(first posted 9/18/2013) When you go to as many car shows and cruise nights as I do, you are bound to see the same cars over and over. But what keeps me coming back are the newbies–cars I’ve never seen before, and the more unusual they are, the more it makes my day. Some old car owners don’t go to shows, but apparently once in a while they think, “Ah, well, let’s check one out.” To those unseen owners, I say thank you! Case in point: this lovely, first-year Firebird.
Although I go to the monthly River Valley Classics cruise night nearly every month of the summer, I’d never seen this one before. Even from a distance this car appealed to me, because 1. It wasn’t red; 2. It wasn’t hot-rodded; and 3. It had a white interior. But what’s that emblem on the rocker trim? OHC6 Sprint? Cool!
The OHC six was meant to compete with imported sports cars such as Alfa and Fiat–a bit of Europe in your all-American pony car. It never was a really big seller, and wasn’t around for too long. Most likely, the Firebird Sprints and other OHC-powered Pontiacs of the late ’60s were swapped to V8s some time ago. But this one is still with us, and judging from the framed literature displayed with the car, this one still had its six. Sadly, the hood was down, so you’ll have to make do with this picture of the OHC from the ’67 Pontiac performance cars brochure. Sorry!
The Sprint package included the aforementioned overhead cam six-cylinder engine, wide-oval tires, beefed-up suspension and a synchronized three-speed manual. This Firebird was meant for grand touring and steering prowess, not flying down the quarter mile while rapidly atomizing fuel with one of the big stonking Poncho V8s. It was almost like an Opel version of the Camaro (author ducks and runs for cover).
Here’s that lovely white interior, with Pontiac’s trademark wears-like-iron Morrokide upholstery. And while it does have an ’80s-era Dino steering wheel and modern stereo, they don’t detract from this car’s appeal. And it’s cool to see that the owner left the factory radio in place!
The back seat, like the ‘Bird’s Chevy cousin, appears to be a bit tight, but at least with all that great glass area there was no danger of becoming claustrophobic. Sitting in the back of a new Camaro, with its Chiclet-size quarter windows, can seem a bit like sitting in a Landau-roofed Cordoba.
The Firebird was clearly derived from the Camaro, but I like the Pontiac version much better. Those louvered taillights, trademark split grille (the Camaro looked a bit flat-faced in comparison), more deluxe interiors and available Rally IIs just do it for me. And the deep-aqua hue of this one is also quite appealing. The only change I’d make would be to swap those RWL tires for some redlines.
Wouldn’t you love to slip behind the wheel of this ‘Bird and go for a ride? I really would have liked to hear it run–I’ve never heard a Poncho OHC6 in action. Too bad the owner wasn’t around, but I’m glad he brought it!
Schwing! I liked the look of the Firebird over the Camaro, too, and to see one still sporting its six — just too much. I laughed, I cried, it moved me.
That block looks deep skirted, like the buick 350 & 3800. It looks like a durable power plant.They shoulda made a 4 cylinder version & use that in the Vega.
Ding-ding-ding-ding…we have a winnah!
In On a Clear Day You Can See General Motors, John DeLorean writes that the Chevy engineers actually had an iron-block design that was rejected in favor of the corporate aluminum-block design that went into production.
Even though the divisions didn’t share much prior to the late ’60s, I’ve always wondered how much the proposed Chevy engine had in common with the Pontiac OHC engine.
I also wonder how the OHC-6 would have fared after the first gas crisis, at the same time that Buick bought back their V6 tooling from AMC and put that engine back into production. The problem probably had to do with the additional cost of producing an OHC design, as well as a general unfamiliarity with such a design among dealership mechanics of the era.
Mechanics of that era could not understand a bimetal operated automatic choke fitted to 63 onwards Vauxhalls never mind the cam in the wrong place.
I thought all the crackerjack engineers and mechanics in your country were amazing? They couldn’t figure out a choke?
Must have been a choke designed in the USA so it was far too simple for them to figure out.
My Dad was a mechanic, and he’s amazing! He had no trouble with the bimetal choke in my Mk I Escort (and he preferred things like that to modern electronic controls). He was a mechanic at the local British Leyland dealer too, so that gives him added points for perseverance! 😉
From what I recall the Chevrolet engine proposed for the Vega was a OHV design with a slight hemi head. So probably not much shared with this motor.
