Pony cars and muscle machines were both becoming hot commodities in the marketplace during the second half of the sixties, and the timing for the Pontiac Firebird and Chevrolet Camaro was spot on when the pair was introduced for the 1967 model year. Pontiac buyers would have to wait until 1969 before the Trans Am became an F-Body option, but the Firebird 400 was certainly no slouch when it came to performance, filling the shoes as the top performer for the car’s debut year. This 1967 Firebird 400 here on eBay is an unrestored example, and while it needs work, this one seems well worth considering as a project. This ragtop Poncho is in Mackey, Indiana, with a current bid of $5,100, which falls short of the reserve.
As with most unrestored autos nearing the six-decade mark, there’s both good news and bad here, with one of the real positives being that this one appears almost complete. The seller mentions that it’s in above-average condition for having spent most of its life in Chicago, although this climate isn’t known for being particularly friendly to vehicles that spend their winters outside or on the road. Some rust and body filler are present, but thankfully, the corrosion doesn’t appear excessive, and most of the panels seem salvageable. I’m not spotting any obvious tears in the roof canvas, but the back window is severely faded and has a hole, so it’s time to put fresh material over the rails.
Stepping up to the Firebird 400 automatically got buyers an engine of the same displacement, which was basically the same powerplant as in the GTO, just slightly detuned. However, it still provided plenty of pep, receiving a factory HP rating of 325. While the engine here isn’t officially running, it will turn over and fire with some gas poured into the carburetor. I’m guessing both the motor and transmission would benefit from a comprehensive going through, and perhaps a complete rebuild would be beneficial for each component.
The seller doesn’t provide much information about the interior, but it appears to be in fairly decent shape overall, with a couple of exceptions. The dash pad has some damage where it looks like an aftermarket instrument was once mounted, and the steering wheel rim is cracking. Although the floors are reported to have some rust, the seller says he didn’t fall through when standing on them, so it’s possible that some patchwork in this area might be sufficient. This was as good as it got for the Firebird in ’67, and I’d like to see this one get the love it deserves and be back on the road soon. Does this first-year F-Body convertible tempt you to consider taking it on as a project?
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