1968 Pontiac Firebird Sprint | Jay Leno's Garage
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- Опубликовано: 28 ноя 2021
- John DeLorean developed this six-cylinder overhead cam Firebird as an answer to the Jaguar XKE and is a rare example in this configuration.
1968 Pontiac Firebird Sprint | Jay Leno's Garage 
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If it were not for Mr. Leno, I would never have known about 75% of the cars he showcases. He should be know as a great auto historian and not merely a collector and enthusiast.
How awesome is he!! Can just buy any classic car he wants and have it totally rebuilt from his own house with his own group of great technicians too!! What a life he has well deserved too he worked hard for it
IMO Jay is the Godfather of Automobilia
@@tonkajammin Well said. Perfect description of Jay Leno.
A historian using the video medium, not paper.
He also gets many things wrong and spreads bad information amongst enthusiast communities as a result. I'm still trying to get people to stop believing that WS6 doesn't mean "wide suspension 6 pieces" because of him (it DOES NOT mean that; it is just a set of random letters and a number).
Hey Jay,
You hit one out of the park with this video. I owned this same car, a 1967 Firebird Sprint, convertible, 4spd, electric roof, etc.
I was in school at U Mass, Amherst in 1977. In April of that year I was in a motorcycle accident and broke my back. I spent 8 weeks in the hospital, and lost the whole semester. When I got released from the hospital I was in a back brace and could barely walk. I lived off campus. I couldn’t even walk to the bus stop; I was all screwed up.
My housemate had just bought this old 1967 Firebird Convertible (a Sprint) and he sold it to me for $300.00; I will never forget that favor as long as I live. The car had a new roof (electric), the 4spd, it had an inspection sticker and it ran. Getting that car was the first good thing to happen to me in that whole ordeal. My Firebird Sprint had a tired pushrod GM 6cyl motor (the OHC 6 was long gone). I had the hood tach, but it was out of the car in the trunk. That $300.00 Firebird burned oil and had a leaky exhaust, but it changed my life. I was mobile again. The car made me smile at a really bad time in my life.
I couldn’t work that summer, so by late fall I had to sell the car to pay rent and buy food. The car needed work, but I could hardly lift the hood to add some oil and STP. Still, it broke my heart to part with the car. I’ll always remember that 1967 Firebird Sprint Convertible.
Over the years every time I scan eBay, or in the old days the “WantAd”, I look for a Firebird Sprint convertible whether I have the jing to actually buy one or not.
I was grinning ear to ear watching this video. Thanks for restoring this Firebird Sprint. You don’t even know me Jay, but will you do me a favor please? Next time you drive your Sprint will you slap Deep Purple “Highway Star” in the cassette player and run the car through the gears for me? Thanks Bro.
Jim Vann
Great story! Highway Star was what I listened to in my 68 as well, how funny is that!
What a story! Thanks for sharing. I can hear the music.
@@lorencelampin6746 Glad you liked the story, it's true every word.
"I love it, I need it and beat it... Alright, hold tight... I'm a highway Star!" You know what I'm talking about!
@@MichaelRCarlson Highway Star is one of the best driving songs of all time! Every kid with a manual transmission in his car back then was a highway star.
It's true that story, I lived it. It's surprising what the right motor vehicle can do for your attitude. I'll never forget that 1967 Firebird Sprint, or my pal Hurls that sold it to me for short money (he's still a good friend 45 years later).
That Firebird was the best car I ever owned. Maybe not the nicest, but the best.
Jay doesn't read these comments goofball
I had a 68 firebird. Everyone wants a Camero? My dad had a 67 firebird convertible that was painted by Yosemite Sam's shop in Detroit Michigan. What a beautiful car.! Thanks for the video I really appreciate it cuz a lot of people just don't understand what Firebirds all about.
I love the calm and casual car talk. It's like we are sitting at a bar together. Doesn't have a reality show or documentary feel
Eactly! ars and motoryles always get guys together. I love car shows, drive nights, etc.
From Firebird Nation website. According to "The Fabulous Firebird" book by Michael Lamm, these items were nick-named "cocktail shakers", and were used only in the convertibles to counter body vibration.
These cannisters contained spring loaded weights suspended in oil.
