniversary T/A was loaded? Check out the window sticker. |  In 1984, power was just starting...  In 1984, power was just starting to make a comeback in the Firebird, as Pontiac dropped the Crossfire Injection variant of the 305 and introduced the L69 305 HO as the top engine option. This boosted performance from 175 to 190 hp. While torque dropped from 250 to 240 lb-ft, the 15hp increase justified the small drop. This was enough grunt to thrust the Trans Am to 60 mph in 7.5 seconds and cover the quarter-mile in 15.24 at 91.49 mph in the June '84 test in Popular Hot Rodding. |