If it were not for Mr. Leno, I would never have known about 75% of the cars he showcases. He should be know as a great auto historian and not merely a collector and enthusiast.

Hey Jay, You hit one out of the park with this video. I owned this same car, a 1967 Firebird Sprint, convertible, 4spd, electric roof, etc. I was in school at U Mass, Amherst in 1977. In April of that year I was in a motorcycle accident and broke my back. I spent 8 weeks in the hospital, and lost the whole semester. When I got released from the hospital I was in a back brace and could barely walk. I lived off campus. I couldn’t even walk to the bus stop; I was all screwed up. My housemate had just bought this old 1967 Firebird Convertible (a Sprint) and he sold it to me for $300.00; I will never forget that favor as long as I live. The car had a new roof (electric), the 4spd, it had an inspection sticker and it ran. Getting that car was the first good thing to happen to me in that whole ordeal. My Firebird Sprint had a tired pushrod GM 6cyl motor (the OHC 6 was long gone). I had the hood tach, but it was out of the car in the trunk. That $300.00 Firebird burned oil and had a leaky exhaust, but it changed my life. I was mobile again. The car made me smile at a really bad time in my life. I couldn’t work that summer, so by late fall I had to sell the car to pay rent and buy food. The car needed work, but I could hardly lift the hood to add some oil and STP. Still, it broke my heart to part with the car. I’ll always remember that 1967 Firebird Sprint Convertible. Over the years every time I scan eBay, or in the old days the “WantAd”, I look for a Firebird Sprint convertible whether I have the jing to actually buy one or not. I was grinning ear to ear watching this video. Thanks for restoring this Firebird Sprint. You don’t even know me Jay, but will you do me a favor please? Next time you drive your Sprint will you slap Deep Purple “Highway Star” in the cassette player and run the car through the gears for me? Thanks Bro. Jim Vann

I love the calm and casual car talk. It's like we are sitting at a bar together. Doesn't have a reality show or documentary feel

Such a fun car. Pontiac was at the top of their game, well ahead of their time. Thank you for sharing this gem with us. Really well done.

From Firebird Nation website. According to "The Fabulous Firebird" book by Michael Lamm, these items were nick-named "cocktail shakers", and were used only in the convertibles to counter body vibration. These cannisters contained spring loaded weights suspended in oil.

I love how Jay has millions of dollars worth of some of the finest cars in the world, and his go to work/run around to do errands car is a six cylinder Firebird. I guess it goes with his wardrobe.

In a world of misinformation about older cars, Mr Leno is a breath of fresh air. I can’t honestly recall a meaningful misstep in the information he shares. Thank you again!

The 67/68 Firebirds are my favorite. My brother had a 67 400, was an awesome car. Could always tell when he turned into the neighborhood, because you could hear it.

I like how Jay picks interesting cars rather than just the most powerful engines.. Although he has other toys with plenty of extra power, some are just a masterpiece of engineering..

I LIKE the six with your modifications PLUS the handling, braking, and suspension tweaks. I DON'T NEED THE SPEED, I appreciate the balance of power and handling.

One thing I love about Jay is he seems to always find that worn part and he upgrades it. It’s nice knowing all the top builders and manufacturers in the area to get your parts made!

Hi Jay, love your videos! Here is the story on the Firebird dampers you asked about: When Pontiac was given the Camaro chassis to make their Firebird from, their engineers were unhappy with the way the Camaro convertable would shake around at speed. It was late in the development cycle for 1967 so they had to make a quick fix. They used a classical mechanical engineers solution of putting in dampers. They are a weight penalty, but worked very well. I think Chevy saw that solution and started putting them in Camaros too. I quess that today these little known canisters with weights and springs stand as a tribute to the superiority of Firebird over Camaro! A: Concerning vibration dampers. Front dampers weight 25 pounds while the rear dampers weight 50 pounds each and are attached by three bolts. In the trunk there is a support brace between the trunk floor and the trunk gutter (there is re-enforcing frame work under the edge that the brace welds to. One bolt goes through the support brace and the other two go through the trunk floor. Under the trunk floor there is a thick steel plate the has nuts welded to it for damper attachment…usually the nuts are rusted away. Im not sure if the 1968 mountings are different.

