C3 Corvette Takes on Pontiac Firebird In Classic Drag Race

Classic Showdown

These days, we see more than our fair share of modern vehicles at the drag strip, which makes sense given the fact that quite a few new vehicles are incredibly quick right out of the box. But we still enjoy a good classic drag race, and that's precisely what we get to see in this video from Cars and Zebras that features a 1974 Corvette taking on a 1976 Pontiac Firebird in a classic 1970s showdown.

Slow Ride

While both of these cars emerged during some pretty dark days for American performance, the owners don't mind the fact that they're slow one bit. But expectations have to be low when you've got a Corvette with a 350 V8 that offers up a mere 250 horsepower and 285 pound-feet of torque, as the video notes.

Torquier, Heavier

The Firebird is even worse off, as it's packing a rather large 400 cubic-inch V8 that makes less horsepower - 185 horsepower - but a healthier 310 pound-feet of torque. The Pontiac muscle car is also quite hefty at 4,000 pounds, so it has a bit of a hill to climb if it wants to win this race.

Race One

In the first race, the Firebird uses its torque advantage to gap the Corvette shortly after leaving the line, barreling forward and extending that lead, though the C3 starts to reel it in toward the end. Regardless, the Pontiac takes the win after tripping the lights in 17.19 seconds at 72 mph, while the Corvette manages a super slow 18.28 at a much higher 78 mph.

Quicker Results

In the second race, the two cars switch lanes, but the result is pretty much the same, with the Corvette proving to be far more sluggish off the line than the Firebird. However, both cars run much better this time around, with the Firebird recording a 16.63-second pass at nearly 84 mph, which is enough to outpace the Corvette and its 17.26-second run at 85 mph.

Fun at Slow Speeds

While many will scoff at such times and point to them as proof that this was a sad era for automotive enthusiasts, it's clear that the owners of these cars don't mind one bit. They're out there having fun, which you can do even at slower speeds, contrary to popular belief.

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