Surely many mechanics had experience during WW2 with the Ford GAA, Packard Liberty, Packard Merlin, or Allison V1710, all of which had OHC valvetrains.
Were the rest too lazy to read the shop manual?
Chevy engineers had a whole different car in development as the Vega and it’s turd-engine was a product forced upon Chevy by GM’s 14th floor. The Pontiac Six was a great idea and a fabulous alternative to the V-8.s . . . DeLorean & Co. at Pontiac did hedge their bets quite well and also offered the H.O. 326 (350 for ’68) a nice little four barrel a half-step below the 400.
I’m sure if Pontiac had the tooling (still) or if someone else did (like Kaiser Jeep later AMC in the case of the Buick V-6), we may have seen some nice cars with the OHC. Could you imagine a ’75 or ’76 Ventura hatch Sprint maybe? A Firebird Esprit of Formula with the OHC six? A 2G Grand Am in ’78 with that engine?
Billy,
From what I understand one of the reasons the OHC engine was canned was because it wouldn’t fit under the hood of the second gen F-body, making it a one car only engine (A-body). The 2nd gen had a lowered cowl/hood by about 2-3 inches compared to the 1st gen.
Love love love it! I had the ’69 version and I believe the reason it appealed to my dad was no honking big V8 to get a 16 year old boy in real trouble. I remember being allowed to stay out of school for two days to rebuild the motor in my driveway after the knock got just too loud. I also remember this car’s appetite for PREMIUM leaded fuel that by the time I sold it was getting harder and harder to find.
Mine was white with black racing stripe and dark green interior. Not bad until I HAD to have a blue car. Wow what was I thinking.
Thanks for the drive down memory lane.
Nice find Tom much more interesting than another Hemi “tribute”,there’s nothing wrong with 6 cylinder pony cars I had 2 years great motoring from my 69 Javelin before it did another 5 years with my brother and sister.More secretarys specials please.
The 6 cylinder pony car from OZ the Valiant E49 could blow the doors off V8s with ease.
Nice find, the 442 sitting next to it ain’t too shabby either
This is one gear short of the perfect Firebird!
Never even heard of these things.
Thanks for broadening my automotive scope.
I always love these little off shoots of the GM tree that showed off GMs engineering prowess. For a manufacturer like Chrysler or AMC this engine would have HAD to have succeeded because those companies couldn’t afford to spend a dime that didn’t pay off long term. GM on the other hand could go off and develop something new and radical and if it didn’t pay off… oh well, chalk it up to experience and move on. Like a giant shaking off the arrows being fired by pygmies.
I like that simile – highly appropriate.
Hmm….maybe add an overdrive gear for the highway and a small turbocharger for some instant street cred or hairy passing situations and that’d be the perfect Firebird.
Had a chance to buy a 66 2 door Tempest with the OHC 6 back in the mid 90s. I didn’t. What was I thinking??
I kinew someone who did and scrapped the 6 in favour of V8 power, it was probably the only 6 in the country at the time so blowing it would have junked it anyway.
I took a photo of one of these from a Car Craft Street Machine Nationals West from circa 1982. Don’t worry, it was relatively unmolested, and I was impressed with Pontiac’s willingness to pursue a path less traveled. As a 15-16 year old kid, however, I didn’t really take the time to look too closely at the design, as their were blown Hemi’s and GT500s to check out. Now I realize that GM went to the trouble and expense for an SOHC arrangement, but couldn’t be bothered to make it a crossflow head! Typical GM move, in my opinion; 1 step forward, 2 steps back. Since intake and exhaust are still on the same side, there is little advantage to this arrangement as compared to the AMC I-6, as just one example. Even the Continental I-6 used by Kaiser/Jeep FSJs at the time was a more aggressive engineering exercise. Nonetheless, a nice car, and I’m glad its being well cared for.
I have to agree with you C5B, should have gone crossflow. OHC with hydraulic roller followers make dohc unnecessary unless you want independent variable valve timing, with less bulk.
