A 1968 Pontiac Firebird that its seller says was "stored in a garage for 20 years and not driven" is live on eBay Motors, with four bids and a high bid of $2,600 at the time of writing. The reserve has not been met, and the auction is scheduled to close Saturday, November 14.
That detail is what separates it from the pile of cars that get a "barn find" tag because they were parked for a winter. This one is described as a garaged California car that hasn't been started or driven in two decades, in what the seller calls a nice original color combination: Verdoro Green over black.
What the listing documents
The car is offered by Dusty Cars LLC of Pleasanton, California, a licensed dealer, with a clean title. The VIN on the listing is 223378U133948. Read the usual way, the sixth digit points to a 1968 model, and the "U" plant code is Pontiac's Van Nuys, California, assembly plant. That fits the seller's California story, although a Van Nuys build only tells you where the car started, not where it spent its life. The listing carries 24 photos, and the dealer notes that the car has new tires.
What is the seller's word
Nearly everything that makes this one interesting comes from the seller: that it is a solid California car with a straight body and original floors, that it sat in a garage for 20 years without being started, and that the paint and interior combination is original. The listing's eBay subtitle also claims no accidents or rust. The seller is upfront that all mechanical systems need to be checked before the car is driven, and asks bidders to complete any inspections before bidding. Those are claims for a buyer to verify in person, not documented facts.
The open questions
Three things are not nailed down. First, mileage: the listing's mileage field shows 0 and the dealer's own vehicle information leaves it blank, so the odometer reading is unknown. Second, the engine: the listing says V8 400, but a 1968 Firebird VIN does not separate a 400 from the smaller V8s, so a buyer will want to check the engine and cowl-tag numbers. Third, the name: the listing calls it a Formula 400, a badge most Pontiac references tie to later Firebirds, while a 1968 car with the big engine was sold as the Firebird 400. Neither point is a red flag by itself, but both are worth settling before the hammer drops.
The terms are also not standard eBay Motors. The dealer says it does not accept payment through eBay's Secure Purchase, requires a $500 deposit within 24 hours of the listing closing, and expects full payment within seven days. Bids placed in the final minute extend the auction, so expect the end time to move.
Why enthusiasts should care
A 1968 Firebird 400 was rated at 330 horsepower, and Pontiac built 107,112 Firebirds that model year, so the car is not rare in the abstract. What is rare is an unmolested example that has been parked since roughly the mid-2000s, wearing what the seller says is its factory color combination instead of a respray and a crate engine. First-generation F-bodies keep climbing, as we noted in our look at why first-gen Firebirds are still climbing, and we have followed the model closely in our earlier 1968 Firebird 400 feature and in Motorious Explores The Pontiac Firebird.
At $2,600 with the reserve unmet, the price tells you nothing yet. The real question is what a 20-year sleeper looks like once someone gets under it, and whether the cracked seals, stale fuel and seized brakes that usually come with that kind of storage are the only surprises. If the seller's account holds up, this is the sort of car that is far easier to enjoy as an honest survivor than to rebuild into something it never was.
Listing: 1968 Pontiac Firebird on eBay Motors. Details are taken from the seller's listing and have not been independently inspected.
