Need Advice On Firebirds

[Seussopoly]

I am looking to get a car & I have always wanted a firebird. I am looking at the 1993 model or I also like the 1986 trans am but I get an overwelming amount of negative feedback from people to stay away from both cars because they are nothing but trouble & are known for breaking down all the time. I was hoping to get some feedback from people that have owned these types of cars personally to see if this is true & I should look elsewhere or if its not true.

[84and85bird]

Overall, Firebirds tend to be fairly reliable cars. I have 2 of them and neither one has gave me too many problems. My 85 Firebird is a daily driver and I rely on it to get me between my college and home (2 hour drive each way) most weekends. In the 3 years that I've owned the car the only problems that I've had were when the fuel pump went out, and when my radiator cracked. I would consider that pretty good for a 19 year old vehicle. My 85 has the origional motor with 110,000 miles on it and it doesn't leak a drop of oil. More than likely the 86 Trans Am you are considering has a 305. They seem to have held up pretty well over the years too. As far as reliability goes, just make sure that you keep up on your basic maintenance on the car. I can't even really blame my car for the fuel pump going out because the fuel filter was clogged.

When looking at a potential car just keep an eye out for things that may hint at how well the previous owner has taken car of the car.

Keep in mind the 93 is over 10 years old, and the Trans Am is an 18 year old car. No matter what, there will be something go wrong with it sooner or later, but that's just the age of the car.