Cops and Rodders: Duffy’s dream car
Welcome to another edition of Cops N Rodders!
In this edition, we will feature a 1968 Pontiac Firebird owned by TCPD Sergeant Darren Soutar, also known as "Duffy".
I first saw this car two years ago at the Mum Festival Car Show. Duffy told me that he had one in high school. Throughout his adulthood, he vowed to get another one to add to his "Bucket List". What a great car. Duffy found this car in Georgia and, after some negotiations, had it shipped home to Ohio.
Some cars turn heads, and others stop traffic. This week's featured classic falls squarely into the second category - a beautifully prepared 1968 Pontiac Firebird that captures the spirit of Pontiac's glory years while adding a healthy dose of performance.
Introduced in 1967 as Pontiac's answer to the Camaro, the Firebird quickly established its own identity. While it shared the same basic F-body platform as its Chevrolet cousin, Pontiac engineers gave the Firebird unique styling, suspension tuning, and, most importantly, genuine Pontiac power under the hood. By 1968, the Firebird had refined its appearance with subtle styling updates and continued to gain popularity among muscle car fans.
The example featured here is powered by a Pontiac 350 cubic-inch V8 that has been bored .030-inch over, increasing displacement slightly while providing fresh cylinder walls for improved performance. Combined with a performance camshaft, this engine delivers the unmistakable sound every muscle car enthusiast loves—a slightly aggressive idle that hints at the power waiting beneath the hood.
Fuel delivery comes courtesy of a Holley Demon carburetor, a popular performance upgrade known for excellent throttle response and tunability. Step into the accelerator, and the Firebird responds with authority, producing the kind of instant power that made Pontiac famous during the muscle car era.
Backing the V8 is the legendary Turbo-Hydramatic 350 automatic transmission. Often referred to simply as the TH350, this transmission earned a reputation for durability and smooth shifting. It remains one of the most respected automatic transmissions ever produced by General Motors and is still widely used in performance and racing applications today.
Power reaches the pavement through a Pontiac rear axle, completing a drivetrain combination that is both reliable and capable. Together, the bored-and-cammed 350, Demon carburetor, TH350 transmission, and stout rear end create a package that is equally at home cruising Main Street on a Friday evening or making an appearance at a local car show.
The 1968 Firebird's styling remains one of its greatest strengths. The long hood, short deck, and aggressive front-end design give the car a purposeful stance even while parked. Pontiac designers struck a perfect balance between elegance and aggression, creating a car that still looks modern nearly six decades later.
Inside, drivers are greeted by the straightforward cockpit design that characterized late-1960s Pontiacs. Large gauges, a driver-focused dashboard, and comfortable bucket seats remind us of a time when performance cars were designed with the enthusiast in mind, not computer screens and electronic gadgets.
As values of classic Pontiacs continue to rise, well-built Firebirds like this one are becoming increasingly desirable. While many collectors focus on the high-dollar 400 and Ram Air models, a properly built 350-powered Firebird offers much of the same driving enjoyment at a more attainable price point. For many enthusiasts, that combination of affordability, performance, and iconic styling makes the 1968 Firebird one of the smartest buys in the classic car market.
Whether parked at the local cruise-in, displayed at a summer car show, or enjoyed on a winding country road, this Firebird represents everything that made Pontiac's muscle car era special. It is a reminder of a time when horsepower ruled, styling mattered, and every drive felt like an event. For classic car enthusiasts, that's what the hobby is all about.
Do you have a car with a great story you'd like to feature in this column? You can email me at Marcthecop@tippgazette.com,
The opinions and statements in this column are those of the author, who is not affiliated with any law enforcement agency. This column is for entertainment purposes only. Persons referred to may be fictional for comedic purposes only.
Interested in becoming a Site Sponsor? Your ad will run at the bottom of EVERY NEWS STORY. Click HERE for more details.