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48k Original Miles: 1969 Pontiac Firebird

While it isn’t uncommon for parents and children to share similar tastes and passions, the opposite can also be true. That is the case with this attractive 1969 Pontiac Firebird. The owner purchased this classic pony car for his son, but it appears that the son doesn’t share his passion. As a result, the father has chosen to place the vehicle on the market. The frisky Firebird is located in Corona, California, and has been listed for sale here on craigslist. All you need to do is hand the owner $19,500, and you could be driving away in this beauty. I have to say a big thank you to Barn Finder Matt R for spotting this Firebird for us.

The more I look at this Carousel Red Firebird, the more I wonder whether the owner would like to adopt me! This is a great looking car, and I can’t imagine not wanting it. The paint shines magnificently, with no signs of any significant issues. The panels are as straight as an arrow, with no evidence of prior accident repairs. The owner refers to the vehicle as solid, and I don’t see any signs of rust problems. If the Firebird has spent most of its life in California, then that will have helped its cause. The car rolls on a set of Rally II wheels that are in good condition. I can’t spot any chrome or trim problems, while the glass also looks to be in good order.

The Pontiac is a numbers-matching classic, and while it might not be the fastest offering from the company in that year, it still offers its new owner respectable performance. What we find is a 350ci V8, which is backed by a 3-speed automatic transmission. The Firebird also features power steering and power brakes. That 350 should be producing around 265hp. That’s enough to propel the Firebird through the ¼ mile in 16.1 seconds. The seller states that the Pontiac has 48,000 original miles on the clock, but it isn’t clear whether he holds verifying evidence. What he does say is that the car runs and drives well.

Classic cars from this era that have spent their life in hotter climates can suffer some pretty horrendous deterioration of the interior trim and upholstery. The news with the Firebird remains positive because the Parchment upholstery is in good condition. There are no signs of any rips or splits, while the headliner also looks nice. The only unknown here is the state of the dash pad. I wouldn’t be surprised if it is cracked, but the cover that has been fitted makes it impossible to tell. If it needs replacing, this wouldn’t be the end of the world. Replacements are available for approximately $330, and if that’s the only significant item that requires replacement, this could be a very cheap restoration. A couple of smaller plastic pieces show some deterioration, but fixing these would not be urgent. The original radio has made way for a CD player, and the Firebird comes equipped with a console and air conditioning.

Gasoline courses through my veins, so I can’t imagine not wanting to own a car like this 1969 Firebird. This is especially true if someone else was buying it for me! Still, we all have our own tastes and preferences, and the owner’s son has made his choice. That could be good news for you if a classic pony car is on your wish list. This one has only just hit the market, and if it is as good as the listing and photos would seem to suggest, then I suspect that it will sell pretty quickly. Is this a classic that you would consider pursuing further?

Comments

  1. Avatar Cattoo Member

    I don’t understand this new crop of kids. Shying away from a drivers license and automobiles and especially one such as this sweet Firebird. I’d would own it in a hot second were it an option.

    Like 41
    • Avatar Jeff

      Shy away… not sure. Go to a few shows and see the attitudes of a few so called car enthusiate. Muttering of comments of what an other generation brings, circle your chairs so no one dares enter the innerfold for fear of contamination of another thought or vehicle that shines with pride. Insurance rates high, gas high, skilled techs to fix low, attitudes at times low…Hmmmm hurray for diversity and those who choose to look past their own bumper…:) Nice Firebird….

      Like 8
      • Avatar Dave

        Ever seen Cars 3? Other than a gaping plot hole (NASCAR doesn’t do radical change, they do incremental changes to keep everything more or less equal) there was a certain amount of resentment toward Jackson Storm and what he represented. I will admit to being guilty of harboring resentment toward enthusiasts who weren’t building cars like I was used to. But you know what? At the end of the day they’re all car lovers, rendering their version of art. And that’s a good thing for the hobby.

        Like 1
  2. Avatar Ike Onick

    Sweet. No further comment.

    Like 10
  3. Avatar JACKRBT

    I weep for the future.

    Like 15
  4. Avatar Jcs

    And she’s gone…….

    Like 3
  5. Avatar DavidH

    It never ceases to impress me how a low mileage car in well kept condition can look better than a well done restoration. The engine compartment doesn’t fall into that category but the exterior still shows how good this car was made when it rolled off the assembly line.

    Like 10
  6. Avatar Eric B

    Gosh, I feel like that’s a complete steal! Someone got lucky. Hope it wasn’t a flipper who wants to make a couple bucks.