Good explanation I found online:
""The half-frame body construction doesn't have very good torsional stiffness (compared to a full-frame car or a full-unibody car), so "F"-body convertibles had a lot of "cowl shake" (what you see when you go across railroad tracks, etc. when you watch the windshield and cowl area shake back and forth, which you don't see on a coupe), and road surface irregularities at highway speed can induce the same phenomenon under certain conditions. The "cocktail shakers" have a heavy weight inside that's free to move up and down, with a spring above and below it to hold it centered vertically, and the can is filled with oil to damp the weight's motion (Corvair convertibles had the same thing, BTW). These become vibration dampers at certain frequencies and reduce the visible "cowl shake" to what Chevrolet felt was an acceptable level (as a substitute for properly-designed convertible body structure). If your car doesn't have them any more (many were trashed because people didn't know what they were and they were heavy), don't worry about it from a functional standpoint - you'll just have more "cowl shake" without them than you'd have with them in place.""
Neat!
In modern times, Ford has been bolting some 25 lb. steel/rubber vibration dampers to pickup truck frames, for customers who complain of vibrations.
had those in my1969 camaro
That's an apt name. I had them in my '68 Camaro convertible.
They had these in the 1965 thru 1967 Corvair convertibles. They helped to compensate for the chassis stiffness lost in the convertible.
In a world of misinformation about older cars, Mr Leno is a breath of fresh air. I can’t honestly recall a meaningful misstep in the information he shares. Thank you again!
This 1967-1969 Pontiac Sprint with the 4-spd Muncie tranny, has been my dream car since I was a kid!
Growing up in Oshawa ON I have always been a GM man. I even worked on student summer programs in hourly and salary.
Such a fun car. Pontiac was at the top of their game, well ahead of their time. Thank you for sharing this gem with us. Really well done.
I think GM really made a poor decision in dropping PONTIAC. They understood performance, looks and fun. I've owned between 68 and 93 a GTO, a Le Mans, a Grand Prix and a Bonneville. All were great cars. I think, pure performance aside, although it was no slug, the 93 Bonneville was my favorite. Quick enough, comfortable and a quite, smooth ride that still managed to handle well. I had a class mate with the hi po Sprint. Really nice car. All it needed to make it complete was dual exhaust.. Never understood all the performance mods and no duals or at least a cool looking and great sounding single like the first Barracudas had.
I had a friend that had a Tempest Sprint. It was white with the black Sprint stripes.
GM was the only thing holding GM back. Every time one of their lesser subsidiaries had a genius idea, they felt threatened that it would hurt their "big sellers" and immediately axed it... The Corvette was the worst offender.
I love how Jay has millions of dollars worth of some of the finest cars in the world, and his go to work/run around to do errands car is a six cylinder Firebird. I guess it goes with his wardrobe.
Good one. And actually, Jay has said about quite a few of the cars featured that he commutes in them, from 19-teens and 1920s up thru this one. Also said it about his 1909 Baker Electric and talked about it in a convincing way, how it handled street commuting speeds OK.
Just because he wears jeans doesn't mean anything other than he's comfortable in jeans.
Sometimes, simplicity is the best, most comfortable option.
If you live in Los Angeles, especially in the San Fernando Valley, you see him driving around with many cars from his collection.
Better question is: How does he afford all of those...? Especially in Commiefornia...? I get he was the king of all time late show hosts, but, that is at least half a billion in cars in his many garages...?
Surprising how many people aren't aware of the Pontiac OHC Six, I grew up with one of these. Thanks Jay
I remember the Firebirds with sixes, I just didn't remember they were OHC. I had a 1967 hard top with a 326 v8, two speed auto on the column that my parents passed down to me in 1970. It was Coronado Gold with black interior. It was a fun car, but it had terrible brakes. All drums that would heat up and fade on you in a nano second.
The 67/68 Firebirds are my favorite. My brother had a 67 400, was an awesome car. Could always tell when he turned into the neighborhood, because you could hear it.
I bought a new 1969 Firebird 400HO new. Loaded it up with most options except AC. $3900. Was a really great car, wish I still had it. I remember that OHCsix as well. Went to work for a Pontiac dealership in 1970. Had many high performance Pontiac parts. Had two Pontiac Ram Air V crate engines. Those were my best days. Wish I could live them over again. Am now 77.
I LIKE the six with your modifications PLUS the handling, braking, and suspension tweaks. I DON'T NEED THE SPEED, I appreciate the balance of power and handling.
I like how Jay picks interesting cars rather than just the most powerful engines.. Although he has other toys with plenty of extra power, some are just a masterpiece of engineering..
Jay has the luxury of owning dozens of cars, some that are hugely powerful, others that handle well and others that are just interesting or unique. Most do not have this luxury, so they go for the more powerful car because it usually is the easiest way to induce a grin whilst driving.
