National Firebird and Trans Am Club Blog

by Robert Thomas and Frank Ochal

Thanks to all of the new members that joined recently. Thanks to Doug Hoskins, Jim Muldoon, James Lonaker, Audrey & Raymond Petutsky, Anthony Foceri, Barry McKay, Paul Russell, Rick Giacomo, Doug Curfman and all of the other contributors to this issue! Also many thanks to Todd Stahr, Justin Kwarta, Doug Lester, Bethany Orr, Bill Simcox and Brett Campbell on their continuing technical help to our members on our message board at http://board.firebirdclub.net.

Join us on Facebook at National Firebird and Trans Am Club and follow us on Twitter at firebirdclub. Classified ads will now appear in the Eagle, the eEagle, on our website, on our message board and on Facebook and Twitter.

I am sure you have noticed the improvement in the look and feel of the Eagle. The pages are brighter, the paper is better and there are more color pages with color pictures in better quality. We have made another change in printers to make a better looking magazine. The delivery of your magazine has also changed and hopefully the Eagle should be received with less damage. Let me know what you think of the changes.

In addition to the items found in our regular club store, more items including tote bags, caps, sweat pants, shorts and other items can be found at our Fieldhouse Club Store located at www.fieldhouse.com/nftac .

We have updated our payment form on our website to directly take credit card and PayPal payments. Your credit card is now checked for accuracy and verified and your order is placed into a shopping cart of items awaiting checkout. This type of program should be very familiar to people who pay for items on other Internet websites and is available on the PayPal/Credit Card website button. The old form will also remain for members that are comfortable with it.

Also there is a now a Local Groups/Activities section on the Club Message Board where each local club has its own section where local club items can be discussed.

You can now find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/firebirdclub  and twitter in the groups/clubs section.

We have a new and improved club message board. You can access through the club website at www.firebirdtaclub.com or directly at http://board.firebirdclub.net. We have a members only section of the message board. You can use the user id and password on page 3 of each Eagle or you can get a personal id and password. To do so, register and then logon to the message board and send a message to us with a reply in this section or via email. This allows you to access the Member Only Question & Answer and Upkeep and Performance Hints Area.　 It also allows you to post items in the For Sale and Wanted sections as well as photos in the Member Photos area. Also there is a now a Local Groups/Activities section.

The club has a blog located at http://blog.firebirdclub.net . Members can publish items or comments to the Blog. The Club photo gallery is located at http://photos.firebirdclub.net . The same login is used for the gallery as the Message Board. Members can download photos directly here.

We now offer a 3 year membership or renewal rate which includes a free t-shirt or tech volume II CD. The rate is $95 or $125 for members outside the USA. And in response to many members we now have a 3 year eMembership for $65 which also includes a free t-shirt or tech volume III CD. So save some money and get a free t-shirt or tech CD in the process!

Classified ads are FREE to members but now you can add photographs of your items for sale. For $15 we will include a photograph of your car or item. Also the classified ads will now appear on our website and in the eEagle.

Remember we will send out the eEagle, our email newsletter in addition to the regular Eagle for members that have given us their email address. Our website address is www.firebirdtaclub.com and our email address is info@ firebirdtaclub.com. The website has a “Members Only” section on the website. This section contains technical staff contact information, recommended repair shops, spare parts lists that members have sent in as well as complete current and past issues of the member magazine which can be viewed on-line or downloaded for printing.

You need an ID and password to access this area. You will find the current ID and password on page 3 of each issue of the EAGLE. These will change with each issue so use only the current ones listed. Also now you can to create your own id and password for the members only section. Submit the form on the members only page to do this.

Thanks for all of your support and to this issue’s contributors and prepare now for the upcoming show season!!

(top photo: ‘67 Firebird of Jim Muldoon and ’69 Firebird of Michael Scoggins)

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Rick Giacomo’s car as featured in several local chapter newsletters and on PontiacRegistry.com

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The featured car is the ‘85 Trans Am of Doug Curfman. Here is his story:

My car is a 1985 Trans Am 2 seater sport roadster hardtop convertible conversion by AutoForm of Elkhart, Indiana. I purchased it in September of 2010 with 14,800 original miles. The car was first purchased at Zimmerman Pontiac, Inc., 2535 E. Main St., St. Charles, Illinois and was originally delivered to Battes Pontiac in Elkhart, Indiana and then transferred to Zimmerman Pontiac.

I have the original window sticker and original owner’s manual as well as the Warranty/Owner Assistance Info Book, GM Maintenance Schedule Book, the Delco GM ETR Music system. The salesman was “C. J.” Carol Joyce. The car was originally sold to Robert Kolsky in North Riverside, Illinois. The mileage at delivery was 1940 miles and the color was blaze red with silver ground effects. It had all options available in 1985 is completely original except for tires, exhaust system and and security system.

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Thanks to all of the new members that joined recently.

Thanks to Doug Lester, Doug Mire, Matthew Pietruszka, Mark Frank, John Witmer, Stewart Polston, Michael Cornell and all of the other contributors to this issue! Also many thanks to Todd Stahr, Justin Kwarta, Doug Lester, Bethany Orr, Bill Simcox and Brett Campbell on their continuing technical help to our members on our message board at http://board.firebirdclub.net.

I am sure you have noticed the improvement in the look and feel of the Eagle. The pages are brighter, the paper is better and there are more color pages with color pictures in better quality. We have made another change in printers to make a better looking magazine. The delivery of your magazine has also changed and hopefully the Eagle should be received with less damage. Let me know what you think of the changes.

In addition to the items found in our regular club store, more items including tote bags, caps, sweat pants, shorts and other items can be found at our Fieldhouse Club Store located at www.fieldhouse.com/nftac .

