Dusty Desert Dweller: 1967 Pontiac Firebird

Here’s opportunity staring you down, daring you to register to bid with an outfit apparently called “bid fast and last” and listed through the Barn Finds classifieds. The prize offered? A 1967 Pontiac Firebird coupe. And the price? In one place it says “asking price $9750” and in another that that’s the current bid. Resolve any doubts for yourself by being the one to offer ten grand on this car. You should still sit on the value side of the equation. Then get yourself and whatever equipment you need to haul this runner/driver away to Hesperia, CA. But no hurry—the auction has more than a week to go.

What’s to like? The body style and proportions, perfect on this, the Pontiac answer to the explosive popularity of Ford’s Mustang, the vehicle that inaugurated the Pony Car segment. The black vinyl top. The color. Sure, that’s most likely not original topcoat on there, but from a distance, it’s serviceable, despite the fact that it has the typical rust at the base of the rear window. They all seem to get this way, and grinding out the rot is typically not a huge deal. What’s more concerning is the corrosion behind the rear wheel on the driver’s side and the fact that there are various bumps under the vinyl top.

Anything not to like? The dustiness of the under-hood components. Perhaps this is easier to understand when you know that Hesperia is located in the Mojave Desert. But reverse engineer this. Where can’t rust live? In the dry, and that would lead one to believe that the underside of this car is clean. You’d have to look to be sure, though, as no photographic evidence is offered. You also have to decide at some point what to do with the paint, probably a cheap 1980s respray. If only there were no rust, I’d just drive the car this way for years. But you’ve got to address the bubbles, and sooner is better for that than later. Another potential pitfall is sit-around-itis. The car has its most recent registration in the form of a 2013 renewal sticker, so it has at least a decade of inactivity on record. Some things have already been done to combat this, like brake work, but you’ll find more. You can rejoice in the fact that it has AC components, but they’ll need complete retrofitting to make them work with today’s refrigerants, no doubt.

Add to the features of this car that it wears its original California black plate, and you’ve got the recipe for collectability baked right in. Oh, and don’t forget the mileage, with a claim of under 80,000, the interior looks about like that number is correct. The car would be relatively easy to drive with its automatic with console shifter. As for the life of the engine, a couple of videos attest to the car’s ability to make it onto and off of a trailer, but some slightly suspicious sounds come in at one point, and possibly some smoke, though it’s hard to tell given that it’s running on a dusty driveway. You don’t have to be a huge gambler to like this car at ten thousand bucks. Maybe fifteen in today’s market and given that a Poncho is not going to appear as often as its Pony Car cousins the Camaro or Mustang.