When the third-generation F-bodies debuted in 1982, these new muscle cars were in stark contrast to the previous versions of the Camaro and Firebird.   Saving weight, making aerodynamic advancements, and improving fuel economy were the major drivers of this redesign.  While the Pontiac Trans Am still stole all the thunder in the showroom and on the streets, lesser Firebirds offered more in the way of fuel economy in a less flashy package.  This 1984 Pontiac Firebird, for sale on eBay in Memphis, Michigan, is a well-maintained example of its generation.  Perhaps the most interesting thing about this car is that it has just 61,500 miles on the odometer.  It is also powered by GM’s rather agricultural Iron Duke four-cylinder engine.  Is this solid but staid Pontiac worth the $6,550 asking price?

The world was changing rapidly in the late seventies and early eighties.  The occasional oil crisis, crushing inflation, and a general malaise had changed the outlook of Americans when it came to automobiles.  Cars would have to run cleaner, get better fuel economy, and make massive strides in safety if they were to be sold in the United States.  General Motors faced these hurdles when it began redesigning the F-body cars the world knew as the Camaro and Firebird.  While the traditional buyer wanted the tire-melting horsepower that was so common in the sixties, that option wasn’t on the table.  There were some in the company that wanted the third-generation F-body to be front wheel drive.

Cooler heads thankfully prevailed.  Using a wind tunnel and an approach that would make the car versatile to the conditions it might face in the marketplace, the result in 1982 was a very aerodynamic rear wheel drive muscle car that could be as mild or (relatively) wild as the customer wanted.  The restyle shaved around 500 pounds of weight as well.  That, combined with a range of engines that ran from the ubiquitous Iron Duke four cylinder to the small block Chevrolet V-8, made the car the right one for the time.  Sales soared, and the third-generation F-body remains a well-loved collectible to this day.

Yet, almost all of the survivors you see today are Trans Ams.  Lesser F-bodies rarely appear, which is a shame.  The overall design is cleaner and more pleasing to the eye without all of the body cladding and decals.  Yet these were treated as daily transportation, albeit with a certain sense of flair, and chances are the four and six-cylinder variants were run into the ground.  Quality control problems also get mentioned frequently when we do a write-up on these cars.

Not much is said in the ad about this 1984 Firebird.  We are told that it is powered by an Iron Duke 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and backed by an automatic transmission.  The engine punched out a rather unimpressive 92 horsepower.  To keep that in perspective, the most common V-8 in these cars put out 150 horsepower, with the highest horsepower option putting out a meager, by today’s standards, 190 hp.  GM claimed that a four-cylinder-equipped Firebird was capable of 34 miles per gallon of gas.  Your mileage may have varied.

Looking at the pictures leads one to believe this car may have been as basic a model as you could find.  It has crank windows, a base AM/FM radio, steel wheels, and seems to have come without air conditioning.  Compare this car to the lowest-cost car sold today, and you can see how we have gotten used to optioned-out vehicles as a matter of course.

Despite some headliner issues, this Firebird presents well and has just 61,500 miles.  It obviously would draw a lot of attention at car shows and a lot of shame at the dragstrip.  The asking price of $6,550 is in the ballpark of cars of this vintage in this condition.  The toughest part of ownership would be mashing the gas pedal and experiencing glacial acceleration.  Is it worth the asking price?  Let us know your thoughts in the comments.