You may be thinking to yourself, “I’ve seen one of these before,” while examining at this 1969 Pontiac Firebird 400 convertible. But you haven’t. Pontiac only built 91 Firebird 400 convertibles in 1969. That’s right, 91. So the one you saw probably wasn’t a 400 (they built thousands of 1969 Firebird convertibles with sixes and 350 cubic inch V8s), making this one a very special find indeed. Add in the fact that it’s a documented 4-speed HO car with factory A/C, a hood tach, and full gauges, and you have one of the rarest of the first-generation F-bodies. Beautifully restored, you don’t need to be a Pontiac fan to appreciate this handsome convertible.

The dark green paint and matching interior make this a grown-up’s F-body, a car that looks great at any event and attracts admiring glances on the road. The code 57 Midnight Green finish proves you don’t need stripes and spoilers to make a statement, and that’s exactly how it came from the Los Angeles factory back in 1969. Of course, nothing they were spraying in 1969 was as deep and shiny as the gorgeous paint on the car today, and thanks to a high-quality rotisserie restoration in 2010, it sparkles in a way that’s probably better than new. It’s worth noting that all the sheetmetal on this car is original—no repro quarters, no patched floors, no reskinned doors—and as a car from the west coast, it didn’t need a lot of massaging to look this good. Gaps are very good all around, although you might notice in a few of the photos that the hood sits slightly proud of the front fenders, which is due to the hinges—a light push on the hood corners and everything lines up again. The ‘400’ badges on the faux hood scoops indicate that this is a very special car and the rest of the Firebird and Pontiac emblems are excellent reproductions. The shiny chrome bumpers and polished stainless steel rocker moldings and wheel arches add some brilliant contrast and we’ve always loved the Firebird-shaped rear side marker lights.

The code 206 green vinyl bucket seat interior is how this car was originally spec’d as well, and we do like the sophisticated look that it brings. New seat covers, fresh carpets, reproduction door panels all make it feel factory fresh inside, and there’s new foam underneath so the seats feel like they did on the showroom floor. Pontiac aimed a little upscale with the Firebird, so there’s quite a bit of fake burled walnut trim on the dash and center console and it certainly warms the place up nicely. The leather-wrapped wheel probably isn’t authentic, but it was expertly done and looks great, and if you really want absolute authenticity, correct steering wheels are inexpensive and easy to find. There’s also a Hurst shifter for the 4-speed manual gearbox, complete with cue ball knob. All the gauges were rebuilt and they all work, including the hood-mounted tachometer (which actually came with the 400 HO engine), although the clock seems a little reluctant at times. Experts will quickly spot that this car is equipped with factory A/C, a rather rare find, especially in a convertible, and it, too, is fully operational thanks to a complete rework just a few years ago. The original AM radio seems to have given up the ghost, but to be honest, would you have ever used it? On the other hand, the white power convertible top folds itself quickly and easily with a touch of the rocker switch on the dash, and there’s a white vinyl boot to keep it looking trim (although you’re going to hate the clips that GM uses to secure it). The trunk is beautifully finished with correct spatter paint, a reproduction mat, a matching Rally II wheel, and even a jack assembly inside its own matching case. And yes, Pontiac experts, the “salt shakers” are still in place in the corners.

The reason this car is special is under the hood: 400 cubic inches of Pontiac V8. I wish I could say this was the car’s numbers-matching engine, but sadly, it is not. What happened, we can’t say, but we can say that if it did have its original engine, the price tag would be significantly larger. Instead, it’s a correct WZ-coded 400 HO block that’s been fully rebuilt to 335 horsepower HO specs. Even better it makes a towering 430 pounds of torque, enough to make the lightweight F-body feel like a go-cart. It’s detailed to a very high level under the hood, not quite ready for show but only a few hours away, and you know Pontiac engineers figured Firebird owners would be looking around under the hood, so they gave it a few chrome dress-up parts. It wears a correct air cleaner for the Rochester 4-barrel carburetor, correct tower hose clamps and GM-coded hoses, and there’s corporate turquoise engine enamel on the block itself. It starts quickly and easily without any fussing, idles nicely, and pulls like crazy on the open road. With right around 100 shake-down miles since it was rebuilt, it’s obviously quite fresh, and we’re betting it gets even faster once you’ve had some time to limber it up a bit.

The 400 is backed by a Muncie 4-speed manual gearbox, which was one of three choices with the 400, and it feeds a heavy-duty 10-bolt rear end with 3.42 gears inside, so it’s a comfortable cruiser with plenty of punch. The chassis is nicely detailed with correct red oxide primer on the floors and satin black on the suspension components. New lines and hoses were installed throughout and you’ll be pleased to see that all the factory spotwelds on the rockers are still clearly visible, so you know there haven’t been any issues in that area. The front suspension has been rebuilt, there are new shocks and bushings throughout, and a reproduction dual exhaust system has a nice bark that’s never annoying. Again, not detailed for competition, but not too far off, either. It sits right, handles well, doesn’t rattle or squeak, and just works the way you’d hope a freshly restored car with $100,000 worth of work would. The finishing touch is a set of brand new Rally II wheels carrying beautiful 215/70/15 BFGoodrich Silvertown redline radials that really set off the paint.

Fully documented with PHS paperwork, this is a rare, fun, and downright gorgeous Firebird. It’s fantastic to drive and with all that horsepower on tap, it’s a legitimate threat even on today’s streets. With a great pedigree and attention to detail, this Firebird offers the best of all worlds: a smart investment you can drive and show with pride. Call today!