1971 Pontiac Firebird Esprit 400 V8 Muscle Car Original Owner Restored Running

1971 Pontiac Firebird Esprit 400 Description

You're purchasing a garage kept 1971 Pontiac Firebird Esprit 400 with 1 original owner and a free and clear title. It has 133,785 original miles. It features an 8 cylinder 400 engine, 2bbl carb and THM 400 transmission. This classic muscle car which is the same one featured and driven by James Garner on the iconic 70's tv show the Rockford Files is a 2 door coupe with a near complete restoration. It features a flawless black hardtop and a nearly flawless and restored interior. The car runs and looks great. The body is in excellent condition. This is a California car than has had zero exposure to snow and road salt. The car was never driven overly hard and was expertly maintained throughout its 46 year life.
This model year was the second year they made the firebird.
The original owner passed away very recently and the car was given to me (his friend) and the longtime doorman of our building by his daughter as a gift. She has transferred the title to us which we have free and clear. I have ridden in the car over the years and over the course of our friendship so I know it well. Since being gifted the car it has not been driven. I started and ran the car to verify that it was operating and fully functional which it is.
Having said all this I am not a car guy so if my description is not in the language of car culture please forgive me. I have described the car as best I can as a lay person.
Included with the car is the original owners manual, a repair manual and a bound booklet which extensively details the entire restoration ($14,500 spent). This includes an appraisal, dated receipts, names of shops used and their addresses, specific restoration details and mileage verification. The book was put together as part of an appraisal from 2008 that valued the car at $25,000 at that time. I have included a photo of the booklet summary page attesting to work done and a summary of the restoration details. The booklet that will accompany the car has roughly 50 pages of receipts for all the restorative work and a great deal of the car's history. You are not purchasing a mysterious car with a dubious past where you have to fill in a lot of blanks. This has been a well cared for and looked after vehicle.
Current NADA guides estimates the value at:
Low retail....9,281Avg retail....19,500High retail...36,125
I've done some research and studied some comps so I know my opening bid price is reasonable. Given that I acquired this car as a gift I feel no need to "max out" on my ask price. I'm happy to let the lucky new owner get a sweet deal whether they choose to keep it and personalize it or resell it. Keep in mind that since it does not need any major body work you will not have to sink a bunch of money into the body of the car. The gaps are straight and line up correctly.
I have uploaded the max amount of pictures which is 24. If anyone would like to see more pictures of the car you can find them at https://youtu.be/q2CdRweVrNYI also shot a video of the engine running. If anyone would like to hear and see that please send me your email or phone number and I can email or text it to you.
The car has front disc brakes, high-back bucket seats, carpeting, a hidden radio antenna, wood grain vinyl dash, hidden wipers, air conditioning, power windows and a factory clock. (please note that the inclusion of a/c, p windows and a factory clock were unusual amenities for this model.)It also has a working radio and dual horns.
Given that the car is from 1971 the vin number only has 13 digits. (224871L112916).
The car was manufactured in Pontiac's Van Nuys, California plant and the 1971 production total for the Esprit was 20,185 vehicles.
Condition Report
Exterior: The car is in overall very good condition. The car was hit while parked in 2008 causing some damage to the passenger side door. The door was expertly repaired (can't even tell it was hit) and the car was then repainted. The paint job is a dullish gray color that approximates the original nordic silver. The exterior is in overall very good shape with some minor flaws. There are a few small cracks in the paint job which can be seen in the photos. A few small dimples can be seen in a couple places on the body. The hardtop is fully restored in a jet black color and looks great with the paint job. Glass is perfect. Chrome is also excellent all around. Tires are newish and the rims are also in good shape. The hidden wipers are working but operate very slowly. The vehicle overall has a very small amount of rust. The bulk of it is inside the interior trunk/ on the interior trunk floor. Please see the photo of the interior trunk floor. There is no rust on the exterior bottom of the trunk (under the car). The other very limited rust it does have is a few specs on the trunk exterior. This is minor and can be seen in the close up trunk photo. The frame of the car is free from rust.
Interior: This car has a near full interior restoration looks outstanding and was done with factory originality in mind. The vinyl bucket seats front and rear are clean and in like new condition all around. The dash is clean with the wood vinyl grain being pristine. The interior ceiling fabric is as new with no rips or tears. The front and rear seat belts are complete and operational. The air con blows on the two lowest speeds, not on the top speed. It does not blow cold. The only flaws to the interior lie with the front carpeting. Both driver and passenger sides have spots of wear. (pictured) The rear carpeting is good with no wear spots. The only other flaws I can see is one razor thin tear in the passenger door arm vinyl that doesn't distract and two small holes in the material under the back window on the drivers side. These are minor issues.
Engine: The car runs well. The alternator and battery were just replaced. I have taken photos of the engine.
Extras: Lights and directionals are working well. One side parking light is out on the front passenger side.
Summary of Flaws: As mentioned the car was hit while parked in 2008. The body damage to the pass door was repaired and the car was repainted. I cannot detect the accident visually. The paint job is a gray dull color which in itself is not necessarily a flaw but it doesn't sparkle. There are some small cracks in the paint job in a few spots but overall it's in good shape. There are a few very minor specks of rust on the exterior. Some can be seen on the trunk above the key hole which is pictured but rust is minimal. The interior trunk has some rust as mentioned and is pictured. Also as mentioned there is very thin rip to the vinyl on the passenger arm rest and the front driver and passenger carpets have some wear. (pictured) There are two tiny holes in the material under the back window. They're the size of a finger tip and barely noticeable. Wipers work but slowly. Air con doesn't work on highest speed and does not blow cold. There is a small dent under the rear bumper near the tailpipe that is not noticeable but can be seen in the rear photo of the car. I've taken pains to mention each flaw so you don't get any surprises but rest assured this is a beautiful car that needs little.
If you choose to purchase the car without inspection that is of course fine as I have represented it honestly however it is my hope that anyone interested in the car come inspect it in person or have someone look at it prior to purchase. Just let me know when you would like to see it and we can make a convenient arrangement. As mentioned previously this is an honest car with nothing to hide. I have worked to provide the most accurate description of good points and flaws but nothing beats a look in person. Any inspection of the car will help the sale from my perspective, not hurt it so feel free to do so. If you're interested in the car and are a serious buyer please message me. I will be happy to provide my phone number and we can discuss any details you would like clarified. I want to reiterate that if you need more pictures please ask as I have a great deal of them.
Kindly note my 1,450+ perfect transactions and 100% feedback rating. While this is the first car I am selling my feedback should offer you a clear indication of my reliability and trustworthiness.
I require a small deposit which can be made via paypal. If you purchase in person I will accept cash, a cashier's check or a personal check. If you choose to pay by check the check will be deposited and the car and title will not be released until the check clears. If this transaction will not take place in person then I require a cashier's or personal check that will also be held until it clears. At that time I will mail you the title and you can arrange for pickup of the car. If you are going to have the car shipped then those arrangements will have to be made by you.
Thanks for looking!