#21  
Old 12-12-2019, 02:27 PM
SD455DJ SD455DJ is offline
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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
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  #22  
Old 12-12-2019, 02:30 PM
SD455DJ SD455DJ is offline
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Default 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
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  #23  
Old 12-12-2019, 03:24 PM
Baron Von Zeppelin Baron Von Zeppelin is offline
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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  
Old 12-12-2019, 03:34 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SD455DJ View Post
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.

Dennis
5 mins from my house. Just saying...

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  #25  
Old 12-12-2019, 03:35 PM
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Tire date 15th week and 6th year of the decade, presumably 1976.

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  #26  
Old 12-12-2019, 03:38 PM
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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  
Old 12-12-2019, 03:39 PM
SD455DJ SD455DJ is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Held for Ransom View Post
5 mins from my house. Just saying...
Sorry Mike. We jumped on it the minute we found out about it.

Dennis

  #28  
Old 12-12-2019, 03:41 PM
Baron Von Zeppelin Baron Von Zeppelin is offline
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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  
Old 12-12-2019, 03:43 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 77 Canamman View Post
Tire date 15th week and 6th year of the decade, presumably 1976.
Thanks 77Canamman! I was wondering if they were replacement tires since it seems all '70 Formulas & TA's were shod with Goodyear Polyglas GT's. I've never seen any '70 Birds with anything but Goodyears in 70 and 60 series tires..78 series, yes. But, never say never.

Dennis

  #30  
Old 12-12-2019, 03:50 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Baron Von Zeppelin View Post
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.
BVZ, yeah, that's the overspray from the repaint, but it does set it off nicely. The trim tag is so nice and smooth. The car was kept in a walkout level car port with an open end where the nose was, but seemed to escape sun and salt damage.

Dennis

  #31  
Old 12-12-2019, 04:00 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SD455DJ View Post
Sorry Mike. We jumped on it the minute we found out about it.

Dennis
From Paul?

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  #32  
Old 12-12-2019, 04:13 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Held for Ransom View Post
From Paul?
Yes...Dennis

  #33  
Old 12-12-2019, 04:29 PM
Baron Von Zeppelin Baron Von Zeppelin is offline
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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  
Old 12-12-2019, 05:02 PM
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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  
Old 12-12-2019, 05:32 PM
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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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Quite likely one of few '70 Muncie three speed Formula 400's left.


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  #36  
Old 12-12-2019, 06:14 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by unruhjonny View Post
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).
Jonny, Thanks! We certainly have been lucky to find interesting Pontiacs lately, with the help of some good friends. I attached the pictures of original '70 glove box tire inflation decal, the original 424 coil, and the original jack base and handle paint colors. Notice the handle is dark blue...

77Canamman, can you decipher this old Firestone 721 radial?

Thanks, Dennis
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  #37  
Old 12-12-2019, 06:29 PM
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Here are the carb, distributor, and alternator.

Dennis
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  #38  
Old 12-12-2019, 06:42 PM
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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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  #39  
Old 12-12-2019, 07:42 PM
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Congrats Dennis, I’m jealous on this one. Looking forward to seeing it.

  #40  
Old 12-12-2019, 08:57 PM
Baron Von Zeppelin Baron Von Zeppelin is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SD455DJ View Post
The wheels would have been more expensive, unless Motor Wheel was a sponsor???
I don't know how much a set of those wheels would have been in 1970 .
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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