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Transplant 400 V8: 1979 Pontiac Firebird Formula

Pontiac introduced its Firebird Formula model in 1970 which was one year after the introduction of the Pontiac Trans Am in 1969. The Formula was unique in that it had two forward facing hood scoops versus the Trans Am that had a rear facing shaker scoop. There are 8 days remaining in the listing for this 1979 Pontiac Firebird Formula. The car is listed for sale here on eBay and is located in Winter Haven, Florida. A starting bid of $5,000 has been placed and there are 7 days remaining in the listing. The seller has also added a Buy It Now Price of $11,000.

This Pontiac Formula is fairly well optioned. It has air conditioning, automatic transmission, tilt steering, power windows and a deluxe interior. The deluxe interior was an upgrade that featured contoured seating and upgraded door panels. The red vinyl interior on this car looks pretty good except for the rips in the driver seats. The eBay ad states that the power windows and tachometer do not work.

Based on the “Y” in the 5th digit of the VIN code, this Formula left the factory with a 301 cubic inch V8 engine fed with a 2 barrel carburetor. This engine only generated about 135 horsepower in stock form. The engine has been upgraded to a Pontiac 301 cubic inch V8 engine  fed via an Edelbrock 4 barrel carburetor and 6X heads. The 6X heads were lower cc heads that boosted the compression ratio to around 8.5:1 to 9.0:1 and increase power. This is one of the features of the W72 400 cubic inch V8 engine that was available from 1977-1979.

This Formula is fitted with 15×7 inch snowflake wheels and overall looks like a nice driver. The seller states that a lot of work has been done to the car including a new fuel tank, starter, alternator, radiator and some brake work. The car needs rust repair in the trunk but otherwise is said to be solid.

Comments

  1. Avatar Mikefromthehammer

    Is it a 400 as indicated in the title, or is it a 301 as indicated here: “upgraded to a Pontiac 301 cubic inch V8 engine”? (I think Bruce may have typed the “301” in the story in error as the eBay ad says “Pontiac 400”).

    Like 1
  2. Avatar Raymond L Saunders

    This is still a 301 not 400, change the headline its a lie

    Like 0
    • Avatar Brad460 Member

      It’s not a lie, just an inadvertent mistake. A lie would be if it were intentional

      Like 2
  3. Avatar Dave Peterson

    I’m trying to learn the new reality of value. Or maybe cost, not value. I’m guessing $10k would be a good price. Then, I would expect to spend $700 on fuel system upgrade, $500 to recover the seats then a further $1000 to upgrade all suspension pieces front and rear. Voila, I’m at about $12k and I have a nice daily driver with character, a nice sound and a one of a kind vibe. Now, watch it sell for $20k…..

    Like 2

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