Meet the Fleet – Muscle Cars: ‘68 Pontiac Firebird

• BODY: Auto World
• WHEELS & TIRES: Road Race Replicas

As much as I love ‘60’s Pontiacs, the Firebird never held as much interest for me as the firm’s full sized models. When it comes to “Pony Cars” I tend to prefer Mustangs and AMC Javelins, however, this is an opinion based strictly on looks, because in terms of engineering and performance, the Chevy Camaro and the Pontiac Firebird were superior to the competition, as the GM cars of the day almost always were. Case in point: the 1968 Firebird 400, a small and relatively light car equipped with a monster engine.

Anyone who knows the most basic basics about GM muscle cars knows that there’s not really a such thing as a Pontiac “small block” V8; every V8 the company made in the mid 60’s, from the sedate 326 all the way up to the 455 torque monster, shared the same basic block. While more efficient in terms of size and weight than some competitors, it was still a pretty big lump, but GM must have planned at the start to make their Pony Car platform capable of handling them, because the first Firebirds were offered with the 326 V8 in addition to a pair of sixes. Due to the identical dimensions, there seemed no reason not to bump up the option list with the 400 cube model.  Option code W66 was cribbed from the GTO and was identical to that car’s engine in every way save for a slightly different carburetor profile. The hottest available engine in that first year was the original L67 “Ram Air” 400. But things really got interesting in the car’s second year, with 2 additional options; one was the L74 “H.O.” 400, but the second-brought online midway through the model year-was the little publicized and very expensive “Ram Air II”: while still coded L67, the “II” upped the ante significantly with a 4-bolt main block, forged pistons, and Pontiac’s soon-to-be famous “round port” heads. GM “officially” rated this beast at 340HP…HA HA HA! It was probably closer to 375! What a world it was in which car companies were intentionally undercutting their own horsepower ratings!

The Ram Air II was a high dollar upgrade that found very few buyers, partially because Pontiac didn’t shout about it much; like the Ford “Drag Pack” option, it was intended for buyers “in the know” who were willing to pay for something special, and not the Hoi Polloi.

Which brings us to “Leviathan”, one of the hottest cars in the Drag City Muscle Car fleet! Clearly identified as a 1968 model by its lack of wing vents, this bad boy has never quite won a tournament but it has been a runner up twice, and has more race wins under its wings than all the but the most dedicated race fans can count. Finished in a deep chocolate brown and fitted with specially painted gold tone Torque Thrusts from Road Race Replicas, this car is so fast that only the highest skill level can keep it upright.

Owned by Walter “Buddy” Breckenridge, a Colorado-born transplant to The Golden State (back when it was still golden!), this car started life as one of those top-drawer H.O. 400’s, but was upgraded in the early 80’s to the full factory correct Ram Air II specs after Breckenridge spent years tracking down all the right parts. Only a number check could reveal it’s not original, and as if this upgrade weren’t enough, “Buddy” added an even hotter camshaft as well as upgraded cooling, custom made sway bars front and rear, and a set of disc brakes for the rear as well as the front. She spins a 3.90 rear axle through an M21 manual box. “Leviathan” was never a drag car; she’s been a streeter from day 1, and is still driven on the street today when not kicking ass on a road course.

So what could it feel like to unleash a Ram Air II 400 big block in a car this size? Most of us plebians will never know, leaving us to spectate at Drag City Raceway as the Halloween Monster Muscle Car Ball is just around the corner!