A successor casting known as the '84 Pontiac Firebird, designed by Brendon Vetuskey, was introduced in 2020 and touted as a replacement for the '80s Firebird casting. The casting was given a specific model year, better detailing and a new T-top.
In the final year of the second-generation Firebirds (1981), Trans Am still used the same engines as it had in the previous model year, with the only change being the addition of a new electronic carburetion system.
The assembly plant code for Norwood, OH is "N" (from 1972 to 1980 this was the fifth VIN digit, for 1981 it is the 11th digit), and for Van Nuys, it is "L" (for Los Angeles, of which Van Nuys, Los Angeles is a district). In the later second-generation cars, Norwood used lacquer-based paint (there is an "L" on the cowl tag), and Van Nuys used water-based paint (there is a "W" on the cowl tag), due to California's tightening pollution regulations. The water-based paint often failed and delaminated during the warranty period and subsequently, cars had to be repainted.
