Brewster goes Brewster-Less
 

Will for the first time in over a decade I know longer own a Brewster. Sold my last one to a close friend who I know will take good care of the car. He has always loved it from the first day I drove it into his driveway.
My garage is not empty though! It now sports a Silver 72 Formula 455 HO that I have admired for years. My Dad had bought a 75 Silver Formula new when I was a kid and that has always stuck in my head thus I had to own one.
As luck would have it a trade among two friends and boom no more Brewster.

So is Brewster, Brewster without a Brewster?

Haaaa, just call me Brew for now. Pictures and copy of the phs will follow later this weekend.
Its a great car and a blast to drive. Something I can work on and improve with my kids and thats what I was really looking for. I'll have many questions but I know I can get plenty of help right here.

Guess I need to join an HO club now? Anywho Cheers to change!
Brew

Really nice looking car! As long as you're happy, its all good!

Sweet 72! Welcome to the HO realm!

At least you kept it in the Bird family.

:D

We're gonna have to start a 72 455HO Formula class at one these upcoming shows. Congrats.

Is that Revere Silver? We could call you "PEWSTER", since the color was named after Paul Revere, who was renowned for his pewter work.

;-)

Thats it one picture? Nice car more pix please and details!!!

I didn't know about the colors name being a reference to Paul Revere! Welcome to the club Brew and look forward to seeing what you do on the car! Mine differs only in the transmission and a/c from what I remember about yours. I know your going to get some big grins out of that 4 speed behind the HO!

Nice Ride man! :D

SDD

Congratulation! And remember...birds of a feather...

And, I suppose now you'll be spouting that the HO's are faster than the SD's...

Congrats.

Good for you, great new car. I may have the same dilemna also if I sell my car, Bird72 with no 72 Bird....

They are faster,right??thought that was settled long ago.. Opps.. no SD owners would ever risk their prized engines to race a HO..plus the embarrassement that would follow..

Just having fun.. no offense meant..

He probably will.... I know the same thing happened to me :)

Congrat's Brew. Welcome to the '72 455HO club. Gotta love it! ting ting

Brew, yes you are welocome to post on the HO forum anytime you like! I personally have always liked the more subtle styling of the Formula combined with the possibility that they could almost always be equipped with the top powertrain for a given year.
I'll not stir the pot over the whole SD vs. HO debate. They are both great motors!

Brews opinion on which is faster HO or SD has changed?

Gotta love them seventy two Formulas especially with an HO under the hood. Good choice for a new ride! The '72 Revere Silver (color code 14) is a very pretty color in its original shade. In the right light, you will actually see the green pigmentation in Revere Silver.............so you are still worthy of being called Brew.

very nice, where did it sell new? where has it been most of its life?

We're all really just caretakers of these cars- once you know the next owner will take care and cherish your pride and joy, it's alot easier to let it go for someone else to enjoy.

i wouldn't have bet a dime that Brewster would ever go Brewster-less .
awe struck


But super nice Silver car you got !
Would love to have one of those in ANY color.

Too bad we must now call for your resignation and retire the name up in the PY rafters.
sorry chap - its OVER ! lol
apply for new screen name
and pray for acceptance
good luck

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Thanks for all the nice comments guys. The car is a big hit with the family including the wife that even took it out on her first solo run.
It needs work like all cars (master cylinder, front right fender, radiator & hoses, cowl seal, trim, valance, trunk mat...)but its major components are all there.
Car came out of Boomershine Pontiac out of Atlanta, Georgia. Not sure complete history less it ended up in Michigan, Illinois and now Wisconsin. Will be working on that!
Its performance is not 100% but still puts you back in the seat. The SD/HO thing is all about how dialed in any one given cars is. There all a hand full if running correctly and this one will be soon. Plan is to pull the drive train this winter for rebuild, fender, misc items and ready for fun summer 2014.
Not making a show car just a fun car that is as factory correct as I can make it.

There are allot of differences between 72-73 and will need help for a bit so please feel free to shark tank the ride. Been there done that.
Thanks again, Brew

Very nice!

Nice to see a no console shifter.
Too bad it wasn't PS/PB-less.
:D

I had a 72 Silver 400 Formula that was bare bones, no PS/PB, automatic though with column shift.
That thing would run for a 72 400.

Congrats on an awesome looking Bird.

:)

Very nice formula

Brian, has the air cleaner unit been restored?

Dammit boy - you've lost your identity!

Killer car - detailed piece in another thread here how to fix that fender. ;)

I'm beginning to think I'm behind the curve on picking up one of these beasts!

