Thanks for posting this video. I took delivery of my black 1989 Formula 350 in November of '88. Everyone in my area had Mustang GT/LX 5.0's, Iroc-Z's and Trans-Am/GTA's back then. I wanted something fast and affordable but different than the plain LX 5.0. Thankfully I still have the car today.
Back in 1988, I ordered a 305 TPI Formula, 5 speed, light blue metallic with 2-tone delete and a subwoofer. Sticker was just above 16k. Best looking car and I regret selling it!
Had one of these in college. Great memories. My daughter used it in her high school years. In her yearbook everyone mentions her cool car. She and her friends still thank me to this day.
Thanks so much for highlighting this model. I owned an all black 1990 Formula (short model year run) for 10 years and wish I still had it. Mine was the 5.0 TPI 5 speed model which made it even more rare. The great thing about the TPI/5 speed option was that it included the N10 dual cat exhaust, GU6/G80 3.42 limited slip rear, KC4 engine oil cooler, and J65 4 wheel disk brakes. And of course it had the awesome WS6 handling package like all Formulas. These cars were capable of high 14 quarter mile times right out of the box. Mine had a lot of popular bolt ons at the time and ran a 14 flat at almost 100 mph. It was truly an LX 5.0 fighter and a great looking car.
I have owned my 1989 Formula 350 for twenty five years. This was a fantastic history you prepared. Thanks for the great video. I have downloaded and saved this for my archives.
@Rabbi Schlomo I'll pass on that. I cant drink anyway (chronic pancreatitis). I just was wondering if you were a guy around here in the hartsville area that has an 89 factoty black GTA that is a show car and I've raced him a few times when I still had the 305 in it. W7 nord of my build spread around real quick and he want about to go that mjvj to his GTA so he bought a square body s10 blazer with s very similar build. Honestly I think the only differences were his world products heads vs my dart iron eagles.
We love these cars because they are fun in cool looking, not because they are the fasted cars made. I have a 80's Trans Am in excellent condition and I get so many looks and questions when I drive it. So many people don't even know what it is and since it is in great condition, they don't realize it's an old car. A lot of people think it's an expensive, exotic foreign car. If you have one of these cars in good condition, you will have a lot of fun.
I had a 91 5.7 Formula, it was a wonderful car. My new wife and I drove it from New Jersey to Los Angeles towing a trailer with all our belongings in it. It was flawless. Great video, thanks for sharing.
People forget that in the 80's/90's, 0-60 in 8 seconds was considered quick, and anything under 7 seconds was considered a real screamer. Nowadays there are pickup trucks and even Tauruses that will hit 0-60 in around 6 seconds. In it's day, the Formula was highly respected.
Keep in mind these cars were about torque. They only had around 240hp, but they were very lively and good light to light. I had a '91 Formula 350 1LE and it was pretty quick, but we're talking very low 14s here around 96mph. It also was about 150lbs lighter than a regular Formula. A Cobalt SS could beat that more than a few years ago. Nevertheless, for its time it was fast, got good mileage, and was fun to drive.
@@davefinfrock3324 240 HP out of a small block v8 was right below a corvette back then, which was amazing in the 80's. You're comparing a 40 year old/20th car to a 21st century car. Of course it's going to get better performance. I have a v6 camaro that pushes over 300 hp, which would smoke most of the v8 f-bodies of the time, but FAST nowadays is in the 600+ HP range.
@@gozinta82 The L98 for much of its tenure was rated 245hp for the coupe and 240 for the convertible. The L98 topped out at 255, I think in its last year. All of them were around 330ft/lbs torque.Then the LT1 came out in '92 and things escalated quickly.
I had one and LOVED it. Formula's also had the Borg Warner 9 bolt diff with rear disk. Mine did anyway. It always went faster than any of my friends expected it to.
My Dad bought mom a white 1988 white Formula 305 HO. Fully loaded. Never forget that smell as soon as it rolled out of Red Mcombs Pontiac San Antonio. Foever engrained in my mind.
Every time I watch this video, I get even more motivated to keep restoring my 88 formula. It’s my favorite firebird model and at 31 yrs old, that car is driven daily and still has it where it counts. Awesome video!
I have an 89 formula 350. 93000 original miles and 100% rust free never crashed or restored in any way. The only bad is that the clearcoat is starting to peel across the t bar roof. I don't care for anything newer either.
