Tropical Green: 1971 Pontiac Formula 400

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This 1971 Pontiac Formula 400 has been owned by the seller for the last 12 years and has had a lot of improvements and items restored over that period of time. The car is for sale here on eBay with a current bid of $12,301 with 2 days remaining in the auction. The Formula 400 is located in Oregon City, Oregon.

The interior was originally green but the owner changed it out to a black interior. The dash looks good and the car has air conditioning although it is disconnected. A cup holder has been carved into the console along with a charging port. The car has manual crank windows and the dash bezel has been changed our to a Trans Am engine turned bezel.

The original engine is long gone and has been replaced with a built 1970 400 cubic inch Pontiac V8 engine. The automatic transmission is a 200-4T overdrive transmission with a high stall torque converter. The seller says the transmission shifts hard. The car has a new 3.42 rear end, heavy duty radiator, polyurethane bushings and a new Flowmaster exhaust.

The Pontiac Rally IIs have been restored and look nice. The trunk has been replaced and the exterior green is not the correct shade to be Tropical Green but needs to be painted anyway. The seller has the PHS documents and the build sheet to prove this is a real Formula and not a Firebird that someone added a snorkel scooped hood to and then added badges. This car has spent its life on the West Coast. How high do you think the bidding will go?

Auctions Ending Soon

Comments

  1. Little_Cars

    Doubt it will stay at $12,300. This is the kind of project I could wrap my wallet around. Although I don’t like the added cupholder cut into the forward edge of the console. Somehow the restored Rally’s without trim rings gives this a nice aggressive look. As usual, the hood has a bend in it which makes me want to tackle those panel lines first. Good luck to the high bidder and winner.

    Like 3
    • Moparman MoparmanMember

      @ Little_Cars: I’m just the opposite on the wheels, I always think they look naked w/o the trim rings, otherwise, I’m in agreement with you! Also, I wonder what is that addition at the back of the console that appears to say “Blue Sea Systems”? GLWTA!! :-)

      Like 4
      • Little_Cars

        I used to think trim rings made pressed steel wheel pop. Had them on multiple Firebirds and sold my last set of the beveled edge chrome ones (apropos for this model) at a swap meet earlier this year. But after repeated curb rash or some ham-fisted mechanic hammering them on with a mallet I’m more likely to leave them off. My MG Midget has chrome plastic trim rings which seem to resist dents and stay on.

        Like 2
      • Little_Cars

        As mentioned in the listing, that is the port for the Bluetooth connection. I would want one too…I am spoiled with it on my current ride. Don’t like the Phillip’s screws holding it in, would prefer something like a domed snap pin to anchor the thing in. Maybe small caps over the screw heads?

        Like 0
      • Moparman MoparmanMember

        Totally missed the “charging port” line! :-)

        Like 1
  2. Weasel

    “it ain’t easy bein green”

    Like 6
  3. Superdessucke

    Two-faced! You got the driver side for a night out on the town and the passenger side to look tough.

    Like 5
  4. Nevadahalfrack NevadahalfrackMember

    You nailed it, Little_Cars, a great project at this price but chances of it being bought at this price are pretty slim..
    Being as he’s “thinning the heard” (herd, maybe?) if we lived in the sellers neighborhood I’d be looking closely at the old Chevy lurking in the garage nearby and bugging them about it too!

    Like 3
  5. TimM

    Needs some work but overall a nice car!!

    Like 3
  6. Tom Bell

    All there except the third pedal.

    Like 5
  7. poseurMember

    anybody else believe this to be the best hood scoop(s) of any muscle/pony car?

    wanted one of these twin snorkel setups so bad i bought a Formula hood from the local salvage yard (along with 130mph speedo) to stuff onto/into my 71 Vega with aluminum V8.

    plan was to cut off the Formula scoops and blend then into the Vega fiberglass hood….never happened and likely wasn’t feasible due to overall length….not that common sense stopped me from much during my late teens/early twenties

    Like 7
    • Little_Cars

      I drove 10-11 hours to pick up a used Formula hood for my plain-Jane Esprit back in 2008. That’s when I learned second generation Firebirds were structurally different from the cowl forward 1970-76, then ’77 onward. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

      Like 3
  8. jerry z

    Couldn’t rebuild the rear, so replaced with a Z28 rear? Sounds kind of lazy to me. Do like the color though.

    Like 0
    • Steve R

      Why is that lazy? Both rear ends are 8.5” corporate 10 bolts and had 3.42 gears. He actually upgraded the rear end since he went from an open carrier to a posi/limited slip.

      Steve R

      Like 3
      • jerry z

        So replacing a used rear with another used rear an upgrade. OK.

        Like 0
      • Steve R

        In this case it is.

        Steve R

        Like 2
  9. thugrabit

    It’s a real shame that the instrument panel bezel is the cheesy Trans Am faux engine turned silver instead of the correct wood grain panel. Also this one is from the later second gen dash with the Radial Tuned Suspension emblem below the fuel gauge. The wood instrument panel added a touch of class the Trans Am never had. Also if your going to change out the interior color to black the seat belts should have been changed as well. This car came with factory AC but the compressor has been removed, a real shame that was deleted, that may be OK in Oregon but in a warmer climate would be missed.

    Like 3
    • Little_Cars

      Those green seatbelts, if in good shape, bring good money on the secondary market. I had a green over green 76 Formula parts car and those were about the only thing I could remove from the interior to resell, the rest was trash. I’m getting weary of sellers with air-conditioned collector cars not stepping up to make their AC work before selling the car. “Just needs a recharge” or “underhood components removed” is now just as common as “ran when parked” when viewing these posts.

      Like 0

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