FLYNLOW's 1973 Pontiac Firebird Formula

LS1 Powered 1973 Firebird Formula

About this Current Vehicle:

I picked this car up as a wrecked carcass back in 2000 after turning 16. Had a talk with my dad about bringing home a project car for me to build after I found the Formula. He said there was no way I could afford the car, cover my insurance, or ever build a car to be anything more than a pile of junk. He wanted me to get something practical, like that old 240,000 mile Accord he had just given away that I refused to drive. Anyway, basically I bought the car as he said I couldn't bring a project car home - not that I couldn't have one. I stored it at a buddies house for a year and started working some pretty good hours at the local Pizza Hut while going to school full time. Eventually bought a rotted out '73 Formula 400 for a parts car as I needed a lot. The front bumper, the glass, the drivetrain, the interior, electrical, you name it. Eventually I put together a running driving car, albeit ugly, when my former friend got caught in a lie with his parents. My car was then made some source of outrage. Lost a NOS set of '73 quarter panels that had been tacked onto the rotted parts car in the process. Lost a friend and had to move the car. Moved it to another buddies house who was heavily into cars with myself. Stayed there for about a month while I got exhaust installed and the car registered. Finally brought it home sometime in '01 and my dad FLIPPED. It was hell. He got over it after I found insurance cheap, for everyone. Changed policies. He said the car was a pile of junk and wasn't going to run very long. It didn't. I spun a rod bearing a few months later. In 2002, I was a senior in HS and had the car taken to the ROP Autobody class where I did a bunch of body work and painted it Electron Blue. Built a motor for it at the same time. Spun the car a while later pushing it on some backroads, upon which a corner I've taken dozens of times was lined with gravel. At night. Through a barbed wire fence I go. Oh well, I'll paint it Viper Red. Anyway, all was happy and dandy for a while till I attempted to drive it to Tucson the first time to see my mom. I live in Livermore (for you bay area guys) and decided to install a buddies q-jet for the trip. It lost a carb screw about 25 miles outside Indio, CA. Major bummer. I was livid and contemplated destroying the car. Made it home (expensive u-haul trip...) and went on a wild rebuilding spree. Best thing I've done as the car is utterly reliable now. Amazing what you can do when you replace virtually everything thats 30 years old. Anyway, built it as follows...

412 Cube Pontiac, Stock cleaned up 4X heads, Harland Sharp 1.5 rockers, 9.3:1 compression. A 750 Edelbrock atop a Torker 2 manifold. Cam is a Crower grind, 60916 with 221/229 duration@.050 and .455/.470 lift. Headers were Hooker Comps with 2.5 inch pipes, flowing into generic turbo mufflers. They have been replaced with new and improved Tri-Y's from a local Pontiac guy with 2.5'' h-pipe to Edelbrock SDT mufflers. Transmission is a Level 3 2004-R with a 2400 lock-up stall converter by BTO backed with 3.08 rear gears - 3.73's in box and need to be installed. Shifting is controlled by a B&M Quicksilver. Both tires are spun by an Eaton posi. Brakes up front are 12" 1LE brakes with aluminum rear drums. The suspension is all polyurethane with Koni's on all 4 corners, lowered a bit and sway is controlled by stock '79 WS6 sway bars. Subframe connectors are installed but not welded into place - yet. Wheels are 17" grey centered TT2's shod with Sumitomo's 245's up front with 255's rear.. Interior has '94 Camaro seats front and rear and are quite comfortable. Important engine function are monitered through Autometer gauges. Power windows, Map lights in rear view mirror out of a 01 Trans Am. Sound deadening by some knock off generic brand and that stuff from the car shows. Paint is Viper Red. Headlights are a cheap 9004 (?) style conversion lighting I bought through JC Whitney.

Then in April 2006 I found a totaled 2001 T/A and decided to swap in the LS1/4L60. Also decided to add the ENTIRE 4th gen HVAC assembly, box, controls, everything. That required EXTENSIVE surgery. Ditched the old Camaro seats for the T/A seats. It is my current daily driver and gets about 250 miles a week thrown at it.

Installed 224 cammed LS1/T56 in June 2008! Still not fast enough...