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
| 350-cid two-barrel V-8 | $140 |
| 350-cid four-barrel V-8 (Firebird) | $195 |
| 350-cid four-barrel V-8 (Formula) | $55 |
| 400-cid four-barrel V-8 (Firebird) | $258 |
| 400-cid four-barrel V-8 (Formula) | $118 |
| 455-cid four-barrel V-8 (Trans Am) | $125 |
| Close-ratio four-speed transmission (Firebird) | $242 |
| Five-speed manual transmission(Firebird) | $262 |
| Five-speed manual transmission(Formula) | N/C |
| Five-speed manual transmission(Trans Am) | N/C |
| Safe-T-Track differential (Firebird) | $51 |
| Super-cooling radiator | $27 – $49 |
| Heavy-duty battery | $15 – $17 |
| Heavy-duty alternator | $42 |
| Engine block heater | $11 – $12 |
| California emissions | $50 |
| Air conditioning | $424 – $512 |
| Cruise control | $73 |
| Power windows | $99 – $159 |
| Firebird custom trim group | $81 |
| Firebird Formula appearance package | $100 |
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 AMC 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 AMC 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 II 156 Acura 156
1976 FIREBIRD Photo Gallery
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Keyword: 1976 Pontiac Firebird