Pontiac produced 14,519 Formulas in 1974 which was even more than Trans Am production of 10,255 units. This 1974 Pontiac Formula 400 is located in Dallas, Texas near Carollton which is not far from DFW airport. You can fly in to see it but you will need a trailer to probably get this one home as it is a project. The car is listed here on Craigslist for $4,995. The seller states that the car has rust in the floor pans and trunk. Pontiac produced the 2nd generation Firebird from 1970 to 1981. This is the last year for the small rear window on the Firebird before Pontiac introduced the wrap around window in 1975. This Firebird Formula 400 has been listed for 11 days. Many thanks for Tony Primo for alerting us to this ad.

Pontiac offered the Firebird Formula in three sub-models, distinguished by engine displacement: Formula 350, Formula 400, and Formula 455. This car is advertised as a Formula 400. Accordingly, this particular vehicle is equipped with the 400 cubic inch engine, designated as the L78 motor, which was factory-rated at 225 horsepower. The L30 350 cubic inch V8 engine was standard and produced 155 horsepower. For buyers opting for the optional 455 cubic inch engine, available configurations included the Y Code 455 cubic inch V8, generating 250 horsepower, or the Super Duty 455 engine, rated at 290 horsepower in 1974. Production figures indicate that only 702 vehicles were equipped with the Y Code 455, while 58 units featured the Super Duty 455.

The interior of this Formula 400 is rough like the exterior. The seller has a Corvette seat sitting in the interior but it does not look like it is bolted in. The dash is cracked and the door panels are missing. Replacing the interior with aftermarket reproduction will cost a pretty penny. I just replaced the interior of my 1973 Trans Am I am restoring and the cost was about $5,000. The seller says that the engine turns over but as you can see, this one is going to need some work to get it to driver status and much more work to restore it to factory.

Overall, Pontiac produced 73,729 total Firebirds for the 1974 production year.The seller is advertising this car as a cheap winter project. There are numerous pictures in the add of the problem areas that will need restoration. The car does have rear seats but the front seats will need to be sourced. The car is riding on aftermarket wheels and will probably need brake work along with an engine rebuild. This one is not for the faint of heart.