I love this car. Looks, engineering and all. Tasteful Americana

Surprising how many people aren't aware of the Pontiac OHC Six, I grew up with one of these. Thanks Jay

I had a 68 firebird. Everyone wants a Camero? My dad had a 67 firebird convertible that was painted by Yosemite Sam's shop in Detroit Michigan. What a beautiful car.! Thanks for the video I really appreciate it cuz a lot of people just don't understand what Firebirds all about.

I may have watched that exact car roll off the line at Lordstown, Ohio. In 1968 there was a class trip to Lordstown and we ended up the tour at the dyno station where they tested the engine on each car coming off the assembly line. Note, it was a test for Function, not power and was only about 10-20 seconds on the rollers. Anyhow the people at Lordstown called this the Sprint Six and were rather proud of these cars. When I was there I watched a metallic Blue Sprint Six convertible go across the rollers and will always remember that moment. A few years later while working as a gas station mechanic I learned about the weak point of the OHC six and it wasn't the rockers at that time, it was the oil supply to the camshaft bearings. With the low top end oil pressure seized or spun cam bearings were rather typical.

06:06 This was my favorite part of this build in which Jay and his crew had bespoke rocker arms designed and built from scratch. He will go to just about any length to get the job done right. (Of course, he has the financial means to do so... but who wouldn't do the same thing, given the chance?) Yipee! I have been waiting many a full moon for Jay to finish this build. He touched on this Sprint in a few of his restoration blogs (just making my mouth water). I'm soooo pleased he has it finished now. This car would (in my humble.... but some say lovable opinion) be the ultimate daily driver.

My high school band teacher had a Tempest with this engine in 1968. I thought it was cool. Most of my classmates didn't care for it because it did not have a V8. This and the Corvair definitely had a European flair that was absent from most other American cars of the day. Of course, it is now very cool to own these. A great addition to Jay's collection.

This 1967-1969 Pontiac Sprint with the 4-spd Muncie tranny, has been my dream car since I was a kid! Growing up in Oshawa ON I have always been a GM man. I even worked on student summer programs in hourly and salary.

I not only have heard of it, I have ridden in one. My Dad brought one home in early 1969 after his 20 in the Army. He only kept it 2 years but I will never forget it. I always got in trouble scooting between the front eats or between the drivers seat and the B pillar to try and watch the tach. Most of my life people thought I was on drugs talking about the overhead cam Firebird Sprint. I have fond memories of the back country roads we traveled on the way home and sliding across the back seat. I appreciate the devotion you have for that car.

Great to see Jay helping keep Pontiac cars alive, there's no group of enthusiasts who have more passion than Pontiac people! Bravo Jay!!

I can honestly say that I am overly familiar with this motor. My buddy in high school had a 66 Tempest Sprint. Just a three speed, but I thought it was a V8. Then a girlfriend in high school had a 67 Tempest Sprint convertible. Nice car! This was California. I later learned that this motor was available in the Firebird, Not very popular, as everyone wanted a V8. Ended up owning Series One and Series Two Camaros with the six. As you say, you just didn't see these vehicles. When I got married in the late 1980s, I found out my late father -n law had been a mechanic at the Pontiac dealer in Salinas CA. His specialty was the Pontiac OHC Six. He still had all the factory manuals! Unfortunately, I was not able to acquire them before his passing, and have no idea what my late mother in law did with them. Great job Jay!

I bought a new 1969 Firebird 400HO new. Loaded it up with most options except AC. $3900. Was a really great car, wish I still had it. I remember that OHCsix as well. Went to work for a Pontiac dealership in 1970. Had many high performance Pontiac parts. Had two Pontiac Ram Air V crate engines. Those were my best days. Wish I could live them over again. Am now 77.

Wonder if Leno realizes how his knowledge, teachings and collections truly are preserving a little bit of history as it slowly fades into the forgotten 💗

Jay is pumping out the videos and I’m sure we all appreciate it. Yup back in the day 100,000 mile car was done, just wore out.

The canisters in the back are mass dampers. There is a weight suspended by two springs one on top and one on the bottom the oil is like a shock absorber. It stops oscillations up and down under braking and acceleration as well as from bumps in the road. This makes the car more stable and predictable. I would guess it was a work around to compensate for weight differences as well as the lack of rigidity in the rear from chopping the top off.

