1972 Pontiac Firebird Formula 455 HO - Muscle Car Of The Week Video Episode 371
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- čas přidán 3. 09. 2020
- 1972 Pontiac Firebird Formula 455 HO - Muscle Car Of The Week Video Episode 371
Picture if you will, you’re 25 years old, gasoline is .40 / gallon, you just bought this awesome 1972 Pontiac Firebird Formula 455 HO 4-Speed. Jump ahead almost 5 decades, and nearly the same car appears in your garage! Well for owner Garry Heizer, this isn’t the Twilight Zone, it’s his daily reality!
While Heizer did buy one brand new, This pristine ‘72 Pontiac Firebird Formula isn’t his old car, as his was the one that got away. But he was lucky enough to find a twin to transport him back in time.
So what is a Firebird Formula? Racers have long known what a sleeper is… a car that has a hot engine and suspension, but no options to add weight and slow it down, and no fancy stripes to call attention to itself. In 1970, Pontiac built a factory Firebird Sleeper if you will, and called the Formula. Visually, it was the opposite of the flashy Trans Am, but it had all the same performance goodies on-board, less the creature comforts. This 1972 version is jammed with low-key fun, including the 455 HO engine, 4-speed M22 Rock Crusher transmission, and safe-t-track limited slip rear with 3.42:1 gears. To make the look even more sleepy, this one came stock without spoilers and rolling on steel wheels and caps, but Heizer swapped on the Rally IIs to match the car he had back in the day. Don’t worry, the wheels are still with the car.
The 455 HO still made power in 1972, even with a reduced compression ratio of 8.4:1. The 1972 only round port 7F6 heads worked well with the lumpy 068 cam, and the end result was 300 net horsepower and 415 lb. ft. of torque. The fiberglass hood sports functional scoops to help the beast breathe. A unitized ignition system was another one-year only part for ‘72.
The magic formula also included the performance suspension package code Y99, with upsized sway bars, stiffer springs, and tuned shocks. Power front disc brakes and rear drums stop the show, which was capable of low 14-second published ¼ mile times back in the day.
Inside, a Formula has what it needs, and that’s about it. The dash is wood-grained rather than the neato engine turned panel found in Trans Ams, and there is no radio, A/C, or power windows. The result is that a Formula is lighter than the TA for even more performance potential.
Only 82 1972 Formula 455 HO M22 4-Speeds were built, and part of that was due to a massive United Autoworkers labor strike at the Lordstown GM and Fisher Body plant. The plant had boasted new technology that allowed cars to be built nearly twice as fast as traditional plants… to the tune of 100 per hour over the previous 55 per hour. And while the machines were screaming along, the workers didn’t think it was too keen to have to do their 60 second tasks in just 33 seconds to keep up. The strike was one of the first to consider worker’s quality of life, and not just pay and benefits. The down side for GM is that there were over 35,000 fewer Camaros, Firebirds, and Vegas built for ‘72. Well, maybe it wasn't so bad to have less Vegas in the world.
Today, our friend Gary drives this beautiful brute whenever he can, and it takes him right back to his days behind the wheel of his first ‘72 Formula 455 HO 4-speed car. Not many of us get the chance to own a one-of-82 built muscle car, much less 2 identical twins in our life, but life is good in The Heizer Zone! We’re just happy he let us play with it for a bit. The only question remains… steel wheels with caps, or Rally IIs… what would be your magic Formula roll?
1972 Pontiac Firebird Formula 455 HO - Muscle Car Of The Week Video Episode 371
#Firebird #PontiacFirebird #MuscleCar #musclecars #transam #pontiac #firebirdformula
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You just have to love that despite the killing of the muscle car in 71 Pontiac still kept on proudly turning out serious 455 Super cars like this! Kudos to them!!!! Thanks again guys!
It's nice to see a car driving somewhere else other than around the parking lot. 👍👍😀
Yeah, but Kevin drives with his left wrist. Not his left hand, his left wrist. Not a car guy! Hell, he'd flunk high school driver's ed for that stunt.
@@larrysmith6797 ; LOL!
@CUL8ER I thought Kevin got a job at a new channel! So other people trust him with a 1 of 82 car, but his employer doesn't trust him to leave the parking lot....Poor Kevin.
Love Pontiac’s sad they are gone. Had a 69 GTO 400 Ram Air that was a screamer . God I wish I had kept my muscle cars!
Nice to see an open road video. Man that exhaust cackles sweet. Full marks to the owner. The 455 H.O. was a brutal beast. Rally II's no contest. Kevin's doing a great job!