We have updated our payment form on our website to directly take credit card and PayPal payments. Your credit card is now checked for accuracy and verified and your order is placed into a shopping cart of items awaiting checkout. This type of program should be very familiar to people who pay for items on other Internet websites and is available on the PayPal/Credit Card website button. The old form will also remain for members that are comfortable with it.

Also there is a now a Local Groups/Activities section on the Club Message Board where each local club has its own section where local club items can be discussed.

You can now find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/firebirdclub and twitter in the groups/clubs section.

We have a new and improved club message board. You can access through the club website at www.firebirdtaclub.com or directly at http://board.firebirdclub.net . We have a members only section of the message board. You can use the user id and password on page 3 of each Eagle or you can get a personal id and password. To do so, register and then logon to the message board and send a message to us with a reply in this section or via email. This allows you to access the Member Only Question & Answer and Upkeep and Performance Hints Area.　 It also allows you to post items in the For Sale and Wanted sections as well as photos in the Member Photos area. Also there is a now a Local Groups/Activities section.

The club has a blog located at http://blog.firebirdclub.net . Members can publish items or comments to the Blog. The Club photo gallery is located at http://photos.firebirdclub.net . The same login is used for the gallery as the Message Board. Members can download photos directly here.

We now offer a 3 year membership or renewal rate which includes a free t-shirt or tech volume II CD. The rate is $95 or $125 for members outside the USA. And in response to many members we now have a 3 year eMembership for $65 which also includes a free t-shirt or tech volume III CD. So save some money and get a free t-shirt or tech CD in the process!

Classified ads are FREE to members but now you can add photographs of your items for sale. For $15 we will include a photograph of your car or item. Also the classified ads will now appear on our website and in the eEagle.

Remember we will send out the eEagle, our email newsletter in addition to the regular Eagle for members that have given us their email address. Our website address is www.firebirdtaclub.com and our email address is info@firebirdtaclub.com . The website has a “Members Only” section on the website. This section contains technical staff contact information, recommended repair shops, spare parts lists that members have sent in as well as complete current and past issues of the member magazine which can be viewed on-line or downloaded for printing.

You need an ID and password to access this area. You will find the current ID and password on page 3 of each issue of the EAGLE. These will change with each issue so use only the current ones listed. Also now you can to create your own id and password for the members only section. Submit the form on the members only page to do this.

Thanks for all of your support and to this issue’s contributors and I hope you had a great start to the new year!!

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Bringing Pontiac back – first GM would have to buy itself back.  Currently the U.S. government owns GM and they are the ones who insisted that GM should drop the Pontiac brand in first place.  Once this is done, GM could then offer Pontiac franchised to whoever wanted to pick one up.  Offering a unique lineup of products such as high performance sedans (a version of the upcoming Caprice police car?) or a Holden sport truck, or even an updated Solstice (if the tooling still exists).  Pontiac vehicles would appeal to those dealers who feel that they might have a market or customer base for products such as these.  Since there is or recently never was a real Pontiac factory, products could be sourced form wherever they were available. (i.e. Australia) and go from there.  Pontiac is still a viable brand that has a huge following and lots of future potential.  GM should look into this before it’s too late.
Steve Hudson

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The February 2012 issue’s featured car is the 1977 Trans Am Bandit Edition of Michael Cornell. Here is the story:

He has been a member for quite some time and now his 1977 Trans Am Bandit Edition is the featured car. The pictures tell the story.

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Story by Frank Ochal
Photos by Doug Lester and others

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This ‘78 Bandit was rebuilt form 2000 to 2004 by Mike Gilbert and his son. Mike Gilbert recently purchased the ‘94 Trans Am convertible.

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 The Pontiac-Oakland Museum & Resource Center, 205 N. Mill St. Pontiac, Illinois has announced that a very special automobile related to Pontiac history will go on display in the museum. The car is the earliest known Pontiac race car, successfully competing for the first time in August 1926, Pontiac’s introduction year. This one-of-a-kind Pontiac will be delivered to the museum by the owners, Arnold & Lois Landvoigt, of Savage, Maryland on Monday, October 24, 2011 at 1:30pm. Anyone wishing to see and hear the car run should come to the museum at that time. The Landvoigts are leaving the car to be displayed at the museum for nearly a year.

On August 14, 1926 at the Sherrill Hill Climb, Sherrill, New York the Pontiac hill climb racer first saw competition. It finished first in class, the earliest known competition in an organized event by any Pontiac. The Landvoigts have done extensive research documenting the history of the car, followed by a complete and detailed restoration. In 2010 the car received its Grand National Senior Award from the Antique Automobile Association of America. The restoration attempted to conserve the somewhat rough fit and finish as the car was raced, based upon original photographs and ‘as found’ condition. A conscious effort was made not to refinish the machine to a level at which it never existed.

Museum Director, Tim Dye said “This is exactly the caliper of car we strive to have on display here at the museum. It is a unique and rare glimpse into Pontiac’s early history, enhancing the experience visitors have at the museum. I want to thank the Landvoigts for their generosity in giving up the car so it can be on display here”.

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The November 2011 issue’s featured car is the 2001 Trans Am of Debbi Weiler. Here is a story:

I hosted some of my company’s sales people from our Pennsylvania location a couple of summers ago. I took them from San Jose, CA to Santa Cruz, CA for dinner. The best way to get there is via Highway 17, which is very steep and very windy. I drove conservatively on the way there, however, on the way back, at dusk, I opened her up. Needless to say they got quite a thrill and were a tad shaken. None of them want to go for a ride anymore, I wonder why?

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