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#21
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OK, full disclosure, the Formula is home with Dan & I, and also in a state of discovery, inspection, and repair. It was delivered late last Saturday night and we’ve been looking it over very closely. I am happy to say that this car is not disappointing us at all and is in amazing survivor state. We were worried about not inspecting the car in person, but, we had to jump on the deal quick to secure the car…and then hope for the best. Fortunately, this Formula seems to have experienced minimal winter driving and was taken off the road in 1978 while in Michigan, where all the 47,000 (+) miles were driven…so, only 5900 miles a year, making us suspect that they were mostly fair weather miles. We have no complaints.
Like the dealer ad said, it is all numbers matching and still has the original hoses, belts, coil, radiator, lines (fuel line cut at the top), fuel pump, etc….it is a time capsule. As you can see, we did tear the front cover off wanting to see if the original nylon toothed aluminum timing gear set was still there (yes it was!!!) and still attached to the original ‘S’ 068) cam (another yes!!!). The engine has never been ap[art or rebuilt and the RA exhaust manifolds have their bolt locks still. I’ll gather casting dates for a later post, but they are all very close. Another good sign is the engine is spotless inside and under the valve covers. The interior is still very nice and no rips in the seats or headliner. The plastic pieces are all in very noce shape. The console is cracked from the CB radio, or 8-track tape player, they mounted, but I have a nice console to replace it, along with the shifter bezel and escutcheon. The body panels, floor, truck, rear window channel, wheel opening pinch welds, front fenders, hood, trunk drops, etc. are all beautiful. It does have one original CL 14x7 wheel (spare) with a F70-14 Firestone BW Wide Oval tire (lots of miles) in the trunk with the complete jack assembly in great shape. The wheel is painted Lucerne Blue, counter to the factory 70 Firebird wheel color chart of black. It appears to be old original paint and shows indication of having a hub cap installed. The motor wheels appear to have been painted LB in the center a long time ago as they are faded and have marks from use. The tires have no wear on them and are P225R70 14’s Firestone 721 radials from 1978, or so? I can’t decipher the date code, so I’ll post that later to see if someone else can. Dennis |
#22
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CL Wheel
Is the date Oct 4, 1969? There are other stampings in the center, but not sure what they mean, or are they the date stamp? Anyone decipher the tire date?
Thanks! Dennis |
#23
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Year - Month - Day
Left to Right 0 - 4 - 9 1970 April 9 Yep, i'd call Bingo on that Wow Dennis - Big Time Congrats to you guys on getting the PromoPrize RA Formula ! Glad its checking out so well , and that a PY member has it so we can read all about it. Keep the good news coming ! Has the car been repainted ? |
#24
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5 mins from my house. Just saying...
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So long, farewell. |
#25
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Tire date 15th week and 6th year of the decade, presumably 1976.
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1976 LeMans B09 Freeway Enforcer, 455/M40 Smokey 1977 Trans Am, 400/M21 Black/Gold Bandit. 44K actual miles 2017 Sierra SLT 1500 Z71 4X4 2019 Canyon SLT Crew 4X4 |
#26
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Thanks for the date code clarification BVZ! Yes, unfortunately it was repainted this past fall by the dealer we bought it from, after he got the car delivered back to MN from the estate sale he bought from in San Diego, CA. Unfortunately, the history of the car is very vague and we are still digging into it. The dealer (Druk) told us it had a power antenna installed and forgot to include it with the car. Not sure if it was aftermarket, or a dealer installed accessory.
The VIN tag on the door is one of the nicest originals we've ever seen. Dennis |
#27
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Sorry Mike. We jumped on it the minute we found out about it.
Dennis |
#28
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K1 to the left of valve stem is a Mfg Stamp
Same as the K1 in the center hub section So its K1 0 4 9 by the valve stem, for full clarification The trim tag looks pretty too. Don't know if its the lighting or real - but the blue seems to be popping through the black on the raised characters just the perfect amount. Like some custom 2-tone work practically - its so even. |
#29
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Quote:
Dennis |
#30
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Quote:
Dennis |
#31
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From Paul?
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So long, farewell. |
#32
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#33
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Would try to get that power antenna from the dealer.
It might have been on the car for the Promo Radio Station Contest. May have been the Debit Memo for Additional Equipment PMD charged a debit for something additional - and i don't think they would have supplied the spyder wheels or a CB radio. The wheels and/or possible CB were potential prospects for the Credit Memo / Expenses. CB's didn't go BOOM amongst passenger vehicles in my area until about 1974 after the Convoy Song and Movie. My uncle quit his Insurance job with the 3rd generation family agency - to open a CB sales outlet. The market was so hot. My other uncles put them in their cars, and my Grandfather put one in both of his vehicles. JMO but i don't think a CB would have been a perk in a car in 1970. As far as that goes Would have been nice if the dealer had the hole repaired before repaint and we would have never known about the mystery hole in quarter panel. lol Just throwing it all out there for the time being |
#34
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BVZ, We are going to try to get the antenna from Druk. I think you are right about the CB idea. They didn't become big until later and weren't a thing in 1970. We hypothesized about the Credit/Debit Memo's possibly being for a dealer installed power antenna. The wheels would have been more expensive, unless Motor Wheel was a sponsor??? We'd love to find out who won this car and if it was the same owner until this summer.
Interesting how your uncle got into the CB market craze! Dennis |
#35
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Congratulations Dennis!
It seems (to me at least) as though you and your brother are currently cornering the market on cool Pontiacs (that are NOT Judge's or Trans Am's).
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1970 Formula 400 Carousel Red paint on Black standard interior A no-engine, no-transmission, no-wheel option car. Quite likely one of few '70 Muncie three speed Formula 400's left. 1991 Grand Am: 14.4 @ 93.7mph (DA corrected) (retired DD, stock appearing) 2009 Cobalt SS: 13.9 @ 103mph (current DD; makes something north of 300hp & 350ft/lbs) |
#36
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Quote:
77Canamman, can you decipher this old Firestone 721 radial? Thanks, Dennis |
#37
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Here are the carb, distributor, and alternator.
Dennis |
#38
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19th week of the 4th year of the decade. So realistically, it could be 1974, or 1984. The coding changed after 2000, and there was a triangle after the last three numbers during the decade of the 1990's.
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1976 LeMans B09 Freeway Enforcer, 455/M40 Smokey 1977 Trans Am, 400/M21 Black/Gold Bandit. 44K actual miles 2017 Sierra SLT 1500 Z71 4X4 2019 Canyon SLT Crew 4X4 |
#39
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Congrats Dennis, I’m jealous on this one. Looking forward to seeing it.
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#40
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Quote:
But - to join in on the hypothesis / speculations ... The 2 credit (C) figures added together in left corner might could have been PMD's way of absorbing a percentage of (1) the wheels (2) the color-key paintwork on the wheels Any combination of the dealer / radio station / wheel vendor - absorbing the balances. |
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