The Hottest Cars of the Late 70s are Formula and Trans-Am Firebirds with the 400 4-Speed W72 Package

00:00 Start
00:04 Night Drive
00:34 Aggressive Start
00:44 Startup and Headlights, Front View
01:22 Startup and Taillamps, Rear View
02:13 Intro - 3 Points, Weather, Animals
06:12 Start of review
08:09 1979 in Review
12:57 2nd Gen Firebirds in the Movies
14:14 Back to the car, overview 1st and 2nd generations
20:45 Birds attack, close call
22:00 Styling of the 1979
25:40 Trunk
27:16 Under hood, engine choices and suspension
31:24 Interior
38:22 Test Drive

I really have to hand it to Uncle Johnny - he's got a great collection, and I'm always thrilled to have one of his cars, but I did not know he would come up with something so incredibly meaningful to me, a 1979 Pontiac Firebird Formula. As I've surely mentioned a dozen times before, a 1979 Formula was my first car, and I have a tremendous connection with it, and even all F-Bodies in general - but the '79 meant the most.

Mine was not nearly as nice as this one, either in terms of condition or option boxes checked. This is one of only 358 Formulas equipped with the W72 Package, giving it the true Pontiac 400ci engine, and running through a T10 4-speed manual gearbox. As if that wasn't enough, that option required the WS6 suspension package, with 8 inch wide snowflake wheels, upgraded suspension, 4 wheel disc brakes, and a positraction rear end.

This is the ultimate hot setup for late 1970s Firebirds, and something of a miracle for a car released during the Malaise era, when most cars didn't muster 200HP.

This was a thrilling review for me to do, but as I said, I'm like the Irish mother of a juvenile delinquent on this one - there was just no way this car could do any wrong.

Review and test drive by Bill of Curious Cars. Vehicle is from Uncle Johnny's private collection, and not for sale.