Ruining it? Thats called living the dream. The Formula 350 was always my favorite! Always got girls looking whenever I swapped cars for the wknd with my buddy Chris in NH during the early 90’s with my LX 5.0L. No comparison in looks. The Formula was probably the best handling car for that period next to the Corvette.
I owned a black 87 formula 350 auto back in the mid 90's for about 6 years and i loved it . Purchased it from the original owner in Australia and he'd had it converted to righ hand drive , it only had 39k miles on it and i think i did about 4 thousand miles in it in 6 years i owned it it was a true Pontiac love affair. Thank you for the great video.
The 92 formula was one first cars i ever drove as a kid, don't underestimate how great the suspension was in this car had a w handling package, you could take sharp turns very fast
I had a 1991 firebird with a 305ci v8 that looked pretty sweet & a 1999 v6 firebird, both red. Have always loved the firebird look.. both inside & out 😎👍
I just inherited an 86 firebird with the 2.8 mpfi & a 4 speed from my late father....so I'm gonna make him so proud & do a restoration on it from the ground up...to the best of my knowledge & abilities...make it a father & son project...with the help of my wife, mother & best friend
What? In my area these things are like late 60's mopar was in the early 2000's. Anything I could certify for the road and still has an interior I'm looking at at least $5000. Many that are good condition but high mileage are well over $10k
I had a 87 Formula 350. Red/grey/T-tops. Gold Enkeis with 245/50/ZR16S BF Goodrich tires. It had the 140mph speedometer. Loved that car. Wrapped it around a tree racing a 350 IROC.
I remember my 1984 TA had a 5 speed and I believe 190hp 305. Its amazing to think the 2018 Camry v6 has 300 hp & gets 24 mpg city and 30 plus on the hwy.
I drove all this cars when I worked for Van Chevrolet back in the early 90’s used car lot. These cars were NOT slow! They had an unreal amount of low end torque and had traction issues with the hard Goodyear tires. Believe me they were raw and they were fast/fun!
I have an 87 Trans Am with the 350 TPI in it and if you put that thing down to the floor you're going to take off in a hurry and nine times out of 10 you're not going to be straight while you do it. It's very impressive for a 30 year old chunk of iron.
I bought an '87 Formula 350 brand new. I went from a '79 10th Anniversary T/A with a 400/4 speed to the Formula. My other car was a '69 GTO with a '70 455 that was built. I still have the GTO. I guess it's all about perspective but I was truly disappointed with the 350 TPI. I got beat by every 5.0 Mustang and Buick GN I came up against. I even raced my buddy with his '87 IROC 305 and we stayed neck and neck from 20 to about 80. The engine looked really impressive and I guess for a small block maybe it was torquey, but I always wanted more out of it than I got. It did handle and brake excellently and for a 19 year old kid it was a really great car. A drunk driver rear ended it in December of 1989 and totaled it. It had 21k miles and was in perfect condition. I would even wash the undercarriage at the carwash every week and kept it immaculate. I wish I had it back pre-wreck but I wish even more I had the 10th Anniversary T/A back.
Actually the original Formula in 1970 was marketed as the straight line performance version of the Firebird. It had all of the Trans Am engines available and a fiberglass hood to reduce front end weight and a softer standard suspension. It was marketed that way all throughout the 2nd generation. The '87 up Formulas had the WS6 suspension standard and we all know it was the king of the twisty turnies. I think you are right that it was more marketed as cheaper Trans Am and not a drag Firebird. I would buy another '87 Formula today in a heartbeat if I found a really nice one. I don't care about being the fastest car on the road anymore and they were performance cars and fun to drive anyway.
I bought a new ‘90 GT in 1989 (automatic). Beautiful car. Sold it 6 months later for a new ‘90 LX 5.0L notchback manual. A few years later, with some mods, running 11.7et @124mph (emissions legal, daily driven, A/C). That car went like a raped ape. In stock form the GT auto vs the LX 5.0L M5 was night and day, the 5.0L was a super fun car. The Pontiac Firebird Formula 350 of this period was drop dead gorgeous and not slow. But the LX 5.0L’s were always on top, if stick.
