I came across this forum while trying to research a 1968 Firebird I'm on the cusp of buying. This is my first time here and I ask you to forgive my ignorance if I've posted in the wrong place.

For those that want to skip the introduction, I'm hoping to get your opinion on the linked FB.

http://www.preownedtruckstore.com/1968-Pontiac-FIREBIRD-CARTERSVILLE-Georgia-30120/3761825

As for the introduction, I spent 7 years as an Army Ranger before my wife was in a car accident that left her severely disabled. I left my career behind to become her full time caregiver, she is unable to do even the simplest tasks herself. It's been 10 years since her accident and I've had little to no help over the years. After a decade of taking care of her alone, I've come to the conclusion that I deserve something fun and can use as an escape from time to time.

Earlier today I found a 68' FB that has me itching to pull the trigger. The problem is it's not local so I just have to trust what I see. I was hoping you fine folks wouldn't mind helping a newbie out and taking a look. I'm not looking for something to win trophies but rather something reliable and fun. I plan to actually drive this a fair amount.

Here's what I know that's not in the description linked.

- It was originally a 4 speed. You can still see the clutch pedal in the pics. Seller said he'd pull it out for me.

- Engine is completely new. Zero miles on it. Exhaust is ran straight from the engine.

- Fiberglass hood. Vents are decorative.

- Rear differential is set low (355).

- No power steering

- No A/C (Would need to have retro AC put in based on my location)

- I asked him to fire it up over the phone. Turned over on the first try and sounded beautiful.

I need to make a decision tomorrow and want to make sure this is a solid car for a fair price. If it's a lemon, it's one of the prettiest lemons I've seen.

Welcome,

It's a very nice looking car. 83rd car off the assembly line in 67.

Price is somewhat low given new engine and paint. Get someone local to check it out. Don't rush in on any classic car. Make sure the car has proper documentation and condition of the car can be verified.

Good luck!

I appreciate the reply. The price is actually even a bit lower, after we talked a few times he said he'd let it go to me for about 1K less. He comes off as being genuine. New tires, new engine, paint. That was the main reason I felt the need to post, he's a dealer so he has to be making his money somewhere and compared to what I've seen out there, the price is almost too good. Don't know if not having power steering or AC hurts it that much, most I've seen have them.

There's no chance of me having someone check it out. Don't know anyone remotely close.

I was hesitant to post lest someone else jump on it

if you like the car then give him a $100 deposit to hold the car for 1-2 weeks.

I bought most of my cars from the US and brought them back to Canada.

I hired a mobile car appraiser to check out the car. I had the dealer drive the car over to a 3rd party garage to verify the drive trane.

Verify the dealer and get a copy of the title and verify the current owner is the one selling it. Contact law enforcement to verify car is not stolen. Verify VIN no. in 1 or 2 hidden locations on the car.

Someone from this forum may be able to check car out for you. I had a couple of people do that for me in the past.

Heh, if anyone is near cartersville georgia we got a ranger that needs our help! Speak up ....

Here are some local appraisors available...

http://www.yellowpages.com/cartersville-...DHeadingText/o:

I was just about to start looking for a mobile car appraiser. You found out the line number from the VIN right?

There are a few bad reviews of the company but most of them are positive. The dealer told me a guy in Michigan had a friend drive down to check it out earlier today. So I've got a little competition.

Not sure he'd hold it, he's got it on ebay and 5 days out the bid is just shy of the reserve. So in 4 days it's gone.

Yes VIN. I found 004 vin for 68 vert last year.

Give the dealer a deposit. Then he feels your not wasting his time.

Check out https://firstgenfirebird.org/firebird/1968/vin.html

looks like it was a oc6 (overhead cam 6 cyl)

For even more info see...

Since it's not the original engine, I don't think it's the rarer oc4.

I put the VIN in using that link but it just came up with a bunch of HTML code.

Thanks again for your help, it was lonely in here for awhile.

That's even better! If you buy it, put down your deposit then get car checked out. You find anything undisclosed...eBay gives you your money back!

ohc6's were rare especially with a 4 brl carb. But not to worry about it. Our VIN decoder died recently!

Welcome aboard! I trained as a Ranger in the Swedish Army in 1963-64!
Yes it sounds like you needs something for yourself to take stress off.
Sounds like neat car...I`d say ,go for it.

thos thread should maybe be in Ramblings? or "general" in tech? But I`ll leave it here for now

Can the VIN tell me if it's in fact a 400?

Here are some things I'm not sure on but have questions about.

- The front bumper doesn't seem to be from a 400. The 400 had the inverted Pontiac "V" in the center correct?

- The inverted "V" marker lights from the rear quarter panels are missing and painted over. Not sure what this means.

- The seats look like they are from a 69' not a 68'

- The clutch handle looks like it's from a GTO

- I've seen two different type of door panels and I'm not sure which type is correct.


Thoughts?