I'm actually old enough to remember that engine. Back in the days pumping gas, the station owner made us wash every windsheild and always check the cars oil so I got to see everything that was out there.

Around 1981 a friend of mine pulled into my driveway with a red with black vinyl top 68 Firebird. He opened the hood and there was this OHC straight 6 with a quadrajet carb. I had never heard of a Sprint Firebird before that or seen one for that matter. He still has it today.

Perfect interior and exterior colours, those original wheels were a great design then and still look great today. G.M. sure had great designers in the 60's. Beautiful restoration ,awesome car Jay.

Fantastic job on the restoration. That Firebird looks like it just shipped from the factory. I love that you kept true to the original color. Gorgeous!

My dad bought the ‘66 Sprint coupe with a Powerslide automatic. It was a wonderful, comfortable road car. Made lots of trips in northern CA. Loved the sound and feel when you floored it doing 30 mph and all 4 barrels of the Q-jet kicked in. Ended up in a minor mishap on the 101 with lots of body damage on both sides. It got traded in for a ‘67 Impala coupe. I loved that Tempest.

I always love seeing Jay's child like enthusiasm & love for every car he shows.

I love this car! I didn't know there were 2 versions of this engine. Growing up a friend's mother had this engine (I don't know which version) in a LeMans rag top with a 4 speed. I got to drive the car a couple of times and rode as a passenger a ton of times. As Jay said in regard to the Firebird, the engine was perfect for the car and not overwhelming. It handled surprisingly well and for the day it stopped well. I had a lot of memories associated with this car and this video brought them all back! Thanks Jay!

This is the type of car that I like watching videos of. I'm glad that the stock appearance was retained and the mods are hidden and the original character of the car retained. Great restoration.

so good to see the Sprint get it's due. First time I saw one was in a salvage yard back in the early 70s. We would go to Leons used auto parts in Culpepper whenever we needed stuff and that's how i learned the difference in years and models of cars. Nice to see this one better than new!

This is a very good looking car that does not look like a 53 year old design.

I really like this car. It looks right. Preserves its original look. Has the right body and interior colors. Has the sprint engine. The right stance. The 5 speed manual is a perfect choice. The only thing not quite right is the buzzy exhaust note. Needs a different muffler and resonator combination. It looks great going down the road. Those weights in the trunk help with the body shimmy you can get with these bodies. They are mass dampers.

When I was little my dad was a service manager of the Pontiac -Cadillac dealer in our town. I remember him griping about how nobody was going to buy this 6 when like Jay said, you could get the big V-8 and have less trouble than that overcomplicated 6 cylinder. But my dad hated new things unless he could see the upside right away. With the Sprint at that time he didn't. I love the late 6's firebird especially Jays! A gorgeous car!!

I always wanted this car. The straight 6 was a wonderful sounding engine and had just enough power to be fun. I have a mustang GT convertible now and if you drive it in the cars fun zone you get arrested. As well as burning up the tires. You have restored a true classic.

It's been my favorite car since it came out in '67 when I was 9 years old! Seeing one now is always a treat. I've always wanted one.

A beautiful car with timeless styling, 54 years on! And Jay's 'resto mods' clearly discreet enough to make it a real sleeper…Sad that the US doesn't have a 'national living treasure' like in UK; Jay well deserves such an acknowledgment!

Having been born in Pontiac Michigan and growing up 10 miles north of the city, my friends and I were steeped in Pontiac culture (plus we saw all of the test mules being tested around town). As such, we saw plenty of the OHC Sprints around, and thought there were quite cool. Yes, 326/350 engines were more popular with the go fast set, but...these cars were so unique and well designed. Thanks for bringing this one back to its full potential.

GREAT story about the mostly unsung Pontiac OHC Sprint - I've been looking for one even since a high school friend had a Firebird convertible in 1968!

A truly underrated piece of GM engineering. These engines are rare as hens teeth these days. Most had v8s swapped in and the 230I6 ended up in the scrap.

DeLorean was the epitome of a great man... Admittedly flawed (as we all are), but undeniably great.

That's a good looking straight six. Pre 73 straight sixes are rock reliable and so easy and fun to maintain, repair and modify.

