Standard base Firebird equipment included:
The Firebird SE added:
| Pontiac used the industry-wide 17-symbol Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) | ||
|---|---|---|
| It was located on the upper left surface of the instrument panel, visible through the windshield | ||
| Position | Character | Description |
| 1st | 1 | US built |
| 2nd | G | General Motors product |
| 3rd | 2 | Pontiac Motor Division vehicle |
| 4th | A | Manual seatbelts |
| 5th | S | Firebird |
| X | SE | |
| W | Trans Am | |
| 6th & 7th | 87 | Body style number: two-door plainback special coupe |
| 8th | * | Engine type where * is replaced by the following
|
| 9th | ? | A check digit that calculates the characters in the serial number and gives it a single digit code and can be used to verify that the serial number is legitimate |
| 10th | D | The model year where D = 1983 |
| 11th | _ | Manufacturing plant code |
| 12th to 17th | 100001 and up | Production sequence serial number |
| Model Number | Style Number | Body Type | Seating | Factory Price | Shipping Weight | Production Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2F | S87 | 2-door Hardtop Base Firebird - Four | 4 | $8399 | 2866 | 32,020 both 4 & V8 |
| 2F | S87 | 2-door Hardtop Base Firebird - V6 | 4 | $8549 | 2948 | |
| 2F | X87 | 2-door Hardtop SE - V6 | 4 | $10,322 | 2965 | 10,934 |
| 2F | X87 | 2-door Hardtop SE - V8 | 4 | $10,397 | 3145 | |
| 2F | W87 | 2-door Hardtop Trans Am - V8 | 4 | $10,396 | 3107 | 31,930 |
| VIN Code | R or 2 | X or 1 | Z | H (Chev) | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cylinders | Four (inline) | 60° V-6 | 60° V-6 | 90° V-8 | 90° V-8 |
| Valving | Overhead valve | Overhead valve | Overhead valve | Overhead valve | Overhead valve |
| Block | Cast-iron | Cast-iron | Cast-iron | Cast-iron | Cast-iron |
| Head | Cast-iron | Aluminum | Aluminum | Cast-iron | Cast-iron |
| Bore & Stroke | 4.00 x 3.00 in. | 3.50 x 3.00 in. | 3.50 x 3.00 in. | 3.74 x 3.48 in. | 4.00 x 3.00 in. |
| Displacement | 151 cid (2.5 liters) | 173 cid (2.8 liters) | 173 cid (2.8 liters) | 305 cid (5.0 liters) | 305 cid (5.0 liters) |
| Compression ratio | 8.2 : 1 | 8.5 : 1 | 8.9 : 1 | 8.6 : 1 | 9.5 : 1 |
| Brake H.P. | 90-94 @ 4000 rpm | 107 @ 4800 | 125 @ 5400 | 150 @ 4000 rpm | 175 @ 4200 rpm |
| Torque (lb-ft) | 132-135 @ 2800 rpm | 145 @ 2100 rpm | 145 @ 2400 rpm | 240 @ 2400 rpm | 250 @ 2800 rpm |
| Main bearings | Five | Four | Four | Five | Five |
| Valve lifters | Hydraulic | ||||
| Carburetor | Throttle-body fuel injection | 2-barrel Rochester E2SE | 2-barrel Rochester E2SE | 4-barrel Rochester E4ME | Throttle-body fuel Injection |
| Four-speed Transmission | Standard on base Firebird |
| Five-speed Transmission | Standard on Firebird SE |
| Three-speed Turbo-Hydra-Matic | Optional |
| Four-speed Turbo-Hydra-Matic | Optional |
| Final drive ratio with 4-speed | 3.42 : 1 |
| Final drive ratio with V-6 and 5-speed | 3.73 : 1 |
| Final drive ratio with V-8 and 5-speed | 3.23 : 1 |
| Final drive ratio with 3-speed automatic | 3.23 : 1 |
| Final drive ratio with 4-speed automatic | 2.93 : 1 |
| FEATURE | Firebird | SE | Trans Am |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheelbase | 101.0 in. | 101.0 in. | 101.0 in. |
| Overall length | 189.8 in. | 189.8 in. | 189.8 in. |
| Height | 49.8 in. | 49.8 | 49.8 |
| Width | 72.0 | 72.0 | 72.0 |
| Front tread | 60.7 | 60.7 | 60.7 |
| Rear tread | 61.6 | 61.6 | 61.6 |
| Tires | P195/75R14 GBR BSW | P205/70R14 SBR BSW | P205/70R14 SBR BSW |
| Steering | Recirculating ball | ||
| Front suspension | Modified MacPherson struts with coil springs between lower control arm and X-member | ||
| Rear suspension | Torque arm/track bar with coil springs | Torque arm/track bar with coil springs and anti-sway bar | |
| Brakes | Front disc, rear drums | ||
| Ignition | Electronic | ||
| Body construction | Unit | ||
| Fuel tank | 16 gal | ||
1983 Firebird Notes
