NO Spoiler 70-73 Formulas
 

I did add a spoiler to my 72 F400 which did not come with one. The car is going in for body work this winter, including a drivers side 1/4 panel. It is not drilled, and would need to be for a spoiler. But, I keep thinking maybe I should go back to the no spoiler look. I always used to think the Formula's looked like they were missing something without a spoiler, I think it was due to seeing 100,000 Trans Ams in the 70's. But over the last couple of months on this site, I have seen pics posted of no spoiler Formula's and it really is growing on me. Stealth look, clean, uninterrupted body lines. Also, it seems to hark back to the more true image of the musclecar, stripped down hot rod. From my hazy early 70's memory, it seems many if not most early Formula's didn't come with spoilers..... many have been added by now though, even (cringe) see them on 70's. So instead of drilling two holes, I can have two welded up and swap deck lids and back to the old look.

Votes?

We don't need no stinkin' spoilers?

They look wimpy without them?

I should put a gigantic Mopar Daytona wing on it? (Pontiac actually mocked up a clay one)

That's PRETTY BIG can of WORMS you've opened there.

This one should be REAL INTERESTING!

I say FILL,don't DRILL!!!

I say if it doesn't fit, you must not drill it.

I can only wish they were optional on 1970 Formula's...

if I had 71-73 cars, I'd probably add a spoiler if it wasn't factory installed.

BTW... my avatar is my EX-72 car... and I it was SPOILED

I agree that they look unfinished without the spoiler. I'd keep it on.

I vote for no spoiler, especially on the 1970 models. Low back seats, non-console 4 speed and no rear spoiler gives it a basic, no-nonsense muscle car look. Just my opinion.

on the '70's since it wasn't available, I would vote for no spoiler
for the '71-'73's I think they look better with one

On my '72 I have the same dilema, it came with no spoiler. At some point very early in the cars life, someone with really bad measuring skills drilled multiple choice spoiler holes (more like slots that go 2 ways) in the quarters and deck lid and added one, so I will have some welding either way but I'm keeping the spoiler.

If it wasn't an option, leave it off. Who cares how unfinished it looks...

My 73 has one, and I think it would look silly without it.

Just my slightly biased opinion

The lines of the car look better without a rear spoiler and with a spoiler you lose the visual "pop" of the rear trunk bird emblem, espically on the Lucy blue cars.

For me, alot of the visual appeal of the 70-73 cars is that they look different and older than the cars that came later even though they shared sheet metal up till 1981.

A rear spiler appears more integrated on the 76 and newer cars.

I always wonder, if a rear spoiiler, why not the front and wheel well spoilers?

Dare to be different.....

Spoiler is a nice option if you ask me. You know the early 2nd gen camaro owners are jealous of it. I added a spoiler to mine and have never regretted it.

i like em with, i think it adds to the lines, not detract. if plain jane is your thing may as well take off the formula hood & put on a plain jane hood too.

I'd say its personal taste, but vote for no spoiler on a 70. My 70 came with a spoiler and I took it off and welded the holes. Attached some before and after pics to show the difference - the plain, pure look is growing on me.

wow, comparison shots, can't ask for better than that.....

I do like the baloney tip exhaust no spoiler look....

My 70 Formula has no spoiler and the original poverty caps on 14x7 steel wheels, no trim rings.

My '73 Formula 455 had a spoiler when I got it, but it is not original. I will not be putting one back on. I prefer the no spoiler look also. I think the spoiler only looks good on Trans Ams with the additional valance and fender spoilers. I also prefer a level or slightly rear down stance on a Formula. I say let the hood scoops stand out.

No Spoiler.........

Great responses...... I like that there is little or no middle ground in opinion :) Funny thing is I have added spoilers to this car and one other 74 Bird I had. First response.... "That thing needs a spoiler" wham.... done...... Another thing.... look at early Pontiac press releases, ads, and magazine road tests and reviews...... LOTS of no spoiler Formula's in attendance there..... One, they were appealing to the more car traditionalist crowd, and spoilers were a new (since about what 68) notion of what to put on a car, not as readily approved of as now. Some even mocked the TA look at the time...... so I think there is a generational acceptance thing also.....

My 70 wont be getting one........I think they look ok but i remember back in the day that everybody that had an F-body (Pontiac or Chevy) put one of these things on it and it started to be the wanna-be trans am /Z-28 look..........these cars have great lines and dont need a piece of plastic tacked to the rear end to look good...........if it came with one though I'd leave it on...........


edit.....also, as years went on spoilers where added to almost everything and lost their coolness.....nowadays 4 cylinder honda's and just about everything else has one.........

