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The second-generation Firebird is about as classic of a muscle car as you can get. While there are certainly people out there that would argue differently, many would agree that the famed bird will be remembered for its notable performance and styling for years to come. That’s why it is a shame that fewer and fewer of these muscle cars are being restored and driven today. But that’s not the case with the 1,200-horsepower Firebird we found on eGarage. While it packs quite the punch and has the looks to go with it, the car is far from a garage queen.
Owning a Firebird in his earlier years, it was inevitable that the owner of this 1970 Formula Firebird, Tom Conkright, would have another. So several years after a lead foot and youth shattered his first relationship with a ‘70 Firebird, Conkright purchased this fine example and turned it into the pro-touring beast that it is. With the help of Michigan-based All Speed Customs, the Bird is now more potent than Pontiac ever could have imagined.
The Firebird gets its power from a cast iron 475cui V8 topped with twin Bullseye Power turbochargers with a custom air to air intercooler and air hat styled after the retro Pontiac six-pack design. To keep all 1,200 ponies firmly planted to the ground, Conkright opted for tubular upper and lower control arms, tubular tie rod ends, performance steering components, and a rear Quadra Link suspension with adjustable coilovers from Detroit Speed Engineering. The control arms feature a 2.5-inch drop while the rear coilovers feature a 3-inch drop. The car also makes use of QA1 adjustable coilovers in the front and Wilwood brakes on all four corners.
While it’s obvious that a lot of thought went into the performance of the car, Conkright also wanted the Firebird to have a unique style and modern creature comforts. So the car was equipped with a custom leather interior with Corbeau bucket seats and five-point racing harnesses in the front and a molded bench seat in the rear. A Vintage Air Sure Fit climate control system and Ididit tilt steering column were used to make driving the car a bit more comfortable. The Firebird also got a custom center console, billet door handles and a Budnik split-grip steering wheel.
For the exterior, some body modifications were made to give the car a contemporary look while maintaining a bold presence. Adding to the allure of the Firebird is the sleek all-black paint scheme with matching aluminum three-piece performance wheels.
By looking at the car, you may think that it only comes out for car shows and events, but the Firebird was actually built to be a daily driver.
With that being the case, the car has actually seen many miles on both the street and the track.
While we’ve seen some pretty stellar Firebirds in our day, Conkright’s custom Formula takes the cake when it comes to styling and pure power. Not that it’s hard to like the Pontiac Firebird, but you would have to do some serious trying not to be impressed by this one.
