Nitrous-Fed 1968 Pontiac Firebird Runs 8s With Ease, It's Still Road-Legal

But while many enthusiasts are keeping first-gen models true to their original specs, some are transforming them into restomods. Others are turning early Firebirds into drag racers and this particular 1968 model shown here is proof that this isn't a bad idea.

Having retained its stock body panels and sporting an unassuming silver paint job, this Firebird is almost a sleeper. The massive bulge on the front hood is the only notable feature that prevents it from being the most deceptive pony car out there.

The bulge is there for a very important purpose: to make room for a really massive V8 mill. Pontiac offered engines as big as 6.6 liters on the first-gen Firebird, but this beefed-up unit goes beyond that. Coming in at 8.4 liters, it notably larger than even the 7.5-liter V8s that Pontiac used to fit in the second-gen model.

The massive displacement suggests there's a lot of oomph traveling to the rear wheels, but this isn't a classic all-motor dragster. It runs on E85 and it also uses shots of nitrous for extra oomph. And the latter makes quite a notable difference.

The Firebird runs all-motor during the first quarter-mile run in this video, covering the distance in 9.42 seconds at 153.42 mph (246.9 kph). The driver starts using nitrous during the second run, stopping the clock at 8.62 seconds at 155.27 mph (249.88 kph). That's almost a second quicker.

But what I love most about this Firebird is that it's still a road-legal vehicle when fitted with a set of street tires. You can drive it to the drag strip, fit it with them meaty drag tires out back, race it like mad, and then make the swap again so you can drive it back home. This is what old-school racing is all about and it's darn wonderful.