Flawless 1969 Pontiac Firebird 400
Dave Armstrong, the master GM mechanic who keeps my Fiero on the road, did a frame-up restoration on this flawless, award-winning 1969 Pontiac Firebird 400. (Quick, all you old-timers. What were the names of the other Firebird models available that year? No peeking.)
I'm always amazed at his ability to find NOS parts that aren't even being made anymore by anyone, especially GM.
Dave takes this car to Pontiac shows during the summer; don't miss the opportunity to see it up close and personal. This video doesn't do it justice.
If you have a GM car (or any other car or truck, for that matter), and you live in the Chicago area, take it to him. Ace Muffler, 7157 W. Irving Park Rd., near Harlem/Irving Plaza. (773)282-1444. How good is he? When he replaced the Iron Duke in my Fiero, his years of experience allowed him to take the old one out through the top instead of dropping the rear suspension and drivetrain, as Pontiac recommended. Yes, he knows his business.
And anyone who would take a car like this into Chicago evening rush-hour traffic is either very brave or knows that he could build another one just like it, which he could;) That lap-dissolve at 3:16 was necessitated by a very rude, very obscene comment and hand gesture by the female passenger in that Toyota Yaris. Pure jealousy, that's all that was.
That Firebird 400 V8 sound is music. If you have stereo speakers on your computer, turn them up.
He's also restoring a '69 Pontiac Ventura, which I shot video of and will be uploading later on.
1969 Firebird - 11 second pass
1969 Firebird 400 - standard build Pontiac 455, TRW pistons, 10:1 compression, hydraulic cam, 2400 stall converter, 3.42 gears, street tires (trim rings pulled for racing), Quadrajet carb, full Exhaust system, no traction bars (leaf springs clamped), and no Nitrous. Final pass (back in 1998) was 11.69 @ 116 mph.
10 second 68 Firebird Sacramento Raceway 1987
This 68 Firebird was my first car purchased when I was 17 in 1977. The car is currently undergoing a frame-off restoration.
At the time this video was taken in 1987 it was powered by a 455 Pontiac engine.
The best ΒΌ mile performance was an ET of 10.87 and a MPH of 124.83 WITHOUT the aid Nitrous oxide.
The heads are ported factory cast iron D-Ports cast# 48.
Crankshaft is factory 455
Rods are factory 73/74 455 Super-Duty
Camshaft is a Cam Dynamics solid flat-tappet with .618/.644" lift (1.65 rockers) 265/275 @.050 duration
Advertised duration is 312/322 int/exh
Pistons are Ross flat-tops yielding 12:1 compression ratio with the 69cc chambers
Carburetion is 2 660cfm Holley center squirters mounted on a Doug Nash/Warrior tunnel-ram manifold.
The differential is a Dana 60 with a 4.10 ratio gear set
1969 firebird at home for a quick drive
Just a quick ride after getting the car home. It was bought in New York and driven home to Central florida, 1,110 mile without a glitch!