Never knew about the overhead cam and I’m a huge Pontiac guy. What a beautiful car, so glad it stayed original (especially the wheels). Some resto-mods tend to butcher history

I remember reading an article in one of the auto magazines back then, where the took that engine out and put it in a Jaguar XKE. It was a little faster in the quarter mile. Which pleased the American fans to no end.

My new second favorite car of Jay's. I'm still waiting for him to show off that beautiful 1938 Bugatti Atlantic Electron Coupe that I see in the background of so many of his videos. That's been my favorite car since I was eleven. Couldn't happen to a better guy.

Love this car and this episode!!! I had a six cylinder 69 Camaro in the late 80s, and drove it to work for a couple years. Those are great motors! The six in the Camaro was not an overhead cam motor, and it had a three speed manual. I loved that car! Now I want one of these six cylinder Firebirds!

Typical Jay Leno hot rod. I love Jays taste in cars. It’s nice to have the means to to restore cars properly and make it the way you want. Way to go Jay!👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

I really appreciate the spirit of the smaller, lighter engine resulting in a sweeter handling driving experience. I recently got a 2010 Mercedes SL 350, lighter 6 cylinder engine + steel spring suspension (no ABC airbag suspension), much lighter in the nose and all the more enjoyable to drive as result.

Well done Jay, have a swim in your cement pond with the misses to celebrate, you've earnt it.

My granddad would’ve been proud as he was a Pontiac man! He owned several during the time John DeLorean ran that brand including a 65-67 GTO!

Love this car! My pops had a 67 convertible. I have fond memories of it during the late 60s riding with the top down around PR.

Growing up in the 60s and 70s you got to see virtually everything made by most car manufacturers at one point or another. I've seen exactly ONE of these Firebird Sprints with the overhead cam 6 in real life. On the other hand GT500 Shelby's, real Cobras, L88 Corvettes, Hemi anything, no problem running into those in real life. In fact, I've seen more 215 aluminum V8's from GM Olds or Buick (head bolt quantity difference) or even Rovers than this OHV Pontiac. It's a rare find and I'm glad this car went to someone who didn't put an LS in it and call it a day. Thanks Jay...

I knew this day would come eventually and I have been looking forward to it.. I think what you have done to this car is exactly what I would have. Make it safer and a little more fun to drive. Thanks Jay for the continuing our education in classic car 101.

My mom had a brand new 1967 Pontiac Tempest LeMans with the 6 banger, it was a gutless wonder. She never turned the AC on even once, even in July and August because she "didn't want to wear it out." She had it for three years and traded it in on a 1970 Olds Cutlass with a V8. The LeMans still looked and smelled brand new after 3 years.

Hey Jay, Another great vid. Us 1950 kids got to see the evolving automobiles as it happened. How cool is that! I remember some guy at Toluca Lake Bobs when they still had car hops, had a tempest that wouldn’t start, and my dad almost pushed me out of the car to go help since i was into cars. When i walked up to the car, i couldn’t believe it was an ohc 6! But i helped the guy jump the battery with the car next to where he had pulled in, and that guy sneered “aren’t u missing some cylinders?” Just an old memory

This brings back memories of the first times I went cruising at 16 years old in my friend's fathers Firebird in the late 1970's. I know it had the 6 cylinder but I don't think it was the Sprint (no hood tach and auto trans). I do remember we had to wedge a folded matchbook into the 8-track player to get it to play KISS albums.

Ive always prefered the firebird/trans am over the camaro. This is a beauty.

It's definitely a head turner. Very clean lines and paint. Very nice project Jay, nicely done!

That is the coolest Firebird I think I've ever seen, it kind of looks to me like a super econo version of a Jaguar XKE straight six. Must be rare. I never even knew that car existed. You did a good job on the level of restoration by not going overboard and still nailing it perfectly. You own and have shown so many rare American muscle era style cars and make them great fun to watch with all your extensive technical research done on each and every vehicle. Thanks again Jay for another great show. What's next?

Great restoration. It is so nice to see a different take on classic cars with a performance six and handling instead of the standard v8 straight line muscle car. My brother and I both have 6 cylinder mustangs and they definitely give a different feel and sound than the v8 cars. When a car is set up right with good weight distribution and balanced and not overpowered it allows you as a driver to have more confidence. It is fun to have too much power for a chassis but we all have seen what happens with novice drivers and v8 mustangs spin out. Thanks for all your videos Jay! I love my 4.0 overhead cam six cylinder mustang. I can see you really appreciate the six cylinder firebird sprint. It really means something when a guy can appreciate all types of cars and not just the popular ones. Sometimes the rare cars were unappreciated but still fun in their own way.

