[Bentwheelbob]

Originally Posted by bird72

That rounded edge bird is incorrect for early ones and don't understand why it is even referenced. I have to repaint my trunk now thanks to a mystery damage chip (bad) that occurred in a shop. I put the 75 style bird on just recently (NOS), and after repaint will put the jagged wing early style repro on after, the round edge one is cool (and taller than the original) but bugs me on incorrect, I like the jagged wing one much better anyway. If the repro fades I will just put a new one on every few years, who cares.

Isn’t ( or wasn’t) your car an original paint car?

[bird72]

Originally Posted by Bentwheelbob

Isn’t ( or wasn’t) your car an original paint car?

Yes, mostly. I had an old door repair redone and had to blend L side so I lost some more original. (Arrgh) and the trunk does have some fade. So I will wind up with maybe half to 2/3 original. I quit caring. It is just a driver anyway. The trunk chip made me very whacky for a while, but life is too short and it is just a driver anyway.

[unruhjonny]

Anthony;
save yourself the money;
the repop doesn't so much fade, the clear topcoat hazes over within a year... at least that's my experience.
The latter one shouldn't bug you, according to my understanding of MPC's, the second design replaced the forst design almost from the moment it was introduced...

[johnta1]

Know nothing of NOS stuff, but this is the original emblem off my Feb Bird:
(of course the 'fill' came out but not while on the car)


Front:





Back Side:

[Judge273]

I see this isn't just a 70 bird issue. All years without spoilers?

[poncho-mike]

I'm not sure.

I've picked up a number of Firebird trunk lids with no emblem on them over the years. It's possible the emblem was removed when the car was repainted and wasn't replaced. Or maybe the base Firebird didn't get the trunk emblem. But I'll go out on a limb and say that most of the trunk lids I have without spoilers don't have the emblem.

Mike

[johnta1]

1970 no Birds had the rear spoiler except for the Trans Am.
I also think all Birds got the deck lid emblem, except the Trans Am.


Later years the spoiler was available, so those had no emblem.
The deck lids would have been punched for the spoiler though.

BTW, all the deck lids I have that had no spoiler had the emblem.
(most were 1970/71)

[unruhjonny]

Originally Posted by poncho-mike

... I've picked up a number of Firebird trunk lids with no emblem on them over the years. ... I'll go out on a limb and say that most of the trunk lids I have without spoilers don't have the emblem.

My understanding is that ALL 1970-1981 Firebirds which did not receive a factory installed spoiler received a trunk "bird" emblem;
This would have been standard cosmetic items, much like fender mounted "Firebird" script badges - or what ever the rule of thumb was for fender badges for the given model year, and for that specific model.

As to the trucks which appeared to never have an emblem, that's an easy explination;
1) it's from a car which had a factory installed two-sided taped emblem (so lets say somewhere around 1977 through to 1981).
2) it's a replacement trunk lid, which had a two sided taped emblem.

My belief/understanding is that from the factory, 1970-1974 Firebirds* received the "1st design" trunk bird, while 1975+ received the "2nd design" trunk bird.
(* = as in cars which did not have factory installed spoilers)

I know that the "1st design", was used for 1970-1974, and that while those cars were in production all the trunk birds used mounting and alignment studs;

I am confident that at least 1975 & 1976 cars with the "2nd design" bird received emblems with mounting and alignment studs while the cars were in production.

I am also fairly confident that 1980 & 1981 cars which received the "2nd design" emblem, used from the factory, a two sided taped emblem.

What I am slightly fuzzy on is when the studed 2nd design was phased out...
I am fairly confident that the one studded second design bird I have was taken from a painfully original 1975 Esprit.
I seem to recall that the most common trunk bird to find (keep in mind I turned 18 in 1995) was the two sided taped bird - and the most plentiful cars in the scrapyard (around here) at the time was 1977-1981 models...

[Judge273]

Wow, all the birds I've seen without factory spoilers have emblem...

That's why I asked...Dennis 71, Bobs 72, Teri's 74 to name a few.

[unruhjonny]

Originally Posted by Judge273

Wow, all the birds I've seen without factory spoilers have emblem...

That's why I asked...Dennis 71, Bobs 72, Teri's 74 to name a few.

yup;
The MPC's will show this;
there is no notes suggesting that a non-spoiler bird was ever built without a trunk bird.

[poncho-mike]

It sounds like the original GM trunk lid emblems hold up better than the reproductions. I checked Ebay and saw NOS parts for $85 - 125, and repops are $50 each. I know the NOS ones available are slightly different from the original equipment, but why would anyone run a repop emblem when there are NOS available at a reasonable price?

[unruhjonny]

to the best of my knowledge the only legitimate NOS ones currently available on the likes of eBay are the two-sided tape version of the "2nd design";
that being said, it all depends on you.

I have posted a couple times about my first hand experience with the reproduction of the "1st design" trunk bird;
After one summer the clear topcoat had hazed up enough, that it looked to be fourty years old...
Unlike the old legitimately weathered ones, the clear top coat gets hazy, and eventually starts getting a ton of wrinkle/cracks (I don't know how else to describe it;
the original ones would over time shrink - and as the plastic would shrink, the colour would fade.

I do not know anything about the repop "2nd design" birds.

I would earnestly be interested in a legitimate NOS "1st design" bird.

I am hesitant to believe that the two-sided taped version of the "1st design" birds are legitimate until, I have air tight proof.

It seems as though the repops have compromised the quality of the part to reach a price point;
I would rather pay a higher price point to know i am getting a quality part.

If you aren't too concerned about a part which visually is identical to the part originally installed on a 70-74 car, and want it to continue looking good, I would say that the NOS ones are the way to go;
I have no cause to believe that they prematurely fade ect...
If you want 100% correct, and don't mind buying one every year, or every other year (depending on how often the part is exposed to UV light) - the repop is a nice looking part.

[poncho-mike]

I have no need for this emblem and will be posting for sale. All of the birds I own now have spoilers. $100 includes shipping if anybody is interested.

It seems I have acquired more parts over the years than what I remember. There may be an upside to memory loss in old age, opening a box that's been stashed away in a closet for 25 years can yield some real prizes.

Mike

[bird72]

Mike check PM's

[unruhjonny]

I'm going to dredge this thread up.

What's the consensus on this one?


( this is a slightly modified screenshot; eBay item number: 264523423478 )

[unruhjonny]

here are four of the seven pictures from the auction saved and uploaded here for posterity:

[77 Canamman]

I think it is a repro. What leads me to that opinion is the fact that there are marks on the stud where a nut was threaded on, possibly on the emblem that was used to create a mold for this part.

[unruhjonny]

hmm, that seems to be a very good point - I hadn't thought about that;
I have only had two NOS badges, and both were 70/71 Esprit/Formula bumper emblems;
I don't believe either had any markings of any sort on the large stud.

[77 Canamman]

ANY actual real deal GM NEW OLD STOCK emblem would never have those marks on the main attaching shaft. I have bought scores of them over the years for several different cars, and they were smooth, and the attaching speed nut(s) were either in a GM branded paper envelope in the box, or in a plastic baggie in the box.

[unruhjonny]

ok;
thanks for sharing the knowledge;
Those two aforementioned emblems I bought were both purchased loose with no packaging.