Regrettably I have no choice but to sell my 1968 Firebird OHC Sprint. My father was the original owner, so this car has been in my family for over 52 years. It kills me to sell this car but I've posted this thread to see if anyone is interested. If not, on to Ebay it goes.. Price is 12k firm.
Perhaps I shouldn't care what the buyer does to this car, but.. I DO, and out of respect for my deceased father who truly loved this car and raved about it often, I feel I must at least try to find a buyer who feels the same way about these truly legendary OHC6's..
What is most important to me is that whoever buys this car KEEPS THE SPRINT ENGINE IN IT and RESTORES IT to its former glory as the V8 killer it was. To swap the OHC engine with any other engine would DEVALUE the vehicle, let alone cause my dad to roll over in his grave. Only 1,200 Firebird Sprint 250ci's with manual transmissions were made and I suspect there are easily less than 50 remaining, so buying this vehicle as a 'project' to KEEP IT ORIGINAL would be wise to say the least.
I'm not adept at this thread stuff, but hopefully there are photos here for you to see. The body on this car is STRAIGHT as it has never been in an accident. There is a dent on the front left fender that occurred when the car was parked that I have NO idea who did it or how it happened. The front bumper is PRISTINE. The floor boards and trunk floor are solid with limited rust. The rear window has rust around it but I would say the car is over 90% rust-free. It has always been a Southern California car. The records say this car was built in Van Nuys, CA? Hard to believe that!
The best thing about this old bird is that it STILL runs, shifts and drives.. Amazing! Many years ago I had the original clutch swapped out for a softer clutch because the original was so stiff I could no longer depress it due to my aging legs. That's about the only thing I ever changed on this car other than the wheels and the paint job. The original color was Autumn Bronze, as I recall.
I'm sorry that you have to sell this piece of family history. It had to be a hard decision. I agree that it would be a shame to change the engine . At least these Sprint cars are starting to get some respect for what they are. This looks like a solid car that could be enjoyed as is or would be worthy of refurbishment if not full restoration. At your asking price it should sell quickly. Good luck with the sale.
If I had this in my garage I would put a five-speed in and keep all the original parts on a shelf .
Yes I would love to keep her, but storing her is not cheap.. If I had unlimited funds I would get her restored from end to end and back to her original color, etc.. The engine, exhaust, trans, etc. should be gone through and made showroom again, that would be my dream even if someone else owns it I'd still be thrilled. The interior is decent, still has the original headliner but it all needs replacing. She has the fold down rear seat too which I always thought was neat.
If I can find a buyer who'll return her to her former glory, I'll consider it a mission accomplished.
I'm sorry you have to sell it. This is a unique bird and definitely should be saved. Are you able to post a picture of the trim tag? I'm interested to see what the original color was on it.
1968 Pontiac Firebird 400 Convertible - April Gold/Deluxe Black Automatic 1968 Pontiac Firebird 400 Coupe - Aegena Blue/Standard Teal 4 speed 1968 Pontiac Firebird 400 H.O. Convertible - Alpine Blue/Deluxe Teal Automatic 1968 Pontiac Firebird 400 Coupe - Autumn Bronze/Deluxe White 4 speed
I will try and locate the trim tag, but I know for a fact the original color was 'Autumn Bronze', that brick reddish-orange color also seen on GTO's, Bonneville's, etc.. I remember the day my father drove the car home from the dealership. He ordered the car with the options it has, such as the 3-speed, fold down rear seat, etc.. I was 7 years old and I distinctly remember that new car smell, lol.
I will attempt to get a photo of the trim tag for you. Thanks for your interest. Not sure this will work but if you copy and paste the below address, this shows the original color of the Sprint. This is not the same bird but referenced for color only:
Yes, Tom needs another project! (And a bigger garage)
I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not sure. I feel like I am diagonally parked in a parallel universe. 1968 400 convertible (Scarlet) 1976 T/A - 455 LE (No Burt) 1976 T/A New baby, starting full restoration. 1968 350 - 4 speed 'vert - 400 clone (the Beast!) 1968 350 convertible - Wife's car now- 400 clone (Aleutian Blue) (Blue Angel) 2008 Durango - DD 2008 GXP - New one from NH is AWESOME! 2017 Durango Citadel - Modern is nice! HEMI is amazing! 1998 Silverado Z71 - Father-daughter project 1968 400 coupe - R/A clone (Blue Pearl) (sold) 1967 326 convertible - Sold 1980 T/A SE Bandit - Sold
I am currently 14 months into a professionally done restoration of 1968 Sprint convertible so I am aware of costs and issues. Is it still available? My first car was a1967 LeMans Sprint so I have a soft spot for this car. Good luck!
Yes, still available.. This is a factory HURST 3-speed and I wouldn't swap that out, either. Also was Autumn Bronze originally and has the fold down rear seat. The only Firebird more rare than this one is the Ram Air IV and YOUR convertible, I'm guessing..
If you're interested, I need to find a new owner for her, someone who will HOPEFULLY restore her to her original specs, and I'm flexible on her price.. If I don't sell her here, I'll have to do the Ebay thing but I'd rather sell her to an OHC diehard.
Here's the one spot of rust-through on the car. Not bad and is only on the outer skin. Last time I took photos I thought I took pics of the interior but I can't find them. Seats are original and in pretty good shape for their age. Dashboard is great, no cracks or tears. Carpet was replaced over 30 years ago but is faded with age.