They say that fortune favors the brave and good fortune certainly managed to shine on Pontiac with the Firebird. In the early 1970s, there had been something of a push amongst certain sectors of company management to discontinue production of the Firebird from around the 1977 model year, but the car was granted a stay of execution. This proved to be a fortuitous decision because the Firebird then went on to rack up record sales in the years 1977 to 1979. This 1979 Firebird Formula is from the most successful of those record-breaking years, and it is a car that is in beautiful condition. It is located in Fraser, Michigan, and has been listed for sale here on eBay. The BIN price for the Firebird has been set at $19,900, but there is an option available to make an offer.
As the energy crisis of the early 1970s began to bite deeply into the performance car market, compounded by tightening emission laws, the push was on to discontinue production of the Firebird. The car’s image received a boost when it featured on a regular basis in the TV series “The Rockford Files.” However, a massive boost courtesy of the movie “Smokey and the Bandit” really cemented the car’s place in the American market, and from then the car experienced three consecutive years of record sales. This culminated in 1979 when Pontiac was able to sell an incredible 211,453 cars. This particular Firebird, finished in Sierra Copper, presents exceptionally well. The paint looks clean and free of significant dings or scratches. The panels are straight as an arrow, with no signs of any rust issues. The owner provides a very nice collection of photos showing the Pontiac’s underside, and it is in amazing condition. The external trim and the glass looks close to perfect, while the distinctive “Formula” decals are free of any form of fading or crazing.
If I’m brutally honest here, I actually find the presentation of the Firebird’s engine bay to be quite disappointing. I am fully aware that we are looking at a 41-year-old car here, but I am also aware of the owner’s claim that the Firebird has a mere 10,000 miles on the clock. To my mind, I just feel that it should present a whole lot better than it does. For those of you who were hoping to find something on the business side of 6.0-liters under the hood, what you actually receive is the 150hp version of the 301ci V8. The transmission is a 3-speed automatic, while the Firebird also features power steering and power disc brakes. When you start doing the math for 150hp moving 3,569lbs of Pontiac, you can be sure that acceleration figures weren’t that startling. However, in a 1979 context, a 0-60 time of 11.6 seconds and a ¼ mile ET of 18.5 seconds weren’t actually that bad. I mean, they weren’t that flash, but they could have conceivably been worse. As I said, the owner claims that the Formula has a genuine 10,000 miles on its odometer, but doesn’t mention whether he holds any evidence to verify this. What he does say is that the car runs and drives perfectly, and exactly how you would expect a car of this mileage to drive. He also says that the Firebird is free of the sorts of squeaks and rattles that can develop over time and accumulated mileage.
The interior of the Formula presents well for a vehicle of this age, but it definitely isn’t perfect. The original Tan cloth upholstery on the seats is free of rips, tears, or stains, and there is only some creasing on the lower front seats to indicate that the car has had any real use. The rear seat looks really clean, as does all of the plastic trim in that area. The lid for the console has a pretty sizeable crack in it, and I think that this is beyond repair. So it looks like a replacement will be required at some point. The other big notable is how dirty the carpet appears to be around the pedal area on the driver’s side. This has taken me a bit by surprise because once again, this is not quite what I expected from a car of this mileage. The headliner also has me slightly perplexed because it has some rather weird stretch marks in it. I’ve included a photo of this in the gallery at the bottom of this article, so take a look and see what you think. The interior isn’t loaded up with options, so beyond the gauges and the Formula wheel, there is only a radio to relieve the boredom on long trips.
There’s no doubt that this 1979 Firebird Formula presents nicely, and I know plenty of people who wouldn’t mind parking it in their garage. Personally, I really like the car, but I guess that I am slightly biased since I’ve always admitted having a soft spot for the Firebird anyway. What I’m interested in is the mileage claim, and what you think of it. I’m also interested to know if we have any readers who might be interested in pursuing this classic further.
I agree w/ Adam, that except for the delaminating? headliner, and the engine compartment condition, that this is a real beauty. IMO, verification for claims of low mileage should be presented up front, especially if that is the rationale for higher pricing. At any rate, GLWTA! :-)
Too bad that there are no cup holders in it for your coffee ☕️. The 301 is surely going to make you fall asleep 😴.
LOL! Your comment reminded me that I had the cup holders that clipped on to the door window sill in my Camaro with the V6.
If I owned it today, it would have to accommodate an Extra Large Dunkin’ Donuts coffee.
Beautiful car, but that 301! Is there any mods available for that engine?
Yes- replacing it with a 455!
If you have a big boat you can always bolt the 301 to a thick chain and use it for an anchor!
Great looking car! 301 is a little disappointing but that was a sign of the times. Great color combo, at least for me. With the amount of pitting on the master cylinder and power booster that was spray bombed black along with the air cleaner I have to believe that the storage was not optimal at some point in the cars life. Important stuff looks great; paint, interior, etc. but I would love to see the original valve covers, usually changed out for cheap chrome for a reason.
The carpet near the gas pedal not only looks dirty, it appears to have a spot almost completely through the threads. No way you can get that kind of wear in 10,000 miles. Also, the exhaust is not hung factory proper, so that’s been changed too. It is mostly pretty clean overall but my 23,000 original mile 79 T/A looks way fresher inside and out. I don’t normally try to discredit mileage claims that could be real, this one just doesn’t seem like it can be though.
This car seems to be higher then the claimed 10k engine bay, carpet, arm rest on console has indentation and cracking… beautiful car none the less. But more like 110k seems appropriate
I’m not sold on the low mileage claim either as the condition of the engine compartment just doesn’t support it. The rest of the car looks to be in excellent condition but to me, the biggest drawback is that very unattractive front end; that’s just homely. The meager 150hp, just 38hp more than my 4 cylinder Ranger, is another turn-off. The asking price seems very optimistic but a lot of guys like these cars so maybe someone will pull the trigger. It’s a hard pass for me, though.
The Rockford Files car was “Sierra Gold”.
This car is “Fiero Bronze Metallic”, as per the build sheet on the 1980 Turbo Trans Am, I had from 1985 to 1995. Same color as mine was.
Looks to be a nice example.
Definitely not original and guessing respray was done because of higher mile condition. Exhaust tips look horrible and whoever replaced them had no idea of correct location.
This car has been on EBay before.
Without mileage documentation the seller is dreaming regarding the asking price
A $9,000 Dollars car, period.
Very nice, well cared for 110,000 mile car.
Over priced, average repaint, and with the 301, this turd wouldn’t stand a chance against the awesome 2018 Elantra Value edition, which produces 147 thumping horsepower!
My dad has the exact same one with the original paperwork and stuff that’s how we found out the name of the colour of the car