10 Cool Facts About Jim's Pontiac Firebirds - The Rockford Files

[@johnkranyics281]

Great to see you back. 👍👍🇨🇦

[@CarStarz42]

Thanks, Yeah, I hope so; been negotiating with KZbin for the last few days and finally managed to get my monetization back like just a few hours ago, so hopefully I'll be posting more often in the future again 😉

[@johnchurch4705]

@@CarStarz42glad your back 👍🏻

[@CarStarz42]

@@johnchurch4705 Thanks, very glad to be able to be back 🙂

[@biggiefitz6275]

James Garner was the man.

[@THROTTLEPOWER]

Yes, I agree

[@Brianscoronet]

​@@THROTTLEPOWERRIP James Garner.

[@CarStarz42]

😉👍

[@CarStarz42]

@@arcanondrum6543 Lol, ok. 😉

[@jamespn]

What I found interesting is that Rockford’s mobile home was temporarily parked in the parking lot of a seaside restaurant near the beach during the filming of the show.

[@johncornell3665]

Best actor, show and car, ever. Period

[@CarStarz42]

😉👍

[@Colorado_Native]

I loved Rockford Files. The cars, the trailer, the dad, Gretchen Corbet and the J-turns. Well the whole series. It was fun to watch the cars switch years during a trip.

[@CarStarz42]

😉👍

[@marko7843]

@@Colorado_Native Seriously, was there ever a girl who did NOT deserve the moniker 'Gretchen' more than Beth?!? 😁

[@Colorado_Native]

@@marko7843 True. Her name means 'pearl'. Certainly a fitting moniker. She was fine. She just came across as a very nice person. Another person that seemed genuinely nice was Mariette Hartley. She only appeared once on The Rockford Files, but did a lot of Polaroid commercials with Garner. Many people thought they were married, so much so she had a T-shirt made up that said, I am not James Garner's wife. Thanks for the reply.

[@milesmayhem5440]

All great points that I loved about the show. But I loved the relationship he had with his dad.

[@2ndtimothy162]

LOVE ROCKFISH AS ISAAC HAYS CALLS HIM IN 2 OF THE SHOWS THAT HE APPEARED IN ..JIM GARNER WAS A KOOL DUDE ... I OWN THE 6 YR. DVD SERIES THATS AVAILABLE & IM WATCHING ONE NOW ..GO ROCKY !!!

[@timrussell1559]

I can tell ya' where one of the original 77 birds is currently at. It's been sitting in the back of my garage for the last 37 years. My dad was a big Rockford fan and in 1982 he purchased a well used 77 from a man who had bought the car from the studio a year or two prior. My father paid him 1800 dollars for the car(a sizeable sum of money in 1982!) and then gave it to me in 1987. I drove it as a daily driver for about 2 years then stored it away in my garage after that. Its been sitting there under a tarp ever since. The car is still totally complete but is really showing its age after all this time. One of these days i will bring it back out, get it running again and drive it for awhile longer. Since i have no kids who are interested in cars - i will likely just sell it to someone who will restore and appreciate it the way my father and i did for all of these many many years. It really is a unique piece of history that still has plenty of time left on this earth for many people to enjoy and appreciate. Thanks Jim!

[@CarStarz42]

Very cool, thanks for sharing that! 😉👍

[@t.d.5804]

Hey Rockfish.............best PI show ever

[@CarStarz42]

😉👍

[@kc-6837]

One of the greatest cars on TV. Goes with the General Lee and the Starsky and Hutch Torino.

[@CarStarz42]

Indeed 😉👍

[@geraldscott4302]

@@CarStarz42 The Rockford Firebirds looked ten times better than those others. They were very elegant, understated, and classy, while the General Lee and Starsky and Hutch car were overdone and gaudy looking. The '68-'70 Charger was a beautiful car in stock form, but the '75 and '76 Torinos were actually not very good looking at all. The last good looking Torino was the 1972 model.

[@CarStarz42]

@@geraldscott4302 😉👍

[@jsr3793]

Just watched this entire series. My 9 and 10 year old watched it with me. They (and I) loved it

[@CarStarz42]

It's a great one indeed 😉👍

[@AB1Vampire]

"much like myself..." lol. Nice to see those old styles running again. Firebirds were everywhere by the late 1970's.

