Pontiac Muscle Cars

The First Generation

1967-1/2 Firebird
As the first year model, the 1967-1/2 Firebird is considered to be one of the most valuable of the "Bird" breed. For a first-year car, there was an amazing selection of models and motors. The public obviously liked what it saw, buying some 82,560 of which 15,528 were convertibles. It was a significant sales accomplishment, considering that the model had a monstrously late February 1967 introduction.

Pontiac used its generous option list in an advertising blitz, asking potential buyers: "Which Firebird is for You?" Pontiac tried its best to divorce the model from its Camaro heritage, and marketed the Firebird as a distinctive, unique sports car.

When viewing the model from the side, its Camaro resemblance was obvious due in no small part to the fact that the Camaro's front fenders were retained (a GM requirement). But PMD engineers had established an elegant appearance in the front and rear treatment. There was a Pontiac GTO-style hood, with horizontally mounted twin-headlights recessed within the distinctive blacked-out hood. At the car's rear were four horizontal taillights (two at each corner). The Pontiac identification was carried in the lower center of the rear deck.

Five models were available the first year: the Firebird, the Firebird Sprint, the Firebird 326, the Firebird 326HO, and the Firebird 400.

The $2,600 base Firebird coupe, was a bare bones model, but it could be upgraded to a ragtop version for an additional $237.

The base Firebird certainly couldn't be confused with the muscle cars of the era. The model carried a 230ci six-cylinder topped with only a single-barrel carburetor. The 165hp rating was minimal compared to other optional engines in the family and just over half of that of the top-of-the-line Firebird 400 model. The compression ratio was low-for-the-period 9:1.

The Firebird Sprint was the next step up the line, hitting the wallet for an aditional $116. It was as though the base powerplant had been dropped off at the neighborhood speed shop for the sprint application. A hotter cam, split exhaust manifold, low restriction air cleaner, and a Rochester four-barrel carb added an additional 50hp to the sprint. The high revving little powerplant also perked at an impressive 10.5:1 compression ratio.

There were several appearance and performance modifications made to set the Sprint apart from the base model. A floor mounted three-speed shifter and firmer suspension really made the driver feel that he had a formidable performer on his hands. The sprint, which weighted 55lb more than the base model, also carried "OHC-6" emblems on the lower body rocker panels. It wasn't muscle car punch by any means, but its performance was impressive, especially for a little in-line six.

Firebird 326ci models moved the en-gine displacement up 94ci, but increased horsepower by only thirty-five over the Sprint six. Despite being a somewhat laid-back V-8 powerplant - a 9.2:1 compression ratio and a one-barrel carb - it made an impressive 3331b-ft of torque at only 2800rpm. Even though the 326 pos-sessed more horses than the Sprint, the model lacked the Sprint's pizzazz.

The Firebird 326's shifter was column-mounted, and the engine was actually twenty-one dollars cheaper than the Sprint's. It came down to a different design philosophy for each model, as well as a different driving style. Identification of this model included "326" numerals on the hood.

The Firebird 326H0 got the buyer back to performance in a big way! There was a 326ci high-performance engine under the hood that made this model a real rocket and one of the most desirable of the early Firebirds.

The $280 HO Option featured an im-pressive 326ci, 285hp engine that many said was totally underrated. Several Firebird experts have indicated that they felt the figure was actually more in the 300hp, or greater, range.

The HO produced 3591b-ft of torque and included such performance goodies as a Carter four-barrel carb, dual ex-hausts, and a 10.5:1 compression ratio.

The HO body was distinctively signified with a body-length horizontal stripe with an embedded "HO" identification. Production of 326H0s was very low, but exact numbers are uncertain. Many lived a brutal, and possibly short, life on the nation's drag strips and may not have survived to the present.

But if you wanted the top dog performance-wise of the first year Firebirds, the Firebird 400 was the ticket. There were actually two versions of this model, even though both were rated at a punchy 325 horses. The Ram Air version, which added an additional $263 to the bottom line, featured functional hood scoops (nonfunctional on the standard 400 engine) which enabled the advertised horsepower to be accomplished at lower revs than with the base 400 version.

The top 400 powerplant was very similar to the vaunted GTO powerplant, but it carried a lower lift and shorter duration cam. The torque of both Firebird 400 engines was a stump-pulling 4101b-ft.

Other options on the Firebird 400 in-cluded a floor-mounted three-speed transmission, dual exhausts, and a heavy duty sport suspension.

As with any new model, there were certain teething problems with the first Firebirds, such as a tendency to oversteer under heavy load conditions. But overall, the response was enthusiastic to the "Camaro's cousin."