Beautiful Firebird, he’s one lucky man to have owned two of these rare cars in his lifetime 😊
Oh yeah🙂
Oh wow! Yeah,I'd say so!!!! Although it was a 72 Catalina, my first car was a Poncho with the 400 and in the early 80s when I bought her I paid 1 dollar per cubic inch. Absolutely loved that land yacht! Man but to have one of those beautys and you had 2 of them,man I can just dream but you sir were truly blessed! One day,oh yes,one day indeed I'll have my own slice of heaven like this lovely bird!!!!
had a 71. got stolen. i hope one day to have one again. i still consider it one of the prettiest and most awesome cars ever made.
There it is!
The Camaro with the GTO cues…
Those birds were awesome,
I always loved the hood on the Formula Firebirds.
That exhaust note, combined with the sound of that Q-Jet sucking air, I wouldn’t waste money on a radio either. Oh, and keep the Rally Wheels - sharp car!
i love steel wheel/dog dish combo
Those steelies and poverty caps are badass!! They are subtle and don't distract the eye from the car's gorgeous curves and lines. Back in the day I never appreciated them, but as I've matured, I really appreciate them now.
Rally wheels indeed 😎👍
Very cool car. Recently worked on customer’s 1973 Formula 455, that he actually bought new, right here in Orlando Florida. Would love to drive this one for comparison. Thanks for sharing 😎👍🏆🏁💪
I have a 1972 455H.O out in my shop complete with the 7f6 heads, came out of a 72 T/A.
Love the rally II wheels myself.
I had a major flashback when I first viewed this episode!
I basically built a very similar formula in 1977. I started with a 72 Firebird esprit, and changed everything on her.
Formula hood, 1970 400 engine with a 400 turbo trans, trans am flairs, rear spoiler, new interior from a wrecked TA, and a posi rear.
A friends father had an original 72 Formula 455, and I fell in love with that car. You couldn't find one like it...so that's what led me to build mine.
I had her painted midnight blue metallic, and she was a blast !
Tons of memories with her.
And just for one added note, I put gold snowflake wheels on that ride. They went with the tan interior too : )
@@stuartb9323 I love the snowflake wheels too.
I also have a 72 esprit made into a formula , 350, auto, functional ram air ( air cleaner and boots ect. was 500.00 ) and I had to put a hood tach on it even though 72 never had a hood tach , I Put the tach on because I do not have the rally gauges and always loved the hood tach ! they only made 7000 Esprits in 72 so kind of rare . In 1977 I got my first firebird a 1967 6 cyl sprint , I restored it then did the dumbest thing I could , I sold it ! then two weeks later the new owner totaled it ! made me want to cry ! that's why I have my 72 formula clone , so I can go for a drive and I am 16 again and all is fine with the world !
Had a 73 formula back in the 80s.. would love to have it back!!
Pontiac always built nothing but , American beauty nothing else comes close. So proud of my 73 SD-455 4sp Buccaneer red Trans -am.
Beautiful car. My mom had a '71. I used to take that thing out back in the '70's and, when no one was looking, burn rubber around corners. It could fry the tires for a long time.
I agree: go with the Rally wheels
And VERY few muscle cars in the era retained their factory wheels. I have a set of 5 of these rallys up my attic. 15×7s I recently went to ebay check on prices. Those 15s have gotten expensive!
Did u like the Honeycombs that came out later?
@@quincee3376I guess the honeycomb were popular but I don't like them.
@@jeffreyrubish347 im the same way. I dont necessarrily hate them but just never liked them like how some people do.
The Rallye II and Honeycomb wheels were extra cost options.
In 1984 my best friend traded in his late fathers 1981 Dodge Colt to a gas station used car lot in Van Nuys, California. On the lot was a blue 1972 Formula 455 with black interior and an automatic transmission. He got the Formula and $500 cash for the Colt since it was only 3 years old and we were still in a gas crisis. The two of us tore Los Angeles to shreds with that car for the next three years. He ended up painting the car black and putting some Centerline wheels on it. It was wicked fast with that 455. It was just a survivor of the muscle car era at that point. A used, 12 year old car that they were giving away cheap. I think the actual sticker on the car was $1200 or $1500 at the time. Super Rare car now days
These center caps....
Never ever loose one. I had a 1974 trans am and those were impossible to come by in the 90's, even less if they were not discoloured.
That Formula is gorgeous! I'm fortunate enough to have a WK2 Nov 1972 Camaro. I've had it for 30 years. Don't see them often.
Beautiful machine and a total credit to its owner. I love that shade of blue body paint work. I bet in full throttle it's a sight and sound to behold!! Great auto subject for this week's show guys!!!
That is one good looking firebird! Am I the only one who backed the video up to hear it take off again?
