Pontiac Firebird (1976) – Ultimate Guide
Pontiac offered four varieties of the Firebird
- Base Firebird
- Esprit
- Formula
- Trans Am
BASE MODEL
- Body-colored urethane bumpers at front and back
- 250 cid inline six cylinder engine
- A canopy top was a new option
- A fuel economy indicator was a new option
- It’s typical twin-section grille had a mesh pattern set in a sloping front panel
- The single square headlamps were recessed.
- Park/signal lamps stood at the ends of a wide opening below the bumper strip
- Three-speed manual transmission
- Dual horns
- FR78 x 15 black sidewall SBR tires
- Power steering
- Radial-tuned suspension.
ESPRIT MODEL
- Body-colored urethane bumpers at front and back
- 250 cid inline six cylinder engine
- A canopy top was a new option
- A fuel economy indicator was a new option
- It’s typical twin-section grille had a mesh pattern set in a sloping front panel
- The single square headlamps were recessed.
- Park/signal lamps stood at the ends of a wide opening below the bumper strip
- Three-speed manual transmission
- Dual horns
- FR78 x 15 black sidewall SBR tires
- Power steering
- Radial-tuned suspension.
- Sport mirrors (driver’s side remote-controlled)
- Deluxe wheel covers
FORMULA MODEL
- Body-colored urethane bumpers at front and back
- An appearance package was new for the Formula
- A canopy top was a new option
- A fuel economy indicator was a new option
- It’s typical twin-section grille had a mesh pattern set in a sloping front panel
- The single square headlamps were recessed.
- Park/signal lamps stood at the ends of a wide opening below the bumper strip
- 350-cid two-barrel V-8
- Either a four-speed manual or Turbo-Hydra-Matic transmission
- Sport mirrors
- Full length console
TRANS AM MODEL
- Body-colored urethane bumpers at front and back
- A canopy top was a new option
- A fuel economy indicator was a new option
- The Trans Am came in five body colors
- Cameo White
- Firethorn Red
- Sterling Silver
- Carousel Red
- Goldenrod Yellow
- It’s typical twin-section grille had a mesh pattern set in a sloping front panel
- The single square headlamps were recessed.
- Park/signal lamps stood at the ends of a wide opening below the bumper strip
- Air dam
- Rear deck lid spoiler
- Shaker hood
- Rally II wheels with trim rings
- Rally gauges
- GR70 x 15 tires
- 400-cid four-barrel V-8.
- 455 cid V-8 optional engine
I.D. NUMBERS
VIN Location | On top of dash at left, viewable through windshield | |
---|---|---|
Position | Character | Description |
1 | 2 | General Motors: Pontiac Division |
2 | S | Basic Firebird |
T | Firebird Esprit | |
U | Firebird Formula | |
W | Trans Am | |
3 & 4 | 87 | hardtop coupe |
5 | _ | Engine code (see listing in engine section) |
6 | 6 | Year: 1976 |
7 | _ | Assembly plant |
8 to 13 | 100001 and up | production sequence |
IDENTIFICATION
Model Number | Style Number | Body Type | Seating | Factory Price | Shipping Weight | Production Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2F | S87 | 2-door Hardtop Base Firebird – 6 cyl | 4 | $3908 | 3383 | 21,209 both 6 & V8 |
2F | S87 | 2-door Hardtop Base Firebird – V8 | 4 | $4046 | 3563 | |
2F | T87 | 2-door Hardtop Esprit – 6 cyl | 4 | $4162 | 3431 | 20,826 |
2F | T87 | 2-door Hardtop Esprit – V8 | 4 | $4302 | 3611 | |
2F | U87 | 2-door Hardtop Formula | 4 | $4566 | 3625 | 20,613 |
2F | W87 | 2-door Hardtop Trans Am | 4 | $4987 | 3640 | 46,701 |
ENGINE
VIN Code | F | M | S | W |
---|---|---|---|---|
Cylinders | Inline Six | 90° V-8 | 90° V-8 | 90° V-8 |
Valving | Overhead valve | Overhead valve | Overhead valve | Overhead valve |
Block | Cast-iron | Cast-iron | Cast-iron | Cast-iron |
Head | Cast-iron | Cast-iron | Cast-iron | Cast-iron |
Bore & Stroke | 3.87 x 3.53 in. | 3.88 x 3.75 in. | 4.12 x 3.75 in. | 4.15 x 4.21 in. |