@@jjs777fzr well said an true. The Formulas were awesome bk then indeed. Had an 89 Stang GT 5.0 auto (saleen parts & chipped) cause my parents wouldnt let me get the manual. Lol. I raced that GT 5.0 every wknd in NJ. I still only buy /drive Fords to this day cause of how incredible that car was. I have an 04 Stang SVT Cobra an daily drive an '18 F150 Platinum FX4 EcoBoost. Blue Oval.
My old man has an 89 formula 305 5 speed in Maui blue with black interior and T tops so I sent him this video. He’s watched it 5 times in the last 2 days, I think he’s in firebird heaven!
So glad to see this post, I had 2 Firebirds, both were white 1987's, 1 was a Formula, the other was a TransAm. Loved those cars. Some of my best memories are directly related to both.
A friend of mine, who keeps up with the collector car market, told me that the 3rd generation Formula and Trans-Am had become the hottest most sought after American car in Japan as well as in other parts of Asia. Prices there were $5,000 to $10,000 higher than what the car would bring here.
@@CaptainFALKEN I disagree. I thought 80s cars were awesome! I would've loved to have owned either a Ford Mustang GT, a C4 Corvette, or a Pontiac Firebird Formula. I was in elementary school during that time, and way too young to drive one. I couldn't afford the money If I wanted to anyway.
Makes me want to find a new wrecked vet at the salvage yard and get motor , computer, transmission and rear end for my 89 Formula and add sub frame connectors.
As far as the difference between the Trans Am and Formula of that vintage, you illustrated what I thought back when I was a teenager! I couldn't understand why GM wanted so much more for a ground effects kit, TA logos, etc. While the lower priced Formula had a much bigger engine and higher performance. Thank you for proving my sanity back in the 1980s.
My Dad had one of these when I was a kid. I absolutely loved that car. It was one of the best styled cars of the day for sure. Back in the day through when I got my license, I picked up the Mustang 5.0- The local Ford dealer was giving them away then and I could easily afford a brand new one as a bussboy in High School. But today I'd go right for a C4 TPI vette or a 5.7 F body Pontiac.
The third gen Firebirds are great looking and performing American muscle cars... very fun to drive.. I currently own a 1989 formula 350 t -top in Maui blue and one in black also and I throughly enjoy the cars. 🇺🇸
My neighbor had an 87 T/A in the blue with grey 2 tone, 5.0 tpi with 5 speed. It got stolen.... After that he bought a red 91 Formula with the same engine and trans, but WS6 package. He said that car was 'noticeably faster' . Since it was his daily, by 2003 it was getting pretty rusty, and he traded in for a (gulp) Trailblazer. Still some of my favorite Ponchos!
Credit was hard to come by back then. In 88, I was 23 and didn't have bad credit, but I had NO credit. Despite being on my job a couple years, no one would touch me (even with a couple grand down). I tried to buy an LX5.0 coupe and get turned down. The way they throw credit around now days, they would have sold the sheit out of cars like these.
Yeah but the way theyre giving ppl credit nowdays is the reason the global economic collapse happened back in 08. So in perspective its good they didnt give ypu credit back them cus if they would they would of given it to much less applicable ppl
@@1MaxxRPM well i have always paid my bills on time too even paid my bills instead of buying food and guess what. Its done absolutely nothing to help me build credit. Nothing at all. You have to have money to get credit. Plain and simple.
@@steerwheelholder6060 No, easy credit was not the main issue, It was the unregulated selling of credit default swaps and the bundling and selling of high risk home loans with low risk home loans that caused the problem. There are a huge number of videos here on TH-cam explaining the problem, PBS and Frontline have a god number of videos. Two good ones are "The Big E" and "The Smartest Men in the Room". Both are about Enron, not exactly about the 2008 problem.
I bought my 1989 Formula in December, 1988. Loved that car. Out of all the cars I have had, this was my favorite. I've had a '78 Z-28, 85 Firebird, the 89 Formula, and a 99 Trans Am.
This was really cool to watch. My first car was a black 89 T-top firebird formula 350. The exact car I wanted my brother found for me in the newspaper. Bought it at 18 and at 35 I still have it.
Great informative video! Every time you show the Black Formula 350 it reminds me of my first car! And almost 19 years later I still own it and still runs great! Thank you!