I won't get into what looks better because I believe that is a personal preferance thing. There seems to be a strong split on that opinion anyway. But I would like to add that the rear spoiler option was added to the Formula line because of popular demand. I remember a Pontiac dealer telling me that at the '71 new car introductions. People were asking for the Trans Am rear spoiler on other Firebird models. It should be noted that the rear spoiler was already being offered in the A body line during that same period. There was even a proposed firebird-like ducktail spoiler for the '72 Lemans. The option sold well enough for Pontiac to later offer the rear spoiler on other Firebird models. Pontiac thought enough of the option that both their '72 and '73 Formula press cars sported rear spoilers. I think that the rear spoiler on the Formula can be likened to the hood bird on the Trans Am. It was offered as an option so the buyer could have his choice. For the record, I've owned a '73 Formula without a spoiler and a '74 with one. I thought both cars looked great.

Couldn't agree more. In August of 1970 I was shopping for a replacement for my 69 Mustang Mach 1 and finally decided on a Firebird Formula 400, 4 speed, silver with red interior - and couldn't find one or order one (too late in the model year). A salesman told me they had a Trans Am out back that I could get a great deal on. For whatever reason I didn't even know about the TA, but walked out back to take a look....and almost didn't even take it for a test drive. Garish stripes, spoilers everywhere, shaker hood scoop - my first reaction was that it was a cartoon car with every muscle car cliche combined on the same car. Took a test drive, couldn't stop grinning, found one with a 4 speed at another dealer the next day and bought it on the spot (at a huge discount). After a few weeks it became the best looking car I have ever owned, and my favorite muscle car of all time. In 1999 searched for and found a project car with the same specs - blue/blue with M21 four speed and a console - and spent 2 years restoring it. The 70 TA is still my favorite car - and I almost didn't even sit in it because of a first impression.

My Formy was originally a non-spoiler car, but like Rick's car - and so many others - it was added by someone in it's distant past.

I prefer the rear spoiler / no wheel spoiler look, so when I have my car refinished - it's staying.

That said - on a '70 Formula - no spoiler!

I have a spoiler on my 72 which was on the car when I purchased it. I really do like the look of the rear with the spoiler. However, like you, the non-spoiler look is growing on me. If my car did not have one, I would keep it that way.

I like the spoiler look, its a better end than the gentle slope and the back of the car doesnt look like a junebug or water beetle with a spoiler. Maybe thats due to seeing so many cars in the 70s and 80s with spoilers that the paradigm is to have one more than not.

I have the same dilemma on the 72, it didnt have a spoiler originally, but it has one now. Normally it isnt a big deal to me, every other 2nd gen I have has a spoiler, including the 71 Formula. The 72 being a #s 455 HO makes things different, not sure what I should do there, good thing I have the time to figure it out. I guess what matters is am I going to rebuild it for me, or to sell to someone else.

So really the opinion for you is the same answer for mine, are you building it for you, or someone else? If its for you, then whatever looks best to you that you enjoy, for sale to someone else, well whatever PHS says should be back there is worth more.

No Spoiler!

I love the clean lines of an early formy without a spoiler. The orignal 2nd gen designers were going for that Italian sports car look, and the early formula with no rear spoiler has it. Don't get me wrong, I love the TA's spoilers and flares, but on 70-73 formulas I prefer them without.

They're lookin' better and better...................

Notice how the majority of people who claim to like no-spoiler seem to be talking themselves into thinking they look better.

Go ask someone who doesn't own one of these cars, I bet they'll say the spoiler looks better ;)

I've almost talked myself into it, don't mess me up man.............

Ok, here's a twist. Let's say you own a 70 RAIII Formula and the original owner added the spoiler and you have the receipts from the dealership that prove it was added at the dealership? What say you then? Spoiler or no spoiler?

RAIVJUDGE, then your adhead of this spoiler non-sense LOL.

Hey its what ever you want with your car already......I have a 70 400 and yes it will retain the non-original spoiler on it as well as be built as a Pro-touring car (I did how ever retain and set aside the #'s drive line)....The spoiler can be removed if a future purest buys the car, and all the other work is bolt on,,,,,,so it can be brought back fairly easy.

If you have a 30-60K documented original survivor car that retains all of it's original panels and has a good history,,,,,,Fine keep it perfect........If not have fun IMHO.

I actually have this situation. More than likely, I will be removing it.

Although I prefer the non-spoiler look for formula's, especially 70's, I don't have an "absolute" position either way. Since my 70 came without the rear spoiler, and one was never added, I intend to keep it that way. But I recently saw a picture of an Atoll Blue 70 with the rear spoiler and there car looks darn nice. It got me thinking...

