Back in the spring of 72 I ordered (courtesy of my parents) a new 72 Formula 400. The agreement was for me to order a 350 2 barrel as a college car. Naturally, I instead ordered a Formula 400 in a burnt orange with honeycombs. The order got cancelled by the dealer a few weeks later due to the factory strike. That October I ordered a 73 TA 455, having been told that the SD-455 was on indefinite hold. Drove that car for four years then bought a low mile 74 TA 4 speed SD-455 in 1978. I still have that car, now with 14k miles.
When I was a child my dad had a 70 Formula 400 in granada gold, and an 87 Formula with a 305 TIP in silver when I was a teen. Needless to say he was a Firebird guy.
Memories. In the early 80s my teen neighbor had a 72 Formula Firebird 🐦🔥. I remember my 13 year old self being pushed back in the seat and see the hood rise as he did a pull. Awesome 😎 his dad was high up at Comp Cams in Memphis.
@@danmyers9372 Your right they are hard to find well a least around where I live as a kid in the 80s there were only two guys I knew who these year model firebirds and the 71 Firebird I got came from California
Have you seen the mustangs, Camaros, and challengers of the last 10 years Forrest Gump? I would call those REAL cars with record breaking horsepower numbers. Such an ignorant comment founded in none sense. I’m sure you’re very proud of your 40 year old firebird parked outside your doublewide trailer. But the muscle cars of the last 10 years are amazing technological marvels.
@@Tony_417 sure the performance of the newer cars is better, but the styling and the entire image is completely based on the older cars you just knocked. The originals were just that & weren’t trying to be something they weren’t.
@@Tony_417 and apparently you’ve been living under a rock because you haven’t seen the prices of these Firebirds lately. None of them are parked outside a double wide Einstein.
@@appleiphone69 given the performance of these new cars, I'm amazed that so many are paying so much for the run of the mill turds of the 60s and 70's....
Back in 1980 my parents were looking for a new car for my dad, they brought several test drives to the house, mostly GMG bodies until my dad pulled up in a Firebird formula 301 turbo. I didn’t believe him when he said he bought it but he did and it’s still in our family today. 10 years of fighting with a turbo he had put in a custom built 400 with a 400 transmission, it’s a Family heirloom
I owened a 1975 Firebird Formula that I bought as my first car in 1982. It was underneath set up for rally racing! The gears would only let It get up to about 100 but That Silver Bird Would Turn on a Dime No matter the speed! I Miss it so much!
I spent a fair amount of time in a 71 Formula, Black with white stripes and 3 speed manual - high school buddy's car. It was not a quarter miler, but holy cats it was fun to ride on curvy roads at say 120 - 130 mph! Very impressive handling compared to the basic cars of the day, and very good brakes. I have to this day not seen another 350 3 speed manual Formula - but I know they are around.
That's funny this came across my feed as yesterday I seen a 70 Formula fully restored in a champagne color, absolutely stunning car and very underrated, but I love me a good Formula Firebird✌️
I had a 70 formula 400 with 330 hp.stock growing up in 71 and 72 my Jr and Sr high school year's. I could blow away 396 Camero's, no problem It was the fastest car I ever owned in my life. Oh yeah it had a 4 speed with a Hurst T shifter. What a great car.
Actor James Garner portraying low budget ex convict frugal Private Detective James Rockford drove Firebird Esprit but because he really enjoyed driving and doing his own stunt work his firebirds were actually Formulas badged as Edprits LOL
@@RivetGardener well I said low budget maybe not his standard fee $200 daily plus expenses 😆 that may be cheap now but back in the 1970s that was a hefty fee
@@georgewilson1184yeah that was pretty good money back then, considering I worked all week for $50 less than one day of his salary . I made 375 per hour which comes out to $150 a week before taxes
John De Lorean looked to Ferrari to help design the 1970 Firebird. it was supposed to be exclusive for Pontiac. GM people insisted that the camaro get the same design, or the Pontiac design would get the proverbial axe. My cousin has a 1970 Firebird, and told me this little known background story.
I have had lots of firebirds and trans ams lemans and even a fiero with a 350 in it over the years..Right now i have a 83 grand prix 350 in it a 96 firebird formula lt 1 and a 97 firebird v 6...LOVE MY PONTIACS...
I agree, my buddy back in like 1978 had a 71 formula 400, black with tan interior, cragars, I wished that was my car ... I had a 68 Sattellite , still was badass
Had a high school buddy who bought a used 1971 or 72 Formula 455 around 1974. That car was really impressive. Great power (torque) and it handled better than pretty much any muscle car of that era. I had a 1970 Mach 1 351 and the Firebird beat my Mustang in pretty much every way imaginable. Out of curiosity I occasionally check the used market for these cars and rarely do I find one. Decent examples seem to be extremely rare especially given how many were produced.
Love those hoods. Liked them even more than the T/As shaker. So, if I understood everything correctly the Formula was basically equal to a T/A if so equipped and the only difference would be trim and graphics. Great video.
I bought a '72 red formula 350 summer of '79. It came with a junkyard receipt for the replacement engine, said: '73 pontiac 400. A year later, while replacing the fuel pump I discovered it was a 455. To this day, I think it may have been a SD. At 6 K rpms it still had torque. Paid $300 for it!
I do like the trans am, but the firebird I would take the second gen. That would be my favorite out of the first two. I do like the videos. Please share more of them take care.
A guy I ran around with in high school got a 70 Trans Am brand new...white with blue stripe. 5700.00 plus change. I had A 68 Firebird 400....I could keep up with him neck and neck to 100mph. He had it up to 157 mph one night and it still had room.
I nearly bought a used 72, with the hood scoops. However, I was short $60, So, I asked my dad for a loan, but he didn't have the money. So, I bought a 73 Buick Century. Oh, well. Fifteen years later, I was able to buy a 68 GT 350 Fastback. I still love the Pontiac, though.
I had the luck to own a 73 Z/28 LT/RS back in the 80's. LOVED that car, but I always thought the Poncho's were better looking. And the Formula's set up right were a running, gunning SOB. The Ram Air Hood was Probably the best cold air induction ever on a factory GM car. When I win the lottery... LOL.
My aunt had a Formula with all the performance options, white on white. Sold it decades ago in mint condition for $4k😢😢 and I was too young to buy it 😢
Absolutely not forgotten, this was the best of the second generation, especially '70-'71. 1970 (year i was Born) is not coincidentally the best year of muscle cars across the board. '72-'72 isn't bad either but those had reduced compression and the beginning of emissions restrictions.
Definitely one of the most underrated and unrecognized muscle car. Strongest engines with no excess weight and had only what you needed. Slimed down prized fighter. Optioned correctly, it was a mid 13 second car totally stock. Blew away the Road Runner and beat it at its own concept.
Then came the rectangular headlights 😖 What surprises me is the industries' tardiness in providing 4-speed automatics especially given their other technological gymnastics to improve fuel economy and performance in the 70s.
GM missed the boat in the 2010s and 2020s by keeping the name alive in offering Camaro buyers a limited production choice for for a Trans Am or Firebird.
