Pontiac Firebird (1970) – Ultimate Guide

Introduction

Standard equipment on the base Firebirds included the following:

  • A 250-cid 155-hp six
  • E78-14 black fibreglass tires
  • Front and rear bucket type seats
  • Vinyl upholstery
  • Wood grained dashboard
  • Carpeting
  • Outside rearview mirror
  • Manual front disc brakes
  • Six-inch wheel rims
  • Door storage pockets

Style changes included the following:

  • Endura rubber front ends with dual recessed grilles
  • Single headlights
  • Split side marker lamps
  • Enlarged wheel openings
  • Flush door handles
  • Smooth, clean, curvy body panels

Firebird lettering and engine badges appeared behind front wheel cutouts.

FIREBIRD ESPRIT

The Esprit was outwardly identified by the following:

  • Model script on the rear roof pillar
  • Bright roof rail and wheel opening moldings
  • V-8 displacement badges under front fender Firebird lettering
  • bird emblems above the grille

Standard equipment on the Firebird Esprit included the following:

  • A 350-cid two-barrel V-8 with 8.8:1 compression and 255-hp @ 4600 rpm
  • A three-speed manual gearbox with floor-mounted shift lever
  • E78-14 black fibreglass tires
  • Front and rear bucket type seats
  • Knit vinyl upholstery
  • Vinyl-covered deluxe steering wheel
  • Wood grained dashboard
  • Carpeting
  • Dual body-color outside sport mirrors
  • Concealed windshield wipers and antenna
  • Trunk floor mats
  • Manual front disc brakes
  • Six-inch wheel rims
  • Door storage pockets
  • Wheel trim rings
  • Custom trim
  • Decor moldings

FIREBIRD FORMULA 400

Standard equipment on the Firebird Formula 400 included the following:

  • All GM safety features
  • 1-1/8″ front and 5/8″ rear stabilizer bars
  • High-rate springs
  • Wind-up rear axle controls
  • F70 x 14 bias-belted black sidewall tires
  • seven-inch wheel rims
  • manual front disc brakes and rear drums
  • carpets
  • vinyl interiors
  • front and rear bucket type seats
  • dual outside sport mirrors
  • concealed wipers and antennas
  • deluxe steering wheel
  • 400-cid four-barrel V-8 with 10.25:1 compression and 265-hp @ 4600 rpm
  • Three-speed Hurst floor shift

External distinctions included extra-long twin hood scoops and Formula 400 nameplate.

TRANS AM

Standard equipment on the Trans Am included the following:

  • All GM safety features
  • Front air dams
  • Front and rear spoilers
  • Shaker hood
  • Side air extractors
  • Rear end spoilers
  • Aerodynamically styled outside mirrors with left-hand remote control type
  • Front and rear stabilizers
  • Heavy-duty shock absorbers and springs
  • Engine-turned dash inserts
  • Rally gauge cluster
  • Concealed wipers
  • Bucket seaats
  • Carpet
  • vinyl upholstery
  • Power brakes and steering
  • 11″ wide, 15″ diameter Rally rims
  • F60-15 white letter tires
  • Transmission: wide-ratio four-speed manual with Hurst floor shift

Standard engine:

  • 335-hp Ram Air V-8 engine
  • Ram Air HO

Optional engine:

  • 400-cid, four-barrel V-8 coded as the L74 engine
  • compression 10.5:1
  • Peak power at 5000 rpm

Trans Ams had white or blue finish with contrasting racing stripes

I.D. NUMBERS

VIN Location Left front door post
Position Character Description
1 2 General Motors: Pontiac Division
2 & 3 23 body series: Firebird
4 & 5 67 convertible
37 hardtop
6 0 1970
7 V Assembled in Lordstown, Ohio
8 to 13 100001 and up production sequence

IDENTIFICATION

Model Number Style Number Body Type Seating Factory Price Shipping Weight Production Total
223 22387 2-door Hardtop Base Firebird 4 $2875 3140 18,874
224 22487 2-door Hardtop Esprit 4 $3241 3435 18,961
226 22687 2-door Hardtop Formula 400 4 $3370 3470 7,708
228 22887 2-door Hardtop Trans Am 5 $4305 3550 3,196

