Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to Frequently Asked Questions for First Generation Firebirds that have been asked and answered on FGF. Special thanks needs to be given to all the FGF members who took the time to respond to other member's questions.
Interior - General Info
Short answer: The Year One / Ames repro ashtrays fit correctly but aren’t exact — 1967–68 rear ashtrays had ribbed covers, and the reproduction covers don’t have the ridges.
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Content last modified: June 13, 2026 at 10:06 am
Short answer: The assist handle over the glovebox came on Custom Interior Firebirds (those cars also got the instrument-panel emblem on the glovebox door). Headrests were an option on the 1968 (code 572).
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Content last modified: June 13, 2026 at 10:06 am
Short answer: The one-piece ACC-style kits fit well — often better than the original. Position the carpet over the high-beam switch first and the rest pretty much falls into place.
- Rear seat-bracket bolts: don’t cut full holes — cut a three-sided ~1.5″ × 1.5″ slot and fold the flap back to drive the bolt, then fold it back over (or use a scratch awl to find the center and make a small incision). Both look factory.
- Shifter boot (manual): cut just enough for the shifter to work and leave the rest — it’s very easy to cut this hole too big; a little extra material around it doesn’t hurt.
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Content last modified: June 13, 2026 at 10:06 am
Short answer: The chrome louvered “pancake” air cleaner was stock on 1967 Firebird 400s without A.I.R. (it was also used on Corvettes). California 400s, which came with the A.I.R. emissions system, used a traditional closed-snorkel air cleaner with a chrome top instead. Either way the car also had chrome valve covers, breather, and master-cylinder cover.
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Content last modified: June 13, 2026 at 10:06 am
Short answer: For a 1968 Parchment Custom Interior: the carpet should be black, the kick panels black, and the U-shaped door-jamb strip parchment.
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Content last modified: June 13, 2026 at 10:06 am
Short answer: 1968 interior paint breaks down by sheen:
| Parts | Color / Code |
|---|---|
| Upper instrument panel, rear-window defroster grille, radio speaker grille | Flat Black — DuPont 4428L |
| Color | DuPont # |
|---|---|
| Black | 88L |
| Dark Red | 9201LM |
| Dark Blue Met. | 94520H |
| Dark Teal Met. | 9453LH |
| Dark Turquoise Met. | 9454LH |
| Dark Gold Met. | 9456L |
| Dark Saddle Met. | 9458L |
[pdfjs-viewer url=/dtb/docs/68-I-12.pdf viewer_height=800px fullscreen=true download=false print=true]
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Content last modified: June 13, 2026 at 10:06 am
Short answer: The 1968 Custom Trim Option is code 554, and the trim-tag style number tells you what your car has. Note that the Custom Trim Option (554) and the Custom/Deluxe interior are separate — you can have the option with standard interior.
| Coupe | Conv. | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 22337 | 22367 | Standard interior, no Custom Trim option |
| 22437 | 22467 | Standard interior, with Custom Trim option |
| 22637 | 22667 | Deluxe (Custom) interior, with Custom Trim option |
Custom Trim Option (554) included: deluxe wheel discs, deluxe steering wheel, molded-vinyl door and quarter trim, vinyl-and-weave seats, roof-rail moldings, wheel-opening moldings, instrument-panel grip (grab bar), pedal trim, and dual horns. It also came with different (longer) window regulators.
Speculated as included (not confirmed): 160-mph speedo, “BIRD” emblem on the glove-box door, custom/deluxe seat belts (brushed-metal buckles), the small white “BIRD” etched on the front side glass, interior windshield A-pillar moldings, and wheel trim rings (when ordered with Rally II wheels).
Any of these items could be ordered individually on a standard-interior car (22437/22467) — except the deluxe interior itself, which defines 22637/22667.
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Content last modified: June 13, 2026 at 10:06 am
Short answer: The 1968 Custom Trim option (554) included: Custom seat covers (Morrokide + stitched knit vinyl), custom molded door and quarter trim panels, the assist bar above the glovebox, dual horns, deluxe wheel covers, deluxe steering wheel, custom pedal trim, front & rear wheel-opening moldings, drip-rail moldings (coupes), and windshield-pillar garnish moldings.
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Content last modified: June 13, 2026 at 10:06 am
Bulletin 68-I-47 — Pontiac Motor Division Dealer Service Information Bulletin, Section 5, dated February 28, 1968. Attention: Service Manager.
Subject: Complaints of Low Brake Pedal.
Short answer: Many low brake pedal complaints on power-brake-equipped vehicles are psychological in nature — the depressed floor area directly below the pedal is a design feature. Pedal height should be measured as described below; pedal height must not be adjusted, and if it does not meet specification, a full brake system inspection per the 1968 Pontiac Service Manual is required.
The area of the floorboard located directly below the brake pedal is depressed by design, allowing full travel of the brake pedal in the fully applied position and permitting the driver to pivot his foot from the accelerator to the brake with no appreciable raising of the foot (see the scan below, Fig. 1).
