Work-In-Progress: 1969 Pontiac Firebird

Pontiac and Chevrolet both got into the “pony car” market in 1967 to compete against the highly popular Ford Mustang. First-generation models ran for three years and saw sales north of 277,000, so the Pontiac quickly became a solid competitor. This ’69 edition appears to be a work-in-progress, having received a new paint job but it needs interior and drivetrain work. Located in Grass Valley, California, this Pontiac is available here on craigslist for $11,500. Once again, another tip compliments of Barn Finder rex m!

The Firebird enjoyed a long run from 1967 to 2002. Though both the Firebird and Chevy Camaro debuted for 1967, the Pontiac was a mid-year edition. That coincided with the release of the new Mercury Cougar, which the Firebird may have been more competitively aligned with at the time. Second-generation Firebirds and Camaros were delayed going into production by several months in 1970, so the 1969 models had a later assembly run than usual. Of the 87,708 Firebirds built for ’69, 75,362 were coupes like the seller’s car.

This Pontiac has been a fixture in the seller’s garage for the past 15 years. The chrome appears to have been removed for a new burgundy/purple paint job, but we don’t know how long ago that was applied. And one of the photos shows some rather large scratches now in the driver’s side rear quarter panel. We’re told the car “needs an interior” but we don’t know the condition of what’s there now.

We’re also told the car requires an engine, but we don’t know if one is present or if sourcing a replacement will be needed. The original V8 could have been a 350 or 400 cubic-inch engine, but what this car has/had is unknown. But we do know that it came with an automatic transmission and no mileage is reported with a placeholder figure used instead. The seller says most parts are new and too many to list, but that does no one any good ascertaining how much work is needed with an unfinished project.