Arrival

Mechanical

Detail & Trim

Late arrivals were already something of a Firebird tradition by the time the second-generation car went on sale in February of 1970 as a “1970½” model.

The general shape and engineering of the second-generation Firebird was shared with the second-generation Camaro, but with its own fenders and wheel well shapes (the Camaro’s were slightly squared off, the Firebird’s almost perfectly round). The most distinct Firebird design element was the plastic “Endura” nose that completely surrounded the split grille and single headlamps and produced a bumperless appearance. The second Firebird was gorgeous; a muscle car with styling that looked as if it had been designed in Italy.

A new “Batmobile” front end with quad square headlamps was the great innovation for the 1977 Firebird, and the engine choices became increasingly complex. The Chevy inline six was dumped in favor of Buick’s 105-horsepower 231-cubic inch (3.8-liter) V6 as the base powerplant; a new 135 horsepower 301-cubic inch (4.9-liter) version of the Pontiac V8 was available in Esprits and Formulas (along with the Pontiac 350); and the Trans Am’s redesigned shaker hood covered either a 185-horsepower Oldsmobile-built 403-cubic-inch (6.6-liter) V8 or the Pontiac 400 (T/A 6.6) now making 200 horsepower. Meanwhile, some Firebirds (mostly in California) came with the Chevy 305- and 350-cubic-inch (5.0- and 5.7-liter) V8s aboard.

This was also the year the Trans Am became firmly established as the car of the 1970s when Burt Reynolds drove a black-and-gold Special Edition through the unexpected hit Smokey and The Bandit. The Bandit’s Trans Am may have looked great, but it wasn’t particularly quick — Hot Rod magazine tested a similar car and could only muster a 16.02-second run down the quarter-mile at 89.64 mph. It sure was popular, though, as Pontiac sold 68,745 Trans Ams along with 86,991 other assorted Firebirds during 1977.

Read more about Firebirds at: http://www.edmunds.com/pontiac/firebird/history.html