This restomod render retains many of the 67 Firebird’s signature features yet has a modern muscular presence to take on Ford and Dodge.
Originally designed to compete with The Mercury Cougar, the 1967 Pontiac Firebird has now become a desirable collector’s car. According to Hagerty, a base model in good condition has a value of $21,600. A top-of-the-line Firebird 400 with Ram Air in the same condition is worth $68,100.
Yet, in the heyday of muscle cars, the Firebird lived in the shadow of its cousin, the Chevy Camaro. They shared the same platform, but the Camaro won hearts because it was the affordable “people’s car.” By comparison, buyers considered the Firebird to be more up-market, and, for some, out of reach.
Thanks to HotCars digital artist Rostislav Prokop, however, the ’67 Firebird receives the attention it always deserved. In his render of the 1967 Pontiac Firebird 400, he reimagines the pony car as a respected contender among today’s muscle cars.
Bringing This 67 Firebird Into the 21st Century
Prokop’s Firebird is longer, beefier, and even more streamlined than the original. Although the artist tones down the original Coke-bottle styling that characterized both the Firebird and Camaro, the car’s fenders still retain their muscle-car robustness. The signature arrowhead design on the hood remains but is more subtle, giving way to larger hood scoops than before.
The car sports a more imposing version of its original twin-nostril hood. Prokop also replaces the round dual headlights with smaller, quad LED ones. He adds a large scoop behind the doors, shaves off the door handles, and deletes the faux louvers. At the back, the taillights are the same original configuration, but they are now LED and elongated.
A Beastly Engine For A Powerful-Looking Pontiac Firebird
The 1967 Firebird had five engine options from the 230 cu. in. inline-six with a one-barrel carburetor to the four-barrel 400 cu. in. V8, which is what the Firebird 400 packed. Its capacity was 325 hp and 410 lb-ft of torque. A Ram Air variant boosted the horsepower to 335 hp.
The V8 had 3 transmission options: a standard heavy-duty Dearborn 3-speed, an optional Muncie 4-speed, or a 3-speed Turbo Hydro-Matic automatic.
For this restomod, we might consider swapping the original 400 cu. in. V8 for a 550-hp LS 416 cu. in. crate engine and mate it with a 6-speed manual transmission. Another option is to borrow the C8 Corvette Z06’s 5.5-liter LT6 V8, good for 670 hp. Not only would this be a great engine for the street, but also an excellent choice for racing.
Either way, the power underneath the hood would now match the aggressive new look of this legendary muscle car.