When I was a kid my mom's friend Dawn had a formula firebird black with the orange and silver lower stripes for years and years. I've always been in love with that car and it's been gone for decades
In 1990, the Trans Am's base engine was upgraded to the TPI V8 with 205hp without the performance package, 230 with. The Firebird V8 and base Formula engine was the L03. I have all the dealer brochures for 3rd gens :D
I agree. 8.8 rear end with no torque arm. Lots of Ford Motorsport and aftermarket support for the 5.0 HO. I can see how the Formula may possibly be a better all around car with better suspension and brakes, but for straight line acceleration LX 5.0 FTW.
@@sbf_fox2434 I agree with you on the straight line. The mustang was designed better for straight line duties. I believe it's due to the shorter wheel base and body length. Plus the location of the engine was probably more closer to the firewall to help distribute weight. The formula was originally to combat the mustang at the strip while the trans am was the road course expert. What made the 3rd gen bird (and 'maro) line interesting was that the strut towers were adjustable for camber setups. Making the f body car a natural selection for racing either at the strip or at the road courses.
My uncle still drives his high school 89 firebird formula as his daily ever since then, he is rich Af and has only bought his wife a new car. It amazes me it has been his daily car since senior year in High School. I have know idea how many miles it has, but he takes care of it, never wrecked, its been broken into just to steal the stereo thats about it and it still rides like a new car, so smooth and powerful 350 5.7 V8 is bullet proof
I had a 89 Formula 350 back in 1990 and loved that car. They had fairly decent performance in stock form but the best thing about them was they were easy and fairly affordable to wake up the 5.7L and get it over 350hp. heads, cam, larger throttle body and reprograming of the PCM were the go to mods for most guys
Very meaty and informative vid, Kevin. Tho’ I chanced on a low mileage 79 TransAm here in U.K., I always had soft-spot for Formula from their inception in early ‘70’s. This vid really extended my poor knowledge beyond 70-81 F-body - many thanks for this episode!
had a 91 GTA and always regreted selling it 25 years ago. Finally just found another one owner 91 GTA with t tops and original 66 thousand miles, always stored indoors! talk about mint- like finding a piece of heaven. think its in better shape than my first one. also have a 1980 TA.
God....I wanted one of those Formula 350s!!!! Had a poster on my wall of a black one next to the poster of a 1970 Chevelle 454 in green with white stripes. I was only 14 at the time,so I did a lot of wishful thinking... LOL Great video!!!
$50K was a lot for the Firehawk. The Japanese were getting serious about performance then and both the twin turbo Z and 3000GT/Dodge Stealth were way cheaper. The Mitsubishi built turbo cars had AWD as well. Firehawk was a bargain compared to the ZR1 of the time.
Love this video.. I currently have a 1982 Pontiac Trans Am with the 305 cross fire fuel injection.. during this time horse power was at the lowest. Mine is basically the Knight Rider car.. with the fiber glass front end.. need to put in the scanner and the fog lights.. but need a nice paint job to finish off my car.
You bought the LX Mustang notchback with the 5 liter for Police use or to turn into a dragstrip car. You still see lots of those on the strip. Not too many people were willing to tear out all the sound deadening, interior and options of a Formula Firebird or a fully loaded GT stang for racing purposes. The major problem with the Formula and the GT were the higher insurance rates - you didn't get that higher rate with a Mustang LX even with the 5 liter. You could also get the Buick Regal with the turbo V6 without any performance stickers and fake scoops. A little tweaking here and there and you're running with the big dogs of the day. Also could get a turbo Dodge Daytona hatchback without the stickers and fake scoops for pretty cheap - a little tweaking and you're running 7 seconds zero to sixty easy.
Ive seen dyno numbers around 370-372 range. The HP was always underrated on them. Never seen dyno numbers for the 366 rodock engines though in the last 4 Firehawks but slp rated it 375 HP which is probably low as well.
@@91TransAmKid , yeah I read a few articles on the 1991 Firehawk saying HP @ the crank was more in the 450hp range and some of the articles are from quite a few years ago. I haven't seen a Firehawk in a long time.
I had a 1990 Trans Am GTA. Driving it always brought a smile to my face but I definitely had a Lemon. The heater core was replaced along with the carpet. Drivers seat leather completely cracked and peeled in the first year-also replaced. Computer crapped out-replaced. Lots of squeaks and rattles. Missing rear suspension parts(sway bar) Car spent a lot of its first year in the shop.