@@iamtherealzombie I believe you are correct... Most of us, if we can only have one, want pleanty of power...
Wonder if Leno realizes how his knowledge, teachings and collections truly are preserving a little bit of history as it slowly fades into the forgotten 💗
I'm actually old enough to remember that engine. Back in the days pumping gas, the station owner made us wash every windsheild and always check the cars oil so I got to see everything that was out there.
I love this car. Looks, engineering and all. Tasteful Americana
I doubt there are any “Made in USA with global components” on this jewel from Pontiac!
Nice looking indeed, and taken a leaf out of the Jaguar book. It is well proportioned as are Jags. The overall lines are based on the E-type for sure.
To me it looks like a...
Full sized Hot Wheels !
Those Red Line tires...
Super Smexy!
@@donaldhollums3278 ppp]
@@henryfrederick137 🤔?
Great to see Jay helping keep Pontiac cars alive, there's no group of enthusiasts who have more passion than Pontiac people! Bravo Jay!!
GM committed the unthinkable when they killed the 2 most innovative marques in their stable. Oldsmobile was the grand daddy of US automobiles, and Pontiac was the brand that made kids blood boil. What a shame! They should have taken a page from our Canadian friends and ditched the Chevrolet and made the Pontiac the entry level vehicle.
Hi Jay, love your videos! Here is the story on the Firebird dampers you asked about: When Pontiac was given the Camaro chassis to make their Firebird from, their engineers were unhappy with the way the Camaro convertable would shake around at speed. It was late in the development cycle for 1967 so they had to make a quick fix. They used a classical mechanical engineers solution of putting in dampers. They are a weight penalty, but worked very well. I think Chevy saw that solution and started putting them in Camaros too. I quess that today these little known canisters with weights and springs stand as a tribute to the superiority of Firebird over Camaro!
A: Concerning vibration dampers. Front dampers weight 25 pounds while the rear dampers weight 50 pounds each and are attached by three bolts. In the trunk there is a support brace between the trunk floor and the trunk gutter (there is re-enforcing frame work under the edge that the brace welds to. One bolt goes through the support brace and the other two go through the trunk floor. Under the trunk floor there is a thick steel plate the has nuts welded to it for damper attachment…usually the nuts are rusted away. Im not sure if the 1968 mountings are different.
What a lovely baby! My Dad had a '68 Le Man's that I learned how to drive on, it was a lovely dark red, with black leather seats. I had a chance to drive a '68 Firebird, but I turned it down, did not have enough experience driving standard transmission.I am still kicking myself in the butt for not taking the opportunity.
This is a very good looking car that does not look like a 53 year old design.
Ya it does
@@toyota420xp that is just funny ...i meant mean😆
06:06 This was my favorite part of this build in which Jay and his crew had bespoke rocker arms designed and built from scratch. He will go to just about any length to get the job done right. (Of course, he has the financial means to do so... but who wouldn't do the same thing, given the chance?)
Yipee! I have been waiting many a full moon for Jay to finish this build. He touched on this Sprint in a few of his restoration blogs (just making my mouth water). I'm soooo pleased he has it finished now.
This car would (in my humble.... but some say lovable opinion) be the ultimate daily driver.
I like that Jay just loves all things cars and doesn't go and make everything crazy hotrod's. fix the major flaw of the car, using modern upgrades, but dont make it obvious and keep them mostly stock
Me too! I'd still like to do a lightweight 63 nova with a 215 Buick/ Rover etc.
Even guys with financial means don't have Jay's knowledge and superb appreciation of cars with his ability to make limited but appropriate modifications.
Fast forward 8 months and I still love this video and this car. If I could have my choice of any of his cars (and I couldn't sell it) I would pick this Pontiac Sprint or his '66 Corvair, as they both would make great cars to drive every day and wouldn't put a person into the poor house just buying fuel.
@@melvinharvey8279lots of Vegas have alum 215 .works well, same weight as 4 cyl& front discs that nova lacks I have 1.
This is basically Top Gear for me. I stopped watching the real one ages ago when I saw how good this channel is.
Boy does this bring back memories. In late July, 1968 I came home from Germany, had 30 days leave en route to Vietnam (anybody remember that sorry war?), which I spent at home with my folks in Dallas. Mom and Dad thought i'd enjoy the Hemisfair, in San Antonio and we went down. Nice visit, yes. When we got back home after a couple of days, I looked at the cars the dealers had, and in the B-O-P dealer in Oak Cliff, I encountered a Firebird Sprint convertible, just like yours except for the color. Bright red, white top, red interior. If i hadn't been on the way to Vietnam, I think i might have bought it. Got home and decided to keep the VW 1600 I'd bought in Germany and Dad had taken care of while i was gone. I still wish I'd bought that Firebird. Oh well.
