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 - Steering Column
Short answer: The correct directional/cruise lever-and-switch assembly is part #6465256 for 1968–70 (with cruise control), and #6455211 for 1967. The cruise lever is parts group 3.887 (the standard lever is group 2.897).
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Content last modified: June 13, 2026 at 10:06 am
Bulletin 68-I-77 — Pontiac Motor Division Dealer Service Information Bulletin, Section 9, dated June 7, 1968. Attention: Service Manager.
Subject: 1967–68 Turn Signal Switch Requires Positive Action.
Short answer: High effort to actuate the turn signal switch is a design feature required to provide positive engagement for both the lane-change and full-turn positions; no warranty claims should be submitted for switch replacement due to this condition.
If a complaint of “high effort” required to actuate the turn signal switch is received, advise the owner that this condition exists because of the design requirement for a positive action for both “lane change and full turn positions.”
Claims are not to be submitted for the replacement of switches for this condition.
Content last modified: June 13, 2026 at 10:06 am
Short answer: A black cap with a red Aztec-style Firebird in the center sounds exactly like the 1968 Deluxe 3-spoke wheel’s center cover (not actually a “horn cap” — it covers the wheel nut, while each spoke has a thin rectangular horn button in satin-finish metal). These crack persistently around the hub, even NOS ones.
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Content last modified: June 13, 2026 at 10:06 am
Short answer: Pull the cable from the housing, clean the cable with solvent and flush the housing (brake cleaner), then re-grease the cable with white assembly grease (or a good graphite lube) as you slide it back in. That stops the minor needle jumping.
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Content last modified: June 13, 2026 at 10:06 am
Short answer: The wheel has nothing to do with the column — tilt vs. standard makes no difference. A 1969 wheel will physically fit a 1968 (just won’t be correct); wheels interchange physically across many years.
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Content last modified: June 13, 2026 at 10:06 am
Short answer: The cracking wheel with the “Bird” horn button is the Deluxe (colored) wheel; the simulated-woodgrain plastic one is the Custom Sport wheel. Nearly all the plastic wheels crack/split over time (the plastic shrinks) — the wood wheels crack less, but mint/NOS ones command big money (NOS Deluxe wheels ~$500 each).
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Content last modified: June 13, 2026 at 10:06 am
Short answer: Yes, these wheels are prone to cracking (the Custom/wood ones survive better than the Deluxe or Standard). You can repair cracks yourself for under ~$20 with PC-11 epoxy (Eastwood sells a kit) plus patience sanding/filling/painting — resto shops charge $100–400. Matching the woodgrain tint is the hardest part (even pros don’t always nail it).
For the clear top half, members shared two tricks:
- Tinting the clear acrylic (the clear is actually green): bring water to a rolling boil, add liquid RIT dye (green + blue + yellow to taste), submerge the polished part a few seconds, then quench in cold water; repeat to deepen. Test on a polished acrylic sample first (the surface must be polished to take the tint).
- Recreating a missing top half (one overseas member): mold the lower half in a casting material and use it to cast a new top in resin, then trim, wet-sand, and buff to gloss. Research the green tint first — and note the lower rim is sectioned, not a mirror image of the top.
Any proposed updates, changes, pictures, and/or corrections, please use our comment section below (may need to click on permalink to access comments feature). Information is subject to change and offered as is without any warranties or guarantees. Please review our Term's Of Use for more information.
Content last modified: June 13, 2026 at 10:06 am
Short answer: The 1967 and 1968 steering wheels are completely different. The 1967 standard wheel is a solid-color 3-spoke with brushed-aluminum spoke caps and a brushed center cap with a turquoise Pontiac-V emblem; the 1967 Deluxe is similar but with a clear-plastic upper half (and is smaller and a bit thicker than the standard wheel). For 1968 the spokes got wider, the horn buttons went from brushed aluminum to color-keyed plastic, and the center cap changed to the early Firebird emblem.
There were three wheels per year:
- Standard: 1967 = 3-spoke color-keyed plastic with die-cast horn button; 1968 = 3-spoke color-keyed plastic with brushed horn button (green insert) and brushed spoke trim.
- Deluxe: 1968 = 3-spoke color-keyed plastic with a rubber “Bird”-emblem horn button (ivory or black).
- Custom (Sport, simulated wood): 1967 and 1968 = simulated-wood plastic rim, 3 brushed spokes, die-cast horn button (the 1968 isn’t as deep as the 1967).
Any proposed updates, changes, pictures, and/or corrections, please use our comment section below (may need to click on permalink to access comments feature). Information is subject to change and offered as is without any warranties or guarantees. Please review our Term's Of Use for more information.
Content last modified: June 13, 2026 at 10:06 am
Short answer: A turn signal that won’t self-cancel usually needs the turn-signal switch (cam + harness) inside the column. You don’t have to remove the column, but you do dismantle the top to get the harness plug out — you’ll need a steering-wheel puller and a hub/lock-plate puller.
- Which switch: 1967–68 columns used either Delco (white) or Boyne (blue/red) switches. Tell them apart by the hazard-knob hole — Delco is a “D”-shaped hole, Boyne is round. The Delco is still available in a superseded form with a later (post-1969) pigtail plus an adapter for the pre-1969 connector.
- Install tip: cut the old harness ~1/2″ from the connector, tie a string to it as a pull line, feed the new harness through (bend the connector 90° to pass the hole, then straighten and plug into the adapter). Straight columns are easy; tilts are harder. Practice on a 1967/68 donor column — not 1969 (totally different) — and watch the three little springs once the “C” clip is off.
- Quality warning: some “service replacement” Delco switches are inferior orange-plastic units with a cheap snap action — seek the better white-backed version (members report good Delco replacements with the flat 1969-style connector + a half-moon adapter pigtail).
- Note: a switch that won’t cancel isn’t always bad — the internal cam alignment may just be off (re-clock the wheel a tooth and re-center via toe adjustment at alignment).
Any proposed updates, changes, pictures, and/or corrections, please use our comment section below (may need to click on permalink to access comments feature). Information is subject to change and offered as is without any warranties or guarantees. Please review our Term's Of Use for more information.
Content last modified: June 13, 2026 at 10:06 am
Short answer: Fast flashing usually means a heavy-duty flasher is installed (HD flashers are for extra bulbs, e.g., towing) — swap in a regular-duty flasher (e.g., NAPA #552).
Any proposed updates, changes, pictures, and/or corrections, please use our comment section below (may need to click on permalink to access comments feature). Information is subject to change and offered as is without any warranties or guarantees. Please review our Term's Of Use for more information.
Content last modified: June 13, 2026 at 10:06 am
Content last modified: June 9, 2026 at 7:10 am
