This 1975 Pontiac Formula 400 is located in Salado, Texas which is half way between Waco and Austin in Central Texas. The car is listed for sale here on Craigslist for $17,500. The Pontiac Firebird was offered in different trim packages including the base Firebird, Esprit, Formula and Trans Am. From 1970 to 1975, the 2nd generation Firebird Formula was designated as a Formula 350 or a Formula 400 depending on the size of the engine. This Formula 400 is painted in Sunstorm Yellow and has a white interior.
Besides the reasonable price for the car, the 400 cubic inch V8 engine is backed by a 4 speed transmission. The L78 400 cubic inch V8 engine was the highest performing engine available in the Formula and the standard engine in the Trans Am. In 1974, a buyer could order the Y Code 455 or Super Duty 455 engine in the Formula. The L78 400 engine was rated at 185 horsepower and was the base engine in the Trans Am from 1974-1978.
The interior of the car is optioned with the custom trim group which came with upgraded seats and door panels. It was also optioned with the Rally Gauge package, air conditioning and an AM/FM radio. The interior looks stock and the dash is cracked which happens on just about all older Firebirds. There are not any full pictures of the interior in the ad but the seats and carpet look to be in good shape.
The 1975 Firebird was the first year for the wrap around rear back window and it was the first year for the catalytic converter. The turn signals on the car were moved up above the bumper into the grill but otherwise the front end looked the same as the prior year. Although this car has a 4 speed, most Firebirds were built with automatic transmissions. The GM Turbo Hydramatic 400 automatic transmission was dropped in 1975 in favor of the Turbo Hydramatic 350 automatic transmission due to the introduction of the catalytic converter which took up a lot of room under the floorboards.
The link took me to Facebook, but either way looks like it’s already gone. Someone probably got a great deal on an awesome rare car with the engine and transmission combo.
All generations of Formulas are great, and extra cool w the stick shifter. 😎
Steve, 1154pm, hope your dreams are in full gear. See what I did? “full gear? A car with a manual tranny? As in shifting…well, Nevermind. I know. Don’t leave the day job.
So, a 400. Is that a big block? I ask because I knew a guy back in the 80’s who had a 400 small block in a Corvette. And since Pontiac and Chevrolet were both GM…?
Pontiac never had a ‘big block’. All Pontiac engines used the same block. They would change the bore and strokes to get the different displacements. The Chevy small block 400 never was a stock engine in Corvettes, so someone swapped it into your friends car.
Never knew that, Robert. Thanks for that info. On both the Pontiac and the Corvette news. So the TransAm 455 was a small block? Hmm. I’ve learned my something for the day.
Interesting mod to the front(& i assume rear) bumper by painting part of the top of it yellow to make the bumper look smaller.