1968 Firebird Convertible- NO RESERVE

1968 Pontiac Firebird Convertible Description

1968 Firebird Convertible, 350, 4 speed manual transmission, with Hurst shifter.This car was in my mechanics garage for several years, as the former owner owed him for work done on the car. I bought the car, and had my mechanic, who has rebuilt several 67-68 Camaros, rebuild the car, putting in a rebuilt manual transmission, with new clutch, a rebuilt GM 350 engine, a new heavy duty aluminum radiator with overflow, new dual exhaust with mufflers and chrome tailpipe extensions. Hoses, spark plugs, wires, etc. were all new at the time of rebuild as well. He also put Hotchkis sport suspension frames in to strengthen the frame, as these cars were not really built to last for 50 years. At the time of rebuild, the frame and engine bay were painted with a gloss black paint, to shed dirt and water. Power steering and brakes.
The car also has a new Ivy Gold interior to match build sheet.
Clear Ohio title in hand, and will be signed over at end of auction.
He also added an electronic ignition system and I added a brand new carburetor last summer, so it starts right up, even after sitting for weeks over the winter.The car was originally sold with an automatic transmission, and a 350 engine, but somewhere along the way, someone put a 400 hood with the little scoops on it, along with the chrome 400 front bumper, that includes the Pontiac emblem. That hood sits a little higher than it should, and I have not been able to get it quite flush with the body.
It has always been garaged since the rebuild, and never left out in the weather for at least the past ten years. Not sure before that. I do know it has new rear quarter panels. There was some surface rust in the usual places: bottom corners of front quarter panels, lower corners of doors, and base of door center posts. All of those rust areas were cleaned, sealed with Por-15 and filled with filler, before painting. Unfortunately, I could not match the original paint, so some of the paint touch-ups do not match the rest of the car.
I had a new top and rear plastic window installed last year, and it looks like new and fits perfectly. I also have a white boot that was custom made for the car, and looks great in parades. The top is manual operation, and can be put down or raised by one person, although it's easier with two. The good news with that-- no hydraulics to leak or break down.Both doors operate properly, but the driver door can be a bit temperamental, and likely needs a new latch. There is a little sagging in the driver door, which might be fixable with new hinges.
Because this car is not numbers matching, it will never be a concours classic, that sells at auction for $50,000 as some Firebirds do. Instead, this is a nice driver, with disc brakes and frame improvements for safety, and upgrades to the carburetor and ignition so that it starts reliably, and runs safely.
I have over $20,000 invested in this car, and the car is currently insured with Hagerty for a guaranteed value of $25,000. It starts and drives well, rides comfortably with no noticable squeaks or rattles, and drives straight on the highway at highway speeds. It has a nice throaty growl, but nothing that will shock the neighbors. I have taken several 100+ mile trips with no issues whatsoever.
I am selling because I find I am just unable to do the work on it that I would like, both because of lack of time, and because I'm not as flexible as I used to be. Plus, I need the garage space.

Whats wrong: There is a crack in the windshield, but I have a new windshield that goes with the car. I have not had it replaced because there is some rust under the windshield on top of the dash board, that should be repaired when the windshield is removed, and I just have not had time for that work. (last pic shows this area)All the lights work; however, I have had some trouble getting all the rear turn signals to work reliably. I'm not sure why, I've been told it could be a grounding issue.The horn does not work, likely because the original steering column was removed at one point, and replaced with a tilt column, which is now in the car, with the original steering wheel. I have the original column, if you want it.The odometer does not work, so I do not know the actual mileage. The Ohio title lists it at 46,870, but states: NON-ACTUAL: WARNING Odometer Discrepancy.I also have the original console that fit the automatic transmission shifter, but does not fit the manual shifter. It also comes with the car, if you want it. If you want to put an automatic back in, it is not a difficult job, and the 2-speed Hydramatics, which this car had when new, are easy to find.The car has a spoiler installed on the rear deck, which was not a Firebird option, but lots were installed, since they were popular on Camaros, and the decks are identical. It has radial red stripe tires, like the originals, and it has the mag style wheels, with center caps. The tires are probably 8-10 years old, and probably should be replaced, but I've had no problems with air loss, leakage or sidewall problems. New doors, decklids, hoods, etc. are readily available for these cars, if you decide you want to replace anything.It also has a bit of rust under the rear chrome strip around the convertible top, and a few small surface rust spots on the rear valance and in a few spots on the rear deck lid. As mentioned, although some touch-up painting was done, it does not exactly match the overall paint job. It's very close, but not quite. At some point, it will need a re-spray. This can be seen in some of the photos.
Deposit within 24 hours of auction end by PayPal. Balance in CASH or CASHIERS CHECK, at pick-up. No other form of payment will be accepted, so please do not ask.I shouldn't have to say this, but a bid is a contract. Do not bid if you are not prepared to pay the amount of the bid, if you win.
It's a great car, and you will enjoy it, as well as all the thumbs up you'll get driving it.