Frequently Asked Questions

Short answer: 1968 Firebirds came with two parking-lamp types — a single-bulb version and a two-bulb version. The two-bulb setup was very early 1968 only (a couple of months of production); in it, one bulb is the parking lamp and the second, side-facing bulb is a cornering light. The two versions use distinctly different wiring harnesses.

The two-bulb (cornering light) setup appears to have been a factory option. The more common version has the wrap-around lens with a single front-facing bulb.

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Short answer: Early 1968 Firebirds (across all models, not just certain ones) had the two-bulb front turn-signal/marker housing. It was phased out within the first couple of months of production — around September 1967 — in favor of a single-bulb design.

This traces to the new 1968 federal side-marker requirement. Unlike the Camaro, the Firebird had no separate side marker, so a partition and an extra bulb were added to the turn-signal housing. It was later simplified to light from both the side and front with one bulb, saving about a dollar per car.

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Short answer: On 1967–68 Firebirds, only the “400” cars had the separate chrome grille moldings (the “hockey stick” pieces covering the center bar and extending toward the nose). Non-400 cars just have the molded-in plastic center bar — no chrome there. The grilles themselves are identical castings; you can drill standard grilles for the moldings (which are unique left and right).

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Short answer: The 1967 didn’t use the rubber fillers that 1968s have — many 1967s used a steel trim plate instead. The gap is adjustable: line up the hood and fenders first, then set the gap to the dimensions in the shop manual. The filler/plate keeps headlight light from leaking out the side gap (1968 switched to a rubber filler for the same purpose).

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Short answer: The rubber filler that separates the headlight housing and grille from the fenders and hood should be black, not body color. Paint won’t stay on it — it will flake off.

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Short answer: The 400 grille “hockey stick” chrome inserts are reproduced by Chicago Muscle Car Parts — part #893774, about $79/pair. They run low on stock, but more can be ordered if enough buyers (10+) group an order.

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Short answer: The “cornering light” in the catalogs wasn’t a true cornering light. On 1968s it was a two-bulb front turn-signal/parking/side-marker lamp — a partition in the lens with an extra single-filament bulb at the rear that acted as a side marker. It lit only when the headlamps or parking lamps were on (it’s not like the true cornering lamps on Bonnevilles and GTOs).

It was standard equipment on all 1968 models, not an option, and was phased out around early September 1967 as a running change. Some original cars were built without it, with the extra wire and socket clipped off and taped back into the harness (the parts book tells service to do the same). Early-September cars appear to be the last with the two-bulb setup.

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Short answer: The 1969 grille is all silver — Argent Silver, the same shade used on the 1967–68 grilles (no black or charcoal center).

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Short answer: That gap is correct — proper clearance is 3/4″ (you can check it with a dime), and there’s a black rubber filler strip that wraps around each edge of the chrome bumper and attaches to the plastic grille assembly. Don’t try to close the gap by setting the bumper rearward.

Also be aware that the long 1967–68 bumpers twist easily without obvious dents; a twisted bumper can usually be muscled back into place, though fitting even a straight one takes patience. See section 14 of the 1967 Firebird Service Manual for how the bumper attaches.

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Short answer: To remove the cowl panel (the sheet metal between the hood and windshield), take off the wiper arms first, then the four screws across the front of the panel under the hood — then lift the front edge and slide it forward out from under the chrome windshield trim. The front bumper comes off in one piece: remove the bolts behind it where the bumper horns attach to the front of the frame.

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Short answer: It’s best not to remove the front clip as one piece — you risk alignment problems and bending the fenders/core support. Taking it apart piece by piece is awkward only once, and it lets you clean and treat hidden rust.

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Short answer: The 1967 and 1968 grilles are identical castings — only the paint differs. For both years, only the Firebird 400 had the chrome “hockey stick” bar in the center.

The Charcoal and Argent Silver are the same colors used on Rally II wheels, and should be a satin finish, not gloss.

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Short answer: There’s a small release button on the side of the headlight switch (it faces the door) — press it to release the knob and shaft.

It’s nearly impossible to reach from under the dash without removing at least the ball vent tube. One trick: bend a piece of welding rod and slide it down through the gap between the dash panel and the windshield pillar to press the button from above; shine a flashlight through the gap to spot it.

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Short answer: The two-bulb 1968 parking-lamp housing was used only very briefly in early production, then superseded by the cheaper single-bulb part. It was essentially a “false start”: some early-September cars have the two-bulb version while some late-September cars already have the single bulb, so it ran only a few weeks.

Why: 1968 mandated front and rear side markers. Pontiac was initially unsure whether the front turn-signal/parking lamp would qualify as a side marker; once it was clear the combined lamp was legal without a separate bulb, the two-bulb design was phased out and a replacement part superseded it. The relevant Pontiac tech bulletin is below.

[pdfjs-viewer url=/dtb/docs/68-I-17.pdf viewer_height=800px fullscreen=true download=false print=true]

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Short answer: A recommended shop is TriCities Plating (Tennessee) — good work at a reasonable price. Prep helps: sandblast the inside and knock down the rough, sharp die-cut edges on the back/trailing edge for a nicer finished result.

Note: the plating won’t fully reach under the rear tabs with holes — that’s by design (the plating comes from underneath in the tank), and originals weren’t plated there either. Just clean off any surface rust there and repaint it with silver POR-15.

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