Most people agree that the Pontiac Trans Am is flashier than the Pontiac Formula. However, this 1979 Pontiac Formula painted in silver paint with the W50 stripe package can rival any Trans Am. It is equipped with T-Tops and a bright red interior. The car is listed for sale here on eBay. There are 4 days remaining in the auction and the Formula is currently bid to $7,100. The Formula was just one level below the Trans Am for the Firebird model. Pontiac offered the base Firebird, Esprit, Formula, and Trans Am. This car is located in Winter Garden, Florida.
The interior looks to be in great shape. The car has the base interior with red vinyl front bucket and rear seats. The car has remote mirrors, air conditioning and automatic transmission. The Formula has been modified to include a large aftermarket tachometer mounted to the dash and what looks like a B&M shifter mounted in the console.
This car left the factory with the K code 403 cubic inch V8 engine. This engine was an Oldsmobile engine supplied to Pontiac and only came with an automatic transmission. The other two engine options were the 301 cubic inch V8 engine that produced 155 horsepower or the W72 400 cubic inch V8 engine that was rated at 220 horsepower. This car has had a transplant and now sports a Pontiac 400 cubic engine V8 engine that has been heavily modified including headers, aluminum intake manifold, aftermarket air cleaner, Holley carburetor and a mild cam.
The rear gears have been changed out to a 3.42 ratio and the seller has recently put on new tires. The car is fitted with 15×8 aluminum snowflake wheels. If these were originally on the car, it would indicate that the car has the WS6 Performance Handling option. According to Car & Driver in 1979, this made the Formula and the Trans Am the best handling car produced in the US. I would expect the bids on this car to go up quite a bit before the auction ends.
Even with this one having NOM, I like it. It’s clean, attractive and looks like it would be a fun car to drive. I have to admit I’m not with many in that I prefer the Formula 400 style over the Trans Am and it’s screaming chicken hood. I could drive this one without flinching.
If this car had A/C, it ain’t got it no more…love the red interior, but lose that hokey shifter…
Words I thought I would never hear myself say;
“Ditch the giant tach”.
There has got to be something more subtle available.
There is. Switch back to the factory tach and use a stand alone auxiliary shift light which are about 1/2” diameter and 6” long that can be mounted nearly anywhere.
Steve R
The giant tach is for sexy seniors! Keeps our eyes looking forward. Haha
I would be more worried about blowing up the 350 trans than the motor(if the latter has forged rods).
That rattle can black glove box door must be a one-off. Too much “corvette summer” gee-gaws.
Ummm… this car looks great from a distance but when you really look at the pics in the ad, it appears to have a lot of blemishes inside and out, the front shot of the hood doesn’t line up right, the Formula stripes look “off”, the center console vinyl spray paint is peeling off, and the seats look like they’ve been sprayed or the pics are so enhanced that it doesn’t look “real”… it has one spray painted black arm rest on the drivers side and the passenger side is a mishmash of black and red…actually it looks like EVERYTHING has been sprayed… its up to $15,100 reserve not met… maybe people are seeing something I don’t, but its a hard pass for me.
Had the 403 motor in mine, passed everything but the gas station!