'73 Pontiac Firebird

[DLM]

A friend asked me to check online for a '73 Firebird yesterday as he has a cousin who is looking for one. I was surprised by two things: first the average price seems to be in the $30-$40K range and second that they seem to be very scarce. I didn't see many online at all. What is the deal with these cars? Are they a hot item now? Are they desired and or kind of rare?

[Bill Pritchard]

I don't recall that there were too many of them around when they were new (compared, for example, to Camaros), so I can imagine they're none too easy to find today. I believe their popularity really took off in 75 and later. I would assume that the ones you're seeing advertised for $30 -$40K are Trans Am's. Unless they're either Super Duty 455's or in exceptional condition, those prices are probably a bit high. If your friend's cousin doesn't care about having a Trans Am, you should be able to eventually find one for a lot less than that.

[DLM]

Thanks Bill I went back and looked after I posted this and they were all in fact Trans Ams.

[njsteve]

The 70-73 Firebirds were rather scarce to begin with. The 73's also have a great many unique, one-year-only parts such as the urethane nose and the attaching 5-mph bumper brackets. The main reason that they are almost non-existant today is that no accurate 70-73 Firebird-specific body parts have ever been produced. Despite what most of the giant resto-warehouses would have you believe, Camaro body panels are not the same as Firebird panels - different body lines, and even 74-81 Firebird fenders, door skins, quarters, trunk drop-offs, etc., are not the same either.

Only a month or so ago was the 70-73 rear tail light panel finally reproduced. This was a major rust area on these cars due to a poor design that combined the rear valance with the tail light panel/rear trunk bulkhead, all welded to the car and non-removeable.

Another great example is the dash pad. On a Firebird the entire front of the interior is one single piece - the dash goes from one side of the car to the other and holds the instrument panel, the radio (with a hole that is usually hacked out for an aftermarket radio), the glove box, the steering wheel support, etc. The same resto warehouses have been advertising a reproduction dash pad assembly for five years straight without ever having delivered anything other than a prototype.

The flat top radiator support assembly on 70-72s is another unique item. You always see them swapped out for the indented 73-81 assemblies due to the battery box rust issue. No one makes this part either. You have to find a rust free one from an existing car.

It really is a self perpetuating problem - the aftermarket compainies say there is no market for these parts but the people who own them tell the companies, there is no market because you wont make the parts!

The most valuable Firebirds are the 70-73's and they are the most at risk due to the lack of body panels. The only way to restore a rusty 70-73 Trans Am is to sacrifice a non-rusty base model Firebird, Formula or other Trans Am.

If you are not familiar with the 7-year resto thread on my 72 T/A, feel free go here:

https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/ubbt...6&page=115

[StealthBird]

Excellent info from njsteve! [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/flag.gif[/img]

Another reason the 70-73 Trans Am's are so scarce is that they simply didn't make that many. Camaros were a priority on the assembly lines, and in fact the story goes that the plant manager requested that GM do something about the Trans Am (like discontinuing it) because the Trans Am's took so much extra time on the assembly line. 3-piece rear spoiler to line up, fender flares that were molded to the color of the car, special fenders, hood, stripe, shaker, decals, emblems, and that pesky front spoiler, which was easily damaged. All these parts came in from different suppliers, so coordinating a Trans Am build was a pain. The Trans Am didn't sell well anyway, it was causing production slowdowns, and so it wasn't too popular with the Pontiac General Manager at the time.

The 1972's are the rarest, only 1,286 made, due to a looong UAW strike. When they went on strike, there were over 2,100 Firebirds and Camaros in various stages of assembly. When the strike ended, the completed cars, and those in various stages of assembly, were to be updated and sold as 1973's. But they didn't meet the new 1973 federal bumper standards, so they were all scrapped.

The 1973's are special to a lot of Pontiac people. It was the first year the Trans Am was available as a solid color instead of either white/blue or blue/white (aside from the anomalies), the first year for the giant hood bird graphic, and the 1st year for the SD-455.

70-72's are visually identical, some minor changes. I like the 72's the best, with the one-year only honeycomb grilles, and they looked best with honeycomb wheels. Hey, I think there's one in this thread. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/naughty.gif[/img]

1974's are pretty strong in the collector market too, but usually only the SD-455 versions.

[DLM]

Great info. Thanks guys. njsteve I'm slightly familiar with your car. I had seen it in the Hemmings Muscle Machines a few months ago.

[1969z280]

DeVonne: I have a really nice 1973 Formula Firebird on ebay right now. The item number is 250790512993. It is far more affordable than what you have been looking at. Feel free to give me a call if you have any questions. Ed 847.809.8022

[njsteve]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 1969z280</div><div class="ubbcode-body">DeVonne: I have a really nice 1973 Formula Firebird on ebay right now. The item number is 250790512993. It is far more affordable than what you have been looking at. Feel free to give me a call if you have any questions. Ed 847.809.8022 </div></div>

Wow! I just checked your Formula out and that is one amazing time capsule. Even has the polyethylene front valance still on the car. You got my vote as bargain of the year!

[1969z280]

Steve: That means a lot coming from you. I learned about the valance stress cracking from your thread. Thanks, Ed

[Xplantdad]

Ed's Formula is awesome!