70s Firebird
 

I think there is a saying that you should never meet or drive your hero’s and I’ve always wanted a early 70s Pontiac Firebird or Stingray. Am I going to be horribly disappointed?

I’ve scratched my European sports car itch (356 to 911, Tr2-8, MK2 Jag to XKE, MGs) done the VW Bus thing so I thought I might try a muscle car as I grew up in the 70s and just adored that genre. A waste of my time and money or definitely one to cross off the bucket list?

I live in Los Angeles and the car would be used for pleasure. Not looking for an investment either.
Thanks.

I’d love to have a ‘67-‘68 Firebird V8 with a 4-speed. :)

Definitely cheaper than just about any Porsche as itches go. I personally have a thing for 66-67 Goats and 2+2 converts OR coupe with manual trans, so I see where you could have an itch for an early Firebird.
I have a friend with 67 & 69 converts with original 400 engines & 4spd trans. Has had them both since HS and they're part of the family at this point. If you're going to get one, recommend the investment in one like my friend's. Pretty fast and a blast to drive top down. I believe either year is more desirable than 68 but couldn't tell you why.

I have driven a couple. They aren't bad cars and performance wise, GM motors are dirt cheap to make power with. Lots of aftermarket support too if you go that way.

I've driven a few that were a real POS, just about ruined them for me. But, I remember one that was in nice shape and was fun to drive. Simple to work on and tons of parts/upgrades if you want to tinker with it. I'd check it out, drive a few and see if its scratches the itch.

Another thing, you aren't out much if you get into and back out of the game with these. I like the first gen the best, but the early 70s models are the ones I drove and the are nice as well. Never cared for the KITT generation of Firebirds/Trans Ams.

Pre 73, Firebird or Stingray. Smog era cars tend to be under powered and overweight. If you do not care about matching numbers the Vette can be bought fairly cheap. I put about 200,000 miles on my C3.

Something like this would scratch my itch...
https://images.craigslist.org/00a0a_...x9_600x450.jpg

https://orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/d/irvine-1968-pontiac-firebird-400/6908551454.html

Buy one with a few mods or mod yourself and they will be a blast. Suspension, tires, brakes along with a few added ponies and you are good to go.

Good example

I lust after a 1970 firebird trans Am with 400 ci in HO ram air IV and four speed.
370 under-rated hp.
in my yoot a friend's older brother had one but I never got a ride.
That's one I would really really want.
But, they didn't make many of them. It'd be lots easier and cheaper to get one with the 455 HO engine and almost the same performance.


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1561581105.jpg

I think those SD 455 ('73-'74 TA) are running serious $.

The late 70's era TA were uni-body with T-roof and screaming chicken on the hood. With the Pontiac 400/Olds 403 they were under powered, under suspended, and badly under braked. I say find a couple good ones to test drive and go from there.

71 455 is the ONLY HO very rare and worth hunting for BUT very pricie
that was a one year only firebird only motor the only hi comp 455 with round ports
I found a ho455 4 BOLT MAINS SHORT-block but never could find the rare heads for my GTO
STOCK THE GTO ONLY CAME WITH ''D'' PORTS IN A 455

later 74-75 SD 455 has round ports but A low comp smog motor
with forged rods that EVERYBODY USES IN BUILT 455'S

HO good
SD bad

He is looking for a driver and not an investment. He csn buy a less desirable model and with a few easy updates can end up with a reasonably priced head turning and fun ride.

Not what you say you are looking for but these are pretty good.http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1561594237.JPG
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1561594237.JPG
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1561594237.JPG

My high school buddy had a 1970 Firebird Esprit. These were the luxo models so it had a lot of extra touches that were probably built to order by original owner. White with red interior, Ralleye wheels, retractable wipers, 400ci and TH400 trans (Esprit usually had 350/350). Everything original and it would light the single rear tire for a city block. Later he put in a 12 bolt positrac but saw fit to paint over the original paint and install a Formula hood and on and on. Almost impossible to find an equivalent car for less than 35K.

They are a very different experience, but they can be fun. I'd love to have something American with a big V8 from the 60s or early 70s if I had the extra space and money to have one as an additional car.

