Many Firebird fans remember 1969 as the year when the Trans Am came to be. After the public debut at the Chicago Auto Show, the Trans Am made its way to the Firebird lineup as a $1,100 package, later becoming the model spearheading the series’ sales.
However, only a few Trans Ams rolled off the assembly lines in the first year on the market. Pontiac produced 697 units, of which eight shipped with a convertible body style.
The Firebird continued to be the superstar, with over 87,000 units leaving the factory. More than 11,600 units came with a removable top.
The Firebird you see in these pictures hopes to get another chance to return to the road, as the previous attempt failed in the most despicable way. eBay seller beltfed34 says they purchased the Firebird with seeing from the previous owner from Illinois. He was promised an almost perfect project, with only a few rust spots and the original engine paired with a 4-speed manual transmission.
The Firebird turned out to be the opposite, as it was fitted with a 400 V8 from a 1973 Pontiac and a 3-speed transmission “full of water,” the owner recalls.
The seller swears to tell the real story this time, so the Firebird is looking for a new home in a much rougher shape than the previous owner promised.
The eng ine is no longer in the car as it made its way to another project, and the Firebird no longer has a gas tank because it was full of rust. It still flexes the typical metal damage, but the rust is more concerning than just a few holes.
The owner says they already removed the carpet, the broken windshield, and other rough parts, but the car is otherwise fairly complete. The build sheet (still available today alongside the vehicle history) indicates the Firebird rolled off the assembly lines painted in Palladium Silver and used an automatic transmission, but a previous owner converted it to manual. The work has likely been made by a dealer.
A 1969 Firebird is typically a compelling project, even when selling without many parts, so I expect this convertible to rapidly find a new owner despite its rough shape. The rusty floors and undersides aren’t surprising for a car this old, especially as it has likely been sitting and waiting for restoration for many years, so if you find another Firebird, it will probably sport the same problems.
The owner wants $6,000 to let this Firebird project go, and you can see it in person in Marble Falls, Texas. They have also enabled the Make Offer button, so they might be interested in other deals, too. eBay’s statistics indicate that 59 people are already monitoring the listing.