Rare 6-speed convertible Firehawk. Two owners, 49,714 original miles, unmodified. Unusual color combination (one of two silver 6-speed convertibles). Runs and drives great, clean CarFAX. Awesome piece of Pontiac muscle for the true enthusiast.
When Pontiac went looking for some extra excitement for the Firebird in the 1990s, they tapped SLP (Street Legal Performance) to build a special-edition Firebird called the Firehawk (which was named after the race series sponsored by Firestone and their eponymous tires). By the time this 1999 example was built, the operation had been folded into GM proper and the Firehawk was a top-of-the-line performance package built by the factory. For you numbers guys out there, these are really rare cars; in 1999, only 719 Firehawks were built, only 418 had the 6-speed manual transmission, only 40 of those were convertibles, and only 2 of those were Bright Silver. Rare is subjective, but regardless of the numbers, these cars are seldom seen in public. This particular Firehawk has had just two owners from new and has never been used as anything other than a fair-weather cruiser. The factory paint is in excellent condition and remarkably, the Firehawk package was pretty subtle?the Ram Air hood, special wheels, and the ?Firehawk? decals on the doors was the only way to see what was stalking you. Maybe that?s why they weren?t more popular; like the ZR1 Corvette, perhaps there wasn?t enough show to match the improved go. Whatever the reason, you?re not going to see another one of these at the local cars and coffee.
The Charcoal leather interior is also in fantastic shape. There are almost no signs of use except for some very minor wear on the driver?s outer seat bolster, which is all but unavoidable. Otherwise, it presents extremely well for being 25 years old and we?re guessing the back seat has never even been used. As the top-of-the-line Firebird, just about everything was standard, including A/C, power windows, locks, mirrors, and seats, cruise control, a full set of gauges, and a powerful AM/FM/cassette stereo that still sounds great (a CD player was one of the few available options). All the gauges are operational, the windows zip up and down, and the six-speed manual transmission racks through the gates effortlessly thanks to a Hurst shifter that was part of the Firehawk package. Overhead there?s a fully lined power convertible top that?s far nicer than something in the Firebird?s price range has any right to be, and it stows neatly under a semi-rigid boot that gives the car a clean look. There?s also a decent trunk out back that makes this a more practical car than you?d expect.
SLP found a bit more horsepower for the 5.7-liter LS1 that was lifted from the Corvette. With a few tricks, it was on par with the ?Vette?s 345 horsepower and a commensurate amount of torque to make it legitimately fast. And if the past 25 years have taught us anything, it?s that the LS1 is virtually indestructible. This one runs like it should and is completely unmodified, so nobody has been abusing it on the track (which is really what it was designed to do). Thanks to modern engine controls, it starts easily, idles properly, and just goes about its business without a second thought. It?s easy to forget this is a 25-year-old car that now qualifies as an antique! The 6-speeds action is light and clutch take up is easy so even if you?re not running hard, it asks for very little from the driver. The suspension has numerous upgrades as well, but none of them make it harsh. No, it?s not a luxury car, but for a muscle car with a live axle and giant tires, it works rather well. The SLP exhaust system has a pleasing growl that makes the Firehawk stand apart from its more ordinary siblings but never gets annoying. And you can see with a glance underneath that this car has never seen inclement weather?there?s surface scale on some of the bare metal parts, but everything else is quite fresh with most of the factory markings and decals still intact. Those gorgeous 17-inch alloy wheels are unique to the SLP cars and carry correct 275/40/17 Firestone radials.
Documentation includes the original owner?s manuals and booklet, the SLP Firehawk supplement, plus the original keychain and wallet.
With Pontiac long gone, cars like this Firehawk remind us that the Excitement Division was still able to pull a rabbit out of their hat once in a while. Limited production, improved performance, and great looks all add up to a very collectable F-body. Call today!
Harwood Motors always recommends and welcomes personal or professional inspections of any vehicle in our inventory prior to purchase.