I walking through a boneyard and found these. Never seen them before so i pryed them off. I think it was a 84 or 85 bird. I thought they were odd because the GTA sail panel birds have gold centers and these have black ones. And one more thing i noticed about the firebird that these came off of is that the hood like a GTA hood but it didn't have the 2 vents near the windshield. I only had the 2 close to the nose. Just wondering if anybody knows. Thanks

 

The hood you saw is an 86SE hood. Extremely rare find.

The bird emblems are a mystery to me... they look identical to GTA badges, but the red part would be gold on GTA emblems. I don't think the 86SE had different emblems then the base model bird.

 

I had an 89 Formula 350 with that same hood on it. It even has the VIN sticker on it so I'm pretty sure it was the original hood.

 

interesting, ive never heard of a hood that only had the front nose vents. Ive only seen the hoods with side and front vents.

as for the sail panel birds, they look painted to me. Could just be the picture. I would love to have those, it would match my bird perfectly.

 

You have a pair of emblems from a 1985 or 86 Firebird SE. The 85 and 86 SE's featured a color coordinated GTA style emblem. I have a few I've found (Blue and Grey). I have never seen red before though.

 

I wish i would have asked you guys about these earlier. I could have picked out that hood and made some money. Oh well, i got the birds. I've had these for a while and i just found them again and deceided to sell them since i'm not using them. I just wanted to know where they came from. So about how much do you think i can get for them. They do have a couple of chips as you can see in the pic. Easily fixed since they are so small. They will be posted on here soon enough or on ebay. Thanks for the info. Keep it coming:lala:

 

Hey bill, if your interested in the birds pm me with an offer.

 

Are S/E's actually getting that rare? Im more and more glad i will be restoring mine every day.

 

Well Rob, just ask yourself...How many S/E's do I see everyday compared to other types.

I can recall seeing two 85/86 S/E's on the road ever. I have found several in the junkyard (three or four). Their were none at the TransAm Nationals last year.

Here are some #'s on 85/86 S/E's.

1985: 5,208 bult.

1986: 2,259 built.

Now combine that with how many NICE ones are left and its probably a pretty uncommon car.
I dont think any companies make S/E specific restoration parts (decals, badges, hood, taillight center section).

 

You are absoultely, entirely, painfully right. The only S/E anything that is available are for second gens. Which is why when I paint mine, im probably going to have to paint the top, and leave the bottom stripes masked, im hoping i can clean them up enough so that they look good next to the new paint. Mine isnt nice by any stretch of the imagination, but the body is perfect, and there is nothing hugely wrong with the car, all its going take is some time and money. Also..everything is still there too, ive even got the "Firebird" flashlight.

 

I hear ya on the SE! I have never seen one on the road. I've seen tons of the regular Firebirds & TAs. I'm restoring my 84 SE Bird and hope to have it done in about a year from now.

I find it interesting that there were none at the TA Nationals! We will be there this year with my son's car (1992), but my SE won't be ready for prime time for at least another year. Maybe next year I can be unique! Brad

 

Back to the original post. Yesterday I saw a red and black 1986 Firebird SE, and sure enough it had the Red and Black bird emblems that are pictured above.

 

Sorry to be off topic again, but we went to the TA Nationals and looked and looked, but not an SE in sight as far as we could find. Very few 1984 models period! Mine should be out of the paint shop in a week and then we start on the interior restoration. The trans and engine work come after that. Not sure if I want to keep the computer controlled carb and distributor or go to the regular type. Brad

 

Hi Brad, I was at the Nats also, and did not spot a single thirdgen SE.

I was happy to see a few more early 82-84 T/A's than last year. (I spotted two 83 Daytona pace cars, and a few 15th T/A's, and a beautiful 82 Mecham, aswell as a few regular 82-84 T/A's).

One of the 83 DT500 pacecars was one that was actually used at Daytona on the day of the race, the car had 6k miles on it. I took lots of pictures of that one!

But it was a bit dissapointing not to see any of the base Birds.

Now I am very tempted to find an S/E or an Iron Duke bird and detail the heck out of it and bring it to the show next year.

 

I wish I could go to the Nats and see all of those 82-84's. I've only seen 2 S/E's on the road. Both of them were 82's one was gold and the other was blue.

 

Yeah, there seemed to be mostly TA's there (it's the TA Nationals already! But I thought more base model Firebirds would come along... and there were some). My son brought his base model Firebird with the V6 that he's worked on. It looks really nice and he's got a great looking daily driver in this '92 Bird. So few of the early 3rd gens were there from what I saw.

I happened across my 84 SE by accident and bought it because it was a Firebird and cheap. To my amazement, the SE's seem rare anymore. Seems no one kept them up over the years. Next year will be my car's 20th birthday. Maybe we'll buy it a cake! Naaah.. maybe a new engine rebuild! We will hopefully bring it to the TA Nationals next year. I may bring it even though it's not totally done, just to have an SE there, even though it will still likely be a work in progress.

