"Hey, that car looks just like the one from The Rockford Files!" It's a statement owner Pat McEntee hears frequently. Then he has to explain that no, it doesn't just look like the car, it IS the car. His '77 Firebird Formula is certainly one of the most famous Pontiacs ever made, right alongside Burt Reynolds' "Smokey and the Bandit" Trans Am. According to his documentation, James Garner took the wheel of this Firebird on the famous detective TV series "The Rockford Files," which aired on NBC between 1974 and 1980.
About the "Rockford Files" Firebird Formula
This Pontiac was always intended to be an everyman's car, which is reportedly why Garner preferred the relatively basic Formula model as opposed to the top-of-the-line Trans Am. As a struggling private investigator who lived in a beat-up mobile home in Malibu, California, Jim Rockford needed a car that was sporty, but he clearly couldn't afford an expensive muscle car.
As McEntee told Jay Leno on a recent episode of Jay Leno's Garage, "Garner felt this was the kind of car a P.I. who was just trying to make ends meet could afford. He said Rockford would have loved to have a Trans Am, but he couldn't afford it."
McEntee had previously owned one of the original screen-use cars in the 1980s, but sold it to pursue other projects. One day on eBay, he found another one and knew he might never get another chance to own a true Rockford Files car. Reportedly, there were only 3 cars used per season, for a total of 15 cars during the run of the show. But when he bought this Firebird, it was in rough shape. "Everything on it was worn out. Everything."
After a full restoration, McEntee returned the car back to the original spec as seen on the show. The exterior was painted a special shade of "Rockford gold" borrowed from a '62 Cadillac, which Garner personally selected for the show. Surprisingly, that exact color was never offered on the F-Body from the factory.
Other unique features include the microphone ports on the front fenders and rear quarter panels, pictured above, which were used by the production crew to record dialogue inside the car. It was also wired for external electrical power to run the cameras and lights inside the cabin.
Above: Since this particular car was a "sound car" used for recording dialogue scenes, a custom panel in the center console features a series of plugs for power and microphones.
Under the hood, there's a 403ci Oldsmobile V8, which was necessary to pass California emissions testing. It was paired with a TH-350 automatic transmission. Each car was fitted with upgraded Koni shock absorbers by request of the stunt driver, but otherwise there were no performance upgrades.
Other features are typical for a mid-line model at that time: power steering, power brakes, manual windows, and a basic AM/FM radio. All the Rockford Files cars were equipped with deluxe interiors.
Check out the full video from Jay Leno's Garage for more details and some stories from Leno himself about his interactions with James Garner:
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