GM's Other Pony Car - 1969 Pontiac Firebird

Back in high school during the late 1960s, Bill Crandall's friend drove a new, blue 1969 Pontiac Firebird. Crandall rode around in that Firebird many times and knew that someday he'd own one. "I was hooked from the minute I saw it. I just had to have one." He was able to buy a 1968 Firebird with a 350 and a Powerglide automatic, but it just wasn't "the" car. He patiently waited 21 years and, in 1990, finally got the blue 1969 Firebird convertible that you see here.

"The Firebird convertible was built to be a personal luxury cruiser of its day. It does have the 400 HO Ram Air V-8 option, but in a heavy convertible with air conditioning, power windows, automatic, power seat and cruise control. It was not a muscle car, but a good highway cruiser," Crandall said.

Crandall talked about driving his pride and joy and told us, "Remember, this is a 1969 car, so it does not handle like a newer vehicle, but there is something about pushing down the accelerator of a Pontiac 400 HO that cannot be duplicated by others."

Rally II wheel was popular

"I admit that I drive the car sparingly, as is it pretty special. It is one of only 57 Firebird convertibles with the 400 HO and automatic transmission. When I do drive it, the memories come rushing back to youthful summer cruising, when evenings were defined by cars, friends and AM radio. The power of the Pontiac 400 HO and the deep rumble are tough to match with the cars of today," Crandall said. "The Firebird was not built to race down the quarter mile. Being a heavier convertible with all options, including air conditioning, Pontiac would only build it with a 2.78:1 gear. The 'muscle' in this car was meant for highway cruising. It can bear down and move quickly down the highway and hardly strain at top rpm. Push the pedal and it goes more. What do I love more? The nostalgia, the beauty or the horsepower? All of the above."

In the mid-1960s, the personal sports car field was one of the fastest-growing portions of new car sales. John Z. De Lorean was one always on top of things and likely GM's most logical thinker at the time.

In January 1967, the Pontiac Firebird was introduced and, at the time, De Lorean said this: "With the introduction of the Firebird, we hope to attract new car buyers who want to step up to something extra in styling as well as performance in this segment of the market."

On that cold January day, De Lorean announced the Firebird would go on sale in February 1967. Like its brother, the Chevrolet Camaro, which was introduced in September 1966, the Firebird became an instant success. More than 82,500 Firebirds were sold in a shortened model year and with good reason. Pontiac did its homework and made sure to offer even the most discriminating buyer plenty of choices. For example, 17 engine-transmission combinations were available to custom-tailor a Firebird to his or her own performance requirements. In addition to the standard 230-cu.in. straight-six, rated at 165hp, the Firebird was available with the Sprint OHC 6 engine which came with up to 215hp with a four-barrel carburetor. Pontiac engineers added a throttle stop that held power back on Firebirds so they didn't have superior power-to-weight ratio over the GTO. Most owners removed them.

While some believe the Firebird was just a dolled-up Camaro, it had a distinctive identity with a wide, peripheral front bumper. Adding to that was a strong, vertical center accent, framing two deeply recessed grille openings. The horizontally mounted dual headlamps were set in the outboard ends of the grille opening and chromed-framed parking lamps were mounted into the lower valance. Pontiac block letters appeared on the left grille.

The rear treatment featured a wraparound bumper, with louver-style taillamps and integral backup lamps that were formed of two long, chrome-edged slits on either side set in the painted rear panel. Individual Pontiac letters were placed on the trunk lid.

The fuel filler door was in the center of the rear panel and was decorated with a Firebird emblem. A Firebird with an optional 400 V-8 had those numbers designated on the right side of the deck lid in red and silver. Under the sheet metal was a time-proven and extensively tested system of a unibody setup with a front sub-frame. The front section contained the engine, transmission, front suspension, brakes and steering gear linkage all mounted on the separate forward portion of the "ladder" frame design. This section was bolted to the body through four rubber-mounted doughnuts. Out back, the structural elements were integrated into the underbody to mount the rear suspension and axle. Single leaf springs and solid Salisbury axle were used. Standard Firebird equipment included a dual-circuit master cylinder brake system with a malfunction light, energy-absorbing steering column, traffic warning flasher and a provision in the turn signal to indicate lane changes.

The 1968 Firebird changes were minimal and the last year of the first-generation cars, 1969, saw some more radical changes, yet stayed true to the car's original design. A minor one was placing the fuel filler behind a hinged door, which housed the rear license plate. Hood scoops could also be ordered with optional Ram Air engines. Pontiac stylists had originally planned a urethane, body-color grille with chrome headlamp surrounds, but that was axed. A 1969 Firebird ad got quite specific for would-be buyers. "Of course, we started with Pontiac's Wide-Track stance. We also flattened out the rear axle housing to minimize bottoming out. We made the suspension firm, yet easy riding. We put in special wheel bearing grease. We even tuned our universal joints to help eliminate vibration," the ad read.

Crandall, of Noblesville, Indiana, is quite proud of his 1969 Firebird convertible. It is one of 11,649 Firebird convertibles built for the 1969 model year and is powered by a 400 HO engine, automatic transmission and is a total restoration using new rear quarters, trunk pans, floor pans and one fender. Crandall bought this car in August 1990. The car was built in Los Angeles and delivered to Tony Piet Motor Sales in Chicago. The original owner ran amok with a pen, checking off 27 options totaling nearly $2,000. Even the paint was an extra-cost option. It is one of 11,649 convertibles built for the 1969 model year. The engine in Crandall's car has a mild 067 camshaft, long-branch exhaust manifolds and a little quicker advance rate on the distributor. This car could probably reach 140 mph, but still be docile around town.

