Images: eBay Motors

With the release of the new Camaro and the death of Pontiac, a lot of people are still bitter by the fact that neither there is nor will there ever be a new Firebird. A few companies have gone as far as building their own versions of a new Trans Am, but at the end of the day, they’re nothing more than overpriced Camaros with confused styling.

So if you want a real Firebird, Formula, or Trans Am, you’re going to have to look at the used market. But that’s OK with us, because thanks to the popularity of the 5G Camaro, the prices for the 4G models have plummeted to the point where you can pick up cars like this ’02 Firehawk with 53k miles for only $15k. Just a few years ago, cars of this caliber were still commanding prices in the low $20k’s.

What’s unusual about this example is the fact that it’s a Firehawk with cloth interior and an automatic transmission. Though it’s not entirely unusual to find a cloth and automatic-equipped LS1 ‘hawk, it is something of a rarity to find one that’s based off of a Formula, as most were equipped with the Trans Am body during ’99-’02.

This one has a few aftermarket extras; such as a strut tower brace, cross-drilled/slotted rotors, clear side markers, painted calipers, Last of the Breed badges, and a cheesy Sony Xplod speaker in the trunk. We could do without the latter, since the factory, 500wt Monsoon unit is more than up to the task of providing quality sound.

The 345hp LS1 that sits under the Firehawk’s fiberglass hood appears to be totally stock and includes the optional SLP/Blackwing air lid. We think this would make a perfect platform to build upon, or to return back to completely stock as a collectible for the years to come. Either way, if you’re looking for the latest and greatest example of Pontiac’s pony car, look no further.