Pontiac Sunbird

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Pontiac Sunbird
Manufacturer General Motors
Production 1976–1994
Predecessor Pontiac Astre
Successor Pontiac Sunfire
Class Subcompact (1976-1980)
Compact (1982-1994)
First generation
1978 Pontiac Sunbird Sport coupe
Production 1976–1980
Assembly Lordstown, Ohio
Ramos Arizpe, Mexico
Sainte-Thérèse, Quebec, Canada
Body style(s) 2-door coupe
3-door hatchback
3-door hatchback (Astre)
2-door station wagon
Layout FR layout
Platform H-body
Engine(s) 140 in³ 2300 I4
151 in³ Iron Duke I4
231 in³ Buick V6
305 in³ Chevrolet V8 (78-79)
Wheelbase 97.0 in
Length 179.2 in coupe/hatchback
178.0 in Wagon
Height 49.6 in coupe/Hatchback
51.8 Wagon
Related Chevrolet Monza
Oldsmobile Starfire
Buick Skyhawk
Chevrolet Vega
Pontiac Astre
Second generation
Pontiac Sunbird
Also called Pontiac J2000
Pontiac 2000
Pontiac 2000 Sunbird
Production 1982–1988
Assembly Lordstown, Ohio
Ramos Arizpe, Mexico
South Gate, California
Body style(s) 2-door convertible
2-door coupe
3-door hatchback
4-door sedan
4-door station wagon
Layout FF layout
Platform J-body
Engine(s) 1.8L 85 hp (63 kW) I4

1.8L(turbo) 150 hp (110 kW) I4
2.0L 96 hp (72 kW) I4

2.0L(turbo) 165 hp (123 kW) I4
Transmission(s) 3-speed automatic
5-speed manual
Wheelbase 101.2 in
Length 169.5 in (sedan)
167.1 in (coupe)
169.7 in (wagon)
Width 66.3 in (sedan & wagon)
66 in (coupe)
Height 53.6 in (sedan)
52 in (coupe)
54.1 in (wagon)
Related Buick Skyhawk
Cadillac Cimarron
Chevrolet Cavalier
Oldsmobile Firenza
Third generation
1989-1994 Pontiac Sunbird LE sedan
Also called Chevrolet Cavalier (Mexico)
Pontiac GT
Production 1988–1994
Assembly Lordstown, Ohio
Ramos Arizpe, Mexico
Body style(s) 2-door convertible
2-door coupe
4-door sedan
4-door station wagon
Layout FF layout
Platform J-body
Engine(s) 2.0L 110 hp (82 kW) I4
3.1L LG6 140 hp (100 kW) V6
Transmission(s) 3-speed automatic
5-speed manual
Length 180.7 in (1991-94)
181.3 in (1989-90)
Width 66.3 in
Height 1988-90 & 1993-94 Convertible & 1993-94 Coupe: 52.1 in
1988-92 Coupe & 1990-91 Convertible: 52.0 in
1988-92 Sedan: 53.6 in
1993-94 Sedan: 53.7 in
Fuel capacity 15.2 US gal
Related Buick Skyhawk
Cadillac Cimarron
Chevrolet Cavalier

The Pontiac Sunbird was an automobile produced by the Pontiac division of General Motors. First introduced as part of Pontiac's subcompact offering for the 1976 model year. The Sunbird model ran for 18 years until it was replaced in 1995 by the Pontiac Sunfire. Through its years the Sunbird was available in various body styles including hatchback, station wagon, coupe and convertible.

Contents

[edit] First generation (1976-1980)

The first generation Pontiac Sunbird was a rear-wheel drive subcompact car, developed as a badge-engineered version of the Chevrolet Monza, itself a sportier version of the Chevrolet Vega. Its intended competitors were other small sporty two-door vehicles of the time, such as the Toyota Celica, Ford Capri, and the Ford Mustang II

The Sunbird was introduced in the fall of 1975 as a 1976 model sharing the notchback coupe body of the Monza Towne Coupe. The standard engine was the same all-aluminum 2.3 L (140 cid) inline four-cylinder engine used in the Vega, Monza and Astre. Equipped with a single barrel carburetor, it generated a peak power output of 78 horsepower (58 kW) @ 4200 rpm. Also standard was a 4-speed manual transmission, with a 5-speed manual or a 3-speed automatic transmission available as options.