[@CarStarz42]

Indeed 😉👍

[@hausf.kartreit1111]

I luv doing Rockford turns👍🤠🌵

[@CarStarz42]

😉👍

[@bdogjr7779]

Me2👍🏾😎🤳👉🚣‍♂️

[@loganl.andrew4459]

It's worth mentioning James Garner was a veteran of Westerns. The car chases in The Rockford Files are unique because the cars could be swapped for horses and they would still make sense. The show was (and is) successful because of Garner's experience and creative input.

[@CarStarz42]

Indeed 😉👍

[@SilverSurfer5150]

The Rockford Files, cool show!

[@CarStarz42]

Indeed! 😉👍

[@maplemanz]

I still love it.

[@CarStarz42]

@@maplemanz 😉👍

[@1Bandit455]

Nice video > One of the Best episodes is when Rockford and his Firebird embarrassed a Souped Vette by out handling him 🏁🏆😎

[@CarStarz42]

Thanks and indeed 😉👍

[@elvispresley3340]

Thanks you. CHEERS from AUSTRALIA

[@CarStarz42]

Glad you enjoyed it 😉👍

[@charlesdalton985]

Great to see you back (although I did follow you over to Rumble)! It's interesting for me, as a kid I always liked the Trans Am more (still do) but the appreciation for a "Rockford style" Firebird has grown considerably for me. Same with the 79 Trans Am reface. I didn't care for it then, but especially on the Turbo TAs, it looks good now. Anyhow - thank you as always ~ Chuck

[@CarStarz42]

Thanks Chuck, yeah Rumble is a good place, but it just doesn't cut it income wise to be worth it at present anyways. However, any new videos I put out here I guess I'll put up on Rumble too, no reason not too I suppose 😉

[@kerrypierre9494]

Hell yeah loved the show amd mostly all firebird models 👌

[@CarStarz42]

😉👍

[@kharnthebetrayer1575]

3 & 4th generations are my favorite…. Probably because I’m a kid of the 80’s.

[@CarStarz42]

😉

[@88SherryLynn]

There is a 3D print company called Canuck 3D that is developing the correct 74 front nose, and rear taillights and bumper for the 70 kit

[@CarStarz42]

Cool 😉👍

[@mattC-r3z]

This is my all time favorite show. It was cancelled in 1980, i was born in 1982.

[@CarStarz42]

One of the greats indeed 😉👍

[@Sebastian_Dinwiddie]

On my dream garage wish list, along with Rocky’s pickup

[@CarStarz42]

Nice, yeah I love that truck too 😉👍

[@fw1421]

When I was in the USAF I went to LA for training and had to go to Universal Studios because I’m a movie buff. When we were on the tram on the back lot there was a car hauler filled with gold firebirds for the Rockford Files. Those were good days.

[@CarStarz42]

Very cool indeed 😉👍

[@maryrafuse2297]

I always thought the Firebird was a cut above the Camaro. I recognize this is just personal taste. I detest the way GM dealt with many of the Pontiac Dealers. Very disrespectful considering many of the dealers were selling lots of cars. Again an opinion based on knowing a couple of dealership owners. Good people treated badly!

[@CarStarz42]

Yeah, I suppose.

[@Lawrence-ui1hv]

Can anyone tell me the goldish looking car that's partly out of shot at 9:36 in please as it looks remarkably like a Simca 1100 but I don't think that they were sold in the US?

[@CarStarz42]

Hmm, looks quite similar to an 1100, but it's not as there are some differences, like the different window frames, side markers and gas door, so it's something else, just not sure what exactly. Maybe some Datsun model perhaps?

[@meofnz2320]

I believe what you have there is a 1967 Subaru 1000 Super Deluxe 4-door Sedan. Thank you google image search…😎

[@lisad476]

Loved this show

[@CarStarz42]

😉👍

[@ericlewis9638]

I saw an article in a magazine about this many many years ago and Garner was in Grand Prix was a professional race car driver also and a really really good one and the article stated that he got formula 400 Firebirds with the WS6 suspension and then had them repainted the same color gold, and the cosmetics in the hood removed and basically backdated the car to us to sprayer down dated or down option the car to look like an spree, but it was really formula 400 made to look like an spree so it performed a lot better and handled way better for all the driving in the shows

[@CarStarz42]

😉👍

[@IAguirre1948]

Awesome show.

