1986
All Firebirds received center, high-mounted stop lamps to comply with Federal legislation; these were placed on top of the back hatch window. New tail light lenses were now introduced on the base Firebird, completing the replacement of the "slit" or "louvered" taillight lenses that had been a Firebird signature since 1967. The 2.5L 4-cylinder engine was dropped, replaced by the multi-port fuel-injected 2.8L V6 as the standard engine. The Firebird S/E model was discontinued at the end of the year. The rubber–vinyl wrap-around rear wing became standard on Trans Am (available only in black; as these wings aged, these and those offered on subsequent model-year vehicles would suffer from cracking and splitting problems), the Wing spoiler was a credit option on the Trans Am, and mandatory if the louvered rear window was ordered. Midyear, Pontiac introduced a new light-weight, cross-lace wheel, available for the Trans Am.
Only 26 Trans Ams with the 305 H.O L69 were built in 1986; it was discontinued because of fuel vapor lock (boiling) problems. Some sources indicate the 305 TPI engine output was decreased from 210 hp to 190 hp, while others maintain it stayed at 210 hp. Paint RPO's were changed to reflect the new base-coat/clear-coat paint process. American Sunroof (ASC), licensed by Chevrolet to build the 1987 Camaro convertible, also built three 1986 Trans Am convertibles as a "design exercise".
In spite of rumors abound there were NO L98 (350ci TPI) cars made in 1986 according to Pontiac. 11
Read more about this topic: Pontiac Firebird (third Generation)