As a project car, this 1968 Pontiac Firebird Convertible may not need a lot of work before it is ready to be used once again. It has undergone a prior restoration, but there are a few rust issues that may still need to be addressed. It is located in Utica, New York, and has been listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has worked its way to $8,300 at the time of writing, but the reserve hasn’t been met.

It isn’t clear when the previous restoration was completed, but on the surface, the Firebird doesn’t actually look that bad. There is a pretty sizeable dent in the passenger side door, but the rest of the exterior looks pretty fair. The black top also looks like it is in reasonable condition except for one small tear, while the external trim and chrome also look to be in decent condition. There is no significant external rust visible, with the rockers and lower quarters, in particular, appearing to be quite clean. It isn’t clear how the floors look, but the owner is willing to supply pictures of these to any prospective buyers. The rust that he does identify is in the radiator support, but it isn’t clear just how extensive this is. Given the fact that he mentions replacement suggests that it might be pretty extensive.

The black interior trim is decent and presentable, but it just lacks in a few detail areas. The covers on the seats aren’t torn, but they are exhibiting a bit of stretching. I would probably have a bit of a look at the rear seat because it does appear as though the foam might be beginning to collapse. In fact, that might also account for the slightly stretched appearance of the front seats. The factory radio has been removed and replaced with an aftermarket stereo, and the quality of this installation is not great, to be diplomatic. A new dash pad is included, but really, what the interior needs is someone with an eye for detail to really make it shine. It’s little things like the silver Dynamat being visible above the top edge of the carpet, the fit of the shift indicator into the console, tidying up wiring that is hanging down below the dash. Attending to these sorts of items takes time, costs nothing, and makes a huge difference to presentation.

The owner seems unclear about the size of the engine fitted to the Firebird, but if it is of 1968 vintage, then the YC code indicates that it is the 290hp version of the 400ci V8. This is backed by a 3-speed Turbo Hydramatic transmission, and while the Firebird scores power steering, there is no assistance for the brakes. The engine wears an aftermarket carburetor and intake, but there are some components in the trunk which the owner believes might be the original carb and intake. It appears that the Pontiac may have been out of service for a while, and the owner says that while it runs, drives, and can be driven onto a trailer, buyers should not expect to be driving it home. One worry is a noise from the engine, The owner is unsure of what this is, and says that he hasn’t been able to isolate it. He said that it could be a bottom end noise, but it could also be something as simple as a loose bolt for the torque converter. Anyway, it’s something that I would be investigating pretty carefully before I drove the car any distance.

I guess that with this 1968 Firebird Convertible, there are a few unknowns. However, that is always going to be the case with any second-hand car, regardless of its age. The fact that the owner is pretty candid about these problems, and is also willing to supply additional photos, is actually quite confidence-inspiring. It probably also explains why not only has the bidding been solid up until this point, but why there are currently 123 people who are watching the listing.