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Pontiac OHC-6 SPRINT parts on fleabay

Bonnewagon

Bonnewagon

Lost in the Labyrinth
Supporting Member
Sep 18, 2009
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My original 1968 Firebird came with a one barrel 250 cu overhead cam six cylinder engine. I thought it was a great engine, lots of power for a 250. The light weight allowed the Firebird to handle like a champ. It had design issues and like most people I got rid of it for a Pontiac V-8. At the time they offered a high performance version called the SPRINT. It used a Q-jet carb, split header exhaust manifolds, and a hotter cam. I have only seen one as it is very rare. I recently had the opportunity to buy a totally rebuilt OHC-6 but it was the one barrel version. I thought about putting it into my Bonnewagon with the Saginaw four speed. That would be pretty different. The 301 in my wagon now is using an actual OHC-6 bell housing I got at a swap meet by accident. But I really wanted the SPRINT version if I was to do all that work. Well, here are the hardest to find SPRINT parts for sale on fleabay. The price is not bad considering the rarity of these. Now I feel dumb for not grabbing the rebuilt OHC-6 when I had the chance. I think the special cam is available, and a Q-jet can be adapted to almost anything. Should, woulda, coulda. OHC-6 SPRINT parts


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Bonnewagon said:
My original 1968 Firebird came with a one barrel 250 cu overhead cam six cylinder engine. I thought it was a great engine, lots of power for a 250. The light weight allowed the Firebird to handle like a champ. It had design issues and like most people I got rid of it for a Pontiac V-8. At the time they offered a high performance version called the SPRINT. It used a Q-jet carb, split header exhaust manifolds, and a hotter cam. I have only seen one as it is very rare. I recently had the opportunity to buy a totally rebuilt OHC-6 but it was the one barrel version. I thought about putting it into my Bonnewagon with the Saginaw four speed. That would be pretty different. The 301 in my wagon now is using an actual OHC-6 bell housing I got at a swap meet by accident. But I really wanted the SPRINT version if I was to do all that work. Well, here are the hardest to find SPRINT parts for sale on fleabay. The price is not bad considering the rarity of these. Now I feel dumb for not grabbing the rebuilt OHC-6 when I had the chance. I think the special cam is available, and a Q-jet can be adapted to almost anything. Should, woulda, coulda. OHC-6 SPRINT parts


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Back when I was still living on the North Side there was a yard not far from the Pittsburgh city line that had a '69 Firebird that had the Sprint engine. It was on the ground next to it with the intake & exhaust still attached but no carb. Even had a Muncie 3 speed with it. If I knew now back then I would of grabbed it.
 
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One of my more memorable road trips to Pittsburgh was in the new-to-me Firebird. There was an engine oil leak so bad the oil was shorting out the spark plug wires. I had to stop every hundred miles or so and clean them off. You could see the spark running up and down the wires on the oil. Not much later the dreaded 'cam tick' began. What it was , was the way they drilled the 'lash adjuster' oil passages. They were oil holes feeding the 'adjusters'. What those were, was kind of like normal lifters, but designed to take up any lash between them and the rockers against the cam and valves. They accumulated crud because the only outlet for the oil was at the top against the rocker arms. They did not move like lifters, they just stood still adjusting against the minimal wear of the valve train over time. They crudded up like crazy, wore, and cleaning them did not help. Otherwise, a great engine, far ahead of it's time. One of John DeLorean's better ideas.
 
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The OHC6 pontiac is one of the coolest looking engines of the 60's GM family.

I almost bought one probably 10 years ago that came up locally on CL, however the owner wanted to keep it attached to the rolling rusty hulk of a 4dr tempest that it was bolted to.

I stumbled on video of one with an EFI style TB swap and a turbo a few years back that was cleanly done.


This was at BTT50's a couple years ago-
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Mark,
I remember riding in my friends Pontiac Lemans with the OHC sprint 6 back in the day. It was a cool little car. and a peppy little engine. .
 
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81cutlass said:
The OHC6 pontiac is one of the coolest looking engines of the 60's GM family.

I almost bought one probably 10 years ago that came up locally on CL, however the owner wanted to keep it attached to the rolling rusty hulk of a 4dr tempest that it was bolted to.

I stumbled on video of one with an EFI style TB swap and a turbo a few years back that was cleanly done.


This was at BTT50's a couple years ago-
View attachment 255140
Click to expand...
That would have to be a Clifford intake manifold. They offered weird stuff no one else did. What a great looking engine that is!
 
Mark,
I recall years back a woman that I knew locally and would meet at the car shows and cruise-ins, had a nice original Lemans. Her mom was the original owner and it also was powered by an OHC6. It was the tuned down version, not the sprint version with the 4-bbl carb. Nice car. I don't know whatever happened to it, she passed several years back.
 
Jack, a guy that lived on my Wife's block had a brand new 1968 Firebird convertible, OHC-6 SPRINT, 4 speed manual. He bought it as soon as he returned from 'Nam. It was beautiful. For years I begged him to sell it to me. I had my '68 hard top at the time. He was always no, no, no I'll never sell it. Then one day years later I see some local rubberhead kid driving it around town. Every single panel was bashed and dented. Top was ripped. It was burning oil. I almost cried. What a shame.
 
Bonnewagon said:
Jack, a guy that lived on my Wife's block had a brand new 1968 Firebird convertible, OHC-6 SPRINT, 4 speed manual. He bought it as soon as he returned from 'Nam. It was beautiful. For years I begged him to sell it to me. I had my '68 hard top at the time. He was always no, no, no I'll never sell it. Then one day years later I see some local rubberhead kid driving it around town. Every single panel was bashed and dented. Top was ripped. It was burning oil. I almost cried. What a shame.
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Doesn't that piss you off when that happens? . A '68 Firebird OHC6 convertible 4-spd. That's a rare bird today. That's a pretty common story. You confront the owner, if he ever was interested in selling the car to let you know. Then he sells it to some local mook that destroys it before your very eyes.
 
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