#1970 FIREBIRD MANUAL#

Pontiac actually began working on their second generation just as the first Firebirds were hitting dealer showrooms. The circumstances surrounding the second generation Firebird were another story. Competition between Pontiac and Chevrolet was intense, and having to use the other division’s engineering and design was a bitter pill for DeLorean’s maverick staff to swallow. Their design and engineering lead time was significantly reduced and consequently, the Firebird was forced to use quite a bit of Camaro sheetmetal and other components. Pontiac didn’t have much time to transform the Firebird from its Camaro configuration before releasing it in February 1967. Chevrolet was the lead division in engineering the F-body, and Pontiac grudgingly accepted the platform for their use in March 1966, only after GM management turned down PMD General Manager John DeLorean’s proposal for his own Mustang fighter. GM misjudged the public’s response to the Mustang and then scrambled to develop a similar style car after witnessing Ford’s unprecedented first model year sales success. When Ford’s groundbreaking Mustang debuted in 1964, it tapped an emerging youth market that was hungry for a new type of car geared specifically to them. I received compliments from both friends and strangers.The story behind the development of GM’s F-body ponycars has been well documented. It looked great and as a newly restyled, early-production sports car, it created a lot of attention. I took delivery immediately and was really happy with the car. Don Marasco told me it would be close, but it came in a few days after. “My birthday is May 8th and I was hoping to get the car by then. It took only a few weeks for my dad’s Firebird to be built and delivered to Stan Olsen Pontiac. I ultimately chose Bermuda Blue with black interior because of how nice that combination looked on Rick’s GTO.” As I reviewed the exterior color choices for the ‘70 Firebird, I narrowed it down to Bermuda Blue, Lucerne Blue, and Castilian Bronze. I though it was great color and it really looked sporty with black interior. When it came to choosing an exterior and interior color combination for his ‘70 Firebird, my dad was inspired by our cousin, Rick Marasco’s '67 GTO. The car stickered for more than $3,200 and I paid around $2,900 for it.” I also added A02 Soft Ray Windshield, U05 Dual Horns, U63 AM Radio, and Y80 Décor Moldings. I added W63 Rally Gauges with Clock because the I felt the instrument panel looked bare without them and really disliked standard warning lights.

I stayed with the standard hubcaps in hopes of purchasing some aftermarket wheels later, but did opt for E78-14 White Line Tires though. I really wanted Rally II wheels but just couldn’t afford them. The 4-speed was too costly, so I settled for the standard 3-speed.

#1970 FIREBIRD MANUAL#

I wanted a floor-shifted manual transmission. I wanted to pay cash for the car and that really limited my option choices. “As a college student I really couldn’t afford much. In April 1970 my dad placed his ordered for a new 1970 Firebird with Don Marasco.

In all, I felt that the Firebird was a classier vehicle and Pontiac definitely was an exciting brand to own.” That was really the deciding factor for me. I liked the Firebird’s exterior styling better than the Camaro’s, but I also remember the Firebird’s interior-especially the dash-looked sportier. “The Camaro’s base V-8 was a 307-ci while the Firebird had a 350-ci. “I thought the Camaro was nice, and it was cheaper, but there were things I liked better about the Firebird,” said my dad. My dad and my grandfather also visited Rosen-Novak Chevrolet in Omaha to see the new Camaros. My opinion of the Trans Am would change soon after, however.” I really liked the Formula 400 with its 400 4-barrel and aggressive dual-scooped hood. It looked like something completely out of my league. The wheel flares, paint scheme, and chin spoiler were a little too much for me at the time.

I couldn’t get over how nice they were! I remember actually thinking that the Trans Am was a race car. Stan Olsen Pontiac had a base-model Firebird, an Esprit, and a Polar White Trans Am on the floor. “My dad and I went to see the ‘70 Firebirds in person. Like many dealers across America, Stan Olsen Pontiac received new Firebirds to display in its showroom upon the February 1970 national release. They had a very strong customer following and when my dad was in a financial position to purchase his first new car, he saw the Marascos first. The brothers lived in the neighborhood and were known for being honest and fair. Sam was the dealership’s sales manager while Don was a top salesman. My dad and my grandfather (and practically every other Italian family in our neighborhood!) bought Pontiacs from Stan Olsen Pontiac-Omaha’s largest Pontiac dealer-at that time because of brothers Sam and Don Marasco (no relation to our cousin Rick Marasco).

1970 firebird