[Alvin]

Kudos to 74SDFormula posting this ad and many more HERE


"Auto Trader-Check Out Some Of These Old Ads"

[74SDformula]

Didn't want us '74 guys to feel left out.

[70RAlll]

you guys might like this.. I was in a shop this weekend,here in Memphis, and this guy has 3 '74 SD's,2 red and 1 white plus a 69 4spd TA.. Really suprised me seeing so many '74s under a single roof..

[71GP76TA]

I was at a car show this weekend (POCI western regionals) with my SD... Some guy there(wearing a POCI hat and shirt) swears up and down that they built 1 or 2 SD Formulas with the standard Formula hood... My BS meter went off.... Guy started raising his voice wanting to argue the point... I walked away in disgust shaking my head thinking he was a dumbass... I assume my BS meter was right on???? BTW... I hate car shows.....

[Brewster]

You assumed correctly

[71GP76TA]

Just making sure the BS meter wasn't broken. He was probably a GTO guy..

[Judge273]

Yeah those GTO guys are something.

[Alvin]

http://www.73sd.smugmug.com/

[Transamric]

Originally Posted by Alvin

http://www.73sd.smugmug.com/

[SD73]

I've taken a ride in the green SD not too long ago. Let me say it is every bit as nice as those pictures make it out to be. And beyond that, it's scary fast and pulls like a scolded donkey in the Missouri heat. I'd feel pretty damn good about having a ride like that in my garage. And even though I'm far from qualified to be a judge of these second gens, I know the '73s pretty well, and this car has close to everything it left the factory with. It's not one of those pieced together overly restored Frankenbirds. IMO it had the appropriate level of restoration needed for a low mile beauty that it is.

[frank.g]

The reason that 73-74 SD Formulas got the TA hood is that Pontiac knew that the there would be very few SD Formulas built. They did not want to pay for the certification of the Formula hood. Under the rules that existed then, if they built it with the Formula hood, they would have to present it twice for the noise drive-by test. So, building it with the TA hood allowed them to just test it once.

[71GP76TA]

Originally Posted by frank.g

The reason that 73-74 SD Formulas got the TA hood is that Pontiac knew that the there would be very few SD Formulas built. They did not want to pay for the certification of the Formula hood. Under the rules that existed then, if they built it with the Formula hood, they would have to present it twice for the noise drive-by test. So, building it with the TA hood allowed them to just test it once.

.... I know.... And the so-called "expert" still insisted on arguing with me about it... I told the guy to prove his statement regarding a standard Formula hood on an SD.....that's when his face turned red....his voice went up...and his chest puffed out... I walked away...shaking my head in disgust.....you just can't argue with people like that...lifes too short....

[Transamric]

Originally Posted by frank.g

The reason that 73-74 SD Formulas got the TA hood is that Pontiac knew that the there would be very few SD Formulas built. They did not want to pay for the certification of the Formula hood. Under the rules that existed then, if they built it with the Formula hood, they would have to present it twice for the noise drive-by test. So, building it with the TA hood allowed them to just test it once.

Question Frank,...why would they have had to noise test certify a Formula with a SD455 when they already had certification with an L75 455 Formula using the normal Formula hood?

[SD73]

Originally Posted by Transamric

Question Frank,...why would they have had to noise test certify a Formula with a SD455 when they already had certification with an L75 455 Formula using the normal Formula hood?

It sounds like it's the engine that needed to be certified with the hood. An L75 with it's exhaust system is much different than the SD. That said, I really would have liked it if the Formy could have gotten evenb the non-functional hood. That would have been a great look. And even if they were non-functional, how about the Formy Hood on the SD Like the original design intent?

[frank.g]

SD73 is on the right track here. In 1973, the EPA required new vehicles to pass an emission test and a noise drive-by test (and maybe others). Pontiac was able to convince the EPA that the SD-455 was from the family of 455's, and as a result, was able to get the emissions tests covered by virtue of the fact that the base 455 passed emissions (until they got caught cheating in February 1973, but that is a different story). However, EPA knew from prior years that the noise drive-by test was different for the TA hood and Formula hood, and would not certify the vehicles based on one test. Pontiac made the economic decision to only present one configuration and build them all with TA hoods.

[njsteve]

The original owner of my 73 SD Formula was mighty pissed when it showed up with that T/A shaker hood. He ordered a Formula specifically because it was the grown-up version of the SD Firebird. The T/A was for kids, he said.

[frank.g]

Yeah - back in those years, Pontiac wasn't very good about getting the proper information out on these specialty programs. So many covert stories about the Ram Air I, II IV and V engines, for example. Similar misinformation about the 4 speed SD and non availability of A/C. In any case, I am aware of at least one original SD Formula owner who went and put the Formula hood on the car. Anyhow, regarding the kids car/TA comment, without the foilers and decals, the Formula SD still looks subdued with the TA hood, maybe even more so than the Formula hood, thus preserving the grown-up look, IMO.

[The Boss]

A Super Duty Formula with a Formula hood would be a real sleeper!

[Brewster]

Chris, they call that an HO

[Judge273]

4 speed RA with posi and handling package too!