Pontiac Firebird Reminds Us Why ’60s Muscle Is Still Amazing
Ram Air first-gen makes 345 HP and 430 lbs.ft of torque, wowing the crowd at the 16th Annual Rides, Rods & Relics in Redondo Beach.
There are few cars that really grab your attention like a classic muscle car. Loud exteriors with even louder carbureted V8s just do something that no other car can. The first generation Firebird was developed by GM in collaboration with the iconic Chevy Camaro and since the late 60’s it has been making a name for itself by breaking necks every street it graces. The differences between the Camaro and the Firebird are obvious. The streamlined aesthetic of Firebird compared to the Camaro give it a sleeker and more mature aesthetic.
During the release of the first-generation Firebird there were a great variety of engine options for the chassis, two straight-sixes and 4 V8s. The biggest and baddest of them all was by far the Ram Air IV, which was a 400 cubic-inch, 6.6-liter V8 which made a crazy 345 HP and 430 foot pounds of torque, back in 1969. Those are impressive figures by today’s standards, so to have all that power back in the ’60s must have been borderline ridiculous. Thankfully, one of these amazing cars was graced the beach side of Redondo Beach, California for the 16th Annual Rods, Rides, & Relics event on Sunday, Sept. 29. This gorgeous black ’69 Firebird made us turn our heads more than once so we are happy to get into a little more detail about it.
This particular Firebird is owned by John Clifton and he is the original owner. That means he has had this car in his possession for 50 years. To keep a car like this at the quality level that it was presented last weekend for that long of time is an accomplishment in itself. And if your curious, he also owns the Shelby and the Bullitt clone right beside it, too.
Accordingly, this ’69 is a Ram Air model, meaning it has the top of the line 6.6-liter V8 we described earlier. The owner must really has a delicate foot to have kept this car in one piece with that much power. We have to say that our favorite part of the car has to be the unique hood-mounted RPM gauge. There isn’t anything quite like it and this particular unit is most likely the inspiration for the heads-up-display units you see on modern performance cars such as the Corvette.
We have to give our props to Clifton and his stunning Firebird. It looks so menacing in all black with the perfect amount of chrome accents.
Do you think you have a car of similar quality and would like to have it featured on LS1-Tech? Please send us a email at Autoeditors@internetbrands.com and maybe the next feature will be about your car!
Photos for LS1-Tech by Derin Richardson
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