I have been getting some parts off a 1984 TA at the wrecking yard. It almost makes you cry to see one that's been let go like that one was. It must have been a great car in it's day. It's engine will be rebuilt to go into my SE. Seems like I'm almost alone in the Firebird world with this SE! Brad

Hello... SE owners... are you out there????

 

Im here! I bought mine for the exact same reasons you did. Someday it will get the restoral it deserves.

 

ive been wanting to go to the T/A nats for the longest time. I will eventually bring my 84 Iron Duke bird there....someday. It would have been a respectable show car a few years ago but lately it needs some attention.

I bought and used to own an 84 S/E with the dual contour leir seigler leather seats, and it was a very well optioned car but a v6 and it was full of rust holes. So I sold it. That car was not taken care of.

Ive got those red and black S/E sail panel birds and they will be going onto my headrest of my 93 black and red camaro buckets I have. I don't want anyone to rip em off my sail panels so Im going to put them on my interior.

later,
bill

 

Rob--- Thank you! I feel better already! Good to know there's another SE owner out there somewhere! Some people look at you funny when you say you have a Firebird SE. Seems few have heard of them.

Billsfirebird- Bring that Iron Duke 1984 to the Nationals so I can see it! I'd love to check it out as I've never seen an Iron Duke engine in a Firebird. It would get lots of attention at the Nats, I'm sure. My son's V6 was only one of two there and suprisingly, people were actually interested in it even though it wasn't a V8.

Hopefully this week my car will be out of the body shop. Been waiting almost 3 months... hard to wait that long to get it back! Brad

 

Here's a neat fact:
If you run the vin for insurance or anything, and i think the vin decoder here does it as well, its listed as a "Special Edition Trans-Am".

 

I don't doubt that my bird would be a head turner at the nationals. but right now it is in some rough shape for showing. I need to fix up some problem areas and it should be looking real good. I want to redo the carpet, fix some sheet metal rust in the engine bay and floor board and repaint the car factory spectra red.

Kinda hard to do it now with the schedule I have.

Later
bill

 

Hmmmm... so in reality I have a Trans-Am? Cooool!

Hey Rob, what are you doing in Qatar? Did you take your car with you or are you riding camels? I sure don't miss Saudi Arabia! Brad

 

Im a civilian contractor for the air force, and nope, dont have my cars here, they get to sleep in a barn while I make money to spend on them.

 

 

Wow! Two fellow SE owners in one night! Thanks 83 Firebird SE for posting your ride. Looks really nice! Love the paint color, very unusual. Mine is a cream-beige and there's not many 3rd gens around with that color scheme. Can't wait to get it out of the bodyshop and start the interior restoration!
Again--- Thanks for making life a little less lonely around here!
Brad

PS- I take it you have the 305 V8. Have you had any problems with the computer controlled carb or distributor?

 

Here is a pic of my former S/E. I sold it due to lack of money to restore it.





What she looked like after I put a few fresh parts on it.



the interior:



later
bill

 

And in the interest of all of these S/E owners, if anybody can find a lower body stripe kit, put it up here. I really need one of these for the restoral.

 

Mine is a Canadian Car which means nothing is conrolled by a computer. There are no sensors, computers, AIR/emissions equipment or SES lights! Just a lone cat converter.

 

The three tone stripe is the only thing I need to complete my exterior resto!

 

If you find one, or even find somebody that can make one, pm me, or post here, or call my house in the middle of the night. I dont care, I have to get one!

 

Will do!

 

Ok guys, if I read you right, the lower stripe kit is what you need. If you check out the following internet address, I think it will take you to a source that can help you. Let me know if it works. I'd call this guy and talk with him about your needs. I did the other day on hood birds and he was very helpful and friendly.


Brad

http://www.stencilsandstripes.com/pr_pont_tran5.asp

If this works, maybe you'll look like this

 

Hey guys i have an 82 s/e black with the tan vinyl interior 305 4bbl auto and ws-7.I'm the second owner the first owner traded it in for a new Nissan in Dallas.Sadly the car needs to go since i need better transportation and need to sell it **currently on ebay for $1100 no reserve .

Also check this other 82 s/e out,I have never seen that combo t-tops v6,man 4spd
also check out the vin somethings tells my thats one special s/e.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...&category=6420

 

I cant tell from the pictures if thats the correct stripe kit or not. If anybody calls them, please put what you found out up on here. Due to where I live, calling back to the states with any convenience is a real pain in the ***. Also...ive got a V6 with T-Tops...no 4 spd though.