C.W. howard.
DeLorean was the epitome of a great man... Admittedly flawed (as we all are), but undeniably great.
Him, Bunkie Knudson, Jim Wagners, Herb Adams, among others helped GM division #2 stick out from the rest. If wasn't for their contributions to the muscle car era it would of probably be a long history of mediocre cars in the automotive world.
Jay is pumping out the videos and I’m sure we all appreciate it. Yup back in the day 100,000 mile car was done, just wore out.
Yes but 1960s body on frame cars were very repairable and restorable. This car will stay on the road for decades more.
@@777jones very true but at that time replacing an engine was big bucks. Quite a few at the time were not body on frame but unibody technology.
68 Firebird is an F body unibody vehicle
@@777jones this is a unibody car...
@@barnabyjones5161 i didn’t know, thanks for the info guys!
My granddad would’ve been proud as he was a Pontiac man! He owned several during the time John DeLorean ran that brand including a 65-67 GTO!
Dang, and I thought I knew about every Detroit car. Really beautiful car. Right color, right options, right size wheels (with red lines!), interior color, wood steering wheel. Just perfect!
Perfect interior and exterior colours, those original wheels were a great design then and still look great today. G.M. sure had great designers in the 60's. Beautiful restoration ,awesome car Jay.
That was when GM had car nuts in charge instead of bean counters who wouldn't know an overhead cam (or any cam) from a toilet plunger, and probably didn't know how to use the plunger.
This is the type of car that I like watching videos of. I'm glad that the stock appearance was retained and the mods are hidden and the original character of the car retained. Great restoration.
One thing I love about Jay is he seems to always find that worn part and he upgrades it. It’s nice knowing all the top builders and manufacturers in the area to get your parts made!
Its called "money"
“Is it fast? No, it’s fast enough!” Perfectly said Jay
Jay, you’ll be interested to know that your favorite (?) GM car, the Corvair, also had the cocktail shakers in all four corners of the convertibles.
Well done Jay, have a swim in your cement pond with the misses to celebrate, you've earnt it.
Whats that supposed to mean?
I can honestly say that I am overly familiar with this motor. My buddy in high school had a 66 Tempest Sprint. Just a three speed, but I thought it was a V8. Then a girlfriend in high school had a 67 Tempest Sprint convertible. Nice car! This was California. I later learned that this motor was available in the Firebird, Not very popular, as everyone wanted a V8. Ended up owning Series One and Series Two Camaros with the six. As you say, you just didn't see these vehicles. When I got married in the late 1980s, I found out my late father -n law had been a mechanic at the Pontiac dealer in Salinas CA. His specialty was the Pontiac OHC Six. He still had all the factory manuals! Unfortunately, I was not able to acquire them before his passing, and have no idea what my late mother in law did with them. Great job Jay!
I not only have heard of it, I have ridden in one. My Dad brought one home in early 1969 after his 20 in the Army. He only kept it 2 years but I will never forget it. I always got in trouble scooting between the front eats or between the drivers seat and the B pillar to try and watch the tach. Most of my life people thought I was on drugs talking about the overhead cam Firebird Sprint. I have fond memories of the back country roads we traveled on the way home and sliding across the back seat. I appreciate the devotion you have for that car.
I always love seeing Jay's child like enthusiasm & love for every car he shows.
Fantastic job on the restoration. That Firebird looks like it just shipped from the factory. I love that you kept true to the original color.
Gorgeous!
Yeah golly such a great 60s color !
It was always my favorite.
I remember reading an article in one of the auto magazines back then, where the took that engine out and put it in a Jaguar XKE. It was a little faster in the quarter mile. Which pleased the American fans to no end.
I'm 58 now,but when I was 15 my dad was given an overhead six engine and held on to it for a year and a half. He was later able to purchase the 1968 firebird it had originally been in. It seems the guy was a gearhead and took the engine out and replaced it with a 400 c.i. pontiac engine only to sell the body to my dad so he could buy a 1970 Z28 he found for sale. The firebird was a hardtop with a 3 speed on the column, and could do 90 m.p.h. in second gear. I really liked the car, but West Virginia snow and salt took a toll on the body. It was a really good car to learn how to drive in. MEMORIES !!!
