Hemmings Motor News Blog Blog

Hemmings Motor News Blog

Hemmings Motor News has been around since 1954. We're proud of our heritage, but we're also more than the Hemmings full of classifieds that your father subscribed to. Aside from new editorial content every month in Hemmings, we have three monthly magazines: Hemmings Muscle Machines, Hemmings Classic Car and Hemmings Sports and Exotic Car.

While our editors traverse the country to find the best content for those magazines, we find other oddities related to the old-car hobby that we really had no place for - until now. With this blog, we're giving you a behind-the-scenes look at what we see and what we do during the course of putting out some of the finest automotive magazines you'll ever read.

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Cool Cars: 1973 Pontiac Firebird Formula

Posted May 23, 2011 10:48 AM by dstrohl

This Firebird Formula SD 455 is one of only 43 built in 1973, and for comparison's sake, note that Pontiac built six times as many Trans Ams with the Super Duty engine. The dash and center console are pure 1970s funky, with a complete array of gauges monitoring everything from oil pressure to voltage. You'll also note that this car is loaded with options, including power windows, power locks, a factory 8-track player and even factory A/C.

This car is powered by the famous Super Duty 455 engine, which featured a reinforced block, special camshaft, aluminum pistons, oversize valves and header-like exhaust manifolds. Pontiac rated the SD-455 engines at a stout 310 horsepower and 390 pounds of torque, but many experts have pegged the output closer to 370 horsepower.

All the other correct Super Duty components are present and accounted for, including the massive hood scoop up top, which was more for show than for actually feeding air to the engine. The block was covered in Pontiac Turquoise paint during the rebuild, and today has a nice original-looking patina to it that fits perfectly with the rest of the car's condition.

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Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii
Posts: 66
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Re: Cool Cars: 1973 Pontiac Firebird Formula

05/23/2011 4:33 PM

This is the cure for the weak SD numbers. This version puts out 715 HP-845lb/ft@5500 rpm

The problem is the shaker hood won't clear the blower oh, and the vision problem.

Sundog

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Re: Cool Cars: 1973 Pontiac Firebird Formula

05/25/2011 1:25 PM

Sundog, that engine is pretty friggin' cool, plain and simple!

Thanks for sharing, and welcome to CR4.

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Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii
Posts: 66
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Re: Cool Cars: 1973 Pontiac Firebird Formula

05/25/2011 2:59 PM

Thanks Doorman

This was built by Jerry Kelley from Phoenix who was the engine builder for Arnie "the farmer" Beswick. Arnie drag raced Pontiacs for years and had some unreal altered wheel base GTO's and Tempests (the forerunners of "Funny Cars.) Thanks for the welcome.

Sundog

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