This engine was also available optionally with a 2-barrel carburetor that increased peak power to 87 horsepower (65 kW) @ 4400 rpm, as well as Buick's 3.8 L (231 cid) V6 engine rated at 110 horsepower (82 kW) @ 4000 rpm.

For the 1977 model year the Sunbird added the same hatchback coupe bodystyle as the Monza, as well as a new standard engine: Pontiac's then-new 2.5 L (151 cid) “Iron Duke” inline four-cylinder engine using a 2-barrel Holley carburetor and generating 90 horsepower (67 kW) @ 4400 rpm. The previous 2.3 L engine was still available as an option (with either a one- or two-barrel carburetor), as was the Buick powerful V6.

In the 1978 model year the hatchback coupe and two-door station wagon (Kammback) bodies used by the Astre were added to the Sunbird lines. They continued to use the same front fascias as the old Astre models with Sunbird badging. The 2.3 L engine was simultaneously dropped from the list of options.

For the 1979 model year, the Chevrolet's 5.0 L (305 cid) V8 engine was available as an option in the notchback coupe and Monza-based hatchback, while the Astre-based hatchback coupe was discontinued.

1980 was the final production year of the H-bodied Sunbird. By this time the station wagon body-style and the optional V8 engine were dropped. This year featured an unusually long production run in order to provide sufficient inventory to carry dealers into the 1981 model year, in anticipation of the Sunbird's replacement.

[edit] Second generation (1982-1988)

1984 Pontiac 2000 Sunbird
1984 Pontiac 2000 Sunbird

The Sunbird was replaced in the spring of 1981 with a new compact model named J2000, based on the new Chevrolet Cavalier. It was a marked departure from the Sunbird. Available in four-door sedan, two-door coupe and four-door station wagon bodystyles, the new front-wheel drive J2000 was a product of the General Motors J-body program, which produced 10 variants worldwide.

It was powered by a 1.8 L single overhead camshaft four-cylinder engine, with a 2.0 L version appearing soon afterwards. In keeping with Pontiac's performance image, the Sunbird was also offered with a turbocharged 1.8 L OHC engine option which made more power than many normally aspirated six cylinder engines of the time. This was soon followed by the more dependable turbocharged version of the 2.0 L engine in models like the Sunbird GT.

GM had just introduced the J platform, an economy car platform shared across all passenger-car divisions. Each rode the same 101.2 in (2,570 mm) wheelbase and had the same basic MacPherson strut front suspension and torsion beam rear suspension, and all shared the same engines. The cars were mostly identical, however differed largely in styling details, features, and price. The basic body/frame structure used a unibody with a front subframe that carried the lower front suspension, engine, and transmission.

In 1983 the "J" was dropped from the name, and a limited-run convertible version was dubbed 2000 Sunbird. In 1984 the entire line was renamed 2000 Sunbird, and for the 1985 model year the "2000" was dropped altogether, leaving it as Sunbird once again.

The naming convention J2000, then later 2000 was to provide a similar marketing approach to the larger Pontiac 6000, which was a popular model at the time. The objective was to market the J2000 as a smaller version of the 6000, offering a similar appearance in both the sedan and wagon versions.

The Sunbird models shared the segment with the similarly priced Pontiac Grand Am which was also FWD, however the Grand Am had a sportier appearance. The Sunbird also competed in the affordable, economy offerings with the Pontiac T1000 which was a rebadged Chevrolet Chevette, however the T1000 was only available as a 2 door hatchback.

