[edvisme]

Hello everyone! My name is Eric. I recently bought a 70 Firebird Formula 400. I sent the vin into PHS and received that info packet back today. I am still reading through it, figuring out what the car was when it was built. PHS documents state the car was a "special order." Here is a picture of it.

The car has been painted a couple of times. It was originally Coronado Gold, then painted red, then white. The interior was saddle vinyl when new. I can see hints of the Saddle under some of the trim pieces that were painted black. It has been changed around quite a bit.

The car has some issues that need to be addressed very soon.
A little about me. I am a veteran body and paint tech so doing the body and paint, practically the entire rebuild of the car will be done by myself.
I noticed that this beauty has been in a front end crash at one time. It has had the right fender replaced and the front radiator support has been beat up to make the nose fit the hood and fenders (It does not fit the panels very well lol.) I have scored a good used radiator support from a 70 firebird locally that will go on once I track down the right fender and mounting hardware. What I can't seem to track down is the "proper" right fender. It seems as though the 70 to 72 fenders are their own creatures. All the others are different. Here is a pic of what is going on.



Right fender appears to be off of a later model?


If anyone has a good useable right fender for a 70, I am ISO one.
As I read here on this forum, I found that the 70 Firebird did not come with the rear spoiler? I get to remove this one and weld up the holes?

The hood appears to be the functionable ram air hood. Of course, the air cleaner is missing I found that the engine is not original. It is out of a 78 Trans Am, so I was told, and it could be wrong, too.

The car was sold new in Alabama. The guy I bought it from bought it in Texas, then he moved here to Utah with the car. I have been all over the car looking for damage and most importantly, rust. No rust has been found! Guess once I tare her down this winter and strip it to medal, the tale will unfold, lol.
I am stoked to FINALLY have the 70-73 Formula I have always wanted. I just wonder how much $$ it will take to get her back to the condition it was in when new.
Any tips, advise on this car will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for taking your time out to read my post.
Cheers!

[eaglesan13]

Welcome to the boards. Coronado Gold with saddle interior is a nice color combo.

[2manyT/A'S]

Looks like you have the basis and ability to make a real nice Formula 400.....

Stay tuned to the forums ......there is TONS of good info lurking out there....

You can always take the top brace from a rusted 70-72 fender & attach it to your existing skin,if it's not damaged/rusty...

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

Congrats on finding a good solid car, and Welcome to the PY forum .

What does the Invoice say about the special order ?
i have never seen that noted on an invoice before.

Can you post a copy or pic of the PHS ?
if the VIN is sensitive data to your comfort level - some guys cover it or use picture software to mask it.

Sounds interesting !
Thanks

[Formulabruce]

Originally Posted by 2manyT/A'S

Looks like you have the basis and ability to make a real nice Formula 400.....

Stay tuned to the forums ......there is TONS of good info lurking out there....

You can always take the top brace from a rusted 70-72 fender & attach it to your existing skin,if it's not damaged/rusty...

YUp, spot weld remover and some plug welding, your lower part was already done in front probably. The hood up ,in rear could be the hinge.
We have a good search tool here upper right in this section, IF you dont use it HFR will be posting, and soon!! hehe
Welcome to PY, and Im sure youll hear the spoiler battles. There are probably nice trunks with no holes you could swap for too
Good luck and great catch )

[SD73]

Nice car, and welcome aboard! I'd agree with checking the hinge first. Although technically you're right in pointing out the year differences in the fenders, they should still all interchange with the earlier years. The later ones just have provisions for the fender brace support. I believe there are some minor differences some of the front hardware attaches too, but nothing that would give you alignment issues like you're seeing. Re the hood, they were all setup from ram air with the underhood holes, but if your documentation is coded for the ram air option then you'd have the proper air cleaner and opened up scoops.

Lots of knowledgable people here so you'll get all the help you need restoring that beast!

[Cerberus]

Score!
I like it! I may be in the minority, but if it isn't all original numbers matching etc - keep the rear spoiler. Looks like it fits perfectly. I like the look it adds to the car - kind of finishes off the rear. Ones W/O the spolier look naked to me.

[edvisme]

Thank you all for the warm welcome This site does appear to have an abundance of info and I greatly appreciate you all for chiming in on this thread.
Baron, the invoice doesn't specifically state a special order. As I was reading through the literature PHS sent me, the documents stated that the Coronado Gold was a special order. Along with the TH400 transmission. Here is a copy of the invoice.