I would keep the spoiler. And if I had that rare of a car and in no time in its history did it get a spoiler, I would add one anyway. To me, it is the equivalent of a car missing its grills. :old::2cents:

Funny you mention that, in addition to yanking the spoiler off, I was thinking how clean it would look if I ripped the grilles out also! :)

And like another suggestion, that Formula hood is history, I found a plain hood on ebay for only $3500.00. :)

The Formula emblems on the fenders catch wax, and they will be in the scrap pile also.

Do you think I could shoehorn a bench seat in the front? I hate buckets....

I am very happy this thread didn't inspire any strong opinions! And I'm sure the spoiler people love my column shift also :)

my dad's got an awesome set of tools........I could make you a really cool spoiler out of some plywood I have in the garage.......:)


and next up..........vinyl tops.............

I agree with above. If you surveyed non owners. Car guys and non-car oriented people, I think most would probably pick the car with the spoiler.

I like them both ways but, I do think they look a little better with a spoiler.

I dont think they belong on a 70 since it wasnt an option. I have a couple 70 formula projects.. Whichever one of them I keep will get done with no spoiler.

If I had a 71 - 73. I think I would add the spoiler even if not original to the car.

Good thread..

I still vote NO....

I am not talking myself into anything. I just think that Formulas look better without a spoiler. I think a Trans AM with everything but the spoiler would look stupid.

Just my opinion.....

When I bought my '70 Formula RA III in 1974, it didn't have a spoiler. I thought that the rear end looked unfinished, especialy compared to the front end with those great twin scoops.

I put a spoiler on almost immediately, and kept it there even after replacing both rear quarters 20 or so years ago and a rather expensive repaint 3 years ago. I was always happy with the decison, and couldn't care less for the opinions of purists who said that it should not have a spoiler because it wasn't an option in 1970.

After all, it was my car.

Fast forward to last week, when I took the spoiler off to get a small issue repaired. I walked around the car a few times, looked at the rear quarters from every conceiveable angle, and decided that the car looked great without the spoiler.

Turns out I really love the look of the unbroken line of the quarters, so much so that I will probably buy a used deck lid (thanks, by the way, for the answers to my question about that on a different thread) and at least get an estimate for filling in the remaining holes and repainting half the car.

I may do it, I may not. If I do, I may re-install the spoiler later on. The point, though, is that stuff like this is a matter of personal preference, or at least ought to be, if what you really care about is owning, enjoying and driving your (and not somebody else's) car.

The GREAT spoiler debate RAGES ON!
 

:fencing:

My observations on this (and I've posted this in the past) are that it seems the guys that are PRO rear spoiler DO NOT own a Trans am & feel they need to "SPOIL" their Firebird or Formula to make it look "a bit" like a Trans am. (I've ALSO noticed that these guys are the same ones that NEED to have the Formula steering wheel AND Trans am engined turned dash in their "wanna be" Trans ams.

Once you have actually owned BOTH a Trans am & Formula (or Firebird/Esprit) of the SAME body style (70-73),you can really begin to appreciate what a GREAT JOB the design studio did in creating perhaps the FIRST "round" car (no sharp corners or hard edges) to emerge from Detroit in the sixties.(why would ANYBODY want to mess up that GREAT back end with some "cheesy looking" Trans am spoiler?)

For ME,I can TRUELY arppeciate the TIMELESS design/style of the 1970 (base model) Firebird as it was intended to be (flat steel hood & NO ski-jump on the trunk lid to clutter up the CLASSIC LONG hood/SHORT deck design)

If you can actually find one that HASN'T been jacked with (NO spoiler OR aftermarket parts/mods),take a few minutes & have LONG look at it from ALL angles and you can really see what the BEST looking Firebird / pony car / sports car EVER MADE in America is all about.(it doesn't NEED any "bolt on" GAK to make it look good)

Now don't get me WRONG,I LOVE the Trans am with all of it's "bolt ons" & that's the one that "suckered" ME in the first place,but after owning BOTH a 70 T/A (white) & a Lucerne Blue/blue 70 Formula 400 at the same time (in the mid-80's),I realized that these cars TWO completely DIFFERENT animals & should be treated accordingly.

As far as spoilers go,it's gotta be ALL or NOTHING.

Now the HOOD!

That's a different story.

It's very OBVIOUS that our Formula hood came from the same page/design team that did the Firebird.
It's gotta be the BEST looking & most function hood that's EVER been bolted on a car. (please DON'T cut a hole it for a shaker):confused:

This is unfortunate but TRUE.

Pretty soon,there will be NO MORE 70-73 Firebirds OR Esprits.

