As a teenager, I was fortunate that my father was an enormous fan of the TV series The Rockford Files. It meant that the show became a staple of our weekly viewing schedule. I never watched it for the action or adventure, but purely to catch a glimpse of the titular character’s Pontiac Firebird Esprit. I loved that car, which probably explains my affection for every derivative of the Second Generation Firebird range. This 1978 Firebird Esprit looks almost identical to the last car used in the series, down to the paint shade and wheels. It presents beautifully and is ready to head to a new home. The seller has listed the Firebird here on eBay in an undisclosed location in Canada. They set their auction to open at C$58,000, but have received no bids at this stage.
The producers faced a dilemma when choosing an appropriate vehicle for Jim Rockford to drive in the TV series. The Pontiac Firebird was their first choice, but they acknowledged that the character could not blend into the background in a Trans Am, and lacked the financial means to afford a Formula. The compromise was the Esprit, although the cars actually used were Formulas wearing an Esprit hood and badges. Therefore, the seller’s choice of this car is a fitting tribute. Its exterior wears Laredo Brown paint, which is identical to the Copper Mist used on the original cars. It presents beautifully, with no cosmetic shortcomings. The seller purchased the car from a seller in Ohio in 2005, and its location and the rustproofing treatment applied when the car was new mean that it remains rock-solid. The seller added a correct set of Rally II wheels with narrow whitewalls to complete the “Rockford” look. The trim is in excellent condition, and the glass is clear.
Powering this Firebird is a 305ci V8, with the factory quoting power and torque figures of 145hp and 245 ft/lbs for that model year. A three-speed Turbo 350 automatic transmission feeds the power to a 3.42 Limited-Slip rear end, with this classic also featuring power steering and power brakes. The power and torque figures aren’t earth-shattering, but the seller may have improved the situation. They installed an upgraded four-barrel Rochester Quadrajet carburetor to improve the V8’s breathing. Add an upgraded front stabilizer and a new rear stabilizer to the equation, and this Esprit should be fun to drive. Potential buyers can consider the Firebird a turnkey proposition that runs and drives extremely well.
Trimmed in Doeskin vinyl, this Firebird’s interior is as impressive as the rest of the vehicle. The seller added a factory tachometer and a genuine AM/FM radio/cassette player. Otherwise, it is as it left the factory. There is no evidence of wear, and the lack of deterioration confirms the car has been protected from harmful UV rays. As a survivor-grade car, the overall presentation and lack of obvious abuse suggest it has always been treated respectfully. It features a tilt wheel, and the recently refurbished air conditioning blows ice-cold.
Few people know that while Pontiac supplied a new Firebird each year during production of the series, The Rockford Files, its star, James Garner, refused to drive the company’s latest model after 1978. He disliked the styling updates performed for the 1979 model year, and the cars for the remaining production run were always portrayed as 1978 models. We have previously seen one of the original, verified cars, which we featured in this article. This Firebird isn’t the real deal, but it is a faithful recreation. It has received no bids, and the listing statistics are quite modest. Do you think the seller may need to compromise if this classic is to find a new home?
Okay hot shots, what was the device 1st seen( and heard) on show that changed our lives dramatically, FOREVER? ( cue 10 second jingle)
I don’t recall the post from 2019, I didn’t get in on that, but that “device” I’ve mentioned before. I thought the show was pretty hoaky, Garner seemed to get beat up on every episode. I happened to like his dad, Rocky, ( Noah Beery Jr) an old teamster who drove a cabover single axle IH, I think, that took no guff, but the plots were usually the same, and always involved a pretty woman. Garner did most of his own stunt driving on the show, including the famous “J turn”, and the Firebird, or Camaro was perfect for that. They averaged 3 cars per season, 2 “beaters” and one nice one for close ups. By the end, 1980, it was difficult to keep the older Firebirds going. Most were destroyed after the show.
C58,000 translates to just over $41,000 US, boy, I don’t know, apparently our “get rich quick on forgotten classics” has crept over the border. Sorry to hear that, mates.
The cassette tape answering machine?
Bingo! For the 1st time, we didn’t need to answer the phone. I know my life would have turned out differently if I had one back then.
That answering machine played at the introduction of every episode played a different message to Jim each time. Those messages provided an interesting introspective into the goings-on in Jim’s life; the character, personality and background. Cool stuff.
A friend of mine who is a big Rockford fan has the same model answering machine as used in The Rockford Files. I have not seen it in years but as I recall a Playtape cartridge is used for the outgoing message and a cassette tape stores incoming messages.
Ha! Now the auction starts at “$0.00” Canadian, which is -$0.71 in American dollars.
I guess he got your message, Howard…
Did Howard leave it on the seller’s answering machine?
It’s a nice car, but at $41K it should include Mike Post in the backseat whistling his best instrumentals.
I’ll have to get my leisure suit out of the closet and dye my hair for this one.
The undisclosed location in Canada appears to be Collingwood, Ontario, according to the postal code.
Best skiing ⛷️ in Ontario there in Collingwood. Blue Mountain.. produced alot of great skiers. Honorable mention to Calabogie Peaks.
Very nice Firebird… but the price is laughable.
Adam!!! You have the Rockford Files theme going through my head. I still remember, we used to call James Garners “J Turns” doing a ” Rockford “. And you had that Answering machine in my head too. We used to watch it too. I always liked him.
The Firebird is nice, they did a nice job copying Jim Rockfords ride.
Mike Post was the composer of the Rockford theme. His instrumentals usually drive me nuts, too (!)
The term doing a Rockford is still used frequently by kids to young to know where and how it originated. I have a 20 years old son and a 24 years old one. I frequently hear them say doing a Rockford even if they drive a Japanese car. The term still hasn’t died out completely.
Imagine parking this one in front of a similar “mobile home” as was Rockford’s by the sea?
I’m a massive Rockford Files fan, and would love to have this car. But as good as it looks, it isn’t a RF connected car, which in my view makes the price a bit ambitious. But as my daddy used to say, if you don’t ask you don’t get, and you can always come down, you can almost never go up.
$42K for a 1978 firebird, 305 with 90K miles, no thanks.
1978 was the final year for the Pontiac 400 big-block. You think it could’ve least had the “350”
No such thing as a Pontiac (or Olds) big block or small block, from 316 ci to 455 ci, they are all the same size. All Pontiac engines (Oldsmobile too) have a bore spacing of 4.620”, which is actually big block size. Anything over 4.5″ is considered a big block and anything under 4.5″ is a small block.
Good looking Esprit with white stripes and no spoiler.
I always watched to show pretty darn good. These cars have always really caught my attention, I really liked them! In high school a friend bought a brand new Esprit and it had that junk 305 in it! From that point the word Esprit has always meant junk engine to me!
that battery looks like it’s from 1978. must be a topper.
As a kid growing up in the 70s, I never missed an episode of “The Rockford Files”. James Garner was the man in my book. Driving a cool Firebird like a stuntman, flirting with pretty women, but always getting knocked off his high horse by the end of the show. I still watch the reruns today!