I may have watched that exact car roll off the line at Lordstown, Ohio. In 1968 there was a class trip to Lordstown and we ended up the tour at the dyno station where they tested the engine on each car coming off the assembly line. Note, it was a test for Function, not power and was only about 10-20 seconds on the rollers. Anyhow the people at Lordstown called this the Sprint Six and were rather proud of these cars. When I was there I watched a metallic Blue Sprint Six convertible go across the rollers and will always remember that moment.
A few years later while working as a gas station mechanic I learned about the weak point of the OHC six and it wasn't the rockers at that time, it was the oil supply to the camshaft bearings. With the low top end oil pressure seized or spun cam bearings were rather typical.
I had a maroon , lived in ohio and bought from a gm assembler in lordstown in 1976 for $4000, sold it fir 6000 in 1992. Loved the hood tact and hurst shifter; needed high test or it ran weak. 250 hp leaded gas
@@donaldcampopiano8726 thanks, cool…..
Thanks, good points.. I heard that too…. See my other, Comments .. My,Friend really liked*** the SOHC, SPRINTS,TEMPEST /engines of that Set,….
It's been my favorite car since it came out in '67 when I was 9 years old! Seeing one now is always a treat. I've always wanted one.
My high school band teacher had a Tempest with this engine in 1968. I thought it was cool. Most of my classmates didn't care for it because it did not have a V8. This and the Corvair definitely had a European flair that was absent from most other American cars of the day. Of course, it is now very cool to own these. A great addition to Jay's collection.
Pat my brothers in an I had and still he have a 66 tempest with the OH 6. it was tire burner. 180 HP with the 2 barrel carb . It's HP raito to weight was better than V8 ,raito.
Whats a tempest
@@tomstulc9143 did you drive both? How was the handling and what were the differences in all aspects. Thanks 🙂
@@Jason.cbr1000rr Originally the 64 Tempest was based on the Chevelle Malibu platform. The GTO was the high-performance upgrade that later became its own stand-alone model. I believe Jay touches on that in the 1964 Pontiac GTO Convertible episode.
Loved all the Pontiac designs.
My mom had a brand new 1967 Pontiac Tempest LeMans with the 6 banger, it was a gutless wonder. She never turned the AC on even once, even in July and August because she "didn't want to wear it out." She had it for three years and traded it in on a 1970 Olds Cutlass with a V8. The LeMans still looked and smelled brand new after 3 years.
My first car was a new 68 Firebird Sprint hardtop in 🍊 orange. I loved it.
The canisters in the back are mass dampers. There is a weight suspended by two springs one on top and one on the bottom the oil is like a shock absorber. It stops oscillations up and down under braking and acceleration as well as from bumps in the road. This makes the car more stable and predictable. I would guess it was a work around to compensate for weight differences as well as the lack of rigidity in the rear from chopping the top off.
I think they were called "cocktail shakers".
The typical term is tuned mass damper. Tuned mass dampers are fairly common as metal weights with rubber mounts today. My Ram pickup has a couple of these.
@@richvandervoort2950 offcially yes but in the day above poster is correct. So you BOTH are correct. Renault F1 used these in 05/06 to win wdc in formula 1
They were added to remove cowl shake on the convertibles. I retired from General Motors Design Staff.
Corvair convertibles had the same weights...
A truly underrated piece of GM engineering. These engines are rare as hens teeth these days. Most had v8s swapped in and the 230I6 ended up in the scrap.
250, not 230, but you're probably still right.
The 250 made it debut in 68 and had it's swan song after 69 along with DeLorean getting the boot. The 230 was around for maybe 3 years prior to it's swan song in 68. I'm thinking one could get one in the tempest at first.
Jay always puts original tires / rubber on these beauties, take note guys nothing beats the originals for look !!!!
I love this car! I didn't know there were 2 versions of this engine. Growing up a friend's mother had this engine (I don't know which version) in a LeMans rag top with a 4 speed. I got to drive the car a couple of times and rode as a passenger a ton of times. As Jay said in regard to the Firebird, the engine was perfect for the car and not overwhelming. It handled surprisingly well and for the day it stopped well. I had a lot of memories associated with this car and this video brought them all back! Thanks Jay!
I think there were about 6 versions of this engine: 215", 230". 250" times 2 and 4 bbl. carb.s...
A beautiful car with timeless styling, 54 years on! And Jay's 'resto mods' clearly discreet enough to make it a real sleeper…Sad that the US doesn't have a 'national living treasure' like in UK; Jay well deserves such an acknowledgment!