Had a 75 formula 400 about the same color, I loved that car
1972, a great year! 2020, hell on earth!
The Formulas always looked the best because of their awesome hood scoops. Just fantastic!
I was visiting my parents in Illinois. One of their friends who was a school teacher had a red Firebird with a white interior
around the same model year. No hood scoops, no air damns or spoilers. It did have rally rims. What caught my attention was the dual exhaust tips poking out then the 4 speed manual. That beautiful car was equipped with a 400 CI 4 barrel Q. Back then you could option order about any engine/transmission combo on any of their platforms.😪
My first car was a Sterling Silver 77 Trans Am with the 15X7 Rally II wheels. I loved those wheels. Got it when I graduated high school in 82. Worked that summer to put on a set BFG Radial T/A's . Looked awesome.
I'm still in love with this body style. Probably my favorite of all time.
The early 70's split bumper Camaro and the Pontiac T/A and the Ram Air Formula were 2 of the sexiest cars of the early 70's for sure
The rally wheels definitely look better. I came close to buying a Formula in 1979 but it wasn’t a 455. Thanks for sharing it! 👍🏻👍🏻🇺🇸
There are lots of bad years for lots of cars but in 1979 it wasn’t that bad.
Motersickle Bum OK you said that already.
Motersickle Bum listen to this...🖕🏻
Beautiful 👍👍
I always preferred the Formula looks over the T/A. Love it!
I agree ! I own a 94formula. I always been a fan of "sleepers "
Like the original Plymouth Roadrunner , the fox body LX 5.0 mustang. And recently the
2020 -21 Camaro LT1 a base model with the 6 liter SS motor
and suspension under it. Was
never a fan of wild in your face
items like crazy graphics or
spoilers . A sleeper let's the engine.and suspension do all
the talking during the stoplight
showdown.
Agree totally
I prefer the T/A but I love Formulas.
That's cause you never owned a new Trans Am.
I like Trans Ams but I love this car. The perfect 'bird! Great job guys.
Pontiac made the coolest cars, period !
The Mopar brothers Dodge and Plymouth say hello.
Totally awesome car I was born in '72 and always wanted and loved these cars. Great stuff
Not going to lie I am jealous lol. Beautiful car hope he enjoys it.
Oh i think he enjoys it lol....
I mean just look at it, stunning.
I am biased as a kid I had a Saturday job, and the guy i worked for took me for a spin in his Pontiac, it was a similar bodystyle to this, but bronze with a gold bird on the hood, and the legend 6.6l too, it had side pipes and alloy wheels, wish i knew what year it was...but this was 40 years ago!
Now here in the UK, you didn't see cars like this (my Dad had a Morris Marina-google it!) and that is what started my affection for US Muscle!
Great presentation Kevin BTW
Gorgeous car, and a great video! I was pleasantly surprised to see the shots of the car in motion at a scenic location.
SWEEEET! Firebirds and Challengers r my favorite rides and I've owned 8 over the years.
2012 Red Challenger RT PLUS is my current toy, with 41,000 miles and so clean underneath u could eat off it I'm gonna keep her for awhile!
The very first Rockford Files trailer debuted one of these cars.. Problem is I cannot find reference to it anywhere now. This is one of my favorite Pontiac body designs ever. The 455 can't hurt either. 😎
I'd definitely keep the Rally wheels and swap those radials out for a set of raised white letter bias ply tires. If I bought that car today I'd be on the phone with Coker tires later tonight. Either way, she's beautiful 😍
Thats a nice, rare and fast Formula, lucky Kevin driving it in the countryside😊 Yea back then the Formula Wheel and rear spoiler was optional on the Formula making them more anonymous. The later 1979-81 Formulas had the formula wheel and engine turned dash as standard, making them similar to a TA inside. I have a silver 1979 Formula with 400 Pontiac engine, T-tops, ws6, w50 appearance package, love that car😃✌️/Olle
holy crap what a looker. One of my fav muscle/pony cars and my fav Firebird of all time. in the late 70's a coworker had a 455 RA Formula as a daily driver, but TBH not sure if it was a '71 or '72, or which trans...and it was brown of all things. but it set the hook for me...that awesomely cool hood and the shape without the T/A spoilers...always have had an eye for them ever since. That coworker ended up selling the Formula for a '71 Boss 351...I was driving '68 340 Barracuda and I was only 20...god those were the days!
Man, what a nice, clean example of a Formula! I like the wheels that's currently on it.
Kevin.....this is a really great upload. I liked the hood/nose of this car better than any other Poncho they turned out. I wish that when they'd come out I'd had the money to set one up just like this.....plain wrapper with everything under the hood. I really like the new format where you are actually driving thru the countryside!! Keep up the good work!.