[@CarStarz42]

😉👍

[@teambanzai2001]

3 screen used cars a 76 77 and 78 are currently owned by a friend of mine the 77 is the sound car and nearly done with its restoration

[@CarStarz42]

Nice, those are certainly quite valuable 😉👍

[@antoniohosino145]

MY DAD BOUGHT A 75 FIREBIRD IN 76 , I GOT TO DRIVE IT IN 79 WHEN I GOT MY LICENSE AT 16 , THOSE CARS COULD HANDLE AND EVEN THOUGH THE HORSEPOWER WAS NOT MUSCLE CAR STANDARD , THEY WERE VERY TORQUEY !!! THE 400 W / A TURBO 400 WAS A SOLID COMBINATION FOR THE TIME !!!

[@CarStarz42]

Nice, a great experience indeed 😉👍

[@ericlevitt30]

love the rockford files one of my favorites seen it many times i have the complete dvd set of the series i love the rockford pontiac firebird

[@CarStarz42]

Nice 😉👍

[@ericlevitt30]

@@CarStarz42 yes

[@CarStarz42]

@@ericlevitt30 Yep, I love it too 🙂👍

[@ericlevitt30]

@@CarStarz42 nice

[@jimmywalters3071]

Hollywood don't make shows like this anymore. I'm in process of watching all the Rockwood Files by buying my ROKO device for $40. I'm watching season one from 1974... and love seeing the old cars and looking at how nice Southern CA was back in the 70's before the crowds came.

[@CarStarz42]

Indeed 😉👍

[@THROTTLEPOWER]

Great vid!!!!!!!!!! 🤜🤛

[@CarStarz42]

Thanks. Yeah, since I had to rework it a bit anyways, I made several corrections to it since the first version 😉👍

[@THROTTLEPOWER]

@@CarStarz42 👍👍

[@marko7843]

Well, you're actually wrong about the model-year range... The show debuted in 1974 and NEVER had the pre-1973 bumperless front ends. They basically went from the straight-center-column grill, to the tapered "bird-beak-center" grill and at the end actually refitted the last models with that same grill because Jim & I both hated the "vacuum-nozzle-grills" used!

[@CarStarz42]

Ok then.

[@danielcruz8347]

Cool accurate presentation!! I've seen a presentation on why this great car was used on the show!! He said the front end steering geometry was perfect for all the stunts they where trying to accomplished on this vehicle choice!!! For price!!! 👍🙂💙🙏🏼

[@danielcruz8347]

PS my statement didn't actually come out correct I saw a presentation with Mr James Garner talking about why this car was used size and steering geometry!!!

[@CarStarz42]

Cool

[@CarStarz42]

Cool and glad you enjoyed it 😉👍

[@josemontano7767]

I love the 79-81 T/A body style.

[@CarStarz42]

Many do, each to their own 😉👍

[@youtubecarspottersguide1]

me to all us high school kids wanted one for our first car at 16

[@jayweiss4378]

Such a shame this car goes under the radar for TV show cars… Looks as cool as the Duke, Knight and Starsky ones

[@CarStarz42]

Indeed.

[@AndrewLoukidis-jr2bp]

I learned to drive and do stunts by watching Rockford and Starsky and Hutch

[@CarStarz42]

😉👍

[@marko7843]

@@AndrewLoukidis-jr2bp Totally, Dude! I always loved scaring my passengers with the "Rockford Reverse U-turn"... 😆

[@careful...Icarus]

Great video. Always loved the cleaner look of base Firebirds over Trans Ams. No shaker,no chicken,and no non functional extras. Tho I do like the Formula hood quite a bit. Has this channel done Ponch's Formula from CHiPS?

[@CarStarz42]

Thanks and Indeed 😉👍 Not yet, but I do have it on my large to do list already and may be looking into that one within the next few weeks.