You mention the wheel and tire size in the video. The Formula with WS6 had a larger wheel and tire in the back than it had in the front. I'm not sure about the Non-WS6 cars. I ordered a 1989 Formula 350 from GM military sales. Among the options I checked were 350 C.I. V8, WS6 suspension package, and dual catalytic converter exhaust (I believe a one-cat exhaust was standard). As stated in the video, the 4-speed automatic trans was the only transmission option with the 350.
I bought my first firebird on a wednesday night,in the rain from a girl in a wet t-shirt that worked at a small used car lot outside of schofield army base...every mistake a 20 year old dishwasher could make when buying a car!
Thanks. Cool video. Me & my buddy just picked up an 88 GTA with a 5.0 TPI 5 speed. But being in Canada, the salty winters have beat the old girl pretty bad. The old GTA needs some TLC.
I always liked that the rear seats were pretty much actual buckets. I also always liked this body style. Actually when I think about it...I like every single body style of the Trans Am.
@@steviedee71 Hi Bro The f bodies were way better built and out handled any mustang of that day. Fact and looked better too! 😎 Did you ever race a turbo TA with the grand national motor from Buick?
@@steviedee71 No you didn't, and a Turbo Trans Am with the Grand National GNX 3.8L Turbo Engine was WAY Faster and in a Totally Different League than your Mustang Sorry !
@@steviedee71 same here...I use to smoke those Iroc-Z's and Trans Am's and Firebird's with those 5.7 liters in my Mustang 5.0 Notchback all night long those was the days here in Detroit
In the early 90’s me and my friends would street race. We’d also swap cars for a wknd some times. When me and my friend swapped my 90 LX 5.0L 5spd for his 1988 Formula 350 I love it! I got so many looks from girls driving his Firebird. It was night and day. I loved the handling and power of the 350. It was never as quick as my Mustang stock for stock (except exhaust). Also loved driving the firebird and seeing the hood scoop. Was a really nice car to drive.
What a wonderful video (as per usual from you). Great details about this great late '80's/early 90's 'pony' car. Thank you. The Formula was a gem...I actually owned a loaded, all black, '87, 5.0l TPI, 5 spd. (bought it used in 1993). I MUCH preferred the subtle looks of the Formula (compared to the over-the-top looks of the Trans Am). I really enjoyed it. Watching your video made me miss it all the more.
Bought one of the first 1987 Formula 350's in my area. Really enjoyed that car and it was a blast to drive. Hated to sell it but needed a truck for business.
My '67 E-type with twin-cam, aluminum head, triple-carb, straight-six hemi, with independent rear suspension, had 260 horses, went 150 mph, and produced 20+ mpg.
I miss my 1986 TA I had when I was 17 bake in 1998. I also had a 1989 FB that was a 2.8 V-6. But it only had 26 grand for miles. It also had the TA bumper and was white with tan intier with t tops. It was all show and no go. But looked like the 3.8 turbo. The 86 had 100100 miles and was beat up. But I more fun with the red one. And late at night in the wooded highways of PA with less ppl out at 2 am. If you gave it road, you could go over 140 mph. It just took time. The handling of these cars makes them shine. I will get another. ty for your videos. I love watching and listing to you talk. Reminds me of a video that would have been made the the company that made the car. And you are reading from their scripted. However, you know this stuff in your mind. :)
When I was 19 I test drove a white '88 Trans Am GTA. It was in mint condition and had every option including T-tops, digital dash, gray leather interior...you name it it had it. The dealer wouldn't drop the price down to what my bank would finance so I ended up settling for an '88 Mustang LX "CHP" car but man I really wanted that Trans Am.
You know what GM car had awful looking wheels back then … Grand National. They look like Buick Riviera wheels. The T-Type wheels were better looking. Also the early Monte SS wheels were nothing to look at, but the later alloy wheels that looked like late 2nd generation Camaro wheels were decent. The 1987-1990 Mustang GT turbine wheels were pretty awful too.
I love the gen 3 F bodies. I liked the trans am and Z28. The formula holds a special place though, because they aren't trans ams. Formula sounds cool as a word. The gen 2 had the cool hoods, the gen 3 had that greasy slick look. I stopped looking at 130 mph in a 95 formula.