I'd think that something no later than 71 or 72 would be good UNLESS you got one of the HO 455 cars from a little later.

If it was me, I'd probably also end up doing some mild updates (car dependent, suspension, brakes, wheels/tires).

I love American cars from this era. Just make sure you have reasonable expectations. They can be built to go fast and handle, too, if you are so inclined.

Where were you when we were selling this?http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1561598188.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1561598188.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1561598188.jpg
But I still have the GTA:cool:http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1561598232.jpg

Early Trans Am coupe or 70-72 Olds 442 vert for me.

Yup... I'm a fan of this gen. Friend in HS had one, cool then, cool now.

And now the buzzkill...

Things that were irritating about these:
-Front ends can require frequent rebuilds if you aren’t the “grease it every oil change” type
-valve guides probably have improved but I recall them needing refreshed every 50K or so
-doors are super heavy and the handles are sub par pot metal
-rear axle not much fun on bumpy or off camber turns
-interior materials one grade up from cardboard
-generally heavier than needed, Poncho engines are all dimensionally the same size from late 60s to early 70s, even their 350 was a “big block.”

Some cool things I recall:

The high compression big cam engines had their own sound due to air gap intake manifold design.(you almost needed an engine hoist to pull these off!)
Great instant torque
Headers with manual exhaust dump valves made for other worldly car guy approved racket

One of my favorite cars I had just after high school graduation was a 1978 Formula Firebird (white, with a burgundy interior, and T-tops). Mine had the snowflake wheels, and a 305 automatic....still loads of fun, and fairly quick. Loved thge stance, the sounds, and the open air feel.

^^^^ I am just devasted to hear this.... 78z ;)....

'70 Cougar w/ a 351 before I bought my '78 302 V8 CJ5 ....immediately ignored the warranty/emmissions bs....headers w/ sidepipes :). With a few exceptions....by '78....disco also sucked ;)

Used to day trade my new CJ5 with a hs friend's 78z....I did love that car too :).

But not much else made in the USA in the late 70s...

Reminds me of my brother's '78 Z-28.
It took about a year for the cheapo door handle on the inside of the driver's door to break and maybe three years before the headliner started drooping down. it was always something with that car, it literally fell apart within 5 years of (hard) use.

My point?
Build quality of muscle cars sucked bigtime compared to nowadays, that's why these cars are mostly good from a nostalgia/more fun to own than to drive standpoint.

But I would still like to have one in the garage. I'm just not quite foolish enuuff to spend the money to get one.

I would choose a nice 996 with AC over any of those cars. YMMV.

I had an itch a few years ago and bought a really nice 67 RS Camaro. That thing would burn rubber 1st through 3rd gear but you couldn't take a corner in it, and I had forgotten just how big those cars were! Today's tiny parking lot spaces and rush hour traffic really limited when/where I could drive it.

A 67 is a couple inches smaller thwn a 2018 model. Same width and about 8" shorter than a Camry.

They are bigger than one would think

Yeah, like this. :-) . (Really miss that old Trans Am series)

https://speedhunters-wp-production.s...TA-Poll-02.jpg

1967 firebird
189" long
72.6" wide
51.5" tall
~3250# weight

2019 Toyota Camry V6
192.7" long
72.4" wide
56.9" tall
3572# per toyota.com

A Toyota camry is not what I'd call a big car. How small would you expect a vehicle that could come with a 400ci V8 to be? Yeah, they are bigger than a 911 or a miata, but then Porsches have always been relatively diminutive, especially compared to the competition. And camaros, firebirds and mustangs weren't sports cars, they were pony cars.

My first car in 1986 was a 1965 Chevy Impala 2dr

213" long
79.5" wide
55.5" tall
~3600#

My first Porsche, an '88 911
169" long
65" wide
52" tall
~2800#

My current Porsche, '08 Boxster S
171.6" long
70.9" wide
50.9" tall
~3000#

I was replying to Rattlsnak who stated how big a 67 Camaro was. I was saying it wasn't that big compared to today's avg cars.

Sorry for the confusion.

Sorry, I missed his post.

Agreed, modern cars, in some ways have gotten silly big, and old cars, while not small, are not really as big as they seem in many cases.