[@ray.shoesmith]

Theres a Jay Lenos Garage episode with one of the Rockford Files Firebirds

[@CarStarz42]

Cool 😉👍

[@thadwheeler8469]

I recall reading somewhere not long ago that James Garner would often take the cars home and drive them on the road as a personal vehicle outside of series filming. I can't seem to find the article again as I just kind of stumbled over it but I thought it was really cool as someone took his picture with the car and it wasn't on set or during a shoot but James just doing everyday errands like we all do with his onscreen car.

[@CarStarz42]

😉👍

[@haroldbirge6881]

🏆Very cool 🍀 long time no see 👀✌️

[@CarStarz42]

Indeed and thanks friend 😉👍

[@ocsplc]

If I’m not mistaken Garner invented the back up, spin and turn around move. He did the majority of his car stunts

[@CarStarz42]

Not sure about that, but he sure preformed it often anyway 😉

[@williampodjursky868]

U need to do the mutt cuts van from dumb and dumber!

[@CarStarz42]

Yep, it's been on my to do list since the beginning, but will get to it eventually.

[@CarStarz42]

@@arcanondrum6543 Lol, cool.

[@jessekuchinski1172]

That gold with the white walls is fire..bird

[@CarStarz42]

😉👍

[@tommcmurtry-uc5kz]

Cool dude!

[@CarStarz42]

😉👍

[@michaelcoffey7362]

Nice 😀

[@CarStarz42]

Glad you enjoyed it 😉👍

[@michaelcoffey7362]

😊

[@HADJEE]

Jim Rockford wouldn't carry a gun because he thought that would get him shot, but he got pistol-whipped in every episode. That is a concussion in every episode, all one hundred and twenty-three of them.

[@CarStarz42]

Lol, indeed. He "used his head" often, lol 😉

[@shawnmiller4781]

i thought he was on parole as well

[@quad5186]

Well, he took it out of the cookie jar a few times.

[@shawnmiller4781]

OK I’m off my rocker. I do remember one of the intoduction answering machine being being the army looking for his issue pistol

[@michaelnippert945]

I saw james gardner drive the pace car in the Indy 500

[@CarStarz42]

Nice! 😉👍

[@cheapme1850]

Yeah, I tried that famous “J-Turn” with my Pontiac Sunbird…cost me $500 back then to have someone reweld the suspension mounts I ripped out trying it on a dry parking lot.

[@CarStarz42]

Dang, never heard of that happening unless something like a curb or something was hit that is.

[@cheapme1850]

@@CarStarz42 The 1976-1980 Sunbirds (along with their cousins - Monza, Firenza) were notorious for having weak welds in the suspension. There actually was a shop in my area that specialized in fixing them - that's why it was actually pretty cheap. Of course I was an idiot kid and tried to do it again, but only on a slick asphalt parking lot - not on concrete pavement.

[@CarStarz42]

@@cheapme1850 Ah, lol, ok😉

[@Pontiacdreams]

Ca also had the old 403, Pontiac did not smog test the 400 in CA so not permitted.

[@CarStarz42]

😉

[@B0X666]

Third Gen Firebirds were popular as well, don't you remember Knight Rider TV show?

[@CarStarz42]

Indeed, not in the same league as earlier gen birds IMHO, but here you go if you like KITT ... kzbin.info/www/bejne/qanLoIp7iMZokKM

[@TheGreatest1974]

I often wonder why car manufacturers don’t reproduce classic models exactly, as they would sell like hot cakes. Who wouldn’t want a bandit style trans am?

[@CarStarz42]

They quite often do, but only for a limited time like anything else that has brief, but immense popularity, like the factory Bandit edition Trans-Ams and factory Starsky and Hutch edition Torinos 😉

[@alreynolds7152]

They would never meet today's standards !

[@TheGreatest1974]

@ surely they could make the same body shape and put in whatever goes into modern cars?

[@TrailBlazerSS502]

Welcome back, guys.

[@CarStarz42]

Thanks much and it's still just me, a one man show here 😉

[@coletickleracing3211]

Haha, I always got a kick out of how they would switch to different model Firebirds, one with 4 square headlights and the other with 2 round headlights. I never understood why they did that. But I didn't care because I loved that show, just recently been binge watching from episode one forward on Roku, they have them all.

