Is this 1968 Firebird convertible worth saving or is it just a parts car? The owner is asking a reasonable $3,500 here on craigslist in Rice, MN. He says it’s a matching numbers car, but there’s no mention of the lack of an engine in the pictures. The right rear quarter panel has been replaced, but the work looks dubious. I don’t see the parking lot through the floor, so perhaps the floors are good. If an inspection shows this Firebird to be fairly rust free, would it be worth restoring? The interior parts are all available and reasonably priced, so one could do their own interior work. These Firebird convertibles have been selling for between $13,000 and $20,000 for nice cars. How cheaply could one restore this one if no rust repair is needed?
It begs the question: how can it be ‘numbers matching’ when the engine is missing?
Too bad it’s not a Sprint Six, I’d be very interested and it’s relatively close by…
i have a 1967 pontiac firebird 400 motor and a turbo 400 transmission to go in that car
I had the chance to buy a Sprint 6 Firebird for $1500 in better shape than this convertible in the picture but I didnt because I wanted a V8. Kind of wish I would of bought it now though. I had a 66 Tempest with a Sprint 6 in high school.
Add says engine and trans matching numbers, if so why not show them? If drivetrain is there where ever it’s most likely going to exceed that $13,000 to $20,000 to put it back right.
I would hope it is restored. It would be a great looking car when done, but there’s always that damned money issue. Sometimes you gotta do it for love.
That is one unusual splice on that right quarterpanel–I think the usual method would be to cut the whole quarterpanel out to the seam at the trunklid’s front corner.
I’d be interested to hear someone decode the tag. Looks like a ’68 that I had – originally a 350 with a power slide trans and drums all around. As for the pricing – this is MY opinion – a decent DD will be north of $15k. I sold mine in 2012 for close to $13k. It was a non matching (400 engine mated to TH350), the engine ran and the car was driveable but not road worthy. These have a propensity to rust, even in a dry garage. Mine wasn’t too bad but the quarters and rockers had very small rust areas.
Trim tag Information
Built 4th week of April 1968 – Lordstown Ohio
Color – Solar Red
Top – Black
Interior – Black bucket seats / Standard
These are really good looking cars and I thought they sold for much more. And after a lifetime of dealing with Italian cars parts prices and availability are incredibly good.
I am not a numbers matching person and if I bought it I would probably convert it to a manual, but a warmed over 350 has plenty of power for me.
The worries are that fender which the repair is just odd, but I think easily repaired and it being a Minnesota car how much rust.
These are really good looking cars though
Klh
The price differential between Firebird/Camaro of this era always intrigues me. If this were a Camaro, It’d be sold already at 2X the ask.
That right quarter panel splice is what’s known as a “belt cut”.. Terrible job, but salvageable. As for the floor, well, from what’s visible under the brake pedal (and I’ve seen it before) I would imagine the whole floor pan is rotted.. After all, it’s a convertible..
I’d take the word of the seller to include the engine and tranny as part of the sale just knowing they are sitting inside the building and he was just too lazy to snap a picture..
Nice project though.
Body Tag analyzed:
1968 Pontiac Firebird OHC-6 Convertible with Standard Trim
The paint was Solar Red with Black convertible top.
The trim color and material wereBlack Vinyl.
This car has the Fisher Body Unit Number 6,571 built in the 4th week of April. at the Lordstown, Ohio plant.
If the owner has the motor and trans, and it is part of the package then I think it would be worth a good look see even if both have to be rebuilt. I would be worried about a bad floor, but replacement floor pans can be gotten, on a average around $300.00, from a supplier I use a lot. I would also be worried about the top, I can just imagine the condition of it, that might be why the pictures show it down. For the rear fender, even if it was a hatchet job, if there is enough of the trunk edge and door frame left, it could be replaced with a good after market unit. Again in my opinion, it would all depend on how much work somebody would want to put in it.
I have had a number of these and Camaros, the real question is as Kevin mentioned how bad is the rust? If not terrible, this is a great car. It was born with the right colors. It is not like a Corvette or even Camaro in that it is more valuable to restore as “born” unless it was a real 400 or H.O. car which it was not. The car is screaming resto-mod. Fuel Injected Big Block, has power steering and brakes, 6 speed manual, disc brakes. Oddly this car has a VERY rare option (and fairly meaningless) that few Firebirds had and that was visor vanity mirrors. The mirrors are missing but if you look at the left visor the 2 holes in it are for those that came with the mirrors which was part of a trim group that included those, a grab handle above the glove box and a couple other insignificant options.
I had a 68 400 with turbo 400 and a 12 bolt rear it may have been rated at 335bhp but there was no stock Camaro ,GTX , roadrunner , Chevelle, vettes,with any motor combination cld take it and that was with 4 r 5 ppl in my car wld take it all I had was a shift kit and 350 posi