Just because a classic car offers impressive performance, that doesn’t mean that its occupants need to feel like they are missing out on the comforts of life. When we look at the optional extras that the original owner ordered on this 1968 Pontiac Firebird, it has a lot to offer almost everybody. The seller is candid about it requiring a total restoration, but it looks like it could be a pretty good starting point. If a classic pony car is high on your Wish List, you will find this Firebird located in Southington, Connecticut, and listed for sale here on Craigslist. The owner has set a sale price of $14,500 for this frisky Firebird.
It is refreshing that this owner doesn’t paint the Firebird as being something that it isn’t. While a brief glance reveals Verdoro Green paint that holds a reasonable shine, a closer inspection uncovers many flaws and imperfections. The buyer will undoubtedly treat the car to a repaint, and they will have to decide whether or not they will replace the original Green vinyl top. The panels look pretty straight, with no significant dents or blemishes. That brings us to the inevitable question of rust. The photos that the seller provides are somewhat inconclusive, and he doesn’t mention any problems in his listing. There is nothing horrendous visible, but the state of the floors and underside are unclear. This is a case where an in-person inspection would probably be the best approach. However, with replacement steel readily available and affordable, the deterioration would have to be pretty severe to render this Firebird a non-viable project. The glass looks in good condition, while most of the exterior trim is restorable.
When we turn our attention to this Pontiac’s interior, we can see that the original owner was willing to splash some cash on creature comforts. As well as bucket seats and a console, this interior features air conditioning, a pushbutton AM radio, power windows, and a tilt wheel. These features remain intact and would have offered a pleasant motoring experience in this car’s heyday. The White vinyl upholstery has its good and bad points. The seats look like they may respond to a deep clean, but items like the door trims, kick panels, and carpet, have seen better days. Depending on the state of the headliner, the buyer may find it’s more economically sound to opt for a complete interior trim kit rather than individual pieces. The dash and pad look like they could be okay, but the painted surfaces deserve a refresh. With the interior returned to its former glory, the next owner should gain admiring comments and glances wherever they go.
The owner supplies no engine photos, but we know that this car features a 350ci V8 that would have pumped out 265hp. The original owner also chose to equip this classic with a two-speed Powerglide transmission, power steering, and power brakes. Performance would have been acceptable but not particularly dazzling. The journey down the ¼ mile would have taken 17.9 seconds, which many people would have found disappointing. It isn’t clear whether this Pontiac is numbers-matching or its V8 runs. If it doesn’t, and the motor turns freely, reviving it is a genuine possibility. If the performance doesn’t meet the expectation of potential buyers and they aren’t concerned about complete originality, extracting some more ponies from that V8 would not be difficult or expensive. It is an option worthy of consideration.
Taken at face value, this 1968 Pontiac Firebird seems to have a lot to offer its next owner. While an in-person inspection would seem warranted, it appears that if it has any rust issues, they may be no worse than any other vehicle from this era. If this is the case, returning it to its former glory should be a pretty straightforward process. Once the new owner lays down the tools for the last time, they should be left with a pony car that offers sparkling performance with comfort and convenience beyond what you would typically expect to find in a vehicle of this type. When you look at this Firebird, are you tempted to pursue it further?
The tilt wheel and power windows are rare options. Deluxe interior and AC are desirable as well. If it happens to have cruise control, that’d be super rare.
I see a rot hole next ti the rear window,better check the trunk for rust.
I am a big gen 1 Firebird guy. had several. The power window option is rare but power windows in old cars as much as it is a cool and rare option tend to be a pain in the butt! AC is fine but no under hood pics make me wonder about a LOT of things.
This 350 automatic car when restored to #1, which will take at least $100K, will be worth $40-50K maybe…..and the maybe is if you make it a 400 clone.
The comment on the rot hole in the sail panel is very important. Love vinyl tops but they are rot monsters!
Watch the market, it is declining forever. Hate to say it but 40 years of watching it, buying selling and restoring gives me some credit.
I’ve restored literally dozens of old cars with PW. Most were GMs, and I only ever had to replace anything twice–two dead motors. Now, Ford products were a completely different story, but GM PW wouldn’t concern me one bit.
I have had many classic cars. Quite a few with power windows including a 67 Firebird 400 Convertible with 50K original miles. Every car with power windows had or developed at least one quirk that a manual window would not have. Just saying.
I have no idea how this would be a $100,000 restoration, and I’m not sure how you got to that conclusion. It seems to me that it’s a solid-looking car. Since it’s a good-condition survivor, I would assume that the engine is well used, but I think it would well taken care of and maintained.
I am sure you have heard the saying “The car, everything is here”, the completion of the saying is “BUT it still needs everything!!” I have been building and detailing cars for 40 years to all different standards depending on the customer.
Interior is there but not great.
Dash needs to be painted (metal)
Rebuild Engine, Trans, Brakes, Wheels, Tires
Electrical?
Little things add up like new emblems (I missing on trunk lid, Bird on fuel door = no coloration, Antenna is broken off. on & on.