They ALL will become the basis for some sort of Trans am or Formula "clone/tribute car".
A flat hooded/non-spoilered Firebird will become the RAREST one,which is BIZARRE,as they likely made up 85% of production in those early years.

The dual scoop hood,woodgrain gauge bezel,knuckle grip steering wheel,rear sway bar & NO rear spoiler ALL work TOGETHER to give the FORMULA its own IDENTITY.
It DOESN'T need any of the Trans am GAK!
It's SUBTLE appearance helps it to STAND OUT from the Trans ams & other spoilered Firebirds.

Just MY "not so humble" opinion!:D

Norwood,I KNOW you were waiting for this.

So was I.. :Peace:

Not that it has anything to do with this discussion, but I always thought the 70 Camaro shorty spoiler was a nice design........

2ManyT/A's

You're opinion is clearly the best due to you owning an REAL Trans-Am.

My dad's got a '69 Mach 1 428CJ 4-Speed car parked in the garage, yet he seems to appreciate the kids with the beat up Mustang 5.0's more than the rich old men with their restored Boss 429's. Stop being an elitist.

When I bought my Formula,it had the wheel splats, rear spoiler, formula wheel, engine turned dash. I'm doing the body work now and have decided to replace the spoilers.

In the meantime, I acquired a 80 Espirit. While I'm repairing the 70 Formula, I'm going to put the Formula hood and nose on the Espirit without any spoilers. I like the look with the clean lines.

Early Spoiler Ends
 

Something that no one has brought up to this point is that the majority of early second gen cars that have had a spoiler added have the wrong ends (mine included). I can see the beauty in both versions, spoiler vs. no spoiler. I say to each his own. However, when my car goes in to get freshened up, the spoiler will stay, but the ends will be modified to look correct (short version). To me, this is a bigger sin then actually adding the spoiler which was a dealer installed option.

JMO - Kevin

i prefer the spoiler for the most part. However, certain colors and trim combinations like vinyl tops, have their own unique appeal and show off the car's lines better without one. Me, i get to be the odd duck, mine is an original spoilered formula with the shaker and t/a hood. toss in the woodgrain dash and it just looks like an unfinished trans am clone to pontiac people. even if it hadn't been original, i would probably add it, the ta hood alone would just look weird imo. previous owners at one point --the first i think-- did put the wheel spats on it. the second added 70-72 stripes and engine turn dash.

Kevin,
I can fix that problem.I have a pair of early spoiler ends for sale.

My 74 Formula has the Spoiler and a T/A Shaker as well ( hate it!!!!! it's a T/A thing ) with the correct hood.I think the Firebird's look naked without the spoiler.Just my 2 cent worth...

I bought a parts car not far from my home, 5 years ago, a 1970 from a elderly woman. This car had a vinyl roof, and a dealer installed trunk rack. her husband ordered it that way because the trunk was so small. They used the rack on a number of cross country trips. 250 chevy SIX and 3 speed auto on the column.
The rack was surface rusty and looked similar to GM 68-9 camaro racks but it was a bit wider.
Not a big muscle look, but wasnt bad either. Wish I had a pic now..

Well I have read everyone's opinion in this post and others. It is funny how everyone states it was not available on a 70. Maybe not from the factory, but certainly from the dealer. My car still wears it's original paint and it has a spoiler on it from the dealer, with receipts to prove that it was dealer installed. I have spoken to the son and daughter of the original owner who has since passed away. The whole family loved my car and that spoiler is staying right where it is. It is part of the cars history and a tribute to the original owner.

It's all just a matter of someones opinion. I purchased a 72 F455 back in 1979 from the original owner who ordered the car. I remember asking him (because of the drive train) "why didn't you buy a Trans Am? And his reply was "he didn't like all the plastic crap that was on those cars". He even made sure that he did not get a Posi rear because "they are terrible in snow and rain".

Now its my turn.Having owned several trans ams I recently purchased an unmolested 71 esprit with 81000 miles.Now its molested.Ram air hood,4 barrel on the 350 and a rear spoiler without the correct ends.Getting painted right now,but i remember as a teenager back in 73 a brand new Red formula on the streets with the original ram air hood and all the T/A spoilers,and I was impressed with the look.Maybe it was the buccanner red paintbut it looked Hot.I even debated doing the all or nothing on mine but held back with just the rear spoiler and because all the raz I would of got from 2manyTAs. LOL. Maybe I should put a bird on the hood. NOT

If I had a 70 with proof of dealer installation it would be a no brainer, it should be there. But as much as I think the Formulas look more balanced from the side with the rear spoiler I could never drill a hole to install one. But, if I bought a car with one I certainly would enjoy it until resto time.:D