A couple of years later GMH put a triple carbed Holden 6 into a Vauxhall Viva and showed Ford 351 Falcons how fast was spelt, but of course that car went around corners fast, something this Pontiac wont do. Pity they didnt have corporate access to this OHC 6 they might have made something out of it.
I wonder if anyone has ever put triple carbs on a Pontiac OHC six. Now that would be pretty cool!
Love this car. I seriously considered buying an identical one (in black) when I was in college, but elected to stick with my Vega in a rare fit of prudence.
IIRC, the top end of the OHC six was susceptible to sludge buildup if the oil wasn’t regularly changed, leading to plugging of the galleries and subsequent failure of the valvetrain.
This is exactly what killed the OHC six in my grandparent’s ’66 Tempest – I ended up with the car and replaced the engine with, what else, a warmed-up SBC.
Still have the OHC six valve cover, though, hanging on the wall in my shop.
In Petersen’s Complete Book of Engines no. 3, the guys at Hot Rod wrote this one up – 292 Chevy truck crank and fuel injection.
Hrr? The page in the pic describes using a 250 Chev crank. Maybe there were further developments on subsequent pages?
Yep, they never could leave a project alone. Here’s the rest of the article.
And….
Last page.
Beautiful car, especially the color combo. It has the very rare gauge package which is cool. As much as Iike seeing this oddball car, I’d take a dull-as-dishwater Firebird 400 over it any day.
I did own a Verdoro Green ’68 Firebird 400 for awhile. It had Rally IIs, standard black interior, and console-shifted Turbo 400. It was very original and straight except for the stupid Holley carb & RR leaf spring that poked through the trunk floor, thus preventing me from any WOT fun. I still kick myself for selling it — the isolated rust hole/leaf spring issue scared me. That car was probably quite the animal.
Little did I realize this was a very common issue and patch panels were available to properly repair it.
Verdoro Green, now you’re talking 🙂
Too bad it didn’t have a white interior; then it would have been perfect!
Junqueboi…!!!
I hope you get this
I just found this on craigslist and thought you might be interested
Bluebird Esprit.
http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/cto/4085820437.html
Wow…it even still has the wide-band whitewalls.
I’ve only ever seen one Pontiac equipped with the OHC six. It was a Tempest coupe – either a 1966 or 1967 model – that served as a gentleman’s daily driver. This was about nine years ago, and he knew what he had, and had no interest in selling it.
The first-year Firebird is better-looking than its Camaro platform mate. The first Camaros always struck me as being bland…the Firebird was a nice improvement. It was a mid-year debut, as Pontiac management asked for another six months to better differentiate the Firebird from the Camaro. The final car was worth the wait.
Didn’t realize that Pontiac was so ahead of the game. Think of what they could have developed this into had they kept it around and refined it. GM could have had its own BMW-like Inline 6. Instead, we got Iron Duke. 🙁
Please stop using words like Poncho, Connie et al. Writing should be clear. Things have names. Use them. Otherwise it sounds childish.
“this ‘Bird” why would someone not assume you meant Thunderbird?
This is not cool. For FS&DI.
Sorry, Riko77 . . . . real gearheads who grew up with these cars and still love them have adapted to their nicknames. If you don’t like it, read the Robb Report!
Really sorry Billy, but Poncho? Mexican made Renault? Merc? Wasn’t that a Ford product? Should’t it be really called a Benzie?
Gear head. Don’t tell me what is in my mind, and won’t tell you is what in yours. I’ve got decades of nicknames if you want a few choice ones.
Cheers
FS&DI?
I bet the car forums drive you nuts…
I’m recurving the dizzy & dropping a new tranny in the Cutty this weekend, btw.
Good luck ‘recourving the dizzy’ this weekend. Assume much anticipate fun for you. But Dropping a transmission into a Bottle scotch whiskey sounds at the least tricky and possibly painful.
Car forums don’t drive me nuts. Actually don’t drive me anywhere. Automobiles drive me. Silly macho boys, give me giggles. They have never changed.
Well, isn’t “Riko77” a nickname of sorts? Or is that what it says on your drivers’ license?
All of the writers here do so for the love of it and the love of cars. For love, not money. Nicknames go hand in hand with that love, and our familiarity with our most favorite models.