Beautiful machine and the sound of it while idling, oh man!
I love everything about this 455 Formula! I'll take one 4sp 455 Formula, and one Cosworth Vega, please
No spoilers, and the dog dish caps....ultimate sleeper.🤎🤎🤎
I've been waiting for this episode for years. Thank you.
Never knew about the 455 H.O. Formula....awesome car thanks for sharing!!
What a gorgeous car. That hood is one of the best ram air hoods ever created. It’s so good Dodge stole it and uses it on the RedEye. My choice would be the stock rims.
Absolutely beautiful!
Great video. Love you taking it out on road. Especially when you bang through the gears.
Ahh. Kevin, you are so at home in these machines. I truly enjoyed being along for the drive, the cruise, on an open public road. I do like the museum pieces from the Brothers Collection. But this is special - a vehicle in its element, where it belongs - on the road.
+Richard Beachey thanks Richard!
Beautiful car.
Beautiful car!!
Nice show this week ! Thanks for getting out and sharing some one elses beautiful car.
sounds like 1970 RA IV cam.... great upgrade
I LOVE this car, and the rally wheels! It's nice to see you get to drive a car out on the road.
Closing the doors on these cars sounds like 2 symbols smashing together.
So true. It seems like for the last 10 years I've been adjusting the windows on my Formula. I'm working on the regulators as we speak.
Nice format. More to come?
BEAUTIFUL CAR!!!!! I OWNED A 71 FIREBIRD. IT HAD ALL OF THE BELLS AND WHISTLES!!!!! WHITE LEATHER INTERIOR, FANCY DASH, ELECT SEATS/WINDOWS, AUTO ON THE FLOOR WITH A CONSOLE, FANCY FACTORY RIMS. IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL CAR!!! DARK BLUE PAINT, WITH THE COMPLETE SPOILER/FLAIR PACKAGE!!!!!
Poor Vega, still can’t get no love.
Awesome video! You need to shoot more vids of you driving the cars. I had a 1972 Firebird Formula street/strip quarter mile total custom named "midnight magic" but it was not one of these rare 455 birds. You need to find a early 70's Baldwin Motion Camaro for a MC video. The Nickey was amazing, would love to see a last generation B/M Camaro.
I'm a Mustang gal,but I've always had a place in my heart for Pontiacs. That firebird is GORGEOUS ❤
You had me at "40 cents a gallon"
The youngsters will say, what's the problem... Well average joe only made $1.00 an hour. Some a little more most a little less...
Confession. In the late 1970s I had a 1972 Formula 455 4spd. It wasn't the H.O. but it was a torque monster. Now remembering that cars were cheap then, I had 3 cars. The Formula, a 69 AMX and a 1970 LT1 Vette. Probably had 10k max into all 3. Anyway, the Formula became my work car because all my cars were 4spds, but I could drive the Formula to work at 6am after being out all night in 3rd gear and never have to shift. So of my cars it was the one the got neglected and dirty and started rusting out. It was pretty fast though and I beat a few kids in GTOs and Chevelles who were prolly a little shocked getting smoked by a dirty, rusty Firebird.
Beautiful. I've always loved the Formula, especially that cool hood. Shouldn't take much to add some hidden go fast parts to let those heads do their work
What an Awesome car !
Sounds beautiful
I actually prefer the formula to the trans am and it sounds bad ass! And ya the rally 2s are one of the best factor wheels.
Even tho the Formula doesn't have all the striping & decals or the engine turned dash panel as the Trans Am, any Formula w/ a 400 or the 455 makes up for it. I'd still totally get one.
Awesome car!!
Gotts to have the Rallies, of coarse1 Thanks Kevin.
Funny stuff, Kevin. "A few less Vegas, is OK". LOL. Love the 70-73 T/A body styles, and even tho this is a Formula, there's no hiding it's true intentions. No sleeper here. On the negative, I wish the owner either removed the frt spoiler, or put the rear wheel well flares on. Both, or neither. (IMO) Thanks for posting.
I'm a fan of the dog dishes!
I had one-- LOVED IT.. wish I had it back.. Mine was RED..
Had a 1971 with a Keith Black Built Engine.
Wow.Bet that was fast.KB engines were all the rage in funny cars/dragsters of the era too.
@@TheFokker03 At the time i diddnt know shit about cars. all I did know was it burned endless rubber.
Loved Formula Firebirds when I was a kid. And still do!