I didn't post this part about the car last night because I was getting blurry eyed lol.
The day after I bought the car, I put it on the jack stands and removed the wheels and redone all of the breaks. Then went through the rear diff, checking out the axels, carrier, gears, all looked good. Then the u joints were a little sloppy so I replaced those.
Here is the weird part. As I was looking at the transmission, I noticed a 2 wire plug that was dangling along the side by the shifter cable. The more I looked I could see that there has been some patching work done to the center hump on the trans tunnel. I was like WTF!? I rolled out from under the car, opened the door, shifted the trans into drive and hit the key and sure enough, then engine turned over (no safety switch.) What it looks like is someone has converted the car to a manual, then back to an automatic? I though right then and there that the car was originally a manual trans car. With the floor patch and no neutral safety? According to the PHS documentation, the car is an authentic automatic car. On these cars, where and how does the neutral safety work? I have owned a couple f body Camaros and those safety switches operate through the column on automatic trans cars. This Formula has no provisions on the column. I still haven't received the window sticker from PHS. I am thinking that it will tell the no BS tale of the car?
The hood is cut open and functionable. Are all ram air cars cut through like this?
On the fender, It is a solid fender from what I can tell. I suppose I could cut and section in the proper engine side structure. Problem is finding the proper one. Around these parts these cars are super rare and finding parts for them are almost non existence.

[71formula455]

Congrats and welcome to the Forum! As I'm sure your aware there is hours and hours of reading and great info here on this forum.

If you don't know JUST ASK!

Originally Posted by edvisme

I am stoked to FINALLY have the 70-73 Formula I have always wanted.

Had to laugh, your quote reminded me of the line in the Movie American Beauty, if you've ever see that one. Kevin Spacey says just about the exact same thing.

[edvisme]

Earlier this morning I posted some images of some documents from PHS on this thread. How come they didn't show up when I hit the post option?

[2manyT/A'S]

Were they scanned & added as an attachment?
That always works for me......

[edvisme]

2many. I scanned them, uploaded them to photobucket then posted the link, just like in my OP. I'll have to redo it again when I get home.

[2manyT/A'S]

Save the scan to your documents/pictures & then use the browse button on the manage attachments window below your new post....works for me every time.

[FunctionalShaker]

Welcome. Nice find. Your hood hinge might be loose, misaligned or weak/worn.

[2manyT/A'S]

Originally Posted by FunctionalShaker

Welcome. Nice find. Your hood hinge might be loose, misaligned or weak/worn.

Could ALSO be one of those reproduction cowl seals.......they can do a good job of messing up the hood/fender alignment.

[Baba O'Riley]

Check your state laws as far as smog regs... if the car is, in the eyes of Utah's DMV, exempt from smog checks, the right engine builder can really go to town with that late-70s motor. Great find, welcome, and keep the pics coming during the resto.

[FunctionalShaker]

2many, just one side or both? He has only posted the one side, so I assume it's a one side problem.

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

Originally Posted by edvisme

2many. I scanned them, uploaded them to photobucket then posted the link, just like in my OP. I'll have to redo it again when I get home.

That was strange. Post #8 didn't show up for a long time.
Thanks for posting the invoice.
i wondered if what you really meant was a special order color or special order axle or something like that.

Looks like it sold new in Atlanta, Georgia at Boomershine.
They sold a lot of performance pontiacs. Big dealer in that zone.
That color was a Firebird Only color , not a special order color.
Special colors had an additional charge.

The safety switch might work through the shifter assembly - i can't remember much about the automatics. The dangling wires might be due to a replacement transmission that had different hook-ups than the original.

Repo window sticker won't tell anything more than the invoice.
PHS uses the invoice data to make the window sticker.

Ram Air cars had the scoops cut open, then special grilles held in by screws.
Lots of guys have cut the regular scoops open.
Ram Air engine/equipment would be listed on invoice.

The inner fender section is spot welded to the outer skin.
They are removable/replaceable - with a spot weld remover - then plug welding back together. A rotten 70-72 fender still might have good inner structure to scavenge.

Appears it was built with standard interior , and 4 wheel drum brakes.

[keith k]

Originally Posted by Baron Von Zeppelin

Appears it was built with standard interior , and 4 wheel drum brakes.

... no front drums on a '70 Formula -- discs were standard.

[2manyT/A'S]

Originally Posted by FunctionalShaker

2many, just one side or both? He has only posted the one side, so I assume it's a one side problem.

Could also be lack of shims between top of cowl & fender........