When I first saw this car, I thought it was a barn find for the holy grail of Pontiac Trans Ams. With the rear spoiler and blue interior, I thought it might be one of the 697 Trans Ams built by Pontiac in 1969. However, the exterior is blue not white and it has the wrong hood. Still, this is a neat car and one that you don’t see that often. It is listed here on Craigslist for $13,500. This 1969 Pontiac Firebird is located in Houston, Texas. As far as cloning a Trans Am, I would not do it but I do prefer the Trans Am hood with its longer, wider forward facing scoops.

Depending on what the buyer wanted, a 1969 Firebird could be ordered with anywhere from a 250 cubic inch (4.1 liter) inline six cylinder engine to the Ram Air IV 400 cubic inch (6.6 liter) V8 engine. This car appears to have a 400 cubic inch engine but the ad does not say or confirm anything other than it is a running engine. The engine is backed by an automatic transmission.

For 1969, the Firebird received a front end redesign as well as the instrument panel and steering wheel were revised. This car has an aftermarket steering wheel but the rest of the interior, while dirty and worn, appears original. As with most Pontiacs in 1969, the ignition switch was moved from the dash to the steering column.

Even though this is not a Trans Am, 1969 was the first year for the introduction of the WS4 package. Herb Adams was approached by John Delorean and told to design a car that would beat the Camaro and the Trans Am was born. The Trans Am would continue to be produced with superior handling and engine output until 1982 when the GM bean counters standardized all GM drivetrains. In my opinion, this neutered the individuality and competitive rivalry between the divisions and GM performance has never been the same.