My first car was a '70 Pontiac Firebird, just about as base model as could still be had with the 350 V8. It was rusty and an awful shade of gold, but it was a smooth driving car, even after 21 years. It was one of the best driving cars I've had, and it was quick with little emissions to clog the power. I wanted a four speed, but all I could find was the ol' slushbox, but it still worked well. Had it for 5 1/2 years and it never stopped being fun to drive. If I could have a "new" one, I'd want a '70 Formula 400, black, dark blue or dark green, black interior. Four speed, definitely. And no spoilers. My car didn't have any spoilers and I always thought it looked better that way. Might put some American Racing Torq Thrusts on it. I always liked that wheel from Bullitt.
I had a 70 formula 400 with 4 speed I purchased in 1982 . 1 of less then 1000 made with options it had... at local Coffee shop my neighbor said I didn't drive fast I flew low in it .....
I had a 1975 fierbird I rebuilt the engine it was nice and handled like a champ stock!
Knew a guy who dropped a 454 into a plain jane 72 monte carlo that looked like a grandmas car. I drove it once. Now that was a sleeper.
I'm a Ford guy but I think the 70-73 Firebird is the best looking pony car of all time. Actually better than the '67 Mustang fastback.
The rally wheels. I wouldn't have minded having one the same color as this one in the video
Some of the coolest hood-scoop designs ever! And, nah...no dog-caps for me on this ride - classic Rallye-II's all the way.
I had this same color . 1972 455 HO Ram Air 4speed car ten bolt posi rear. Mine had AC, white vynle top plus power windows and door locks. Kick myself regularly for selling that car! Probably one of a kind with those options.
Nice, Kevin! You're outdoing yourself on this one, a difficult task.
Great video, love it! :)
I like the T/A dam on front.
The glory days of the Firebird/ That is one serious Ram Air hood design. Love it!
I had a 70 formula 400 same color blue with cravers instead of the rally wheels either way it was a beautiful car wish I still had it
Most people don't know that the '71/'72 455 H.O. engines had lifters that pumped up at a lower rpm that limited the to a redline of about 5200. The 455 H.O.'s had the standard cast iron connecting rods and Pontiac was worried about warranty claims. Truthfully though, the big 455 Pontiac lays down most of it's enormous torque and power below that anyway so it really doesn't need to rev higher in stock form.
nice review thanks
F body cars of the early 70s had some serious quality control issues. My order for a 72 Formula 400 4 speed had been cancelled back in the spring of 72 due to the strike. I tried to order a 73 SD-455 in October 72 but the dealer said that option was on indefinite hold. I then ordered a 73 TA with the standard 455 and took delivery in December 72 from Sailor Pontiac in Cicero Illinois. I think I paid about $3900 with discount. On the way home from the dealership one of the rear drum brakes fell apart and I had to immediately return to the dealer. Then there was a constant metallic bang from the axle when I went over dips and bumps. The rear sway bar and/or muffler had to be repositioned. There were various rattles that had to be worked out including a bad one under the dash. The radio shorted out from time to time. The suspension was so stiff that I cracked the windshield one time just by going over some RR tracks at slow speed. The front spoiler constantly scraped (and cracked) on this or that. The factory installed Firestone 500 whitewall radials were prone to belt failure and I had to have those warranty replaced. Nevertheless my 73 put in 4 years of daily driving (at 10 miles per gallon) and took a good deal of lead footed abuse. After 48k miles she was starting to use a lot of oil, the tail light and bumper chrome was starting to pit and the sheet metal was beginning to bubble. I sold it for $3300 to a college student who took her to Arizona. Long live the 73!
very fine looking
I m France and i own a 1972 formula 455 ho 4 speed.
It is Julep Green with AC and console.
But i havent the 7f6 head on it...
Such a badass machine
Still have memories of a '72 in burnt orange. It would go. My friend has a TA, 1974 with the 455 warmed over. The stoutest car I ever drove, including big-block corvettes!
I'm an Alfa Romeo guy, but this car looks beautiful. I don't care if you don't think this is a gorgeous car. For me, though, just me possibly... this old girl is still lovely.
Beautiful car for sure
Beautiful car
G has garage Queen. It's a cream puff. I keep it in the stall most of time. When I get brave & take out my white '78 Firebird Trans Am. 400 w/auto 273 limited slip. Original 6X heads. Valves tickled now by ram air 111 camshaft ram air 1V rocker arms up above there's plenty. Holley carb Edelbrock Performer intake MSD ignition amplifire super light advance springs tri-y exhaust headers h-pipe dual turbo Flowmaster mufflers w/chrome splitter tips. Hurst his/hers dual gate shifter. Fairbanks upgrade trans.
Handles like it's on rails. Hang on when engine hits 2500 rpm. Everything pulls together.