What Engine Did The 1967 Pontiac Firebird Have & How Much HP Did It Produce?

Front 3/4 view of 1967 Pontiac Firebird

The 1967 Pontiac Firebird represents the first model year of Pontiac’s “pony car.” The Firebird, along with its sister car the Chevrolet Camaro, was GM’s response to the sensational societal impact and sales of the Ford Mustang, which hit the American automotive scene like a thunderbolt from the moment it was introduced in 1964. As every other American vehicle manufacturer watched the Mustang surpass one million sales within only 18 months, they all realized the need to develop a competitive vehicle for this new, fast-growing, and profitable segment of the market.

The 1967 Pontiac Firebird was Pontiac’s entry into the pony car wars. Pontiac actually started developing the Firebird late, relative to the Camaro, and it did not debut until five months after the Camaro was released. While the Firebird was based on the same chassis as the Camaro, Pontiac did everything it could to differentiate the Firebird from its Chevrolet sibling. Pontiac’s choice of Firebird engines helped a lot in this regard.

The 1967 Pontiac Firebird Engine Lineup

Pontiac W53 ‘Sprint’ SOHC six-cylinder engine

The 1967 Pontiac Firebird offered buyers a choice of engines that were specifically developed by the Pontiac Motor Division. This was back before the “corporate” engines that were identical from GM brand to GM brand took over the company’s vehicles.

The standard engine in the 1967 Pontiac Firebird was a 230 cubic inch (3.8 Liters) inline six-cylinder with a single overhead cam (SOHC — an important automotive acronym) and 165 horsepower. This engine used a single one-barrel carburetor. There was also an upgraded W53 “Sprint” version of this inline SOHC six that put out 215 horsepower, thanks to a hotter cam, high-compression pistons, dual exhausts, and a Rochester Quadrajet four-barrel carburetor. The SOHC six was unique to Pontiac. Its similarity to high-performance engines found in German, Italian, and British sports cars was intended to add a European flavor to the ’67 Firebird.

The next step up in the 1967 Pontiac Firebird engine lineup was a 326 cubic inch (5.3 Liters) V8. The two-barrel carbureted version, known as the L30, had 250 horsepower. This mill also had a high-output version, the L76, called the 326 HO (High Output), with a four-barrel carburetor, higher compression, and dual exhaust, which was rated at 285 horsepower.

The final step up was a bigger block V8 of 400 cubic inches (6.6 Liters). The 400 came in two versions as well. The W66 came with a two-barrel carburetor and 285 horsepower, while the range-topping L67 Ram Air boasted a four-barrel carburetor, a Ram Air induction hood scoop, plus high-output cam and valve springs. Its output was 325 horsepower. The 400 Ram Air was the rarest of the ’67 engines, with only 65 produced.

[Image by SFoskett via

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