When did Pontiac stop dropping their own engines into Firebirds? Nice interior. The dash looks like it got clearcoated, though:
Right about that time. I don't have a corresponding page from a Pontiac brochure, but this was part of the 1978 Oldsmobile brochures. This was as a result of the Chevy-engines-in-Oldsmobiles fiasco of the previous year. https://www.nytimes.com/1977/03/15/...ngine-swaps-innocent-to-gm-but-sinful-to.html
That Pontiac four banger sounds like a 302 smallblock cut in half. The bore and stroke exactly match the V-8. If parts interchange, that would be good news for owners of such smallblocks, back then
No more Pontiac 455's after 76, no more Pontiac 350's after 77, 301's & 400's only for 78 & 79 (and the 400's were actually stockpiled 78's only available as 4-speed equipped T/A's & Formula's until the supply ran out.) then the only V8's were 265 & 301's in 80-81. The 2.5 Iron Dukes were installed from 77 to the mid 90's. And yes the same piston & rod assemblies were used for the 2.5 Iron Duke and the 301 V8. But not much else was interchangeable as the 2.5 was really an updated Chevy I-4, that was really a Chevy 230 I-6 with 2 cylinders removed.
They must have been confident enough, for exhausting their entire 400 supply, not taking into consideration any possible warranty issues involving a blown engine. Okay, so they stocked short blocks and heads. But still
