Firebird barn find - $$$$
 

Firebird prototypes #1 and #2 found in a barn in Connecticut....

‘Holy Grail’ of muscle cars found in old barn | New York Post

Cool story, but calling them the "holy grail" and stating that the Firebird "revolutionized" muscle cars is TV show hyperbole BS. They sold for $650k after a $200k resto, had those been Camaros they would have been at least double. The Firebird has always been the Camaro's ugly step child.

yeah, almost like finding the first two mercury cougars. But still neat that some of these first production cars are still around somehwere.

"Revolutionized?" Really? It's a Mustang wannabe with a giant chicken painted on the hood. The only thing in the slightest bit revolutionary is the chicken.

As much as I like Fast N Loud, I don't believe that anything on that show happened the way they show it.

Wouldn't the holy grail be a GTO/Tempest pre-production vehicle?

Absolutely, GTOs were 2 years or so ahead of Firebirds...

First Pontiac GTO was 63 ....Firebird was 67

My first car after college was a new 1969 Pontiac GTO, sold it when I shipped overseas. One of the biggest mistakes I ever made.

kid across the street had a 67 tri-power convert GTO

a later buddy had worked on their factory A/FX team on a tempest with the IRS
it had a 421 and two power glides one behind the motor, one in the rearend stock location
maybe that was the pre-GTO

F body cars in general are pieces of crap. I've owned two (a Camaro and a formula firebird). Both we're absolute crap in terms of build quality, corrosion resistance, handling, ride quality, comfort, visibility, reliability and just about every other metric I can think of offhand.

Maybe it's cool because these were the first two but only in the same way that finding the first two Ford Pintos or Iranian nuclear warheads would be - namely they're noteworthy because they represent previously un-produced things but ultimately the world is no better off for them having been created.

I have no love for the F body cars of any sort. They have some okay styling but in general they're garbage.

That's telling it like it is, the unvarnished truth. :)

Funny thing is, Fast N Loud crew will chop it up, put big tires and paint it pink or something.

this applies to just about every automobile manufactured in that era...

They brought in an expert at concourse level restorations and restored both to "museum quality"... seemed to spare no expense.

This.

Firebird barn find - $$$$
 

True to a point. I also owned a Buick Regal from that era (POS, but a Grand National drivetrain upgrade made it at least kinda fun) and of course my 911. The 911 is a world apart from the GM cars though, as would be expected given the price difference.

Did the restoration performed on the two F-body cars include the from-the-factory rust that was AFAIK a hallmark of the production versions of those cars? I'd look for that if I were a concours judge.

Definately a cool "find"--Firebird guys would consider these "Holy Grail" cars--regular muscle car guys--ehhh just another pair of Firebirds.

I enjoy watching the SHOW--fully realizing that it is a SHOW replete with scripted drama and storylines, but entertaining nonetheless.

Had a beer with Aaron down in the hill country, said everything really happens when cameras are off.
TV is entertainment and we are talking about it, they win.

Those guys love to throw that term around. One time they found a "holy grail" Boss 429 sitting in a container up in MN.

If there was holy grail of Firebirds, in my opinion, it would be Bill Mitchell's Pegasus.

Wow.... didn't think that would happen.

Makes for good ratings. I don't think "holy grail" and "Firebird" will ever be genuinely used in a sentence together.

The numbers on the F40 build just don't add up. I do enjoy the show though.

fastest stock one is a 71 455HO round port

I had a 455ho block/crank 4 bolt mains
but not the super rare hi-comp round port heads
swapped into my 68 GTO

Hmmm.
 

How cool was that? Always think Aaron the best part of show, but guess gotta have Richard too. Still, of all car shows this one most entertaining and not too rednecked out for lack of better way of saying it. What gets me about all these shows, much like those on HG TV is the time cruntch whether real or self imposed. Would never give a car and say restore in x amount of time unless was a totally reasonable period. That just begs for shoddy work....

One of those cars is FUGLY. Two of them - twice as FUGLY. Even if I had the money, there is no way I would spend that much on two Firebirds. Who said they were worth $650k? And don't tell me "it was an auction". Auctions sell cars everyday for more than they're worth. All it takes is a couple of idiots with more money than sense to drive up the price way past what the car is actually worth. And $200k on restoration? That's each? Really?

name one monday and the other friday. and then have the guys restoring them drunk on the corresponding days.


only then will they be restored back to detroit 67 factory conditions.

I'd take a first-gen Firebird over a first-gen Camaro any day.
The Firebirds are just better looking, more interesting cars.
You see TONS of over-restored/rodded Gen 1 Camaros on the road these days. Not so Gen 1 'birds.

Carter

The first year for the GTO was 1964, not 63.

Amongst the forgotten are the early 'muscle cars'.....some hype master hadn't invented the term yet.

421 Pontiac
413 Plymouth wedge
409 Chebbie
406 Ford

IIRC, all these were all released in 1961/62 & back in the day a properly optioned unit would blow off a GTO. BTDT.