THE LEGENDARY BLACKBIRD
1968 Firebird once owned by Jim Wangers, now in the care of Dr. Eric Schiffer
One of the fastest cars in the Detroit area during the height of the street racing era
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Following are excerpts taken from an online forum, written by Dr. Eric Schiffer detailing some of the history of some of the fastest cars on Woodward Avenue in the '60s
The Blackbird was built December, 1967 as a Ram Air I, turbo hydramatic (column shift, no console), push button radio, cluster-rally guages (no tachometer), Soft Ray glass, floor mats front and back, F70X14 nylon red line tires, (steel wheels dog dish hub caps).
The Ram Air I came with the hood and carb pans, chrome valve covers, flex fan, 3.90 posi rear end....
It was delivered to Stan Long Pontiac for Tony Kneiper, Parts Mgr. Tony got the Ram Air II heads as soon as PMD engineering released them to him.
So you want to know all about Jim Wangers' 1968 Firebird Ram Air I AKA the Blackbird which I own. First let me state that in Detroit during the height of the street racing there where many very fast cars. Some got press others did not. Most these guys had direct factory connections to engineering parts.
The difference between the late Jimmy Addison, owner of the famed '67 GTX AKA the Silver Bullet, and every one else was that every one else kept their mouth shut. If Ford, GM, Chrysler, AMC top brass or even the news papers got wind of this things would hit the fan. In fact it did hit the Detroit papers when some reporter came around the Howard Johnson's on Northwestern Hwy for our "High End" gatherings one Thursday night in 1968. The head lines talked about the illegal street racing being supported by the factories.
On any given night there was a new "FASTEST" car. Everyone was always improved the cars. The "big races" were never on Woodward. They could be on I-96, I-75, M-59 or some industrial park off Telegraph Rd and Plymouth Roads. The '67 GTX has been getting a lot of press now a days because it's current owner Harold Sullivan is very influential in the Mopar world with his nice Mopar collection. It has been Harold who has been pumping this "King Of Woodward" and never been beat story. This was such puffery! Prompted by Harold Sullivan. Harold even commission a poster called "Woodward Kights" under the title in small print it says, "The Silver Bullet "King of Woodward" Leads the Charge. It is a very nice poster that shows Woodward ave north bound in front of the Sunoco station that Addison worked out of with Addison's silver GTX, Jim Wangers' Black Bird, Speadhar's 440 6- pack Super Bee and a '67 BB Vette. Great print.
" A LIE WILL MAKE IT AROUND THE WORLD BEFORE THE TRUTH CAN GET IT'S BOOTS ON".
Jimmy Addison did an interview in the May 1989 "High Performance MOPAR" magazine, article titled "The Legend of the Silver Bullet" page 26 and 27. On page 27 Addison admits losing to Mike McGauri on different occasions. "Perhaps Addison's stiffest competition came from the Chevy racing group headed by Wally Booth and Dick Arons'. A guy by the name of Mike McGauri ran a Camaro with a 460-inch big block Chevy. He beat me, and I beat him," recalls Addison. That was the only car to ever beat the Bullet."
The Blackbird was built December, 1967 as a Ram Air I, turbo hydramatic (column shift, no console), push button radio, cluster-rally guages (no tachometer), Soft Ray glass, floor mats front and back, F70X14 nylon red line tires, (steel wheels dog dish hub caps).
The Ram Air I came with the hood and carb pans, chrome valve covers, flex fan, 3.90 posi rear end....
It was delivered to Stan Long Pontiac for Tony Kneiper, Parts Mgr. Tony got the Ram Air II heads as soon as PMD engineering released them to him.
So you want to know all about Jim Wangers' 1968 Firebird Ram Air I AKA the Blackbird which I own. First let me state that in Detroit during the height of the street racing there where many very fast cars. Some got press others did not. Most these guys had direct factory connections to engineering parts.
The difference between the late Jimmy Addison, owner of the famed '67 GTX AKA the Silver Bullet, and every one else was that every one else kept their mouth shut. If Ford, GM, Chrysler, AMC top brass or even the news papers got wind of this things would hit the fan. In fact it did hit the Detroit papers when some reporter came around the Howard Johnson's on Northwestern Hwy for our "High End" gatherings one Thursday night in 1968. The head lines talked about the illegal street racing being supported by the factories.
On any given night there was a new "FASTEST" car. Everyone was always improved the cars. The "big races" were never on Woodward. They could be on I-96, I-75, M-59 or some industrial park off Telegraph Rd and Plymouth Roads. The '67 GTX has been getting a lot of press now a days because it's current owner Harold Sullivan is very influential in the Mopar world with his nice Mopar collection. It has been Harold who has been pumping this "King Of Woodward" and never been beat story. This was such puffery! Prompted by Harold Sullivan. Harold even commission a poster called "Woodward Kights" under the title in small print it says, "The Silver Bullet "King of Woodward" Leads the Charge. It is a very nice poster that shows Woodward ave north bound in front of the Sunoco station that Addison worked out of with Addison's silver GTX, Jim Wangers' Black Bird, Speadhar's 440 6- pack Super Bee and a '67 BB Vette. Great print.
" A LIE WILL MAKE IT AROUND THE WORLD BEFORE THE TRUTH CAN GET IT'S BOOTS ON".
Jimmy Addison did an interview in the May 1989 "High Performance MOPAR" magazine, article titled "The Legend of the Silver Bullet" page 26 and 27. On page 27 Addison admits losing to Mike McGauri on different occasions. "Perhaps Addison's stiffest competition came from the Chevy racing group headed by Wally Booth and Dick Arons'. A guy by the name of Mike McGauri ran a Camaro with a 460-inch big block Chevy. He beat me, and I beat him," recalls Addison. That was the only car to ever beat the Bullet."
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Preservation, restoration, and enjoyment of all years, models, and types of Pontiacs
Annual car show whose proceeds fund area organizations in need
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WEBSITE LAST UPDATED 03.27.16