*sigh* – just another self-righteous Troll I couldn’t resist feeding. I don’t even own a Cutlass (but I can spell “recurving” correctly).
@Junqueboi: I approve of your troll-feeding regime! 😉
Met my parents at lunchtime today, they brought the Scoobie (just a Legacy, not a Rex); after that I thought about taking my Nissan Lorri (which used to be sold as a Datto back in the day) and visiting my sis&BIL, their Commie’s always nice to see, and the Mitsi’s working out for them too now that the Falc got totalled – although the Falc’s 302W might still be usable if it gets a K&N, going by what the motor-noter said anyway. Would need rego though, and a WOF. Chur bro, over and out. Okay, I’ve run out now 🙂
If we had this instead of the 350 in the 68 bird, we probably would still have it. They were capable of some horses. I understand the hottest one came with a four barrel but memory could be wrong.
I also understand that they started with the chevy 230 block.
Pontiac must have had some innovative engineers for a while. Too bad they couldn’t wring a little more fuel economy out of the 350, it sure did run.
I never saw a 1G Firebird with the OHC in the flesh. In High School Auto Shop, there was a non-running “practice” ’66 Tempest Sedan that had the OHC four barrel. Hooked up to the Super Turbine/Jetaway 2-speed auto. This would be in ’76 . . .
Billy: Never knew the 350 was developed from the 326 (if I understood you correctly). Do know it could suck gas like a 400. Had a friend with the six and I envied him. I think 12 is as high as our 68/350 ever got. Did not matter where or how we drove it. It was in Panama so it wasn’t ever too fast. 12mpg should have been a crime for a small car like a 68 firebird.
wstarvingteacher
the Pontiac V8’s were all physically the same block from 1955 to 1979 (some exceptions), so the 389, 326, 336, 350, 428 etc were all the same engine.
I’m quite surprised that your 68 only got 12 mpg. I can almost squeek out 20mpg in my 74 with the 350 2bbl if I’m really really gentle on it.
You aren’t as surprised as I was. That’s why I dumped it early. I knew they were all the same block save the 301. I guess I mean that I thought the 326 was still being made in 68. Hard to remember everything from almost 50 years ago. Lots of folks looked at it to see if I was missing something basic. Didn’t much matter how I drove it. Gas hog.
As I look back it probably had a lot to do with gearing and an extra set of barrels opening up (4 bbl). It was not my favorite car and suffered mightily from comparison to some that were. I had a 67 chevelle at the same time.
I agree with the aesthetics of the Firebird over the Camaro, almost any year you choose to mention.
I’ve only ever seen one or two Sprint Sixes, installed in Tempests, never an F-body. I knew they came that way, have never seen one in the flesh. The featured car really interests me, as I love survivors.
Great find!
“This Firebird was meant for grand touring and steering prowess…”
Really? Have you ever driven one? My mother’s Firebird was the car that made me swear off American iron, and the steering was the worst part. Mom’s previous car, a Mustang, was a great drive for a kid with a fresh license, cheerfully nimble. The new Firebird, beefy and powerful, hung on tighter in sweeping curves with those new Wide Ovals (Were they 60-series? How wow is that now?)
When the road stopped winding, however, the car didn’t. The Firebird had absolutely no sense of straight-ahead, and the overboosted power steering gave few hints where straight ahead might be, either. It took so much concentration to keep the car in lane on a long drive, because it was a completely visual game. We had it aligned many times, but tires still wore unevenly, at a rapid rate. My guess is that those “wide” tires were just a step beyond the aligner’s art.
Mom gave me the car for a long Spring Break drive to Big Bend. After a day on the road, we stopped in Dallas to visit one of my traveling group’s relatives. I complained about the Pontiac, and he offered to swap us his car for the rest of our trip. So we set out desert-bound in a comfy Volvo sedan, trading horsepower for comfort, visibility, and good road manners. That move set my taste in cars for a lifetime.