[@CarStarz42]

Indeed and a common kind of thing done in shows to save both time and money being the real purpose 😉

[@davidrobinson5122]

One of my favorite James Garner movies is Marlowe where Bruce Lee famously destroys his office

[@CarStarz42]

😉👍

[@cmscms123456]

Im a big fan of the 74-75 Rockford Firebirds. flat hoods were the best.

[@CarStarz42]

😉👍

[@TimeisReel]

Agreed the 77-78 front and rear Bumpers we're perfect. The 79-81 we're hideous...

[@CarStarz42]

😉👍

[@MrJohnnytowncar]

I learned all of my driving tricks from watching the Rockford Files

[@CarStarz42]

😉👍

[@ericlevitt30]

my aunt had a rusted blue 77 firebird for 45 years and she decided to sell it or put it in a junk yard probably 5 years ago here in california it needed alot of restoring she wasn't able to afford it

[@CarStarz42]

Bummer

[@ericlevitt30]

@@CarStarz42 yes

[@ericlevitt30]

@@arcanondrum6543 it was time for her to part ways with the firebird

[@milfordh.mercado2787]

'Say jim, where is your firebird i haven't seen it for over a week.' That's one thing our hard working p.i. wishes his car is available as being severely underpaid does really hurt his job ( i don't think bad guys like him at all 😅) anyway my friend, you did incredible job on this video ( p.s.i somehow forgot to add comment a month ago 😂) so with that i go so see you later bye now.

[@CarStarz42]

Lol, indeed. No worries and thanks much 😉👍

[@milfordh.mercado2787]

@CarStarz42 you too buddy.

[@r3tr0actiongamer24]

My favorite car as a kid was Burt Reynolds trans am

[@CarStarz42]

😉👍

[@Oscar-mc8gj]

I watched that just for the cars!

[@CarStarz42]

😉👍

[@jamesziegler2763]

Interesting

[@CarStarz42]

😉👍

[@retroversals081]

Why are you reuploading old videos? Just curious.

[@CarStarz42]

Howdy. Yeah, had to delete some videos the other day, so putting them back up as I've been negotiating with KZbin for the last few days and finally managed to get my monetization back like just a few hours ago, so hopefully I'll be posting more often in the future again.

[@retroversals081]

@@CarStarz42 Ah I see.

[@AndrewLoukidis-jr2bp]

We called the J turn the wheel whip!

[@CarStarz42]

😉👍

[@jimjoe9945]

How about Rocky's Chevy 4x4?

[@CarStarz42]

I do indeed have that one on my to do list already as I certainly love the look of that truck and I have a feeling it may have been the same truck used in Chips for Jon's truck with a different paint scheme, but I'm not sure yet as I haven't dug into it yet. 😉

[@johnshook1682]

I know I saw a Berlinetta Camaro in at least one episode.

[@CarStarz42]

😉👍

[@Grit489]

My folks got me a 74 red esprit for hs graduation 76 it was a decent car but not a ta which I yearned for.

[@CarStarz42]

Cool, you're a lucky one indeed 👍

[@Straight0uttaCrofton]

my mom had one of these - she sold it to one of the neighbor kids when she was pregnant with my little sister and bought a station wagon / =

[@CarStarz42]

Cool 😉👍

[@jonlivingstone]

There’s one on Jay Leno

[@CarStarz42]

Cool 😉👍

[@camgere]

The tough, intelligent, decent hardworking guy who was hired muscle, and took many a beat down, but never worked for the bad guys.

[@CarStarz42]

Indeed 😉👍

[@javm7378]

I was just a kid when I watched the Rockford Files back in my home country of Iran ! Believe it or not we loved America back then (people still do). To me this Pontiac is a reminder of the good old days before the idiotic revolution in Iran. What a beautiful car, wish I could go back to that time. The world is getting less meaningful and you can see it in the cheap Chinese products flooding the world.

[@CarStarz42]

Indeed

[@Team-fabulous]

Did he ever drive a Camaro in the early days??

[@CarStarz42]

On this show at least, it was always a Firebird.

[@Team-fabulous]

@@CarStarz42 My brother argued with me years ago that he used a Camaro in series one... I'll sicken him with this🤣🤣. Very interesting video..