ENGINE

FEATURE Base 6 Sprint 6 Tempest 8 GTO 8 HO 8
Configuration Inline Inline Vee Vee Vee
Cylinders Six Six 8 8 8
Valves Overhead Overhead Overhead Overhead Overhead
Camshaft Overhead Overhead Pushrod Pushrod Pushrod
Block Cast Iron Cast Iron Cast Iron Cast Iron Cast Iron
Displacement 250 cid 250 cid 350 cid 350 cid 400 cid
Bore & Stroke 3.875″x3.531″ 3.875″x3.531″ 3.875″x3.75″ 3.875″x3.75″ 4.125″x3.746″
Compression Ratio 10.5:1 10.5:1 9.2:1 10.5:1 10.75:1
Brake HP 175 @ 4800 rpm 215 @ 4800 rpm 265 @ 4600 rpm 320 @ 5100 rpm 330 @ 4800 rpm
Main bearings 5 5
Valve Lifters Hydraulic Hydraulic Hydraulic Hydraulic Hydraulic
Carburetor Rochester
one-barrel
Rochester
four-barrel
Rochester
model 7028071
two-barrel
Rochesterfour-barrel Rochester four-barrel

TRANSMISSION

Two-speed automatic $195
Heavy-duty three-speed manual with floor shift $84

CHASSIS

Wheelbase Overall length Front tread Rear tread
108 in. 191.6 in. 60 in. 60 in.

FIREBIRD RPO PACKAGES

Firebird 350 Package
  • Three-speed manual transmission with coumn shift
  • F70 x 14 tires
  • 350-cid V-8 with 9.2:1 compression
  • Rochester two-barrel carburetor
  • 265 hp @ 4600 rpm
  • Price: $106 over the base model
Firebird 350 Package
  • Three-speed manual transmission with column shift
  • Dual exhausts
  • H.O. side stripes
  • Heavy-duty battery
  • Four F70 x 14 tires
  • 350-cid V8 with 10.5:1 compression
  • Rochesteer four-barrel carburetor
  • 320 hp @ 5100 rpm
  • Price: $181 over the base model
Firebird 400 Package
  • Three-speed manual transmission with floor shift
  • Chrome air cleaner
  • Chrome rocker covers
  • chrome oil cap
  • Sports type springs and shock absorbers
  • Heavy-duty battery
  • Dual exhausts
  • Hood emblem and dual scoop hood
  • F70 x 14 red line or white sidewall tires
  • “Power Flex” variable pitch cooling fan
  • 400-cid V8 with 10.75:1 compression
  • Rochester four-barrel carburetor
  • 330 hp @ 4800 rpm
  • Price: $351 over the base model when included with the 3-speed manual transmission
  • Price: $435 over the base model when included with the four-speed manual transmission
Firebird Ram Air 400 Package
  • Three-speed manual transmission with floor shift
  • Chrome air cleaner
  • Chrome rocker covers
  • chrome oil cap
  • De-clutching fan
  • Sports type springs and shock absorbers
  • Heavy-duty battery
  • Dual exhausts
  • Hood emblem and dual functional scoop hood
  • F70 x 14 red line or white sidewall tires
  • “Power Flex” variable pitch cooling fan
  • 400-cid V8 with 10.75:1 compression
  • Rochester four-barrel carburetor
  • 335 hp @ 5000 rpm
  • Price: $616 over the base model

OPTIONS

Custom air conditioner $360
Custom carpets $19
Console $51 – $68
Cruise control $53
Front disc brakes $63
Auxiliary gauge cluster $32
Rally gauge cluster $51
Rally gauge cluster with tachometer $84
Tinted windows $35
Tinted windshield $26
Right reclining bucket seat head restraint $84
Dual horns $4
Four-way power seat $70
Power brakes $42
Power steering $69
Left four-way power bucket seat $70
AM/FM radio $134
Rally stripes except 350 H.O. $15
Safeguard speedometer $16
Adjustable front and rear shokes $42
Hood mounted tachometer $63
Cordova top $84 – $95
Wire wheel discs $53 – $74
Rally I wheels $40 – $61
Rally II wheels $56 – $72

PERFORMANCE

MODEL 0-to-60 MPH QUARTER MILE
335-hp Firebird 400 6.4 seconds 14.9 seconds

HISTORICAL NOTES

1970 Firebird Notes

  • The new second generation Firebird became available on Feb 26, 1971
  • General Motors experienced a UAW strike
  • James McDonald became the new general manager of Pontiac Motor Division
  • He replaced John Z. DeLorean who moved to Chevrolet

