[Major Payne]

This seems like the best place to post this. A while ago a '77 formula was offered on the boards for sale section, nobody replied at the time. Maybe because the price is a bit hefty for a formula.
http://forums.performanceyears.com/g...11&m=565102286

Now it's for sale on eBay, and im tempted to place a decent bid. The owner includes many pictures and tons of info on the car. I'm by no means a pontiac expert (if I buy this it will be my first one...) So I need your help in determining if this is a good quality, honest car.

The seller states:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> This Firebird was manufactured in Norwood, Ohio on 08/01/1977 with the VIN#: 2U87Z7N255026. According to PHS (Jim Mattison) the big block 400V8 motor with 6X heads (VIN: Z7P266595, Codes: YU, GM3, DN Exhaust Manifold: 488002B) was assembled in Pontiac, Michigan in 1977 and was originally in a 1977 LeMans or Grand Prix. It is believed that the motor was replaced by the dealer in 1977. The 400V8 (180HP) and 6.6L 400V8 (200HP) in Firebird/Trans Ams, Grand Prixs, and LeMans were ALL IDENTICAL in 1977. I have Pontiac dealer brochures and documents that show this. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

First something I dont get:
Z is the engine code for a pontiac 400, the W72 would make this a T/A 6.6 engine. But the stated YU is a 350 block code I believe. Also the block and car vin don't match up.

I know body panel alignment was not very good at the time, do these gaps seem exscessive?



Also, the owner claims it doesn't rust, shoeld i worry about these spots:


I'm from the Netherlands so any rusty firebird here costs between 9000 and 150000 dollars. What would be a good affer for this formula? NADA guide shows $6100 average retail, $10800 high retail. Since the engine compartment doesn't seem very nice, and not many people are interested, I was thinking about a $7000 offer. Would this be too low considering the semi restored state, or too high considering noone in interested?

Here's the Ebay ad:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...488567785&rd=1

Any help would be greatly appreciated, I just want to make sure it's money well spent. Thank you for your time.

Branko Geudeke
aka Major Payne

[Major Payne]

This seems like the best place to post this. A while ago a '77 formula was offered on the boards for sale section, nobody replied at the time. Maybe because the price is a bit hefty for a formula.
http://forums.performanceyears.com/g...11&m=565102286

Now it's for sale on eBay, and im tempted to place a decent bid. The owner includes many pictures and tons of info on the car. I'm by no means a pontiac expert (if I buy this it will be my first one...) So I need your help in determining if this is a good quality, honest car.

The seller states:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> This Firebird was manufactured in Norwood, Ohio on 08/01/1977 with the VIN#: 2U87Z7N255026. According to PHS (Jim Mattison) the big block 400V8 motor with 6X heads (VIN: Z7P266595, Codes: YU, GM3, DN Exhaust Manifold: 488002B) was assembled in Pontiac, Michigan in 1977 and was originally in a 1977 LeMans or Grand Prix. It is believed that the motor was replaced by the dealer in 1977. The 400V8 (180HP) and 6.6L 400V8 (200HP) in Firebird/Trans Ams, Grand Prixs, and LeMans were ALL IDENTICAL in 1977. I have Pontiac dealer brochures and documents that show this. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

First something I dont get:
Z is the engine code for a pontiac 400, the W72 would make this a T/A 6.6 engine. But the stated YU is a 350 block code I believe. Also the block and car vin don't match up.

I know body panel alignment was not very good at the time, do these gaps seem exscessive?



Also, the owner claims it doesn't rust, shoeld i worry about these spots:


I'm from the Netherlands so any rusty firebird here costs between 9000 and 150000 dollars. What would be a good affer for this formula? NADA guide shows $6100 average retail, $10800 high retail. Since the engine compartment doesn't seem very nice, and not many people are interested, I was thinking about a $7000 offer. Would this be too low considering the semi restored state, or too high considering noone in interested?

Here's the Ebay ad:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...488567785&rd=1

Any help would be greatly appreciated, I just want to make sure it's money well spent. Thank you for your time.

Branko Geudeke
aka Major Payne

[Gary S.]

My 1978 Trans Am has a YU code engine,and it is definitely a Pontiac 400.

[Trev]

Considering how much quality work appears to have been done, I was surprised to read that all the usual body rust areas had been repaired with fiberglass!!!
It looks like a nice car for the money - If you really want a Formula. It will never be worth the same as a Trans Am, and will be harder to sell on than a Trans Am. It is also not a numbers matching car (Le Mans Motor) and has a lot of subtle modifications. There are a lot of nice Trans Ams out there for sale that cannot fetch $10,000.

[Colin]

Its a good looking car.I am not very impressed with the floor pans though.Looking at the photo that shows the bottom rather than the one from inside the car you can plainly see that the old rusty floor pan wasnt cut out.Looks like they just laid the new one in from the indide and welded it.Overall though its a nice car but hardly worth the buy it now price...........in my opinion.

[henry203]

I have seen this car for sale for several months now, at first the BIN was over $20K. As time has passed the purchase offer has been lowered considerably. If it was worth the money than someone would have gotten the car by now.

[Major Payne]

So the original engine was a w72 (t/a 6.6) and now it has the 180hp lemans... Kind of weird to say it was done by the dealer.

Do you guys think this car will be a lemon, nice on the outside rotten on the inside? The interior work looks nice, the fiberglass rust repair concerns me too trev.


I'm not sure if I want a formula or a Trans Am, the only advantage the formula has over the trans am is an easy conversion from petrol to LPG (liquified petrol Gas, a butane/propane mixture I believe). Because petrol costs about $5.5 dollar here in the Netherlands it would be a wise descision to convert it to LPG, wich is $2/gallon. I dont feel like butchering up/glueing a good quality trans-am shaker for this sake (the set up looks like a supercharger set up. . Then again, it would be my car, so it's my descision.


I think i'll look further for a nice 77/78 (w72) trans-am, preferably black or blue. ANYONE!!? It's the rust that concerns me in these car's, plus the fact that i'll be buying it overseas. So I would prefer to do buisiness with a regular on this board, someone well known and trustworthy. I don't like the whole ebay anonymity.

Ca ayoe give me a indication what this formula would be worth (5000-7000$?), or a semi-restored 77/78 TA?

[Major Payne]

Sorry, seems like a part of my keyoard suddely stopped workig....