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)
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!
Norwood,I KNOW you were waiting for this.