With a reported 60,000 miles, this 1981 Pontiac Firebird Esprit is sitting near a garden in somebody’s backyard in Springfield, Illinois. The car is listed here on craigslist for $5,500. The car isn’t going anywhere soon because it doesn’t have an engine. The Esprit option was one level up from the base Firebird but below the Formula and Trans Am.
You can always tell a 1981 Firebird from prior years (1979-1980) because even though they had the same front end, the 1981 Firebird had a bird on the fuel door. For a project, the car’s paint doesn’t look too bad. It is shiny and the brown buckskin interior contrasts well. Unfortunately, there are no pictures of the interior except one of the dash and speedometer.
The car is equipped with tilt steering, rear defrost, aftermarket radio, and a console. The car was most likely built with an L37 301 cubic inch V8 engine which produced 155 horsepower with a 4 barrel in 1981. However, the original engine is gone and the seller is offering a 1972 400 or a 1974 350 cubic inch V8 engine with the sale of the car. There were 10,938 Esprits built-in 1981.
All four Rally IIs are shod with Goodyear tires that probably need to be replaced for safety. The seller is open to trades and states that he wants to spend more time with his grandkids than with this car. If the car is as solid as it looks, it would make a great project. However, Firebird Esprits are not that popular and the seller may have to settle for a lower offer.
If his priority is spending time with his grandson why will he consider a trade for a 70-74 Camaro/Firebird in similar condition?
The ad reads like he might have bought someone’s abandoned project and is turning it over. There is nothing wrong with that, but I’d want to see some sort of receipts for the engine and make sure the paperwork for the car is in order. I’d also carefully inspect the undercarriage and other rust prone areas to make sure they haven’t been subjected previously to shoddy repair work.
Steve R
Some paperwork and a good inspection? Nice information but that’s pretty standard for most buying an older vehicle.
That is an awfully nice piece of yard art! Too nice, although this final year of the gen 2 Firebird Esprit has the least attractive steering wheel and front/rear fascia of all the years. Boring dash. Screams plastic, cheap, and off-the-shelf Pontiac inventory. I’m used to seeing much rust on these when they sit out for years with grass growing around them. Maybe the black finish saved the shell more than any silver, red or blue could. Shame the engine choices to add to the purchase are a little tame.
Thar empty guage where the tach should be is SO UGLY…..Pontiac couldn’t have ar least put a cheap click there? I wouldn’t even care if it didnt work jyst not to see a empty bezel! I’d have to find a round large Pontiac Arrowhead sticker or “something”…😁…I hate taking apart dashes……lotsa squeeks after and broken pieces on old cars.
A perfect example of how the second Gens really did go out with a whimper.
A low point for us Pontiac guys.
Look at it this way: With the technology of today, you can restomod these Firebirds to reach the same performance level as the Trans Ams … or even exceed them.