Not sure about under the hood items but ripping it apart today. Pulling radiator for a re-core until I can find a manual unit.
Im assuming they had one for the manual without a trans cooler hook-ups???
I'll take some detail pictures and post them for review.
The fender is going to be replaced with a correct date coded unit. Just have not found one yet but keeping my fingers crossed.
Also the grills are wrong color and should be silver with black interior grill grates?
Valance signal light bezels?
The list keeps growing but thats typical. I just need to draw the line some where just haven't gotten there.

Orig rad did not have any trans outlets.
Grills are all silver. (Go back through my black car thread and see my faux pas when I painted them the T/A style instead of the Formula style).

http://www.forums.maxperformanceinc....d.php?t=498906

Learn never to say never. But, Steves Formula thread is a good one.

Brian, look for tag on radiator.
Looking forward to photos.

My 72 four speed T/A's original radiator did not have any outlets for a trans cooler. 12A built.

Boomershine was a Hot Stuff dealership.
Seems like hardly a month goes by where i don't come across another Invoice for a Judge or RamAir or upper echelon car of some sort that sold new from there.

Must have been a pretty good group of guys there back in the days.

The numbers are all coming out correct including the carb, intake, alternator, block, heads, however the distributor is not a 1112133 its a 1112810 as pictured?

Looks like Im ordering a repop radiator until I can find an original Harrison. The one that was in the car is a no-name 4 core for an automatic. Im not sure what I'll do with that one for now?

Has anyone tried the repop radiators?
Oh, I also need a fan since the one on the car is also a repop. Could someone post a pic of the correct fan for a manual non-a/c ho car?
Thanks,
B

Whats the numbers on the alt?

Sent you a email picture of my fan for hopes at least its good? I wonder if it is the same flex fan on 71's too? If so they repop a nice one..

Your black vacuum thingy doesn't look right?

Brew don't know where to look for date codes (cause you know I'm not into all the numbers bud) but I believe I have a Harrison over at the shop with the tag on it pal.... Drop me a call on the cell and I check it out if you'd like....

Thanks Tazzz2, PM sent.
I found and purchased the correct five blade 19" fan and have the correct thermostatic vacuum control valve just need to hook it up.
Hope to get these things done in order to drive it to the nats next week???

"correct thermostatic vacuum control valve" Whats that, the black thing???

Yeap, between our two cars we could make one good one!
Its all part of it and what I was missing with those pond scum green ones ;o

19" sounds too big Brew!

That car would have come with Unitized ignition. It was not there when Brad bought the car. He purchased a unit from a local guy that had taken it off of a Formula when it was new and kept it all these years. I thought it was from a 71 though. Make sure you are looking up unitized PNs for a 72.

I'm jealous that you got this car. It is one of my favorites of SDD with the exception of the Ad Blue/White 74 SD 4 speed he owns. That car rocks.

Thats how big the fan is thats on the car so I know it clears. I just dropped off the radiator to get re-cored even though its technically it works for now.

SDD really didnt want to part with the car however I had something he always wanted too. Worked out well and still in the family where we both have access to them.

Bob, get me Brads contact info since I well have to call him and try to get some history even if its a little bit.
Thanks!

Were you taking off the PS pulley?
T.V.S. looks like the '68-9/'71 unit.
Need picture of the decal on the side of air cleaner, looks like the '71 style. Is it an early '72 MY?
Dist. might have been replaced under warranty.

Its a March 9 build so Im not sure about some of the parts on the car. The alternator is 1100927 which is correct 37amp unit.

Repro decal.
One stud. Original, anyone?

If you're going to have the paint gun out anyway to do the right fender, why not remove the non-original rear appendage and fill/repaint while you're at it?

I really like the way this car was optioned. That's one of the cool things about Formulas, too - so many more combinations and permutations available.

I'm not as knowledgeable about '72s... were the Rally IIs part of the handling package?

cheers,
keith

The car sports over 100k miles so nothing will surprise me. Mike, can you help out on the decal or a file so I can make one? Also is the pan original or not and how does one tell for this year?

Is the Master cylinder suppose to have bleeders in 1972?

I've got at least one extra unitized ignition that would work with your dates if you need it.

Need to see the inside of the pan to tell the year.

See post #30. I can't remember if they went back to the '71 style right before the shutdown or not.

Shhh ... the decal is in the works and should have been done by now, I just can't get verification.

Keith, If I do go for a complete paint job I most likely would fix that rear appendage. Just because I like the originality of an item not necessary because of a particular look. The spoiler actually looks great on this silver car.
See, My Dad bought a new Formula back in 75 at Penny Pontiac and it was silver with a spoiler. Maybe that is why this one looks so good to me?
Either way its staying for now.

Please, I'll pm you my personal info for future communications.
Thanks, Brew

I'll take a look for them later today Brian & let you know what I've got.

I know we've hashed it out before but I don't think we ever had conclusive evidence of the studs being used in 72 or not.

So its possible it is correct or should I start looking?