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To borrow a cliche, if it ain't broke don't fix it! that proved to be Pontiac's thinking for the 68 Firebird. The philosophy seemed to be right on the money because 107,112 units were sold, a number that would not be surpassed until 1976.
1968 was a year of refinement, and if you didn't look carefully, it was difficult to detect the external differences between the 2 model years. Pontiac seemed to be moving the Firebird into the modern era with the elimination of the old-style vent windows. This change gave the firebird a sleeker overall look to the body. Bodyside marker lights appeared on the rear quarter panels as well as a more wrap around style front turn signal indicators.
Open the doors, and bigger changes were in evidence. Liberal use of attractive, burred woodgrain detailing graced the dash and console. Vinyl inserts were added to the seats to change their styling.
A wheel hop problem, which had received some bad press on the first year Firebird got considerable attention on the 1968. To address that problem multi-leaf springs and staggered shocks were installed on all but the base models.
The new Firebird 350 package came next, and carried a very unromantic column-mounted three-speed shifter. Bucking the performance trend at the time, this model's engine was fitted with only a two-barrel carb. Still, there was an impressive 265hp at 4600rpm on tap. Like the 1967's 326, the 350 was available in a "HO" version and carried the same distinctive stripe, only with a "350" embedded. The shifter was still on the column, and performance goodies included duel exhaust, heavy duty battery, and F70X14 inch rubber. The power plant provided a pleasurable punch with an impressive 320 horse-power This was a great number for a small block, close to the one-horsepower-per-cubic-inch goal of the day.A Rochester four-barrel and 10.5:1 compression ratio were big factors in achieving this engine's rating. The 350HO was also very attractively priced at only $181 over the base model.
The Firebird 400 for 1968 was also changed. With the exception of the few 427 Camaros that were produced that model year, the Firebird had a slight step up on the Camaros, as that machine's biggest mill was a 396.
The shifter, moved to the floor, controlled a manual three-speed for the 400ci powered versions. The standard package was the Firebird 400, but to really light your fire, there was also a Ram Air version. Again, there was a minimal difference power-wise between the pair (only 5hp), with the Ram Air version rated 335hp at 5000rpm. The Firebird 400 package included flashy chrome detailing on the air cleaner, valve covers, and oil cap, a heavy-duty suspension system, and a special model identification emblem. The standard 400 powerplant pushed 10.75:1 compression and carried a unique power-flex fan and a Rochester four-barrel carb. The Firebird 400 wasn't cheap though, requiring an extra $435 over the base priced model.
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