I am just outside of Chicago. If you are paying someone to restore this car you WILL be north of 6 figures. You are 10-15 K on engine and trans, probably more. Great paint and materials ONLY, just materials, to paint the car (if you are doing it right) are going to be $7-8K, plus putting the paint on, is that getting done for free? Paint and body to a #1 condition easy $40K (why restore to #2 if it needs it all, do it right??) Who is doing all the metal work? (shock towers are known to rot in these. New vinyl Top after you do all the metal work. Rear glass has to come out for that. With all this new stuff, how is the chrome and the moldings?
Brake upgrade if drums? Interior, carpet, seats, headliner? Audio, what $10K. It will be more in my estimation. There will be a long punch list of many other items including gaskets, grommets, trim, not to mention going to a 400 clone will a bunch more (IF you do that, but that is where the money will be) 400 engine or crate, 400 hood = big $$.
Again, I am talking restoration….not get it running and drive it as is. Restoring this as a 350 automatic is a car you can buy right now, done….go to the local cruise night TONIGHT for $30K. White interior is a harder sell also. Green, I like it but many don’t. Again, 68 hardtop, 350 automatic green with a white interior in #2 or #1.5 show/driver condition is not going to sell in today’s market for more than 30K give or take.
IF you do ALL the work yourself, you will spend more on parts and the outsource work (let’s face it most of us can’t do IT ALL (Headliners, machine work, chroming, new parts stuff like that). ….You will STILL have more spent than the car will sell for. My opinion.
$100k restoration? Maybe if you walk into a shop and tell them to restore to OEM as a 100 point concour car, and money is no object, and you do none of the work yourself. “shock towers are known to rust on these” Shock towers??? Please tell me about them! The emblem is not missing on the trunk lid, only the cars ordered with the 400 package had an engine call out on the deck lid. Regardless, I agree that Verdoro Green and a white interior is not the most desirable color combination.
Tom Nemec is all over it. I’m pushing 70 in all my years I’ve never across a hobbyist with sheet metal tools in their home garage. Price a shear, a break, a power hammer, and an English wheel and it becomes why. Add welding and painting equipment and the rarity becomes much greater.
It’s not just about tools, experience-learned skills matter big time. Shows like Fantom Works and Wheeler Dealers do not accurately present hourly skilled-labor rates. The former quotes parts cost and labor hours but never a rate. In the latter Ant works for ~$35/hour on a good day and Mike Brewer works for free. That’s not the real world.
Sixty years ago Earl Sheib would paint any car for $19.95. Prep work was minimal. It was essentially mask and squirt. There were no guide coats and no hours of block sanding. It was collision work: quick, cheap, and done. No different than today.
There’s inexpensive and cheap. Inexpensive seldom isn’t cheap and cheap isn’t always inexpensive.. And now I’m done rambling… Selah
AG is all over it. He is listing tools to make body parts for a car that all the parts are available for purchase. It is not like you need to make a quarter panel for this car.
Like these early ones..owned a ’67 – 400 – 4 speed in ’68..Fastest car I’ve ever driven (and I’ve had a lot of thelm)..Same green, ac, black vinyl top, etc..Paid about $2500 for it..sigh no longer affordable..
No powerglide in Pontiacs, They used the Buick ST 300, as did Olds, and of course Buick. Only Chevy used the powerglide.
Wow, I had a 2 speed tranny in my first Firebird (68 hardtop coupe) and never realized it wasn’t a PG. Learn something every day! I paid quite a bit more attention to my second Firebird, a highly-optioned 67 convertible — it had a TH400.
These days if it is a GM 2 speed everyone refers them to as a Powerglide! Kind of like all the “M22” transmissions out there… 69 W31? Cool! I had a 69 W30 convert way back when! Probably the number one car I wish I still had.
Correction received. I meant shock mount, not tower. The “I” is missing from PONT AC on the truck lid.
$100K will not get you 100% concours on this car. Again, IF you personally do a LOT of the work (like most all of it)(what is your time worth?), a #1 car takes a LOT of time and EVERYTHING needs to be RE-something-ed. Replaced, Rebuilt, Refinished, Repaired, Repainted, Rechromed. There are parts of the country with really talented people who don’t charge a lot of money for what they do. Find them and you can do it for less with great quality. Not here to argue.
I recently purchased a running/driving 68 Verdoro Green Bird. The car needed nothing, the first month i had it i had an issue with 115 degree Vegas heat. So in goes an aluminum radiator…. then broke the firebird emblem, then noticed a few bolts missing, then decided to change some other stuff. I am easily up to close to a couple grand just working on little nit picky stuff. I love the car, it is fun, but it is not an investment i expect to make any money off of, and this is from a car that needed nothing when i started. :)
Way cool special interest, but still not a “Classic”. Jus’ sayin’
I have a ’68 convertible, also verdoro green but with a black bucket seat interior & a black top. It has the same 350 2 barrel engine but a 3 speed on the floor.
It is in about the same shape as this example.
I am going to get it to a driver quality status, because I have no interest in a 100 point show car. I want to use & enjoy my cars, not just trailer them to and from shows. I have a budget I am working with & if I go over, no big deal…then it will just take a little longer lol.
It is an old car, nothing real special, I just happen to like it. I do plan on turning the interior white (I hate black vinyl on a convertible. That stuff gets hot in the sun). Otherwise she will be as she was built.