I’ve driven over two dozen Firebirds and Camaros, from 6 cyl strippers to SD455 T/As and I never noticed any of them, not even the crappiest ones, beat to hell early 70’s T/A’s, had any noticeable problems going straight. My own personal car, a ’79 T/A, had zero alignment issues and the tires never seemed to wear out. They were nearly worthless in any weather, so I finally wore them out one afternoon. A friend and I took turns, I smoked the rears to the cords, put my new wheels and tires on the front, moved the OEM front tires to the rear, and he smoked them to the cords. That car was a burnout fan’s dream machine. Put your foot on the brake, and hit the gas, and smoke away. I could go 70+ on a decent road, and take my hands off the wheel and it just went straight.
Sounds like your mom’s car was seriously tweaked.
Well, it was stock and bought new. And I don’t think anyone knew the meaning of “tweaked” then, anyhow. I only know that the car felt very heavy, like the engine was carved from stone. That contributed to tire wear. The tires were a new size/design to the market back then, so they weren’t perfected.
Our car was capable of going straight, it just didn’t have any urge to do it. Overboosted steering was the norm for Detroit then. With zero resistance at the steering wheel, any stray movement could change your course. Overall, it was “a burnout fan’s dream machine,” as you say. But ours had no merit as a Grand Tourer, and even as a teen I knew what that meant.
interesting. my 74 has higher effort steering than my Cruze, and it is also variable ratio so that it is slower around center and speeds up the more you crank. The weight dist. on those is way better than any front wheel drive car today, my tires are wearing evenly. Size and design was not new at all, not sure where that came from.
NSU, its fine to not like something, but bending the truth to make a point doesn’t lend itself to much merrit.
Sounds like that car had some serious problems or the teenager didn’t really know what he was talking about.
It was a long time ago. My impressions of the car are what they are. I’m not bending the truth– there is no “truth” here, except my own experience. I’m glad you enjoy your Firebird. You’re not driving on BFG Tiger Paw Wide Ovals from 1976, I bet. Ours was like a wayward whale, that’s all I know. Oh, BTW, it stopped cold the first time I tried to jump RR tracks with it- the battery terminals hadn’t been tightened. And it left me stranded after the engine broke a timing chain. Aside from that, and the chronic thirst, it was a pretty good car.
Had a ’68 Firebird 400, loved that car, 17 years old in 1975, all that horsepower…and drum brakes. Tough to stop when you are hitting 130 mph. Lots of long,open roads in rural Ohio back then.
Plus not many speed cops by the sounds of it….
When we were both in college in the mid-1980’s, my younger brother bought a used 1969 Firebird Sprint Convertible. His was “Caurosel Red” (sic), or as Chevy called that color, “Hugger Orange”, with a black top and black interior, complete with the optional hood-mounted tachometer. We disassembled the driveline to do a complete overhaul, but before we could reinstall everything in the car, baby brother took the summer off and used money from his co-op job to study in Europe, where he saw Charles and Di get hitched in London. I conned a friend into helping me put the car back together as a coming home gift and we fired up the newly rebuilt engine on the day he came home. We only needed to complete some repairs on the body to fix some rust and previous bad body work (Bondo), before repainting the car. Unfortunately, before we could do that, the car was stolen from our dorm parking lot! Ouch!
Interesting that only a couple of weeks ago, CC republished Car and Driver’s article about putting one of these in a Jaguar XKE. C/D did some weird stuff back in the day.
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/one-of-car-drivers-dumber-moments-pontiac-ohc-six-powered-jaguar-xk-e/
Lovely car, and so much more interesting with the six.
I had a Pre Cog CC experience with a first year Firebird yesterday. A red survivor, straight and complete, running well but with faded paint and old school wheels. These were very light looking, almost petite compared to Today’s Pony Cars. Ford sold a lot of Mustangs with straight sixes, but never made a commitment to developing the engine besides increasing displacement. It’s too bad, but I guess they wanted the extra cash for the excellent 289 V8. I had no complaint with my ’70 250 six, except for the poor fuel economy. My next six was a 07 Mustang with 200 hp. and the five speed auto. I was driving this car up to Sacramento yesterday. I was impressed by how this was, in many ways, the best combo, less expensive at initial purchase with quite good mileage. I had a couple of Datsun Zs, one with carbs and the other fuel injected. Those were nice running engines.