1970 Automotive Notes

  • A recession in 1970 affects new-car sales so that the volume drops below 7.6 million cars
  • 60% of all new cars are air conditioned
  • All cars are required to have anti-theft steering-column, ignition locks, and both front and rear side marker lights
  • New features include front seatbacks that unlatch when the door is opened, tamper-proof odometers, and electrically heated rear defrosters
  • The US federal government awards contracts to develop a safety vehicle in which passengers could survive a 50-mph crash
  • Imports, esp. from Japan, record 14.6% of all US sales
  • GM news:
    • GM produces three V-8 engines to give low emisions: 402-cid (6.6 litre), 454-cid (7.4 litre), 500-cid (8.2 litre)
    • GM signs a $50-million license agreement with Curtiss-Wright Corp. for the rights to develop a Wankel rotary engine
    • Eldorado, Riviera, and Toronado get electronic skid-control braking
    • Eldorado’s 500-cid V-8 (8.2 litre) with 400 bhp is the world’s biggest production-car engine
    • Cadillac offers a power sunroof and signal-seeking radio
    • Chevrolet sells 130,657 Monte Carlo personal luxury coupe with its six-foot long hood — longest in Chevy’s history
    • Chevrolet’s 350-cid (5.7 litre), 300-bhp V-8 (4.9 litre) is now standard in Avanti II, whose styling remains the same
    • Full-size Chevys and Corvettes get the big-block 454 V-8 option
    • Monte Carlo gets a SS 454 option
    • Chevy II changes its name to Nova
    • The Chevelle is facelifted to resemble the full-size Chevrolet
    • Buick introduces the new GSX muscle car
    • The Buick GSX “Stage 1” will top 100 mph in the quarter-mile
    • Most Buicks come standard or available with the 455-cid V-8 (7.5 litre) producing 350 or 370 bhp
    • Because Pontiac offers only full-size cars, they lose nearly 180,00 sales
    • In California, station wagons have plastic gasoline tanks
    • GM endures a 67-day strike as the 1971 model year begins
    • Edward N. Cole was president of GM
    • James M. Roche was chairman of the board at GM
  • Ford news:
    • Ford out-sells Chevrolet by over half a million cars
    • Late in 1970, Ford abandons most racing efforts
    • Ford promotes its 12-month warranty with no mileage limitation
    • Last year for Ford Falcon
    • Ford Maverick sells over half a million at $1995
    • The all-new Lincoln Continental sedan and hardtop are built on body-on-frame construction and conventional fron-hinged rear doors
    • Lincoln-Mercury dealers sell the German-built Capri as a “mini-ponycar”
  • Chrysler news:
    • Chrysler enters the subcompact market by importing the British-made Plymouth Cricket and the Japanese-made Dodge Colt.
    • Chrysler introduces the 300-H “Hurst” hardtop
    • Chrysler offers an optional headlight-delay sistem
    • Chrysler introduces the limited-edition Cordoba hardtop coupe and sedan
    • Last year for Chrysler’s Newport and 300 convertibles
    • Last year for the Dodge Coronet R/T of which only 2319 hardtops and 296 convertibles were built
    • Dodge introduces the Challenger ponycar to challenge Camaro and Mustang
    • Plymouth Barracuda is similar to the Challenger
    • Plymouth adds the Duster based on the Valiant as well as the winged Road Runner Superbird
    • Imperial drops the Crown series, but the LeBaron continues
  • AMC news:
    • AMC replaces the Rambler American with the compact Hornet
    • In April, AMC introduces the first American subcompact: the Gremlin at $1879
    • The windshields on the AMC Javelin and AMX have a cemically treated inner pane to reduce the possibility of facial lacerations upon impact
    • AMC acquires Kaiser-Jeep Corp. to become the leading four-wheel-drive vehicle producer
    • AMC’s Rebel “The Machine” runs a strong 390-cid (6.4 litre), 340-bhp V-8 (5.6 litre) and displays wild muscle-car striping
  • Other makes news:
    • Excalibur Series II debuts with a roadster and phaeton using a 111-inch wheelbase and Chevy’s 300-bhp, 350-cid V-8 (5.7 litre)
  • Top American Automobile Corporations for 1970
1. General Motors3,681,484
2. Ford2,480,027
3. Chrysler1,483,126
4. AMC276,110
5. Others545
  • Top model year production for 1970
Ford   2,096,184
Chevrolet  1,451,305
Plymouth  747,508
Pontiac  690,953
Buick  666,501
Skylark  194,084
Sportwagon  12,241
Gran Sport  20,096
LeSabre  200,622
Estate Wagon  28,306
Wildcat Custom  23,615
Electra   225150,201
Riviera  37,336
Oldsmobile  633,981
Dodge  543,019
Mercury  324,716
AMC  276,110
Cadillac  238,744
Calais  9,911
DeVille  181,719
Eldorado  28,842
Series Sixty Special  1,738
Fleetwood Brougham  16,913
Series Seventy-Five  4,622
Chrysler  180,777
Lincoln  59,127
Imperial  11,822
Checker (not including taxicabs)  397
Avanti II  111
Excalibur  37

1968 FIREBIRD Photo Gallery