One of the worst nightmares for any car enthusiast is to find an empty parking space where their beloved possession used to be.
It gets worse when that particular car is a prized classic that’s received lots of TLC over the years. Unfortunately, thieves find vintage cars increasingly attractive as their prices have been going.
The latest example is a 1968 Pontiac Firebird that was reported stolen on Tuesday night from Fiehrer Motors, a Buick and GMC dealership located just outside Hamilton, Ohio. The Fairfield Township Police Department confirmed that the bright red classic pony car disappeared from the dealer parking lot. The owner believes the vehicle disappeared on Sunday.
The dealership took the theft quite personally, as the car belongs to Fiehrer Motors’ vice president. Daniel Fiehrer has owned the 1968 Firebird since 1991 and is understandably very attached to it. As a result, the dealership announced it is offering a $10,000 reward for the return of his 1968 Firebird. That’s a more than generous reward when you think about it. Hagerty estimates the 1968 Pontiac Firebird has an average value of $14,500. However, Mr. Fiehrer’s car is probably worth a lot more.
On his personal Facebook account, he says his Firebird is a restomod. Mechanical upgrades include a 1972 Pontiac 455 V8 with 6X head castings, stainless March pulley system with serpentine belt, and a Holley 850 double pumper carb. The Firebird also packs a red anodized aluminum radiator with dual electric fans and a Tremec five-speed manual transmission.
Styling-wise, the car sports a 1992 Dodge Viper red paint with a black vinyl top, stock Pontiac Ralley rims, and a working hood tachometer with open hood scopes. The interior is black and features a stock AM/FM radio with an amplifier. The car’s VIN is 223378U167146 and it carries “Elvis 1” vanity plates — although the thieves probably got rid of those.
One final piece of information is that the car is noisy (understandably) and has “a pretty deep lope in the cam when at idle.” Now that you have all the details, let’s help this man find his beloved ’68 Firebird.