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The Most Popular 1968 Pontiac Cars

1968 Pontiac Firebird

1968 Pontiac Firebird

In the 1968 Pontiac Firebird, horsepower on the standard 400-cid V-8 increased by five, to 330. Ram Air continued as the rarest and strongest engine option at about $600 over the regular 400. At midyear, the 335-bhp Ram Air mill was replaced by the 340-bhp Ram Air II.

A third 400 engine variation bowed for the 1968 Pontiac Firebird and was the best blend of machismo and manners. The 400 HO, or High Output, cost about $350 over the base 400 and used free-flow exhausts and, when hooked to a 4-speed, its own revised cam. It too was rated at 335 bhp, but redlined higher than the base engine and below the Ram Air. All 400s used a single 4-barrel carb and came with either a three- or four-speed manual or optional 3-speed automatic. The 4-speed was standard on Ram Air cars.

In the 1968 Pontiac Firebird, the 326 CID (5.3 L) engine was replaced by one with a displacement of 350 CID (5.7 L). An “H.O.” version of the 350 CID with a revised cam was also offered starting in that year, developed 320 hp (240 kW). Power output of the other engines was increased marginally.

1968 Pontiac GTO

By 1968, the musclecar segment had exploded for the 1968 Pontiac GTO, with entries from nearly every brand. The 1968 Pontiac GTO entered the model year with an absolute knockout of a new body, as well as some performance upgrades.

The 1968 Pontiac GTO underwent a complete styling update with smoother rounded edges replacing the sharp corners of previous generations. The big news was the body colored “Endura” bumpers, which were highly dent resistant and ahead of their time. Vacuum assisted hidden headlights were an option.

The car was originally fitted with a 400 cubic-inch (6.6-litre) big-block Pontiac V8, but these days the engine has been rebuilt with a longer stroke and bigger pistons to displace a mighty 455 cubic inches. The automatic gearbox is a GM Turbo 400 complete with the coveted Hurst shifter that was a calling card of many high-performance US cars from this era.

1968 Pontiac GTO’s performance did not disappoin. The base 400-cu.-in. four-barrel V8 got a 15-hp boost to 350, and both the HO and Ram Air 400s carried over with the 360-hp ratings. Once again, about 3000 buyers chose the regular-fuel 400 engine with its two-barrel carburetor, now rated at 265 hp.

1968 Pontiac Lemans

The Tempest line was upsized to an intermediate-sized car on the new GM A platform in 1964, and the LeMans returned to its role of Tempest trim upgrade with a new 215 CID 6-cylinder and a redesigned 326 CID V8 (now actually 326 CID).

The 1968 Pontiac Lemans GTO came with a 400 CID engine and was rated at 350 HP. It has large engines, but due to the weight they were usually slow to accelerate. Pontiac offered a combination of 389 cubic-inch engines in their mid-size Tempest line and called it a GTO.

The 1968 Pontiac Lemans GTO powered by the V8 engine and manual 3 and 4-speed transmission with a Hurst shifter, heavy-duty clutch, improved suspension. The 389 cubic-inch engine was rated at 325-348 horsepower depending on the configuration and modification of the engine. The 428 ft-lbs of torque was even more astonishing.

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