Displacement | 250 cid (4.1 liters) | 350 cid (5.7 liters) | 400 cid (6.6 liters) | 455 cid (7.5 liters) |
Compression ratio | 8.3 : 1 | 7.6 : 1 | 7.6 : 1 | 7.6 : 1 |
Brake H.P. | 110 @ 3400 rpm | 160 @ 4000 | 185 @ 3600 rpm | 200 @ 3500 rpm |
Torque (lb-ft) | 185 @ 1200 rpm | 280 @ 2000 rpm | 310 @ 1600 rpm | 330 @ 2000 rpm |
Main bearings | Seven | Five | Five | Five |
Valve lifters | Hydraulic | Hydraulic | Hydraulic | Hydraulic |
Carburetor | One-barrel Rochester | Two-barrel Rochester | Four-barrel Rochester | Four-barrel Rochester |
TRANSMISSION
Engine | Transmission | Final Gear Ratio |
---|---|---|
Six-cyl | 3-speed manual floor shift | 2.73:1 |
Firebird V-8 | Four-speed manual shift | 2.41:1 |
Trans Am 400 V-8 | Four-speed manual shift | 3.08:1 |
Trans Am 455 V-8 | Four-speed manual shift | 3.23:1 |
CHASSIS
FEATURE | Firebird | Esprit | Formula | Trans Am |
---|---|---|---|---|
Wheelbase | 108.1 in. | 108.1 in. | 108.1 in. | 108.1 in. |
Overall length | 196.8 in. | 196.8 in. | 196.8 in. | 196.8 in. |
Height | 49.1 in. | 49.4 | 49.4 | 49.6 |
Width | 73.0 | 73.0 | 73.0 | 73.0 |
Front tread | 60.9 | 60.9 | 61.3 | 61.2 |
Rear tread | 60.0 | 60.0 | 60.4 | 60.3 |
Tires | FR78x15 | FR78x15 | FR78x15 | GR70x15 |
Steering | Recirculating ball | |||
Front suspension | coil springs with lower trailing links and anti-sway bar | |||
Rear suspension | semi-elliptic leaaf springs with anti-sway bar | |||
Brakes | Front disc, rear drums | |||
Ignition | Electronic | |||
Body construction | Unit with separate partial frame | |||
Fuel tank | 20.5 gal |
OPTIONS
HISTORICAL NOTES
1976 Firebird Notes
- Introduced Sept. 25, 1975
- Pontiac’s 50th anniversary
- Firebird’s 10th anniversary
1976 Automotive Notes
- Sales across the board have increased except for AMC
- New nameplates appear: Aspen, Chevette, Sunbird, and Volare
- Front disc brakes are not standard on US cars due to federal regulation
- Only two-thirds of domestic cars have a V-8 engine; 10% are four cylinders
- Last year for 455-cid V-8 (7.5 litre) and 454-cid V-8 (7.5 litre)
- Last year for Eldorado convertible
- Chevy’s 305-cid V-8 (5 litre) now standard in full-size models
- Chevette subcompact introduced based on Opel Kadett
- Pontiac Sunbird is a clone of Monza
- GM news:
- Elliott M. Estes was president of GM
- Thomas A. Murphy was chairman of the board at GM
- Chevrolet takes first place ahead of Ford by almost ¼ million; followed by Oldsmobile, Pontiac, and Buick
- Olds Cutlass is top-selling model beating out full-size Chevrolet
- Ford news:
- Pinto, Maverick, and Mustang II get new trim but otherwise remain the same
- Special designer series packages for Lincoln
- Workers strike for 28 days
- Chrysler news:
- Plymouth sales in 6th place and Dodge in 8th
- Chrysler agrees to buy engines and transaxles from VW
- New sub-compacts, Dodge Aspen and Plymouth Volare, sell well but plagued with many recalls
- AMC news:
- Matador is largest car with Ambassador gone
- Gremlin, Pacer, and Hornet remain much the same
- Top American Automobile Corporations for 1976
GM4,  788,265
Ford 2,466,654
Chrysler  1,172,756
AMCÂ 283,577
Others  740
- Top model year production for 1976
Chevrolet 2,103,862
Ford 1,861,537
Oldsmobile 891,368
Pontiac 746,430
Buick 737,466
Skyhawk  15,768
Skylark 114,491
Century 163,469
Regal 141,616
LeSabre 137,107
Estate Wagon  20,374
Electra  225124,559
Riviera 20,082
Plymouth 519,962
Mercury 480,361
Dodge 430,641
Cadillac 309,139
Seville 43,772
Calais 6,200
DeVille 182,159
Eldorado  49,184
Fleetwood Brougham 24,500
Series Seventy-Five  3,324
AMCÂ 283,577
Gremlin  52,941
Pacer 117,244
Hornet 71,577
Matador 41,513
Chrysler 222,153
Lincoln  124,756
Checker  400
Excalibur  184
Avanti IIÂ Â 156
Acura  156