1970 Pontiac Firebird Formula 400 400 ram air 111 from North America

Summary:

Awesome Muscle Car

Faults:

After a couple years of everyday use, along with weekend strip runs, the car started to puff smoke from the exhaust. It required a rebuild on the heads at 85,000 miles.

General Comments:

This car was a true American machine. Mine had a 4 speed trans, and A/C. I took it to the local strip a few times. This car on nice cheater slicks, ran a consistent 12.7, which is awesome considering that I was running with stock exhaust, carb, intake, and even air cleaner. The poor thing just couldn't hang with expressway driving, as my car had factory 4.10 rear gears.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 17th June, 2010

1970 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am 400 Ram-Air IV from North America

Summary:

A true 9 mpg muscle car

Faults:

Very little ever went wrong. Except for the need to replace back tires too often, the car was actually quite dependable for the few months that I owned it.

Although the engine ran fine, I did discover that the piston to cylinder tolerances from the factory were rather large, which concerned me since I was accustomed to building tight engines.

General Comments:

Mine was the 400 Ram Air IV, automatic, white exterior with blue stripes, and a blue interior.

The previous owner had installed a low rear-end, which limited the top-end speed to about 95 mph, but the Trans Am burned the extra wide tires almost all the way to 95. Even with the automatic, I could be traveling at 60 mph and give it full throttle and it would spin the back tires. A friend of my wife's had recently rebuilt his Nova SS-396 with a full race engine, and his Nova was supposed to be the fastest car in town, but my Trans Am blew his doors off in a quarter mile. I got more than a few concerned comments that the Trans Am was too fast. :-)

The Trans Am sat fairly low and handled plenty well with fat tires mounted on the honey-combed wheels. During the time of ownership I thought of the car as being the heaviest that I had ever owned.

Comfort was never an issue. All I cared for was the acceleration.

My biggest peeve was about how the tires seemed to pick up every nail. The tire expenses finally got out of hand, and since we rarely owned a car for more than a few months anyway, we traded the car off for a MGB-GT.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 20th January, 2008

11th Jul 2015, 15:12

Traded for an MGB, wow. A lot of people did regretful trade ins during the 1974 gas shortages and odd and even gas days. This is a very beautiful Firebird even today. The second gen Chevrolet Z/28 with high spoiler is also.

1970 Pontiac Firebird Formula 400 Ram Air III 400 CI 7.0 345hp / 430 tq from North America

Summary:

400 ci, fire breathing, import eating, muscle car

Faults:

Posi traction rear blew out the back!

Rear tires need to be replaced a lot.

General Comments:

This car stock, when it was unrestored after it sat in my dads garage, killed a TT Supra on the streets. This car stock has 345hp and 430 lbs of torque at the WHEELS, this is a beast of a car. Ran 13.5 unrestored at Ewrindale.

I put $3,000 in this car, new tires, tranny rebuilt, headers, exhaust, mufflers, carb, camshaft, 3.73 rear gears; all cost less than $3,000. And turned out 12.4!

Has 70 TA handling, so it handles AMAZING!

This car is one hell of a car, get it if you can afford $30,000.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 24th May, 2004

21st Jun 2004, 00:16

Does your formula 400 have the ram air feature? because with out it I believe it tops out at 330 horses.

24th Aug 2005, 14:32

Well he did say "Ram Air III" in the title!! Can you read??

1970 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am 400ci V8 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Lock up your daughters

Faults:

Was subject to a ground-up, body-off resto 1996 and nothing has fallen off since then.

General Comments:

What can I say? It goes like a rocket, it won't really go round corners but conversely it can be quite hard to keep in a straight line.

Tyres are expensive and in the age of the £4 gallon it doesn't come out much, but it's the meanest thing on four wheels and EVERYTHING gets out of its way.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 24th November, 2000