Vehicle Description
Gateway Classic Cars Houston showroom is proud to offer for sale
one of the six original BFG Tire Bird promo cars. This 1971 Pontiac
Trans Am is believed to be the last remaining Tire Bird from that
six-car stable. This car is so well documented as to its provenance
that a simple Google search on "BFG Tirebird" will produce about
63,000 results, with the first page of the search results producing
links to many extensive articles on this car. The car has been
featured in Popular Hot Rodding, Firebird Times, Car Craft, Muscle
Car Review and Petersens Engine Swap magazines. In 1970, BF
Goodrich wanted to promote the street performance capabilities of
its new BFG Radial T/A by using their new street performance radial
in the SCCA Trans-Am racing series. A suitable car was needed, and
the obvious choice was the Pontiac Trans Am. The Tirebird-Firebird
moniker was a no-brainer as a result. BFG commissioned T/G Racing
to perform the conversion of the six Trans Ams into their promo
vehicles. Originally, each was equipped with Pontiac's H.O. 455 CID
V8 and a Muncie M21 4-speed manual transmission. When its second
owner, Tom Senter, purchased it from BFG, the 455 was useless as a
result of someone running it without engine oil; so Senter
purchased an LS6 454 CID from Berger Chevrolet in Michigan, which
remains in the car today. Its fourth owner, a California real
estate agent, installed an automatic transmission and converted the
4BBL carb to a 2BBL so his daughter could drive it to school. This
car went through a few color iterations, until its current owner
found the car, and wanted to restore it to as close to original
condition as possible, so he had it repainted in the original Tire
Bird livery. Its dark blue paint with its white graphics is
exceptionally well done, and its interior has been remarkably well
preserved, with the black carpet and seats being in terrific
condition. A Hurst dual-gate shifter was installed at one point,
giving it a cleaner look than the B&M Star Shifter that its 4th
owner installed for his daughter's use. The restoration on this
Tire Bird put it in such original condition that it has won
numerous awards, including "Outstanding GM Car" and "Editor's
Choice award" at the 2019 Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals event.
It has been recognized by BF Goodrich Garage for its authenticity,
as well. When you buy this car, you'll get plenty of PHS
documentation, and a stack of other provenance and articles about
it. This car is the real deal, and if you like to have things no
one else has, this is the car for you. Powered by its 2nd engine,
which is very stout 454 CID LS6 V8 that's backed by a GM TH400
3-speed automatic, this car is definitely able to go as well as it
shows. Its Positrac rear has 3.42:1 gears, which provide just the
right combination of acceleration capability and highway cruising
friendliness, so you may even want to drive it to all of the shows
you're going to win. Hedman headers and its true dual exhaust give
the cammed LS6 its distinctive muscle car sound, so those near and
far will know this 'Bird means business. Those outside will marvel
at the extremely well-executed paint, with the precisely replicated
graphics that duplicate the original paint scheme so very well. The
driver and passenger(s) will appreciate the cold-blowing Vintage
Air that was added to the car, which makes being in a black
interior tolerable in the summer. A Retrosound AM/FM/Cassette radio
replaced the original AM/FM radio, and provides enhanced tuning vs.
the original. Additional features and options on this 1971 Pontiac
Firebird Trans Am include Aluminum Alloy Minilite wheels, Power
Brakes, Power Steering, Raised White Letter Radial Tires, Seat
Belts, Tilt Steering Wheel, and Vinyl Seating. For more information
on this 1971 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am for sale, to see all the HD
pictures and videos of it, copy the URL below, and see it at this
direct link: https://www.gatewayclassiccars.com/show/HOU/1739 .
Alternatively, if you want to see it in person, come to our Houston
Showroom, located at 1910 Cypress Station Dr, Bldg 200, Houston, TX
77090. You may also call the showroom at (832) 243-6220 or email us
at Houston@gatewayclassiccars.com.