The Sunbird and its J-body platform cousins were virtually identical with minor changes, such as front facia and tail light treatments, wheel covers, model badges and steering wheels used. The dashboard was identically shared with the Cimmaron and the Cavalier. The Firenza and the Skyhawk shared a differently styled dashboard together. The Sunbird's small performance advantage came only with the optional turbocharged 4 cylinder engine but ride quality had no advantage over the other J-body variants. This performance edge was slowly given up when the Chevy's Cavalier came out with the V-6 powered Z-24 model.

Throughout the 1980's Pontiac's 1.8 L turbo was de-tuned from 150 hp (110 kW) down to 135 hp (101 kW) before it increased again to a maximum 165 hp (123 kW) with the 2.0 L turbo. This was done in an effort to improve reliability as knocking and head gasket failures were common with earlier turbo engines due to the lack of intercooler or blow-off-valve. Pontiac would not offer the V-6 in its Sunbird until 1991, instead keeping the weight down and gas mileage up (improving Corporate Average Fuel Economy, CAFE) by staying with the turbocharged 4 cylinder for many years.

[edit] Third generation (1988.5-1994)

1988 Pontiac Sunbird
1988 Pontiac Sunbird
1989-1994 Pontiac Sunbird coupe
1989-1994 Pontiac Sunbird coupe

The Sunbird was redesigned in 1988 as a 1988.5 model. Production under the Sunbird name was continued until 1994. The trim levels on both the sedan and coupe were LE, SE and GT. The Sunbird SE coupe and sedan, as well as the GT had headlight doors that partially covered the headlights whereas the Sunbird LE didn't. Both the GT coupe and sedan had rear seats that could fold down for extra trunk capacity. The GT also had full instrumentation including a tachometer, power windows and locks as well as power side view mirrors and power drivers seat. In 1989, passive front seat belts were installed on all Sunbird models in the front doors that, when latched, would stretch out when the door was opened and would secure front passengers when the door was closed. The dashboard was also changed to provide a similar appearance to the interior of the redesigned FWD Pontiac Grand Prix. The most notable change was replacing the AM-FM stereo from the standard double DIN size to a model with a smaller face with the electronics relocated elsewhere inside the vehicle. The cassette player or CD player was also separated from the radio and installed at the base of the center console in front of the gearshift selector. If an owner wished to install an aftermarket DIN sized stereo, this is the location where it would be placed.

Most Sunbirds were built in Lordstown, Ohio and Ramos Arizpe, Mexico.

The Sunbird was replaced by the Pontiac Sunfire in 1995.

[edit] GT

1990-1994 Pontiac GT
1990-1994 Pontiac GT

The Pontiac Sunbird GT was available from the mid 80s to the early-mid 90s.

The Turbo version standard on the GT featured a 2.0L I4 from 1987 to 1990. Somewhat rarer was the Pontiac Sunbird Turbo GT convertible, the only Sunbird which had a convertible option available until 1990. In 1990, the convertible option was moved to the base model LE in an attempt by GM to increase sales. From 1991 to 1994, the Sunbird GT dropped the turbo, and moved on to the 3.1L V6 engine, also found at the time in the Chevrolet Cavalier.

[edit] Sunbird in Mexico

The Sunbird was first sold in Mexico in 1992; prior to this, the Sunbird had been badged as the Chevrolet Cavalier there.

[edit] Engines

The Sunbird, depending on the model year, came with one of these engines:

  • 1.8 L carbureted SOHC I4
  • 1.8 L TBI SOHC I4
  • 1.8 L turbocharged MPFI SOHC I4
  • 2.0 L TBI SOHC I4
  • 2.0 L MPFI SOHC I4
  • 2.0 L turbocharged MPFI SOHC I4
  • 2.0 L TBI OHV I4 (1982 only)
  • 3.1 L (191 in³) 60° V6

[edit] External links

[edit] Sources

  • Flammang, James M. & Kowlake, Ron, Standard Catalog of American Cars: 1976-199, 3rd Edition (Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 1999)
  • Gunnell, John, Standard Catalog of American Cars: 1946-1975, Revised 4th Edition (Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2002)
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