This 1974 Pontiac Firebird Formula 350 looks pretty good in its black paint and aggressive hood scoops. It is located in Champaign, Illinois and has some rust issues but would be a great car to get back on the road. The Formula 350 is listed here on eBay with a starting bid of $5,000. No bids have been placed with 3 days remaining in the auction. The high starting bid may scare off a few people after they see what needs the car has. The 1974 Firebird was the last year for the small back window. After 1974, Pontiac Firebirds came with a larger wrap around window. Approximately 14,500 Pontiac Formulas were built in 1974.
The seller states that the car does run and drive but is not road worthy. Pontiac offered the Firebird Formula in three models based on the cubic inch of the engine: the Formula 350, Formula 400 and Formula 455. The L30 350 cubic inch V8 engine was the low performer and produced 155 horsepower. A buyer could select a 400 cubic inch engine which was designated as the L78 motor. It was factory rated at 225 horsepower and was a popular option. If the buyer wanted the optional 455 cubic inch engine, they had their choice of the Y Code 455 cubic inch V8 engine producing 250 horsepower or the ultra rare Super Duty 455 engine rated at 290 horsepower.
This car is equipped with the standard interior. The black bucket seats, door panels and dash look acceptable for a driver. The 4 speed shifter is poking through a console that looks like it is covered with carpet or some yellow “fur” material. The Formula 350 has the gauge package but no air conditioning, power windows, power lock or tilt steering. All Formulas came with a wood grain dash bezel and the standard Pontiac steering wheel. The “formula” wheel was optional on the Formula and standard on the Trans Am.
The car doesn’t look too bad but it is hiding some bad rust and rot in the floor pans, fenders, doors and quarter panels. This usually indicates that the frame may be affected. The seller states that most of the body areas where there is rust have been repaired previously. The car has had Trans Am front spoilers added to it at some time. I like the factory honeycomb wheels, even though they need to be refinished. I hope the buyer lowers the starting bid and someone is able to buy and restore it.
how much for the Rambler next to it?
Luv these early cars with the 4speed formula scoops and round headlights but this one is ruff ruff
The console looks like it’s carved out of a block of cheese….one of the weirder things I’ve seen in a car
Damn i like this car! 🤔🤔🤔
Hate to see what’s hiding under that paint! Black/black 4 spd combo is a sweet setup though!
There is some scary stuff under that paint…..
Love the honeycomb wheels, hate the federally mandated crash bumpers on the ’74 & ’75 Firebirds
Love the std higher back stylish tuck & roll buckets, as opposed to the shorter bloated delux ones. Bandit’s car should have had these.
It says Formula 400 on the fenders.
Mite as well open up the scoops to cool under the hood.
Seats, dash, & door panels are in astounding condition. I would think they were replaced, considering the condition of the console & parts of the exterior.
Seat pattern doesn’t appear to be original (neither deluxe or standard for 1974). Am I wrong? I love me a second-gen with a manual sticking up through the floor. At first, I thought the console had been stripped of its vinyl wrap revealing the padding underneath but this does look like something from a Chem 101 petri dish.
Pattern & style is indeed correct for std ’74 buckets & door panels. Std & thicker shorter delux seats & their door panels are both shown here …
http://tran-zam.com/history/1974/Interiors.htm
You would hate a 2nd gen t/a with the shifter shown below – if u didn’t get a console or a manual trans.
scroll down …
http://www.pontiacv8.com/articles/2018/2/28/1972-pontiac-trans-am-raging-redbird
about that special order red T/A
who in their right mind would order that sweet car with a column shift???
it was even a car guy, what was he thinking??
I’m with you Ryan. I like this car! I would give my2012 Camaro, salvage title v6 auto for this.Central I’ll. salt the roadies in winter. There is going to be rust for sure. Jim Rockford would have loved to have a 4 sp . Wonder how bad that console is under that custom fit bath towel is. Love the honey combs.
This is a parts car. Junk. Too bad.
Perfect car for one of two people, the owner of a bodyshop that loves Formulas or someone who is in need of a decent parts car. Or, I suppose, both.
Douglas, it’s not that he ordered column shift, it’s that he ordered automatic & no always optional console. Column shift was STANDARD on all automatic birds & camaros 2nd gen & 1st gen, tho at least you could get a bench seat on 1st gens so your gf could sit next to you – not so on 2nd gens or any afterward.
The optional console was initially around $57 – or $340 today & took up space. & it was ez to slide over to the other side w/o one.
Oddly on the t/a, automatic was a no cost option for the 1st half of the ’70s cars.
This camaro has column shift …
http://barnfinds.com/original-307-1971-chevrolet-camaro/
& so does this SD! & it was delivered w/o paint! &
in an older pic has whitewalls …
http://www.pontiacv8.com/articles/2018/2/28/1973-pontiac-trans-am-455-a-primed-example
Oops typo – i meant “& always optional console” (prior to 1977, i believe).
I’d like to buy the hood