 

Hey Rob,
I'll try to call for ya in the next day or two. Let me get this straight. You have a V6, 1985 SE. What color is the body and what color is the stripe? Is the stripe the kind with the solid color bottom and the narrower three-color stripe that goes at the junction of the top of the stripe and the main body color? Give me an idea of what color/physical characteristics it has and I'll give them a call to find out whatever info. I can. Brad

 

Here's a crappy pic, but its the only one ive got, and I havent seen the car since June, so I cant really picture the stripes, but along the bottom, on top of the wide bottom stripe is a few gray stripes. Thanks for calling, ive been looking for one of these things for almost a year now.

 

hey i got an 85 s/e .. it aint stock anymore tho .. i put 82 t/a nose tail, took out the orange interior in favor of grey taillights on it and primered her. but i kept the hood

 

Hey Rob! (and 83 Firebird SE)

I called the fella at Stencils and Stripes, but it was after hours for his shop. I left a message with your needs on it and asked him to call me back. As soon as I hear anything, I'll let you know.

Ok, as far as the lower stripe kit, I learned a few things. I just got my Bird back and had a long talk with my body guy who's been doing restores on these cars for MANY years and has owned a bunch of them himself.

First, he could NOT find the original narrow three-color stripe that goes between the upper body color and the lower colored stripe. They don't make them anymore and he looked everywhere. He's a bloodhound for restoration parts. If he says they don't make them anymore, I believe him.

You may ask what he did on my car. Well, they DO still make narrow striping in the same colors as each of the three colors in the original stripe. This dedicated guy actually spent one day and put all three stripes on INDIVIDUALLY, one color layer at a time to get the correct look! Talk about dedication! I think I'll adopt him!

As far as the lower stripe at the very bottom. He could not find a source for it and investigated my car further. It turns out that the lower color stripe is NOT a stripe kit at all! Yes sports fans, you heard it correctly. They took me in and showed me personally. It is NOT vinyl on mine (yes, mine is the original stock setup), it is a painted lower panel. They had to go to the auto paint shop and using my RPO codes, found the original color and shot that separately after shooting the basic main body color. They also put stone guard on it like the original had. In all a very professional job although I've found a few flaws they promised to take care of when I bring it in in a couple of weeks for decal installation.

So, that leaves you guys with probably having to mask and shoot the color on the lower panels and hoping they still make your narrow stripe still. I'll let you all know what Stencils and Stripes says when they get back to me. Brad

What Brad looked like when he picked up the Bird with the new paint-

 

Rob... and other SE owners,

Ok, I got a message on my answering machine from Stencils and Stripes. He was very informative in the short message. He is very familiar with what was originally on the car and has worked with GM on this. Originally, that year SE had a checkerboard pattern fade stripe. My guess is that the stipe is actually made up of small colored blocks that get smaller and smaller as it goes up into the main body color. Yours may not have that right now, but evidently it did originally.

They do not have that kit presently, but there is good news on the horizion. He has worked with some designers on this and they already have the art work all done for it right now. They will likely go into production for these stripes sometime after the first of the year. So, while the answer right now is no, the ultimate answer is... hang in there, the stripes they be-a-comin! Hope that helps. He doesn't have a price worked out yet, so I can't help you out there. Hopefully just knowing that your car hasn't been forgotten by the striping people will help a bit.

If you need anything else checked out, just let me know and if I hear anything else on this, I'll jump back on here and post it.
Brad

 

You sir, are my new best friend. Can you get me an email addy for this guy? I want to know where to send the check. Thank you much, Rob

 

Nice. I just went down to the paint supply place and got the three individual stripes in my exact colors. Now I just have to take it to a stripe place to get them installed.

Firebird1984, do you have any close up shots of your stripes installed?

 

Just for fun here is what my S/E looked like 5 months ago.

 

2

 

Unfortunatly, this is the only pic I have of the new paint job. Gotta love reflection!

 

Just went in my basement and found a Firebird emblem like the ones in this original post, except it's the blue/silver/black one. I only have one of them. Guess I know where it came from now, huh? If only I could find a cool place to put it on my bird... the colours would match very well.

 

Rob-
Drop me an e-mail at the e-mail address in my profile and we'll try to get you the info you need.

83Firebird SE- very very nice job on the paint! You will be painting my next project car! No closeup pics yet, I'll try to get them soon. I have tried to attach a picture several times to this reply and it just won't go through. Maybe they are too big or something.
Brad

 

I bought the birds at the top of this post. They will be going on my seats headrest area. I have a set of red and black 93 camaro buckets and they would match my car perfectly.

I don't want them on the sail panels cause someone may try and rip them off.

later,
bill

 

Yeah, mine's gonna go on the inside somewhere... too risky leaving it on the outside of the car.

 

Youve got an email!

 

Very nice paintjob 83firebirdS/E! Cant wait to see a picture of the whole car! My '82 looks exactly like your S/E did in the first 2 pictures.