I think this is my favorite episode I don't know how many times I've watched it thank you Mr Leno I really really enjoy this car
When I was little my dad was a service manager of the Pontiac -Cadillac dealer in our town. I remember him griping about how nobody was going to buy this 6 when like Jay said, you could get the big V-8 and have less trouble than that overcomplicated 6 cylinder. But my dad hated new things unless he could see the upside right away. With the Sprint at that time he didn't. I love the late 6's firebird especially Jays! A gorgeous car!!
I really like this car. It looks right. Preserves its original look. Has the right body and interior colors. Has the sprint engine. The right stance. The 5 speed manual is a perfect choice. The only thing not quite right is the buzzy exhaust note. Needs a different muffler and resonator combination. It looks great going down the road. Those weights in the trunk help with the body shimmy you can get with these bodies. They are mass dampers.
Yeah big second on the rear stabilizer weights. Seeing them there makes a lot of sense on a car like this.
Yah I have an 88 BMW 535is with straight SS welded exhaust, one resonator and Magnaflow. I am putting in another resonator to quell that rasp it's annoying. Anyway this car is dope AF. I had forgotten about it.
So I said it has to do with it not having the roof structure to it that's why they added the weights it was to help with the flex of the body or something, is that why? I swear I watched a video on that somewhere
@@SORGIGERMANICO Yes I ran Turbo Corvair Convertibles and they had those Mass Dampers. I have copied the work of other machinists in incorporating "Absolute Dampers" (their correct engineering term) into boring bars (cutting tools used by a lathe to bore true holes) too.
they call those mass dampers "cocktail shakers" in automotive lingo
My new second favorite car of Jay's. I'm still waiting for him to show off that beautiful 1938 Bugatti Atlantic Electron Coupe that I see in the background of so many of his videos. That's been my favorite car since I was eleven. Couldn't happen to a better guy.
I always wanted this car. The straight 6 was a wonderful sounding engine and had just enough power to be fun. I have a mustang GT convertible now and if you drive it in the cars fun zone you get arrested. As well as burning up the tires. You have restored a true classic.
That SPRINT is done perfectly!
Looks absolutely beautiful...thankz Jay....
I knew this day would come eventually and I have been looking forward to it.. I think what you have done to this car is exactly what I would have. Make it safer and a little more fun to drive. Thanks Jay for the continuing our education in classic car 101.
Ive always prefered the firebird/trans am over the camaro. This is a beauty.
Except 93/ 97 trans ams got kinda wild w plastic body add ons that Camaro was lacking
I had just gotten out of the USMC in 1968 & bought a 1967 green DOHC Firebird Sprint 4 on the floor w Pirelli tires & hood tach for $2200. Guy had given it to his daughter, who couldn't handle it. Sure is good to see this! Wish I still had mine!
Think they were just sohc, not dohc
That's a good looking straight six.
Pre 73 straight sixes are rock reliable and so easy and fun to maintain, repair and modify.
Another beautiful restoration by Jay and his crew of automotive magicians. Very tastefully done with just the right modifications to make it better that new.
Having been born in Pontiac Michigan and growing up 10 miles north of the city, my friends and I were steeped in Pontiac culture (plus we saw all of the test mules being tested around town). As such, we saw plenty of the OHC Sprints around, and thought there were quite cool. Yes, 326/350 engines were more popular with the go fast set, but...these cars were so unique and well designed. Thanks for bringing this one back to its full potential.
Around 1981 a friend of mine pulled into my driveway with a red with black vinyl top 68 Firebird. He opened the hood and there was this OHC straight 6 with a quadrajet carb. I had never heard of a Sprint Firebird before that or seen one for that matter. He still has it today.
I’m a dyed in the wool Pontiac guy. Restored my dads 66’ GTO in the 80s. POCI meetings attracted numerous Sprint 6 Tempests.
This engine was a gem that GM ignored and wasted. Would have been ideal for many Pontiacs in the early 70s. Germany & Japan made a mint selling OHC 6 cylinder cars.
ALWAYS wanted one of these and remember one down the street from me growing up in the early 60’s, 70’s It wasn’t the Sprint but color and convertible same. Life gets in the way when you’re not rich. I’d want the V8 because that’s American!! Regardless great car with any engine.
Growing up in the 60s and 70s you got to see virtually everything made by most car manufacturers at one point or another. I've seen exactly ONE of these Firebird Sprints with the overhead cam 6 in real life. On the other hand GT500 Shelby's, real Cobras, L88 Corvettes, Hemi anything, no problem running into those in real life. In fact, I've seen more 215 aluminum V8's from GM Olds or Buick (head bolt quantity difference) or even Rovers than this OHV Pontiac. It's a rare find and I'm glad this car went to someone who didn't put an LS in it and call it a day. Thanks Jay...