Owner's View

Bill Crandall once owned a 1968 Firebird, but it was a 350 with a Powerglide. "I had to have a 400 and I found this car not far from my home. I graduated high school in 1969 and a friend had a Windward Blue 1969 Firebird and I fell in love with that car and knew then I had to have one. This car was originally from Chicago and the owner brought it with him when he was transferred to Indianapolis. I am the fourth and last owner. It is a thrill to drive and I have won numerous trophies at car shows.

I had a plan to just spruce the car up and drive it as it didn't look all that bad. The further I got into the car, the more I found needed to be done. I checked Pontiac records and found everything to be original; built with all the options and the car was originally Windward Blue. That settled it. This car needed a proper restoration. Throughout the next six years, it was disassembled and each piece refurbished."

Crandall worked on the car in his garage and performed almost the entire restoration of the Firebird, except for final paint.--George Mattar

Club Scene

Pontiac-Oakland Club International

P.O. Box 539

Victor, New York 14564

877-368-3454

www.POCI.org

Dues: $31/year • Membership: 10,500

PROS

+ More scarce than comparable Camaro

+ Powerful, yet comfortable

+ Fit for the country club set

CONS

- Harder to find parts

- Heavy

- Plays second fiddle to Camaro

Specifications

Price

Base price: $3,082.24

Price as profiled: $5,056.02

Options on car profiled:Paint, special order, $12.64

Firebird 400 HO, includes chrome air cleaner, oil filler cap and rocker covers, dual exhaust, flex-fan, F70-14 tires, three-speed manual floor shift, $350.72

Turbo Hydra-Matic transmission, 227.04

Safe-T-Track differential, $42.13

Radio push-button, $61.09

Mirror-visor vanity, $2.11

Mirror, o/s LH remote, $10.53

Cruise control, $57.93

Wheels-Rally II, $84.26

Steering wheel, Custom Sports, $50.55

Console, $53.71

Rally gauge cluster and clock, $47.39

Deck lid release, remote, $14.74

Power steering, $105.32

Power disc brakes, $64.25

Glass, soft ray, all windows, $32.65

Power convertible top, $52.66

Power windows, $105.32

Custom trim option, $78.99

Power seat, LH bucket, $73.72

Head restraints, $16.85

Air conditioning, $375.99

Springs & shocks, ride & handling, $4.21

Mats, front, $6.85

Mats, rear, $6.32

Air cleaner heavy-duty, $9.48

F70-14 RL fiberglass tires, $26.33

Engine

Type: OHV V-8, cast iron block and cylinder heads

Displacement: 400 cubic inches

Bore x stroke: 4.12 x 3.75 inches

Compression ratio: 10.75:1

Horsepower @ rpm: 335 @ 5,000

Torque @ rpm: 430-lbs.ft. @ 3,400

Valvetrain: Hydraulic valve lifters

Main bearings: 5

Fuel system: Single Rochester 7029168 four-barrel carburetor

Lubrication system: Pressure, gear-type pump

Electrical system: 12-volt

Exhaust system: Dual pipes into one reverse crossflow muffler with dual outlets

Transmission

Type: Turbo Hydra-Matic 400

Ratios 1st: 2.48:1

2nd: 1.48:1

3rd: 1.00:1

Reverse: 2.08:1

Differential

Type: Hypoid, corporate Pontiac 10-bolt

Ratio: 2.78:1

Steering

Type: Recirculating ball, power assist

Turns lock-to-lock: 2.5

Turning circle: 41 feet

Ratio: 16.1:1

Brakes

Type: Hydraulic, power assisted

Front: 10.94-inch vented steel disc

Rear: 9.5-inch iron drum

Chassis & Body

Construction: Unibody, welded steel panels

Body: style Two-door convertible

Layout: Front engine, rear-wheel drive

Suspension

Front: Independent unequal length A-arms; coil springs; telescoping shock absorbers, front anti-roll bar

Rear: Upper and lower control arms; coil springs; telescoping shock absorbers

Wheels & Tires

Wheels: Rally II stamped steel

Front: 14 x 7 inches

Rear: 14 x 7 inches

Tires: Goodyear Eagle ST

Front: P215/70R14

Rear: P215/70R14

Weights & Measures

Wheelbase: 108.1 inches

Overall length: 191.1 inches

Overall width: 73.9 inches

Overall height: 49.5 inches

Front track: 60 inches

Rear track: 60 inches

Curb weight: 3,692 pounds

Capacities

Crankcase: 5 quarts

Cooling system: 17.75 quarts

Fuel tank: 18 gallons

Transmission: 11.5 quarts

Rear axle: 3.75 pints

Calculated Data

Bhp per c.i.d.: 0.83

Weight per bhp: 11.02 pounds

Weight per c.i.d.: 9.23 pounds

Production

Pontiac produced 11,649 Firebird convertibles for the 1969 model year. Reportedly, just 57 convertibles were built with the 400 HO and automatic transmission.

Performance

Acceleration:

0-60 mph: 6.6 seconds

0-100 mph: 12.1 seconds

1/4-mile ET: 14.8 seconds @ 97 mph

Top speed: 140 mph