1998 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am

A beloved symbol of 1970s car culture. An icon of disco era design. A redneck's red-letter regalia. It's gaudy. Garish. Tacky. Even vulgar. And we love it. This is the story of Pontiac's Screaming Chicken, the largest and most recognizable decal in automotive history. Lost to time is the name of the man that first referred to the graphic as a “Screaming Chicken.” The nickname came quickly. By the late 1970s, even Car and Driver was using the label. No doubt derogatory, over time the epithet has become one of endearment, although the brand's hardest purists still hate it. That bunch landed on “hood bird” four decades ago and refused to budge. Others go with “Rising Phoenix” or simply “Firebird.” The ignorant usually refer to the massive flaming fowl as an Eagle or a Hawk.

This rounded off, hidden headlight, simplified design year version of the iconic Firebird right out of 1998 flies into our halls with the consignor being the first and third owner. Always well cared for, and never beaten, it is showing gracefully aged. It has been inspected and it will go into 2022.

Exterior
Bright Silver Metallic base coat and clear coat adorn the straight panels of this car. Virtually no chrome and all composite bumpers and front and rear parts come together to form this aerodynamic and slightly lighter car. The lines of this car blend seamlessly to form the final shape, all smooth and aerodynamic. This car does not don the screaming chicken! A rakish front glass framed in black trimmings, and this rises up to a smoked glass removable top that consignor states does not leak! A nice large curved greenhouse rear glass melts into a rear spoiler which seems to appear from the B pillar and is nicely rounded to match the curvature of the glass. This frames the rear of the car as well, and just above another composite bumper is an elongated oval of honeycomb taillight and black plastic with center badging. Tailpipes are peeking out of the rear roll pan and look as though they have been molded into the body. Cast aluminum 5 spoke wheels are on all 4 corners.

Interior
Pristine sculpted door panels appear as though they were shaped by the wind. Utilizing charcoal gray inserts and black molded plastic to form the integrated armrest-door pull-power toggle housing and a small formed in speaker. Slipping inside, beautifully sculpted dark pewter leather buckets keep the wind-swept forming scheme, and these have charcoal curved ribbed tubs complete with power movement toggles that the seats fit within. 2 more of these beautiful buckets are in back and separated by the hump. Racing forward is a center console which has a glovebox, shift lever and cup holder. As the dash rises temp controls and an AM/FM/Cassette w Equalizer is neatly mounted into this central space. A trio of round vents are near the center of the dash top. More windswept sculpting for the instrument cluster which has a beautifully curved arch with analog gauges in the cluster. Charcoal carpeting floods the floors and is very clean, as is the headliner. Underneath that rear greenhouse glass is a charcoal felted trunk tub and a flat upper storage area.

Drivetrain
A 5.7 liter LS1 V8 which is rated at 320 horses is under the hood. There is a very slight overall patina and some light corrosion on cast aluminum parts. EFI, with an SLP Cold Air intake, and a 4L60E 4-speed automatic is strapped to the back of this original mill. Way back is a 10-bolt 2.73 posi rear axle.

Undercarriage
Nice silver metal surfaces have a slight peppering of surface rust, and very clean floor pans and toe kicks. Independent coil spring suspension for the front, and torque arm with coil springs for the rear. Power disc brakes are all around. We also note a SLP cat back exhaust system.

Drive-Ability
A quick starter, smooth driver and some nice power. Overall good condition with functions all in working condition.

Right out of 1998, this all-silver colored bird is ready to have its key turned and driven away for more fun. Harkening back to the Smokey and the Bandit days of yore but certainly updated on the aero design front.

VIN DECODE
2G2FV22G3W2231259
2-Canada
G-General Motors
2-Pontiac
FV-Trans Am
2-Coupe
2-Manual Belts, Front Airbags
G-5.7L LS1 V8 320hp
3-Check Digit
W-1998
2-St. Therese, Quebec, Canada Assy Plant
231259-Sequential Unit Number

Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special interest automobile showroom, featuring over 600 vehicles for sale with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle barn find collection is on display.
This vehicle is located in our showroom in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888) 227-0914. Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.