What is it about cheap, unlovable cars that gets us excited when they (rarely) pop up for sale? Full disclosure, I don’t want to own or drive this car, but given how long it’s been since I saw a Sunbird in person, it’s hard to ignore. While it is just a rebadged version of its Monza sibling over at Chevrolet, we even tend to see the Monza more often than the Sunbird. It won’t do much for your heart rate, but I can practically guarantee you’ll be the only driver in town with one. Find it here on eBay with a Buy-It-Now of $585.
Under $600! Surely, this Sunbird deserves to live for such a low price. You could get it even cheaper, with an opening bid of $450. The Sunbird is located in California, and the seller says it’s been stored since 1997. The good news is the body looks plenty dry, so hopefully, rust repair won’t be in the next owner’s future. The old-school California blue plates suggest the Sunbird’s hiatus from the roads might stretch back even longer than 1997.
Sadly, this Sunbird is not equipped with the standard manual transmission, making do with a likely miserable-to-drive three-speed automatic. The interior looks better than I expected, with just a few cracks in the dash to detract from what otherwise looks a complete cockpit. While the Sunbird and Monza were intended to compete with foreign-made small car rivals, this compact did nothing to enhance GM’s reputation for building a desirable small car.
Perhaps a more eagle-eyed viewer can determine which motor is present, but it’s not the Buick-sourced V6. Is it the standard single barrel or optional two-barrel? Neither one would make much of a difference on the performance side of things, and frankly, you’re not buying this Sunbird for any of the engines that came under the hood. It’s merely an attempt to preserve a car that is nearly extinct, but you’ll have to decide if even $585 is too much.
It would make a good race car for that price. Drop in a SBC and start racing! Okay it’s not that easy but for that price it is tempting!
It’s not that difficult, either. The other options might be a turbo Buick V6 or Lexus V8.
I’m guessing that there’s an Iron Duke under the hood, currently…
It doesn’t make financial sense to turn it into a race car.. The car won’t pass smog in California with any type of performance V8 swap so a street/strip build isn’t practical. Besides, actively raced, competitive turn key race cars can be found for under $10,000, significantly less if you just want a beater to run grudge nights or T@T’s.
Steve R
Great car to drive? I doubt it. But sitting next to all the Kias and Toyotas and Nissans, this thing would look like a GTO.
Looks like the 2.5 Iron Duke in there. I had an 80 Sunbird for a while with the Buick V6 and that thing was stupid quick and quirky to drive. I really liked the body style and the tail light design was pretty nice. I always liked the Pontiac version of any GM common platform vehicle. They just did a better job in grill and light design.
For that price, it’s a steal. Plan on swapping engines though. Today, I think I’d drop a 4.3L V6 with throttle body on it, if you can get it to fit under the hood.
Install a raised good to go with the other goodies. Better beef up the suspension and brakes, while you’re at it.
The buy in on this car is so low that if you are handy you could have a pretty nice Funbird for not too much money. If not there is always this Oldsmobile kicking around on Craigslist.
https://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/cto/d/rare-1978-oldsmobile-starfire/6650296500.html
I almost wish you wouldn’t have posted that link. It makes me sick that I don’t have that $ amount laying around ! I had one of these in the late 80s only blue. Yes the Starfire GT version also. Absolutely loved that car. To make matters worse, I’m only about a hundred miles away. :(
My personal opinion nothing wrong with Iron duke 4 cylinder engine. If I needed to buy this car Except general servicing would keep everything as original as possible ! ‘ Its only Original once ‘ I am against hot rodding or modifying any classic original vehicle
I had a 1980 Sunbird with the 2.5 liter “Iron Duke” engine. It still ran great after 135,000 + miles. The only thing I didn’t like… no horsepower whatsoever. It couldn’t accelerate to get out of it’s own a way.
Taillights remind me of that trend that began with the Lancia Scorpion, then Delorean, and finally GM via this silly little thing and eventually the Camaro and early Cavalier RS.
Can’t say I’ve raced a Sunbird, but a friend had a later model one at a rally and I took a turn behind the wheel after he finished the course. I don’t recall what was under the hood but I drove it for about a mile and didn’t get stuck. There was adequate if not impressive power (given the car in question) and the short wheelbase to get over a couple muddy hills.
Firebird as well
SCUM-BIRD!!! Dated a girl that owned one of these and that’s what we called it. (The car not the ex!)
This car has the iron duke 4 cyl that is used in micro midget oval dirt track race cars.
My old body man raced and built those race cars. I had a sunbird like this and he told me if I wanted to sell the car let him know. There are likely plenty of performance goodies for that motor if you wanted to squeeze more form the engine. Otherwise, this car is super easy to work on, easy to maintain, and great on gas. It would make for a great first car for a 16 year old that wants to tinker and learn as he goes. My car had silver paint, red interior, automatic trans, and aluminum slotted wheels with wide ones on the rear. This was my first car. I put 100000 miles on it and sold it to a girl after rebuilding the trans. I paid $1200 when I bought it, sold it for $800. Pretty good return on investment if you include the money I made over the years as a daily driver to work.
Not the same engine.
The 153 was based on the Chevy 6. The Iron Duke 151 was based on Pontiac’s 301 V8.
Not many speed improving accessories for the Iron Duke.
http://autoweek.com/article/car-life/cut-down-engine-week-gm-iron-duke
http://autoweek.com/article/car-life/cut-down-engine-week-chevrolet-153-four-cylinder
WOW! people like you really do exist! I don’t think I need a different car but maybe you could fix up my 19 year old car so it doesn’t break down on me? I’m a disabled single mom with a special needs child in upstate NY. Trying to get out of a “DV” situation. May God richly bless you for ALL you do to help single Mothers like me in need!
wow, those nostalgia feels: my college beater in 1982 was a red ‘77 Sunbird hatch with 3.8 v6. Total chick car but I needed wheels, I traded even-up for it with a really good ‘70s era hi-fi stereo system. My sister still has the stereo system, the turdbird is long gone…and this was the last GM vehicle I would ever own. *I know they’ve gotten better since then, but the trauma of being stranded several times will never go away. :-/
I’m not a GM guy, or an ’80s car guy at that (’50s-’60s FoMoCo is where it’s at for me), but I love econo cars that were unloved in their day. My dream car is a green or blue 1961 Mercury Comet, bench seats and a 3 speed. If I had this car, I’d try to shoehorn a 3800 V6 from a later model Buick LeSabre in it and find some kind of standard shift that’d fit in it.
The price is right for a beater to take on New York city traffic.
I am very much guilty of buying low priced cars fixing them up and giving them away! I get great personal enjoyment out of doing it! Too bad it’s in Calli or I would get this car for that purpose! These are the type of cars I look for to do just that! No I am not crazy I give them to single mothers and people who would otherwise walk if I didn’t do this! I never ask for anything from them I just drive up hand them the keys and title and my enjoyment is the look on their faces! That makes me very happy! My reward comes after I shake hands with Jesus! :-)
MY wife bought one of these new. Loved it. Still talks about it today. Wishes she still had it. It was an awesome car. Had 151 Iron Duke. Ran like wildfire. Thanks For hearing my story.
I had a 1979 Sunbird that would surprise you. It had 5 speed with a 3.1cib V6 that would turn some heads as well the tires. When I traded it off it was hauling 10 people in it.
Was given a sunbird that was sitting 27 years, body and interior excellent shape ,is it worth keeping .no key, no title, needs 4 tires and battery