I love it for so many reasons . I suppose it’s a example of what could have been instead of what was . I remember a guy with a Pontiac lemans with a similar engine as a kid . Straight six is such a smooth engine . The original firebird is such a great looking car . Lighter better on gas and just a rarity now a scarcity. Awesome episode

My best friend owned one in the 80's we drove to H.S everyday Jay you are amazing. I never new this car existed. Mind blowing . Thank you for sharing

Thanks Jay, loved the video. Always wanted a Firebird, same color but couldn't find one. Eventually restored a 67 Canero SS 8n 1974. I was in college and poor, but with a lot of bondo an Earl Schieb paint job, and a rebuilt 283, it was great to get me through college. Thanks for the memories

Never heard of this car before although the firebird the 68-69 Firebirds in my mind are the coolest Pontiacs ever made. Love your shows thanks for your work

This was a build I have been following and waiting for like a pre-teen enthralled with the latest boy-band video. No disappointment. I absolutely love the color, look and stance of the Firebird. I was not familiar with the 4.1 engine so I find this type of car history fascinating. Thanks Mr. Leno for bringing a great car back and making it better than stock. I would love to see this one judged by the Europeans that normally look down on our super-powered, poor handling rides.

I’ve always been a fan of the firebird! That firebird looks absolutely amazing! Thanks for sharing Jay!

“Is it fast? No, it’s fast enough!” Perfectly said Jay

I really like how well you handled this gem of a car's restoration with mild, but very worthwhile up-dating tweaks. I remember as a teenager myself, in a small Canadian midwest-prairie town, a local fellow owning one of these rarities. He owned a coupe version of this sweet little OHC straight 6 Firebird. Indeed, a truly tasteful treatment of a true classic. :)

At last! I've been following this car right through your restoration episodes. A brilliant if unappreciated concept. And you are more than forgiven for the thoughtfully applied "restomod" upgrades. There's a lot to be said for being able to use "all the power all the time." A brilliant classic episode!

I just love the 66--73 and '79 Pontiac Firebirds. Such beautiful cars. I didn't know about this engine option until seeing this video.

Jay always comes off like the foster parent of all his vehicles, like the caretaker and not so much the owner, and I admire him greatly for that! Thanks Jay for another prize in the world of collectable machines.

Another beautiful restoration by Jay and his crew of automotive magicians. Very tastefully done with just the right modifications to make it better that new.

ALWAYS wanted one of these and remember one down the street from me growing up in the early 60’s, 70’s It wasn’t the Sprint but color and convertible same. Life gets in the way when you’re not rich. I’d want the V8 because that’s American!! Regardless great car with any engine.

Awesome ride, it reminds me of my fathers 72 grandprix SJ, he was a jar head , I truly miss him when I see cars like this Jay, I believe those tanks in the trunk are there for convertibles only , Love Big John , ahead of his time ,

I'm 58 now,but when I was 15 my dad was given an overhead six engine and held on to it for a year and a half. He was later able to purchase the 1968 firebird it had originally been in. It seems the guy was a gearhead and took the engine out and replaced it with a 400 c.i. pontiac engine only to sell the body to my dad so he could buy a 1970 Z28 he found for sale. The firebird was a hardtop with a 3 speed on the column, and could do 90 m.p.h. in second gear. I really liked the car, but West Virginia snow and salt took a toll on the body. It was a really good car to learn how to drive in. MEMORIES !!!

I've been looking forward to you finishing this restoration since you first got it and, boy, was it worth the wait. Wow, it just sits so perfect. I always loved the way the rear side marker light is shaped like the Pontiac logo. I vividly remember the OHC six and always thought it was a really cool engine. It still is. This just jumped up to my top five cars in the Jay Leno collection along with the '66 7 Litre, the hemi Dodge Coronet and a couple other American cars. Thanks Jay, you really made my day.

