Powerful Poncho – Dan Bartel’s Vivid 1971 Firebird Brings Some Classic Heat to the AutoCross Track
A lot of car enthusiasts can trace their transportation fascination to their teenage years when they first got a set of keys to their own ride. For others, the fire gets lit even earlier. Dan Bartel’s fondness for second-generation Firebirds, for example, began way back in grade school.
“My friend’s brother had a ’70 Formula 400,” the San Jose resident says, “and that was the first muscle car I was exposed to. I always thought the hood and front end were the coolest. This is the second one I’ve had, but now later in life I could build it to have fun with.”
Dan’s current Firebird is a 1971 model that’s definitely built for fun. With nearly 750 horsepower at the rear wheels and plenty of performance goodies to go along with that raw power, this ‘bird delivers.
“The car was built to abuse,” Dan says. “I enjoy track days at Laguna Seca/Thunder Hill as well as autocross. It’s strictly a road course car. It was always meant to be a race car, not a show car.”
Give the bright orange Firebird a closer look, though, and it’s obvious that it can hold its own in terms of appearance. Dan started with a rough, original car that a friend found in East San Jose. It had been parked for almost two decades and was rusty, but it was right for the build.
The Firebird’s stock chassis is upgraded with Ridetech suspension components, including adjustable coil-over shocks and a four-link rear system controlling the Currie 9-inch axle that houses 3.73 gears. Wilwood disc brakes (six-piston in front, four-piston in back) deliver track-proven stopping power and are mounted behind American Racing VF552 wheels (18×9 in front and 19×11 in the rear) wrapped in Toyo 275/35/18 and 325/30/19 tires.
Power comes from a 448c.i. LS engine based on a Racing Head Service tall-deck block assembled by Shaun Liddy using top-quality internal components, LS7 heads, and an MSD Air Force induction system. Hooker headers steer exhaust waste through a Pypes system. An Engineered Cooling Products aluminum radiator with dual fans helps keep the temps in line while a custom-built front drive system manages the accessories.
Dan says that hearing the engine run for the first time, especially when it was on the dyno, was one of the more enjoyable parts of the build. Seeing the 742 horsepower at the rear wheels was a real thrill, he says. All that power runs through a McLeod dual-disc clutch and a Tremec T6 Magnum manual transmission.
The original Firebird body lines Dan has always loved have been treated to a few minor enhancements, most notably a front splitter and a spoiler extension on top of the stock rear unit. A fiberglass Formula 400 hood was gutted by Dan to allow greater airflow to the engine. “I did want to pay homage to the Pontiac boys, so I installed the Ram Air stickers on the scoops,” Dan says.
The bright orange finish is the result of a 3M vinyl wrap by Tint Lab Plus of San Jose, not paint. Dan says he went with vinyl because he didn’t want to worry about paint chips or scratches while flogging the car on the track. “The funny thing is that the wrap turned out better than I imagined,” he says.
The interior is designed to keep passengers safe, secure, and comfortable during hard-cornering exercises. Racing seats from NRG, RaceQuip harnesses, and a roll bar meet those needs. Dan built the custom dash that features a carbon fiber insert housing AutoMeter gauges. A billet shifter with a classic Hurst ball sits in a custom console, while a modern racing wheel tops an Ididit tilt column.
Dan has owned a wide variety of cars over the years, and this Firebird resides next to another of his favorites, a ’71 Chevy Vega drag car. It’s a completely different animal. “Cars are purpose built, one to turn and another to go straight,” he says.
Dan did most of the work on the Firebird, along with help from a group of friends, over the six years that he’s owned the car. What’s his advice for doing most of the work yourself? “I think building a car has a different challenge every day,” he says. “But just sticking with it and getting one thing done a day, that’s the biggest challenge.”
Photos: Terry Lysak