Despite the disadvantages of a late-year introduction and force-fit engineering within an existing design, Pontiac still managed to produce a significant and highly flexible machine. It was a great start for the Firebird, but the best was yet to come in both looks and performance.

1968 Firebird
To borrow a cliche, if it ain't broke don't fix it! That proved to be Pontiac's thinking for the 1968 Firebird. But yearly model changes were the status quo in the 1960s, so there were some "minor refinements" made. The philosophy seemed to be right on the money because 107,112 units were sold, a number that wouldn't be exceeded until 1976.

Nineteen sixty-eight was a year of refinement, and if you didn't look carefully, it was difficult to detect the external differences between the two model years. Let's consider the sheet metal changes first.

The Firebird seemed to be moving into the modern era with the elimination of the old-style vent windows. This change gave both a sleeker overall look to the body and provided improved ventilation.

Bodyside marker lights (in the shape of the PMD medallion) appeared on the rear quarters. The "Firebird" lettering with the Bird symbol spread its wings just forward of the name tag, identical to the 1967 treatment.

Open the doors, and bigger changes were in evidence. Liberal use of attractive, burled woodgrain detailing graced the dash and console. Vinyl inserts were added to the seats to change their styling. A nice performance option was a hood-mounted tach.

A wheel hop problem, which had received some bad press on the initial Firebird, got considerable attention on Firebird number two. To address that problem, multi-leaf springs and staggered shocks were installed on all but the base model.

The base powerplant was again a gle-barrel-carbureted six-cylinder. Displacement grew to 250ci, up twenty from the previous year, while horsepower showed an increase of ten, to 175. Torque was measured at 2401b-ft, while the compression ratio remained at 9:1.

Only minor performance refinements were made to the in-line six Sprint engine. Interestingly, the horsepower would remain the same, at 215, but the torque was up slightly to 255lb-ft.

As in the previous year, the $116 Sprint package included a number of trim items and a floor shifter in addition to the higher performance powerplant.

The new Firebird 350 package came next, and carried a very unromantic (and unsports-car-like) column-mounted three-speed shifter. Bucking the performance trend at the time, this model's engine was fitted with only a two-barrel carb. Still, there was an impressive 265hp at 4600rpm on tap. Despite its larger engine, the package was still ten dollars cheaper than the Sprint package.

Like 1967's 326, the 350 was available in an "HO" version and carried the same distinctive stripe, only with a "350" embedded. The shifter was still on the column, and performance goodies included dual exhausts, heavy-duty battery, and F70x14in rubber.

The powerplant provided a pleasurable punch with an impressive 320 horses. This was a great number for a small-block, close to the one-horsepower-per-cubic-inch goal of the day. A Rochester four-barrel and 10.5:1 compression ratio were big factors in achieving this engine's rating.

The 350HO has attracted interest in the collection community, but is considered somewhat of a marginal muscle car by some. When new, the machine was a nice performance alternative to the big engine machines for a younger buyer. The 350HO was also very attractively priced at only $181 over the base model.

But any muscle car fanatic of the l990s will tell you that the 400ci versions (there were three in 1968) were the hot tickets. With the exception of the few 427 COPO Camaros that were produced that model year, Pontiac had a slight step up on the Camaros, as that machine's biggest mill was a 396.

The shifter, moved to the floor, controlled a manual three-speed for the 400ci powered versions. The standard package was the Firebird 400, but to really light your fire, there was also a Ram Air version. Again, there was minimal difference power-wise between the pair (only 5hp), with the Ram Air version rated 335hp at 5000rpm.

The Firebird 400 package included flashy chrome detailing on the air cleaner, valve covers, and oil cap; a heavy-duty suspension system; and special model identification emblems.

The standard 400 powerplant pushed 10.75:1 compression and carried a unique power-flex fan and a Rochester four-barrel carb. The Firebird 400 wasn't cheap, though, requiring an extra $435 over the base model.

The top dog in the performance category, was the Ram Air 400 option that carried the desirable twin, functional hood scoops. These were supposedly all-weather scoops that could always remain open, but most owners blocked them off during the winter.

A second version of the Ram Air powerplant, called the Ram Air II, was introduced near the end of the model year. To call this version an upgrade doesn't do it justice, because it was effectively a new powerplant and featured such heavy-duty items as four-bolt main bearings, special manifolds, and forged pistons. Very few of these models were produced. In the years to come, they're sure to bring a high asking price. Pontiac experts suggest that the Ram Air II could be one of the most desirable muscle collectibles of the Firebird breed.

Its second model year, 1968, was a great year for the Firebird. The engines, models, and options seemed to flow without end. Pontiac's sporty offering could answer just about any desire be it from a performance or an appearance perspective.

Ron Brown & Associates
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