1976 firebird manual#

“It’s got all the things that were going to make it a comfortable car to drive,” he said. Kuhlman ordered his Esprit in Polaris Blue, which turned out to be a one-year-only color for the Firebirds and adds a bit to the car’s unique character. The rest had either the 350-cid/160-hp two-barrel, the optional 350-cid/165-hp four-barrel 400-cid/185-hp four-barrel or 455-cid/200-hp four-barrel. The Esprits were next with 22,252 assemblies, but only 9,405 of those actually carried the base six-cylinders. The Trans Ams were the most popular with buyers, with more than 46,700 built for the model year. Above it were the Formula Firebird, Trans Am and Trans Am Limited Edition. The Esprit resided one rung above the base Firebird in the Pontiac pony car hierarchy and carried a base price of $4,162 with the base six under the hood. The traditional Pontiac split grille had a mesh pattern insert. In front were new square, single headlamps recessed into the front fenders.

All of the Firebirds had new body-colored urethane bumpers - the chrome bumpers were a thing of the past.

1976 firebird manual#

Other standard equipment on the Esprits included a 250-cid/110-hp inline six-cylinder engine or 350-cid/160-hp V-8, three-speed manual transmission, radial-tuned suspension, power steering, sport mirrors and deluxe wheel covers. “I choose the Esprit over the base model because they came with Grand Prix bucket seats, which where higher in back than the other cars would have had,” Kuhlman said. In 1976 that meant a custom interior that was a little different than the base Firebird. It took the place of the departed Sprint option in the Firebird lineup in ’70 and was designed to be a slightly more refined machine than some of its ’Bird siblings. The Esprit was a trim package that first appeared on Firebirds in 1970 and ran until 1981. The adhesive kind of fell out of that, which is pretty typical of a car that old… And I can hear a wheel bearing making some noise now, so I’m going to have to attend to that.” “The seats, carpeting, interior - that’s all original,” he said.

He’s replaced the water pump a couple of times and the rear leaf springs had to be re-done, but that’s about it. Aside from some period Crager SS wheels and white-letter radial tires, the Firebird looks pretty much the same as it did when Kuhlman took delivery.