Code Information
1st digit:
GM line number: Pontiac = 2
2nd digit:
Series number: Firebird = 2
3rd digit:
Model/Engine number:
3 = All 1967-69 models
3 = Standard model (1970-71)
4 = Esprit V8 (1970-71)
6 = Formula V8 (1970-71)
8 = Trans Am V8 (1970-71)
4th and 5th digit:
Body Type number:
37 = Sport Coupe (1967-69)
67 = Convertible (1967-69)
87 = Sport Coupe (all)(1970-71)
6th digit:
Last digit of model year:
7 = 1967
8 = 1968
9 = 1969
0 = 1970
1 = 1971
7th digit:
Letter indicating assembly plant:
L = Van Nuys, California
N = Norwood, Ohio
U = Lordstown, Ohio
8th through 12th digit:
Sequential production number starting with 600001 for L6 models and 100001 for V8 models.

It came with a ohc 6. Get all the info on car from phs-online.com

The guy just admitted one of the rear corner panels was replaced (sheet metal job).

Not sure if this is a red flag or normal on a 48 year old car.

Normal. Just need to cut out hole for light. New panels do not have hole predrilled.

He's offering me a 90 day warranty on motor and transmission now. Said someone else has made him an offer but is giving me first right of refusal.

Seat's look correct for 68. It has the standard interior. There was an optional "Deluxe" interior available.

The rear quarters and trunk/floor pans are regular places to rust, so it's not surprising the quarters were replaced. Kinda odd that the rear marker lights were removed though. He may have gotten Camaro patch panels and didn't bother to put the lights back in. It is also missing the bird emblem that goes on the fuel door, and the emblems on the front fenders are missing their colour, but that's normal if they are original.

From looking at the pics, I'm pretty certain it was not originally a 400 car. It has none of the extra trim items that a 400 should have on it.

Trunk looks to have a good floor in it, but I would suggest putting the plugs back into the holes to keep it dry.

It's hard to tell from the pics if it's just polish, or if the pain is kinda budget, if you look closely around the edges of the window trim.

overall it looks like a nice fun driver.

He mentioned it was just a driver paint job. He dressed it up with a quick paint job, new wheels and dropped in the new (re-built) 400.

As long as the price seems fair for it's condition, I think I'm going to pull the trigger. The 90 day warranty is nice.

For the price, is it at least a solid start for a true restoration project? I want to be able to drive it a couple times a week around town and restore it slowly as time and money permits but my goal is def to eventually restore it.

The floor pans are good, no rust or bondo. This being my first classic car, I just want to make sure I'm not getting taken.

in my car (see the online pic in sig. , not sure if they still work??) I have a patch panel on one rear qtr...a "drivers" paint job....paid $2500 for it , single stage paint....done 10 yrs ago...still looks the same....it was born as a 350, now 400, and cloned w the exception of the front bumper ,the "arrowhaed" isnt there (what you called inverted V), I made that part of cloning that way so it wasnt supposed to be presented as a true 400.

It seems like you dont "need" to to a frame off resto, if it rumns good , looks good , just enjoy it!


ok my sig doesnt work .....I`ll post a pic in "ramblings" for you

https://firstgenfirebird.org/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=250163&#Post250163

Welcome aboard mate!

From the pics it looks great. But for the price: expect some set-backs. This could mean: optimistic: rubbers, bushings, springs, etc. Pessimistic: (hidden) rust issues (although pics look great!).
With a frehly built engine in, I'ld expect a dealer to ask in the high teens.

Thing is; you never know. If you buy it unseen (like I have), it is a bit of a gamble. You can get lucky or het disappointed. As long as you don't expect perfection, it seems like a great car!

Good luck!

Thanks for the replies! I was worried about the price being low with a new engine but he's offering a 90 day warranty and didn't seem to be trying to hide anything with the 60 pics he posted.

Most of the one's Ive seen in the high teens have power brakes, steering and AC. This does not. Could that be the difference?

I bought my Harley Nightrain (now sold) off ebay, sight unseen, and it worked out well for me. A few minor things that weren't mentioned but overall was happy.

I'm so new to all of this I don't even know what a frame off resto is and I'm calling the arrowhead an inverted "V"

By resto I basically meant that it's my intent to restore it looks-wise back to original as much as possible while making exceptions for modern day performance and handling upgrades. The main reason for purchase though is to just have fun driving it.

Figured I'd stop by here and make sure there wasn't anything screaming "Don't buy me!" to a trained eye.

Here's a pic of mine when I bought it in 2006 and paid more than what the asking price is on the one you're looking at.

Hope this helps put some perspective on things for you. Know that I had to get both quarters replaced. It was my first venture into the classic car market and I paid too much - got sucked into the appeal of the 'resale red' paint job, I guess!

Was it candy apple red? I painted a 68 Coupe Candy apple red with white interior. I put a 350 2brl + 2sp powerglide in her and sold it for $5800 back in the eighty's. Bought car originally for $500.

