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Repeat Performance: 1975 Pontiac Firebird Esprit

It is often said that history never repeats itself, but this 1975 Pontiac Firebird Esprit seems to be an exception to this rule. We have seen this car before, where it was written about in this Barn Finds article by my illustrious colleague, Jamie Palmer, back in 2017. This rather nice Firebird has come back onto the market, and you will find it listed for sale here on eBay. Located in Hamilton, Michigan, the owner has set a BIN price of $12,999 for the Firebird, but there is the option available to make an offer.

The past 18 months seem to have done little to negatively impact the presentation of the Firebird. The Sterling Silver paint, which is believed to be original, has a nice depth of shine to it. The owner does say that there is some slight pitting on the trunk lid, but this doesn’t show up in the photos. The rest of the exterior looks like it is in rather good condition, with no obvious issues to report. I’ve always liked the front treatment of the 1975 Firebird, as I just think that the way the grille has been styled has a classy look about it. I might also be in the minority here, but I also quite like a Firebird that isn’t adorned with spoilers and decals. It is just a bit more subtle.

Unlike last time we featured this Firebird, we now do get some photos of the engine. This is the 350ci 2-barrel, which produces 155hp. It makes it a long way from being a serious fire-breather, but it would still offer reasonable performance. This car was produced when manufacturers were wrestling with tightening emissions regulations, so performance and fuel consumption had both taken a hit at around this time. The owner does supply this YouTube video, which gives a quite detailed walk-around of the vehicle, and shows the engine cold starting and running. One thing that I do notice is some odd sections of paint under the hood. I can’t quite work out whether it is evidence of a partial repaint of the engine bay, or what it is. I’ll be interested to see what our readers think.

Overall, the interior also seems to be in nice condition, and also appears to be completely stock. There is a bit of stretching of the upholstery on the driver’s seat, and the carpet looks like it might be faded, but the impression is quite good. One obvious thing that I noticed is what appears to be some heavy fraying of the seat-belt on the passenger side, so I’d like to get a better look at that. One thing that this car does come with is piles of documentation. This includes the original window sticker, the original title, plates and registration, maintenance records, inspection certificate, along with pamphlets and other documents. The owner also claims that the car has only traveled 81,995, and if the records that he holds are thorough, then he may hold the documents to verify this.

On face value, this 1975 Firebird Esprit appears to be in above average condition, and if it is as original as the owner claims, then that would make it a survivor. A personal inspection should certainly be able to verify the owner’s claims. If it is as good as is claimed, I can think of plenty of worse cars to park in your driveway.

Comments

  1. Avatar Bakyrdhero

    Nice Rockford type of bird, but I wonder if that’s a real GSX in the background or a clone? I’m thinking clone because the grill appears to be that of a GS or Skylark..

    Like 5
  2. Avatar jf85tr99

    Tasteful paint matched wing?, nice period wheels, get rid of all the smog eqpt. nice free flowing headers back exhaust possibly a manual swap & nice cruise car. Buddy had a 74 or 75 SD 455, by the late 90’s rear quarters were rotten so bad you could see inside the trunk. Still would rip a nasty burnout, shame it wasn’t preserved like this one. Who woulda thought though, we were thinking about fun back then.

    Jay

    Like 3
  3. Avatar 71Boss351

    I like it! My first car was a 1970 Pontiac GTO that was plain except for ac. Brings back memories. Prefer the manual in these in the low hp era. Wish I still had my GTO.

    Like 1
  4. Avatar grant

    It seems to have lost a few thousand miles since we last saw it.

    Like 4
  5. Avatar Steve

    I have a soft spot for the secod gen Pontiac F bodies. Back in the 80’s, my now deceased brother had a white 76 TA with a 400/ 4 spd and my aunt had a maroon 76 firebird similar to this with a 350/ auto. I rode in both quite a bit, and learned to drive a manual tran in the TA at age 12 (!).

    Like 2
  6. Avatar Ike Onick

    Nice car for your wife and/or girlfriend.

    Like 1
  7. Avatar Vin_in_NJ

    Shame the federal government mandated those horrific bumpers on the 1974 & 1975 model Firebirds/Formulas/ Trans Ams

    Like 1
    • Avatar JoeNYWF64

      These were better integrated than most other car bumpers back then, compared to horrendous steel bumpers on ’75 lemans, maverick, etc. & were a lot more protective than the body colored bumpers that were used in 1976 & later f-bodies & all other cars to this day!
      I know of some1 in a ’74 bird that was hit in the back by a ’76 vette(boom!), which did substantial damage to the vette’s hood & fender, while the bird’s rear bumper on 1 side just needed to be bent back up for like $50. lol
      No other body damage.

      Like 0
  8. Avatar Karl

    Nice car and I just happen to have an extra 377 that dynoed over 500 hp. Drop a good posi rear end in with appropriate gears and tighten up the trans with a 10″ converter and this would make a beautiful street car. I like this a lot!

    Like 0
  9. Avatar John Oliveri

    Friend of mines, sister, had a blue w white interior 75, beautiful car, handled like it was on rails, it was New when we used to sneak it out, neutral drops like crazy, we blew the transmission, car had 18,000 miles on it, if I buy a 75 bird, it’s gonna be a Rockford, whitewalls and all

    Like 0
  10. Avatar Boatman Member

    This car has been painted. They didn’t use clearcoat in ’75.

    Like 0

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