This is a little bit of an early Christmas present for me. I've been watching the restoration blogs on this car, and was anxious to see how it turned out. Jay belted it out of the park with this one. I love everything he did with it. His goal was to make a well-balanced car with good power, excellent handling, and excellent brakes. Never mind that it only has ~250 HP, good handling adds 100 HP if you know how to use it. (One little thing, though: put a cold air hose from the front grille to the air cleaner snorkel. It'll add a little power.) And the first-gen Firebird is a car I've loved since I was six years old. Still do. GM may have crash-programmed the original Camaro/Firebird to catch up with the Mustang, but they designed a classic while they were at it. I saw a 1st-gen Firebird convertible the same color as Jay's in a parking lot in my hometown last year, and kept walking around it, viewing it from all angles. It doesn't have a bad angle, and the body sculpture is crisp and trim, without the bulky heaviness of the last two Camaro generations. GM needs to go really retro with the next Camaro so it doesn't look like a Transformers cartoon version of the original. They could do themselves a favor if they consider what Jay did with his.

I love the sound of this car! It never ceases to amaze me the knowledge and passion that Jay has for his cars!

Very well done Jay!! Love this video. Keep them coming please! We all love and look forward to your videos. Thank you!

Great video and great car Jay. A suggestion to help us garage enthusiasts would be to post some component information on the cars you resto-mod, such as brakes, suspension, wheels, tires, etc. Your choices of product is always spot on. And regarding the dampers in the trunk, this was a common Engineeering solution to dampen out first and 2nd order beaming, especially on convertibles when the roof was removed.

I've been waiting so long for you guys to finish this car! Always great to see stuff that's different.

I had just gotten out of the USMC in 1968 & bought a 1967 green DOHC Firebird Sprint 4 on the floor w Pirelli tires & hood tach for $2200. Guy had given it to his daughter, who couldn't handle it. Sure is good to see this! Wish I still had mine!

I've been waiting to see this car finished and featured - beautiful. The colors are eye-catching and the mods are done wonderfully. I heard about these engines as a kid, but only recall seeing one in a Tempest.

I just really love this car! I have had a persistent curiosity about this car. I have always tuned in for your shop updates on this specific car. Thank you for sharing it with us again.

My friend had one of these back in 1967, He and his buddy each had them. They both ordered them from the factory. This is in Manitoba canada. These cars really handle and drive well. I went with a 1967 Camaro with 327 ci 2 barrel carburetor.

I saw one of these cars back in the early 80's and I was amazed by the engine. The guy who owned the car had been racing it on interstate 69 here in Michigan and apparently the State Patrol had a Bolo out on this car. Thank you for the journey down memory lane.

Such a sweet, smooth ride! Jay knows how to pick them. I enjoyed this one immensely, so much so, that I quickly took the opportunity to view it again. 👌

A beautiful rare and stylish car, kudos to the restorers. All it needs now is a decent sounding exhaust.

Fantastic! Great restoration and build. Thanks to Jay otherwise we would never know about these rare great cars.

Thanks, Jay-that is exactly what I'd have done back in '68-'69 to those cars. I always loved them, and you're right the V-8's were super cheap then, so these sweet rides died out. Cheers from Vancouver on Canada's West Coast. (Where is very wet!)

Wow, gorgeous Firebird! And you make it even better. I always come away from your shows thinking “I should find one of those”, forgetting that the car you are showing is far better due to your restoration than anything I will find 🤣🤣! I bet you spend $4 on the resto-mod for every $1 you spent to buy the original! You get such consistently beautiful results. 🙌🏼

Keep doing these, Jay. I love the conversational tone. Like a guy taking his buddy on a tour of his prized automobile.

I love Jay Leno . It’s a blessing that there’s even a person like him who exists , he can show us all these cars and take us along for rides .

Thank you so much @Jay Leno I appreciate all your great work and great videos full of information that most people never knew about, keep it up! 👍

I’m so thrilled to know this car exists! Love what you did to it. I remember seeing a rough one in the Midwest back in the’80’s and being so confused as to what it was. I love it.

I had seen the blogs earlier and was waiting for the finished car to show up. Very nicely done. I saw the feature in the December 2021 issue of Hemmings Classic Car magazine and really enjoyed reading Jay's Firebird. I'm glad we got to see it in motion and hear the cool, but unusual sound. It's also great to hear Jay talk about a car and show us the details.