August 31, 2022 Update – The high bid of $25,000 fell short of the seller’s reserve price of $69,900.  If you want to buy this ride for the Buy Now price of $69,900, register and log in to bid on this page and select the green “Buy Now” option.

Guys With Rides is excited to offer Lot 150, a documented two-owner, rotisserie-restored, 1969 Pontiac Firebird 400 convertible, which we will offer in an online, reserve-style auction format on behalf of the private seller.

Bidding opens Wednesday, September 7, 2022, and will continue for fourteen (14) consecutive days ending at 5:00 PM Eastern on Wednesday, September 21, 2022.

The current caretaker reports their 1969 Firebird 400 convertible features a special order Goldenrod yellow exterior.  In addition to the special order paint, this Firebird features a Ram Air III motor with functioning hood scoops. The seller reports his Firebird is one of only 499 featuring this motor connected to a TurboHydramatic 400 automatic transmission.  If that’s not all, this Firebird even features a rare factory-ordered, under-dash-mounted eight-track tape player!

The seller is in the process of collecting all of the pictures and video needed for our auction, which will include extensive undercarriage shots showing the quality of the restoration. Stay tuned!

If you have questions about this 1969 Pontiac Firebird 400 convertible before then, please comment below or call Rudy directly at 877-468-6497.

(NOTE: Click on the picture to stop the slide show and expand the pictures. Scroll down to see more photographs)

The Deets

In the mid-sixties, Pontiac management wanted to build their own two-seat sports car based on their Banshee concept.  GM management did not approve the project because such a car would cannibalize Corvette sales. As a consolidation prize, GM brass approved Pontiac building their own version of the Camaro, and thus the Firebird was born. While the first-generation Firebird shared the Camaro’s “coke bottle” styling, Pontiac designers integrated the car’s bumpers into the design of the front end, giving it a more streamlined look than the Camaro. The Firebird’s rear “slit” taillights were inspired by the 1966–1967 Pontiac GTO. Both a two-door hardtop and a convertible were offered through the 1969 model year.

The 1969 model received a major facelift with a new front-end design, but unlike the GTO, it did not have the Endura bumper. The instrument panel and steering wheel were revised. The ignition switch was moved from the dashboard to the steering column with the introduction of GM’s new locking ignition switch/steering wheel.

Dan, the current caretaker of this 1969 Pontiac Firebird 400 convertible, reports the car has only one thousand miles since completing a thorough rotisserie restoration.  As you look through the undercarriage pictures provided below, you’ll note how the restorers went through every detail to recreate how this Firebird 400 convertible looked at the end of the production line.

The seller, a die-hard Mopar fan, went off the ranch earlier this year when he purchased this rare Firebird in May.  While he loves the car, he now has his heart set on a Dodge Charger from the original muscle car era, so he now needs to make room for that car by selling this Firebird. Dan never registered the car, but he provided proof of the Bill of Sale and car registration.  While Dan is the third caretaker, there have only been two registered owners.

The original owner, a fireman, special ordered this 1969 Pontiac Firebird in the fall of 1968. In addition to the special order paint, the original owner specified powertrain code “YW,” which was the 335 horsepower Ram Air III topped, 400 cubic inch V8 mated to a TurboHydraMatic 400 automatic transmission. Other cool options include the center console and a factory tape deck.  In the documentation section below, you will find pictures from the Pontiac Historical Society (“PHS”) documenting the fact this is a numbers-matching example.

As we understand, the original owner drove and enjoyed the car for many years before storing it in a garage. Years later, the original owner’s son commissioned a proper rotisserie restoration.  As the undercarriage pictures show, the restorers sparred no expense in restoring the undercarriage and replicating the marks and labels the car would have received as it moved down the assembly line.

The seller is photographing the Pontiac Historic Services report documenting the fact that this 1969 Firebird 400 is a number-matching example featuring its original 335 horsepower, Ram Air III equipped, 400 cubic inch V8. We plan to post that documentation very soon – stay tuned!

To help you make informed bids, we’re providing you with access to Classic.com, the analytics and search engine for the Classic Car market, that provides an interactive graph of recent comparable sales year-to-date. By clicking on the green dots, you can navigate to each comparable car sold as a way to help you make an educated bid on the car we are featuring for auction here:

Undercarriage Gallery

(Click on a photograph to expand and navigate through the section)

Documentation Gallery

(Click on a photograph to expand and navigate through the section)

If you have any questions about this 1969 Pontiac Firebird 400 Convertible, please leave a comment below or feel free to call Rudy directly at 877-468-6497.  Thank you for looking, and happy bidding!