    Like 11
    • Avatar Seabecker

      I continue to wonder at the negative attitude toward people who are able and willing to see value in car, improve it, and then turn a profit. It’s call capitalism , free enterprise. Why
      the tendency to criticize that? Older cars are a form of art, yes. But they are also a commodity. Please be open to those trying to make a living or to bring in needed funds on the side, so long as they do so legally and ethically. I have supplemented my family budget over the years in this way, and had fun along the way. Why is that a problem?

      Like 8
      • Avatar Johnny

        Well when a flipper , lies to a owner and rips the person off. Then turns around . Makes a huge profit and laugh at the person they bought it from. That is why. This is a really nice car. Some kids can,nt be pleased. They THINK they have to have a new one and don,t realize how hard it is to afford a new one. He hurt his dad,s feelings and should appologize to his dad. I knew a man who bought his son a new Trans Am when he was born. Kept the car hide for 16 years. Then presented the kid the car on his birthday. The kid didn,t like it. So the dad bought the kid a new comaro . Good thing the kid was not dealing with me. He,d walk where ever he had to go. I,d give him a attude adjustment.

        Like 6
  7. Avatar Rabbit

    I think that kid needs a check up from the neck up…..

    Like 16
  8. Avatar Ike Onick

    Radical thought here from one of the olde fartz- maybe the kids are smarter than we think. It is pretty clear (to some, not all) that the internal combustion engine and paving over a share of our earth to drive and park vehicles had some consequences. Just saying.

    P.S. Moderator- Feel free to delete.

    Like 2
    • Avatar TimS

      Right on, Ike. I never got to experience streets full of horse dung or taking three months to travel a few hundred miles. I’m deprived and it’s the automobile’s fault.

      Like 18
    • Avatar Dave

      No…it’s been the mass clear-cutting of trees that’s had the most consequences.

      Like 3
      • Avatar JEFF S.

        Yah, That is why the USA has more trees today than in 1900. Georgia Pacific plants 2 trees for everyone they harvest, so there is that. I drove through the state of Washington in Sept, 2020 on Hwy 101 and got tree blind, if you know what I mean.

        Like 5
  9. Avatar Tom71mustangs Member

    I can’t tell you how many times I wish MY kids could experience walking to school in waist-deep snow, barefooted, walking uphill (both ways). They got spoiled once the Stagecoach started taking them to school and it’s been all downhill from there. Dang Horseless Carriages!!!

    Like 14
  10. Avatar jerry z

    What a sweet looking ride! Jealous its not me owning the beautiful ‘Bird!

    Like 6
  11. Avatar Rusty

    I had a 68 Firebird 400 with an automatic.

    Scary fast, trying to stop was also scary with 4 wheel drum brakes.

    Wish I had the foresight to keep it, but marriage and kids happened, lol.

    Like 9
    • Avatar Ladd

      Had the same in a ’67 convertible and wish I still had it.

      Like 0
  12. Avatar JoeNYWF64

    Did the driver’s door mirror fall off?
    I bet the center nose section is chrome because if it was all endura it would look too much like the planned 1970 GTO.

    Cattoo, have u seen the sticker prices on new(& even used) cars lately? & most are 4 door & look ugly. You can’t buy a stripped cheap camaro, etc. anymore or even a cheap used one. & you can’t see out of it, no room for 4 people. & young people are unable to get even a low paying job like we could back in the day, much less a college job later on.
    & insurance is astronomical for teens too.
    A no brainer, especially when parents are payin for more-addictive-than-drugs smartphones for even their live-at-home post-teen offspring.

    Like 7
  13. Avatar Timmerz

    Yup, that was a good one! If I was in the market for a pony I’d have jumped on that one!

    Like 4
  14. Avatar Ed Jennings

    I had a ‘69 convertible with HO 350 and 4speed. I’m thinking that one might be a ‘68? Reason I say that is that the grill on mine was body color urethane. That was the main difference in appearance between ‘68 and ‘69 as
    I remember.

    Like 1
    • Avatar Seabecker

      Big difference between a 68 and a 69 are the marker lights, as well as several other items. The 69 rear marker lights were in the shape of a firebird, whereas the 68 were in the shape of an arrowhead. The front grille is quite a bit different as well. Both great cars.

      Like 0
    • Avatar Rusty

      My 68 had chrome outlining all the way around the front grill, the 69 just around the “nose”.

      Like 2
  15. Avatar Ed Jennings

    So only some ‘69’s had the urethane grille?

    Like 1
    • Avatar Rusty

      All the 69’s I ever saw had the chrome outlining the nose although it might have happened. I think they had a rare Trans Am option in 69 which may have had a urethrane grill, I’m not certain though.

      Like 0
  16. Avatar Jerry

    Nice ride…..always liked the Ponchos, my fav GM product, those white walls gotta go though!

    Like 1
  17. Avatar Ron mantegani

    68 rear end?

    Like 0

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