1969 Pontiac Firebird for sale $49,900

The code 57 Midnight Green finish proves you donandrsquo;t need stripes and spoilers to make a statement, and thatandrsquo;s exactly how it came from the Los Angeles factory back in 1969. Of course, nothing they were spraying in 1969 was as deep and shiny as the gorgeous paint on the car today, and thanks to a high-quality rotisserie restoration in 2010, it sparkles in a way thatandrsquo;s probably better than new. Itandrsquo;s worth noting that all the sheetmetal on this car is originalandmdash;no repro quarters, no patched floors, no reskinned doorsandmdash;and as a car from the west coast, it didnandrsquo;t need a lot of massaging to look this good. The andlsquo;400andrsquo; badges on the faux hood scoops indicate that this is a very special car and the rest of the Firebird and Pontiac emblems are excellent reproductions. The shiny chrome bumpers and polished stainless steel rocker moldings and wheel arches add some brilliant contrast and weandrsquo;ve always loved the Firebird-shaped rear side marker lights.

The code 206 green vinyl bucket seat interior is how this car was originally specandrsquo;d as well, and we do like the sophisticated look that it brings. New seat covers, fresh carpets, reproduction door panels all make it feel factory fresh inside, and thereandrsquo;s new foam underneath so the seats feel like they did on the showroom floor. Thereandrsquo;s also a Hurst shifter for the 4-speed manual gearbox, complete with cue ball knob. All the gauges were rebuilt and they all work, including the hood-mounted tachometer (which came with the 400 HO engine), although the clock seems a little reluctant at times. Experts will quickly spot that this car is equipped with factory A/C, a rather rare find, especially in a convertible, and it, too, is fully operational thanks to a complete rework just a few years ago. The original AM radio seems to have given up the ghost, but to be honest, would you have ever used it? On the other hand, the white power convertible top folds itself quickly and easily with a touch of the rocker switch on the dash, and thereandrsquo;s a white vinyl boot to keep it looking. The trunk is beautifully finished with correct spatter paint, a reproduction mat, a matching Rally II wheel, and even a jack assembly inside its own matching case. And yes, Pontiac experts, the salt shakers are still in place in the corners.

The reason this car is special is under the hood: 400 cubic inches of Pontiac V8. Itandrsquo;s a correct WZ-coded 400 block thatandrsquo;s been fully rebuilt to 335 horsepower HO specs. Even better it makes a towering 430 pounds of torque, enough to make the lightweight F-body feel like a go-cart. It wears a correct air cleaner for the Rochester 4-barrel carburetor, correct tower hose clamps and GM-coded hoses, and thereandrsquo;s corporate turquoise engine enamel on the block itself. It starts quickly and easily without any fussing, idles nicely, and pulls like crazy on the open road. With right around 100 shake-down miles since it was rebuilt, itandrsquo;s obviously quite fresh, and weandrsquo;re betting it gets even faster once youandrsquo;ve had some time to limber it up a bit.

The 400 is backed by a Muncie 4-speed manual gearbox, which was one of three choices with the 400, and it feeds a heavy-duty 10-bolt rear end with 3.42 gears inside, so itandrsquo;s a comfortable cruiser with plenty of punch. The chassis is nicely detailed with correct red oxide primer on the floors and satin black on the suspension components. The front suspension has been rebuilt, there are new shocks and bushings throughout, and a reproduction dual exhaust system has a nice bark thatandrsquo;s never annoying. Again, not detailed for competition, but not too far off, either. It sits right, handles well, doesnandrsquo;t