Took the money and went to Hawaii and blew it on "wine, women and song".

Here is a pick of the red one and my other 68 I still have (in pieces)

I had the guy take more pics of the underside. He was hiding quite a bit. Lots of rust and some pitting. I just can't tell bad it is. If you guys are interested in helping me figure this out, I'll create an album on Photobucket and post a link to it here.

I wish I would have posted this in the general talk section, probably would have got more interest. Can a mod move it?

So your telling me it's a decent deal at that price or beware of the slick paint job?

I'm so hooked on this car but my conservative side is pulling the other way hard. I won't lie, I'll be more than a little heartbroken having to wait again after getting this close but I want to do this right.

Upload and send us a link and we can take a look.

You'll get a lot of attention here as most of us own cars and like to see what they are going for.

Besides having something to have fun with, do you have any other goals with regards to the car? How original does everything need to be? Many here are more on the purist side, i.e. if it wasn't available from the factory like that, they will do without. That's a decision you'll need to make for yourself.

Thank you for your service to our country.

Okay here are the additional pics I requested: http://photobucket.com/firebirdsearch2012

Here are the original pics from the listing: http://my.autorevo.com/revo/Viewers/PopupViewer1.aspx?IID=3761825&PID=40815872

I started off just wanting a reliable driver but as I've learned more (it's been a crash course!) I've changed a bit. I'd like something I can drive right away for the summer. Then as I have time, start restoring it bit by bit. I'm torn between going purist or retro-mod. I would want to switch to disc brakes, add power steering and AC. I'd add a nice sound system but hidden.

My personal opinion is that this is a 10K car but others interested are driving the price up a bit. Seller is willing to let the auction on ebay play out. His reserve is 12K. Current bid is 11.5K. He offered to pull it from ebay and sell to me for 12.5K. Shipping is roughly $800 but he said he'd sell it for 13K delivered to give me a break. He's also tossing in a 90 day warranty on motor and transmission.

Thanks for the comment Wovenweb, it was my pleasure.

Car looks great from these photos. I personally would question the paint more before buying something without seeing it first hand...unless you plan on repainting it. The paint (and body) is usually the biggest slice of your budget on any restoration. It sounds like you live in a hot climate and this is a black car, which means it will attract heat and show wear sooner than a light colored car. Questions I'd ask are: How much did he pay for the paint job? Can he fax a receipt (if so, call the shop who did the work)? Is it a ready-to-shoot paint or 2 component paint? How many coats of paint (primer, color, clear)?

It took me a few months to finally pull the trigger and buy mine. I was on this site a lot and visited a lot of Firebirds...none of the sellers were nearly as knowledgeable as the guys here. There's a ton of Firebirds available. I counted thirty-four 1967 and 1968 FB's on Ebay...probably more on CL too!

From looking at the pictures I see that it needs all body and suspension bushings and the underside is rough.

I figured it'd need knew bushings, coating and pans but for 13K I expected some of that. My question is if it's still a fair price with all of that? I haven't seen much else sub 15K that's in a whole lot better condition. I'm still looking though.

The engine and tans being brand new and under warranty, along with new paint and tires helps.

I'm not massively worried about the paint but good comments all around. Due to my situation I'll only be able to drive it twice a week for a few hours. It'll be garage kept. He called it a "drivers" paint job but it looks nicer than some of the dealer jobs I've seen.

I want to check CL but can't figure out how to search nationwide instead of by city.

I put comments with the photos.

Your rear floor pan is rusted out but the piece I saw does not look difficult to fix.

Rockers seem fine but not enough shots to confirm. I would need about 150 shots of that car to confirm condition.

Paint looks good but what's it hiding?

You just never going to know without looking at it yourself or some other 3rd party.

If you like the way the car looks and drives now go for it.

How about this car! 65K

http://edmonton.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicle...QAdIdZ370700708

Problem is there's no way for me to get out there. I've done all I'll be able to really. Was told magnets were put to it to check for bondo and there wasn't any found but who knows. I think any car this old is going to be a risk. I was looking to spend 15K or lower.

If it wasn't for these other bidders I could hire an appraiser.

Always remember one thing about cars, unless you're looking for a super rare one.. ANOTHER ONE WILL ALWAYS COME ALONG AND IT ALWAYS DOES (especially in a down economy)!

Also, Are you sure you want a black car? They look great as soon as they're washed or polished but show dust and dirt rather quickly. Also, expect the interior temperature of your vehicle to be much hotter in hot weather than a lighter colored car. And, they also show dings and body imperfections much more prominently. Just a word of advice.

Use www.craiggers.com instead. It will do the work for you. Fairly straight forward.

This should help:

http://allcraigslist.com/

Enter your search word ("Firebird", etc), then click on the State, then check mark the desired cities, then click on the 'SEARCH' button.