Pontiac Firebird Gen 2 buyer's guide

Overview

The second-generation Firebird (1970½–1981) is the longest-lived and most culturally loaded of the classic Firebirds: the Trans Am became a star — on the road in the early 1970s with the Super Duty 455, on screen in 1977 with Smokey and the Bandit, and in every American driveway fantasy thereafter. The generation spans the full arc from muscle-car peak (the 1973–74 SD-455, one of the era's great engines) through the emissions years to the turbocharged experiment of 1980–81. Alongside the Trans Am sit the base Firebird, the Esprit luxury model and the Formula — the sleeper with the Trans Am's hardware and the plain car's clothes.

Generations and year breaks

1970–1973 — the early cars

• The new F-body arrived mid-1970 with Endura noses and the famous shaker scoop on Trans Ams; the Ram Air IV (1970) closed the 1960s story at full volume.
• The 455 HO (1971–72) and then the Super Duty: the SD-455 (1973–74) — reinforced block, round-port heads, the era's last great performance engine, hand-assembled in effect. An SD car is the blue chip of the generation.
• Colours are identity on early Trans Ams: Lucerne Blue and Cameo White (1970–72), Brewster Green (1973) — with the hood bird arriving for 1973 as an option.

1974–1978 — the Bandit years

• Big bumpers (1974) then the squared nose (1976) and quad lamps (1977): the car grew into its screen persona.
• The era's specials define the middle years: the 1976 Limited Edition (black and gold, the first "Bandit" specification), the 1977 SE that the film made immortal, and the 1978 Gold and Solar Gold editions.
• Engines fell and rose modestly: the 455's last year was 1976; the Pontiac 400 (W72 performance version, 1977–79) is the strong late engine.

1979–1981 — the finale

• The 10th Anniversary Trans Am (1979) — silver, turbo wheels, the big bird — is the collectible of the late cars; 7,500 built.
• The turbo 301 (1980–81) was Pontiac's answer to the times — the Indy pace car edition (1980) and the NASCAR edition (1981) are its monuments. Interesting, characterful and slower than the legend suggests.
• The 1981 cars closed the Pontiac-engine era: a 305 Chevrolet was already on the list.

Engines and options that matter

• 350/400 Pontiac V8s — the standard performance engines; the W72 400 (1977–79) with the four-speed is the late car's best specification.
• 455 HO and SD-455 — verify everything: the SD's block casting (the strengthened 132 casting), its heads, carburettor and the PHS record. SD cars are documented to the last detail by the hobby.
• Esprit and Formula: the Formula 400 is the value performance car of the generation; the Sky Bird/Red Bird Esprits (1977–79) are period curiosities with a following.
• WS6 (1978–81) — four-wheel discs and handling: the late-car option that matters, verifiable by PHS and the disc-brake rear axle in front of you.
• T-tops (Hurst, then Fisher from 1978) define the late cars' market; a hardtop late Trans Am is rarer than you think.

What to check before buying

• PHS documentation — as with the GTO, Pontiac Historic Services verifies the car from the VIN: Trans Am, SD, SE and WS6 claims should all be paper-checked. The VIN's second character/model codes and the trim tag support it.
• Rust: rear frame rails and the floor above them, quarters, the T-top apertures (the Fisher tops leak less than Hurst's), the lower doors and the trunk floor. The Endura and later urethane noses crack and warp — a straight one is an asset.
• SD-455 specifics: the engine's codes and castings are a known, finite set; the hobby's registries and PHS between them make a fake SD a detectable SD. Never buy one on paint and decals.
• Decals and birds: the hood bird's correctness (year, colour, placement) matters to value on SE/anniversary cars; the screaming chicken is also the most-reproduced decal in the hobby.
• Numbers: engine partial-VIN stamp (front of the block), the Muncie/Borg-Warner T-10 codes, and the axle stamps complete the verification picture.
• Parts: strong support for the F-body generally; SD and Ram Air components, correct carbs and distributors, and the early cars' interior trim are the premium hunts.