The oiling was a real problem with the lifters worn by 20k so they were often pulled and replaced with a V8. I’ve owned two, one which had the lifters done and ran great and the other had a Chevy V8 put in it and I wouldn’t have known it was a Sprint car without PHS documentation.
Mr. Jay Leno is such a humble Man, when he's gone, The World will miss a true ICON.
I really appreciate the spirit of the smaller, lighter engine resulting in a sweeter handling driving experience.
I recently got a 2010 Mercedes SL 350, lighter 6 cylinder engine + steel spring suspension (no ABC airbag suspension), much lighter in the nose and all the more enjoyable to drive as result.
At last! I've been following this car right through your restoration episodes. A brilliant if unappreciated concept. And you are more than forgiven for the thoughtfully applied "restomod" upgrades. There's a lot to be said for being able to use "all the power all the time." A brilliant classic episode!
It's always good having the Singer engine guys doing your work.
I love Jay Leno . It’s a blessing that there’s even a person like him who exists , he can show us all these cars and take us along for rides .
Great restoration. It is so nice to see a different take on classic cars with a performance six and handling instead of the standard v8 straight line muscle car. My brother and I both have 6 cylinder mustangs and they definitely give a different feel and sound than the v8 cars. When a car is set up right with good weight distribution and balanced and not overpowered it allows you as a driver to have more confidence. It is fun to have too much power for a chassis but we all have seen what happens with novice drivers and v8 mustangs spin out. Thanks for all your videos Jay! I love my 4.0 overhead cam six cylinder mustang. I can see you really appreciate the six cylinder firebird sprint. It really means something when a guy can appreciate all types of cars and not just the popular ones. Sometimes the rare cars were unappreciated but still fun in their own way.
This was a build I have been following and waiting for like a pre-teen enthralled with the latest boy-band video. No disappointment. I absolutely love the color, look and stance of the Firebird. I was not familiar with the 4.1 engine so I find this type of car history fascinating. Thanks Mr. Leno for bringing a great car back and making it better than stock. I would love to see this one judged by the Europeans that normally look down on our super-powered, poor handling rides.
This European would love to judge it. Where do I pick up the keys? 😁👍🏼
European here - long time listener/first time poster.
I was pleasantly surprised when Jay started listing the merits of the V6, as you Americans tend to get a little worked up when a car will fit a V8.
This to me is the exact opposite of the 1968 Camaro 427 COPO episode, which was more of the same. Rare, yes, pedigree, sure, but special? Idk, this seems more like my cup of tea.
@@trenchtown69 It's an inline 6.
JDL was a great piece of history..
Too bas the DMC didnt work out..
He put so much effort into it. He is legendary.
Thumbs up JDL.
GREAT story about the mostly unsung Pontiac OHC Sprint - I've been looking for one even since a high school friend had a Firebird convertible in 1968!
I really like how well you handled this gem of a car's restoration with mild, but very worthwhile up-dating tweaks. I remember as a teenager myself, in a small Canadian midwest-prairie town, a local fellow owning one of these rarities. He owned a coupe version of this sweet little OHC straight 6 Firebird. Indeed, a truly tasteful treatment of a true classic. :)
Jay always comes off like the foster parent of all his vehicles, like the caretaker and not so much the owner, and I admire him greatly for that! Thanks Jay for another prize in the world of collectable machines.
In the 60's this was a absolute dream. A great "SIX", and a four, or five speed transmission, and all the "handling" upgrades…nobody had it. Great fun.
I owned my first OHC6 Sprint in 1968 when I was in the Air Force at Travis AFB in California.
It was a 1966 Tempest Sprint with a Saginaw 4spd (that I did not care for). I sold it in 1969 when I bought a 1970 Plymouth Duster 340 Automatic. Then when I got out the service and went back to Portland, OR ; I found another 1966 Tempest Sprint and traded my Duster for the Sprint. I put a Holley 650 4 barrel carb. on it with headers and a M21 Muncie 4spd. I still miss it.
I've been looking forward to you finishing this restoration since you first got it and, boy, was it worth the wait. Wow, it just sits so perfect. I always loved the way the rear side marker light is shaped like the Pontiac logo. I vividly remember the OHC six and always thought it was a really cool engine. It still is. This just jumped up to my top five cars in the Jay Leno collection along with the '66 7 Litre, the hemi Dodge Coronet and a couple other American cars. Thanks Jay, you really made my day.
