The 1960s was a great era for Pontiac. It introduced the iconic Super Duty V8 engine in 1961 and debuted the GTO in 1963. Four years later, the Firebird broke cover as a competitor for the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro. Come 2021 and these cars are just as exciting as they were almost 60 years ago.
And there's no better way to see them in action than a fast and noisy duel down the quarter-mile. This Pontiac-only drag race brings together a 1969 GTO Judge and a 1968 Firebird, two of the company's finest muscle cars, and it's thrilling, to say the least.
In one lane we have a 1969 GTO "The Judge" that hides the iconic 400-cubic-inch (6.6-liter) Ram Air IV V8 under the hood. An optional mill for 1969, it came with an aluminum intake manifold, four-bolt mains, an aggressive cam, and a compression ratio of 10.75:1.
All these race-inspired upgrades resulted in a total output of 370 horsepower and 445 pound-feet (603 Nm) of torque. In this GTO, all that oomph reaches the rear wheels through a four-speed manual for row-your-won fun.
The second lane sees a 1968 Firebird line up at the Christmas tree. And it's not just a run-of-the-mill "bird." This thing packs a 400-cubic-inch Ram Air II, the predecessor to the Ram Air IV in the GTO. It has the same cam and compression ratio, but the output is a bit lower at 340 horsepower and 435 pound-feet (590 Nm) of twist. And this Firebird also uses a four-speed manual.
1969 GTO Judges are quite rare, but this 1968 Firebird is even harder to find. That's because Pontiac built only 110 with the Ram Air II and just 98 of them were equipped with the manual gearbox.
Both Ponchos were advertised as 13-second cars back in the day, but which one is the quickest almost six decades later? This drag race settles the score and it's actually very close.
The first race sees the GTO Judge take a clear win with a 12.53-second sprint at 113 mph. The Firebird nails the quarter-mile in 12.79 clicks at 112 mph, but the driver hits the red light.
The Firebird covers the distance notably quicker in the second race, hitting the line after 12.51 seconds. The GTO stops the clock at 12.56 clicks, but it crosses the finish line first thanks to a near-perfect reaction time and wins. The Judge takes the overall win and moves into the next round. Watch it all unfold in the video below.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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