Production-wise, 1974 was the year that brought the Firebird lineup back on Pontiac’s map. After several difficult years at the start of the decade, the Firebird finally took off in 1974, with sales reaching a record level in 1979.
1974 was also the moment when the Trans Am received more market attention, eventually becoming the lineup’s superstar. In 1979, Pontiac sold over 117,000 Trans Ams, up from just about 1,300 units in 1972.
The 1974 production numbers show the standard Firebird was still the model enjoying the most attention. Over 26,000 units rolled off the assembly lines wearing the Firebird badges (up from 14,000 units the year before), with the Esprit and Formula also recording substantial increases from the previous model year. The Trans Am production grew to 10,200 units.
The 1974 Firebird that you see here wanted the best of two worlds. It was born as a standard Firebird but aimed to become a Trans Am. This is the reason it now sports a 1970 front, as someone wanted to convert it into a Trans Am but obviously failed to complete the work.
As things typically go in life, the car aimed for the sky but ended up completely abandoned, so it’s now sitting in a junkyard in a condition that pushes it painfully close to a rust bucket.
As anyone can easily figure out, because you really don’t need to be a rocket scientist to figure this out, the car comes in a super-rough condition. However, for a 1974 Firebird, it still looks restorable, as the rust hasn’t completely wrecked every piece of metal.
The only thing you’ll find under the hood is clean air. Most likely, the engine and the transmission were donated to another project car, especially because this Firebird ended up abandoned in a junkyard. Sure enough, this could be a deal-breaker for anyone planning to give the car a second chance, but on the other hand, chances are it was supposed to receive an engine upgrade anyway. If someone planned to convert it into a Trans Am clone, they most likely wanted to upgrade the engine as well, so this could be the reason the original powerplant is missing.
On the other hand, I didn’t expect the car to be so expensive. After all, it’s a rough Firebird without an engine, a transmission, and almost certainly without many other parts. However, eBay seller classiccarworksllc expects to get $6,000 for it. Fortunately, the Make Offer button is also active, so you can reach out to them if you’re interested in another deal. At this point, the Firebird is parked in New Mexico and obviously won’t move unless it finds a new home as part of this auction.