That rear side marker is 68 exclusive.
I love it for so many reasons . I suppose it’s a example of what could have been instead of what was . I remember a guy with a Pontiac lemans with a similar engine as a kid . Straight six is such a smooth engine . The original firebird is such a great looking car . Lighter better on gas and just a rarity now a scarcity. Awesome episode
so good to see the Sprint get it's due. First time I saw one was in a salvage yard back in the early 70s. We would go to Leons used auto parts in Culpepper whenever we needed stuff and that's how i learned the difference in years and models of cars. Nice to see this one better than new!
I have the 1967 3.8 version. It was my first car. Still own it. Stock rear traction bars and factory air. I even had stock bench seat. As a kid I traded bench for buckets. Should of kept it. Very rare. I love my Firebird. I use to race and WIN my friends 70 Camaro and 72 Olds with 350's and won every time. Still have it and love it.
Never heard of this car before although the firebird the 68-69 Firebirds in my mind are the coolest Pontiacs ever made. Love your shows thanks for your work
I just really love this car! I have had a persistent curiosity about this car. I have always tuned in for your shop updates on this specific car. Thank you for sharing it with us again.
Love this car! My pops had a 67 convertible. I have fond memories of it during the late 60s riding with the top down around PR.
In 1968 I talked my (late) Mom into buying a "base" 6- cyl Firebird hardtop (red exterior and black interior), and our Pontiac dealership was right next to our High School, so pretty obviour since Camaro's and Firebird's were really popular, and then when she bought the '68 hardtop Firebird, she traded in our Chev Convair Monza hardtop (circa 1965 ?), so having a Firebird (bult in our hometown, too) was a big leap of faith ! My late Mom didn't like how low-slung the Firebird was (being a sports-car, naturally), so during late 1970 she traded the Firebird in to the Pontiac dealership to purchase a Pontiac Grand Prix (white with black exterior).
This brings back memories of the first times I went cruising at 16 years old in my friend's fathers Firebird in the late 1970's.
I know it had the 6 cylinder but I don't think it was the Sprint (no hood tach and auto trans).
I do remember we had to wedge a folded matchbook into the 8-track player to get it to play KISS albums.
The hood tach was optional on any Firebird for extra cost. It could've been a Sprint model as they also could be ordered with an automatic transmission. I've seen automatic Sprint 6's with no tach.
Never knew about the overhead cam and I’m a huge Pontiac guy. What a beautiful car, so glad it stayed original (especially the wheels). Some resto-mods tend to butcher history
The Firebird was always better looking than the Camaro. The ‘69 Firebird was the best looking. The front end was so sexy, similar to a 1970 GTO. I had one too. It was red. Selling it is one of my biggest regrets in my life. My mom bought it in 1969 and gave it to me for my 16th birthday. Thanks mom!
My best friend owned one in the 80's we drove to H.S everyday Jay you are amazing. I never new this car existed. Mind blowing . Thank you for sharing
I've been waiting to see this car finished and featured - beautiful. The colors are eye-catching and the mods are done wonderfully. I heard about these engines as a kid, but only recall seeing one in a Tempest.
It's definitely a head turner. Very clean lines and paint. Very nice project Jay, nicely done!
I would say it's good way to have money in the bank with muscle cars even if you dive around feeling good its gives you a rush just keeping under the max speed limeit
I just love the 66--73 and '79 Pontiac Firebirds. Such beautiful cars. I didn't know about this engine option until seeing this video.
Didn't they later have a firebird spirit?
Pontiac Esprit.
Typical Jay Leno hot rod. I love Jays taste in cars. It’s nice to have the means to to restore cars properly and make it the way you want. Way to go Jay!👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
A beautiful rare and stylish car, kudos to the restorers. All it needs now is a decent sounding exhaust.
Gorgeous car. ❤
My 1968 LeMans with Hotchkis springs, Koni shocks, Globle west and Currie control arms, 4 wheel disk brakes drives and handles great. Love that car.
When I lived in Florida I knew of a guy who had one. He'd bring it to a weekly car show they had in town. It was a cool car to see and hear about. That inline-6 had some balls.
Such a sweet, smooth ride! Jay knows how to pick them. I enjoyed this one immensely, so much so, that I quickly took the opportunity to view it again. 👌
I love it, Jay. I'm one of those guys who likes twin motorcycles and straight six cars too.
Nothing wrong with the old iron. There's some real beauty there.