Pontiac took many people by surprise when it decided to give the Firebird a facelift in 1969, especially because this was the last year of the first generation.
On the other hand, this strategy made perfect sense from a marketing perspective, as the Firebird was still a model bringing home the bacon. And General Motors liked (and still does) the bacon.
Firebird received a new front fascia, and probably the most notable change concerned the grille. The headlights were no longer included in the grille but installed separately on the front. The grille was a little bit smaller now, and while many people liked this new styling, I think that it more or less toned down its sporty look.
Unsurprisingly, the hardtop still accounted for most Firebirds produced in 1969. Pontiac built a total of 87,700 cars, and only a little over 11,600 rolled off the assembly lines as a convertible. The total output fell 18 percent from the previous year, despite Pontiac’s struggle to keep the Firebird fresh and upgraded.
One of the convertibles that launched in 1969 is right here, trying to get a second chance to return to the road, seemingly after being parked for quite some time. It’s not hard to tell this Firebird has been struggling with a lot lately. The body exhibits the typical problems, and we have the same usual suspects when it comes to rust.
The floors already show big holes, and this could be a sign that the car was parked outside. The top is wrecked, but the interior looks pretty good, considering the overall condition. I can’t tell for sure if everything is still there, but the seats are still with the car (not in the car but with it, as the driver’s seat apparently comes as an extra; it has already been removed, and although we don’t know why, we can at least get a closer look at the floors).
The 350 (5.7-liter) V8 under the hood is a matching-numbers unit, but unfortunately, it’s already locked up from sitting. eBay seller lizardwraps says they managed to get it to turn over, but of course, a good mechanic should be able to tell more about your chances of seeing this V8 starting and running again in the near future.
The car also sells with some paperwork but comes without a title.
Given it sells at no reserve, the Firebird has already attracted plenty of clicks on eBay. The car has received close to 30 bids in a few hours online, with the top offer approaching $2,000. The auction will end in approximately four days, and considering no reserve is enabled, the top bidder will take the car home, hopefully, to give it a full restoration.