Correct method to check brake pedal height (see the scan below, Fig. 2): With the pedal in the fully released position, measure from the lower (inner) edge of the pedal pad to the raised area of the floor. The distance should be 2½″. This measurement may vary slightly depending on the amount of compression applied to the carpet and jute.
It is important that no attempt be made to adjust pedal height.
The specification requires that the brake pedal clevis (which connects the pedal arm to the pushrod) be torqued at the clevis stop nut to 90 lb-in. This applies to all 1968 applications.
If pedal height does not meet specifications, perform a thorough check of the brake pedal and associated parts (mounting bracket, clevis adjustment, etc.) and perform repairs as outlined in the 1968 Pontiac Service Manual.
Content last modified: June 13, 2026 at 10:06 am
Bulletin 68-I-59 — Pontiac Motor Division Dealer Service Information Bulletin, Section 2, dated April 18, 1968. Attention: Service Manager.
Subject: Positioning of Inside Rear View Mirror — All Series.
Short answer: The 1968 mirror support has two ball sockets — one behind the mirror and one at the upper end of the bracket — allowing the entire assembly to swing fore, aft, and sideways. Many owners are unaware of this feature; dealers should inform customers who have difficulty positioning their mirror.
It has come to our attention that many owners apparently are not aware that the 1968 mirror support on all series has an exclusive feature consisting of a second ball socket at the upper end of the mirror bracket. This second ball socket allows the entire mirror bracket to swing fore and aft and sideways.
Coupled with the ball socket behind the mirror, this feature allows practically unlimited repositioning of the rear view mirror to any location necessary to please the most discriminating customers.
You may wish to convey this information to those customers who express concern over an inability to use the rear view mirror efficiently.
Content last modified: June 13, 2026 at 10:06 am
Short answer: Per Jim Mattison (PHS), the correct gloss level on the firewall area is 85% black.
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Content last modified: June 13, 2026 at 10:06 am
Short answer: You do not need to remove the dash to replace the firewall padding. You just have to remove everything bolted through the padding into the firewall — mainly the air/heater box and the steering column.
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Content last modified: June 13, 2026 at 10:06 am
Short answer: Yes, you need a center bow — it’s shorter than the others and does not hook into the side roof rail. The pointed barbs hold the center bow and headliner in place and give your starting point; the bow threads through the center pocket of the new liner. Installation is impossible without it.
- Strip the interior completely — windshield, back glass, package tray, and all weather-molding retainers.
- Mark and number the bows (and which holes they came from) so they go back correctly.
- Put small screws in the holes before installing so you can find them afterward (you can skip this for visors/mirror/shoulder-belt anchors, but cut a big enough hole for those so you don’t break them).
- Start in the center and work out — forward, then back; at front and rear start at center and work to the corners. A second set of hands helps a lot.
- You’ll need more glue than the kit supplies (3M adhesive; refill the can at an upholstery shop). The glue is forgiving even though it sets quickly.
- Use the pinch/tack molding as you go to hold the fabric tight; the tack strip behind the sail panels holds the rear. When done, steam or spray with water to shrink it tight as a drum.
- It’s very hard to do with the windshield and rear window installed.
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Content last modified: June 13, 2026 at 10:06 am
Short answer: If you have the PHS billing history, it lists the four-digit ignition and trunk key codes — take them to a GM dealer, who can look up the cuts in the key-code book and punch a key. If not, the four-digit codes are stamped on the original door and trunk lock cylinders (the door matches the ignition, the trunk matches the glovebox).
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Content last modified: June 13, 2026 at 10:06 am
Short answer: Yes, two keys was normal: the round key worked the trunk and glovebox, and the other key worked the ignition and door locks.
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Content last modified: June 13, 2026 at 10:06 am
Short answer: The trick is the right leverage (A/C cars are easier). Procedure:
- Make sure every screw is out — some are hidden.
- Remove the complete emergency-brake assembly (don’t skip this).
- Gently pull the panel until it catches on the ribbing — that gives ~3″ between panel and cowl.
- Insert a length of 2×4 against the panel where the ribbing is.
- Push the panel toward the front of the car with the 2×4 while prying against the cowl to pop it out. The plastic panel is forgiving and springs back if you don’t overdo it.
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Content last modified: June 13, 2026 at 10:06 am
Short answer: No — 1968 and 1969 parchment differ in shade. The only way to get all panels to match is to spray them (the more correct term than “dye”). Check the archives for more on parchment spraying.
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Content last modified: June 13, 2026 at 10:06 am
Short answer: Don’t use chemical paint stripper on plastic — it softens the plastic and melts the edges. A mix of xylene and lacquer thinner removes most paint, but apply and wipe it off quickly or it can still damage the plastic.
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Content last modified: June 13, 2026 at 10:06 am
Short answer: You can have a glass shop cut new glass, but standard mirror glass loses the day/night (prismatic) effect. Better to find a good day/night mirror to swap in, or have your original mirror re-silvered.
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Content last modified: June 13, 2026 at 10:06 am
Short answer: It mounts inside the glovebox — there’s a perforation in the glovebox cardboard that marks the correct spot for the trunk-release button (good reproductions include this perforation too).
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