[@CarStarz42]

@@Team-fabulous Lol, yeah a lot of people thought that, but they were definitely all firebirds for sure 😉

[@gophersmith]

I expected to hear about Jim's Firebirds. Then it's switched to Burt's.

[@CarStarz42]

Guess you didn't pay too much attention to the car in the show if you think that 😉...

[@gilbertdare5921]

What about nightrider?

[@CarStarz42]

Covered that one about a year ago here... kzbin.info/www/bejne/qanLoIp7iMZokKM

[@drewt1081]

It's called "The Rockfish".

[@CarStarz42]

That's another popular term for it indeed 😉👍

[@WilliamARandolphJr-sk7dl]

do YOU forgetting that the FIREBIRDS lived on with KITTS KNIGHT RIDER?

[@CarStarz42]

Obviously not as I have of a video covering that "Firebird" on here too; Pony and muscle cars just got so "watered down" in the 80s and 90s that they really didn't even deserve the same badging as their far superior predecessor models IMHO

[@JamesLaumand]

What ever happen to rocky truck

[@CarStarz42]

It's on my to do list also as I love the look of that truck, so we'll find out eventually 😉

[@CrazyBear65]

They should've kept the 74 nose, and the 455 4 speed. When they go changing things around too much, they lose the appeal of the vehicle. Instead of adding a bunch of emmissions crap and reducing displacement, they could've switched over to using alcohol fuel on all vehicles.

[@CarStarz42]

That would have been cooler indeed, but then again companies always want to place their current models first, so I get it; a "business decision" for sure.

[@raulduke6105]

His autobiography says its Oklahoma Guy

[@CarStarz42]

Ok

[@RabeHighPerformance]

Double feature

[@CarStarz42]

Lol, double reruns more like, lol. However, I did fix a lot of things that were incorrect in the original video on this one though, so it's worth a re-watch 😉

[@jeromykriege]

That was my first car! Well 1979 Camaro same 💩 brown color.

[@CarStarz42]

😉

[@youtubecarspottersguide1]

it was the coolest car until the smoky and the bandit T/A

[@CarStarz42]

😉👍

[@markstevens1729]

There are not 10 interesting parts in a late 70’s Firebird. I defy you to find 10 fascinating facts. 2:08 look at that “sports” car bounce around a turn..🤣

[@CarStarz42]

opinions vary.

[@25Soupy]

I also didn't like the '79-81 front end.

[@CarStarz42]

😉

[@Elephant65]

Imagine 440 CIs and only 220 HP. Why bother? What an absolute waste of time and gas.

[@CarStarz42]

It was a different time for sure, but at least the big engines of the era still had gobs of torque to play with 😉

[@Elephant65]

@@CarStarz42 Disagree. This is why electric options have become such a... viable option. Why would any doofus build a 600 lb engine to be so weak? And why would any doofus buy a car with this? It's dumb. A 600 lb engine ought to take you from 0-60 in 3 seconds.

[@CarStarz42]

@@Elephant65 Well young person, at the time it was really the only thing they could to both meet new regulations that were forced upon them and be able to stay in business, they just had to make what they had meet new requirements. Also, both batteries and electric motors were very different back then to what is available today, so that kind of "conversation", would not have been feasible and even if it were, they would preform way worse with the electric tech of the the day of course no one would of bought it anyways. It was a very different time than today friend 😉

[@ingocernohorsky]

And never put on the seatbelt

[@CarStarz42]

Lol, yeah wasn't really a priority for him.

the '79 nose was far better but it didn't fit the look of the car in the show.

[@CarStarz42]

Opinions certainly vary on that point 😉

@@CarStarz42 I owned a '79. I would own a 70-74 or a 79. 75-78 are not the best years. 1971 is the best.

[@JohnDough-yr2zt]

I had a 74 formula 400…what a piece of crap

[@CarStarz42]

They can get that way over time if not kept up I suppose

[@yorgle11]

7:55 the paint on that restoration doesn't look right. It's like a mirror. Or maybe they painted it right but the lights in there are so overpowered they make everything look shiny, because shiny cars are worth more.

[@CarStarz42]

Too bright indeed.