Thanks for posting this video. I took delivery of my black 1989 Formula 350 in November of '88. Everyone in my area had Mustang GT/LX 5.0's, Iroc-Z's and Trans-Am/GTA's back then. I wanted something fast and affordable but different than the plain LX 5.0.
Thankfully I still have the car today.
Iroc looks cooler but formula is faster
A coworker bought a blue Firebird Formula in the fall of '87. It was the first car I had ever seen with massive SIXTEEN inch wheels.
Lol. yep 16 inch wheels were HUGE. And then the Vette upped the ante to 17s lol.
Back in 1988, I ordered a 305 TPI Formula, 5 speed, light blue metallic with 2-tone delete and a subwoofer. Sticker was just above 16k. Best looking car and I regret selling it!
Had one of these in college. Great memories. My daughter used it in her high school years. In her yearbook everyone mentions her cool car. She and her friends still thank me to this day.
You're such an amazing daddy 🤟🔥
Thanks so much for highlighting this model. I owned an all black 1990 Formula (short model year run) for 10 years and wish I still had it. Mine was the 5.0 TPI 5 speed model which made it even more rare. The great thing about the TPI/5 speed option was that it included the N10 dual cat exhaust, GU6/G80 3.42 limited slip rear, KC4 engine oil cooler, and J65 4 wheel disk brakes. And of course it had the awesome WS6 handling package like all Formulas. These cars were capable of high 14 quarter mile times right out of the box. Mine had a lot of popular bolt ons at the time and ran a 14 flat at almost 100 mph. It was truly an LX 5.0 fighter and a great looking car.
I have owned my 1989 Formula 350 for twenty five years. This was a fantastic history you prepared. Thanks for the great video. I have downloaded and saved this for my archives.
You arent from SC are you?
@Rabbi Schlomo I'll pass on that. I cant drink anyway (chronic pancreatitis). I just was wondering if you were a guy around here in the hartsville area that has an 89 factoty black GTA that is a show car and I've raced him a few times when I still had the 305 in it. W7 nord of my build spread around real quick and he want about to go that mjvj to his GTA so he bought a square body s10 blazer with s very similar build. Honestly I think the only differences were his world products heads vs my dart iron eagles.
xKmotx awesome! My dad just got his 89 formula a few years back, completely rust free and 1 owner, he plans on keeping it for good.
I also have a red 1989 350 with 43k miles I've owned it for over 20 years I'll never get rid of it...
We love these cars because they are fun in cool looking, not because they are the fasted cars made.
I have a 80's Trans Am in excellent condition and I get so many looks and questions when I drive it. So many people don't even know what it is and since it is in great condition, they don't realize it's an old car. A lot of people think it's an expensive, exotic foreign car.
If you have one of these cars in good condition, you will have a lot of fun.
in which country? we had the same experience in europe, but i'd assume in the US these cars are largely invisible.
Some day I would like to get a 79. I have a 2001 ws6, I thoroughly enjoy it!! They do look cool!!
William Schwartz nice! The GTAs look so tough! Maybe some day I'll have one or a iroc z.
William Schwartz nice! I have a 2001 ws6 6 speed now. You should LS yours!!
William Schwartz thanks I really enjoy it. I really like the GTA also. TH-cam Chevy Camaro from Detroit speed.
And the best looking. God I miss mine. A 16 yr old kid with a formula 350. Good times!
I had a 91 5.7 Formula, it was a wonderful car. My new wife and I drove it from New Jersey to Los Angeles towing a trailer with all our belongings in it. It was flawless. Great video, thanks for sharing.
So what happened to it??
Marco Lopez sold it to a friend in California
People forget that in the 80's/90's, 0-60 in 8 seconds was considered quick, and anything under 7 seconds was considered a real screamer. Nowadays there are pickup trucks and even Tauruses that will hit 0-60 in around 6 seconds. In it's day, the Formula was highly respected.
Keep in mind these cars were about torque. They only had around 240hp, but they were very lively and good light to light. I had a '91 Formula 350 1LE and it was pretty quick, but we're talking very low 14s here around 96mph. It also was about 150lbs lighter than a regular Formula. A Cobalt SS could beat that more than a few years ago. Nevertheless, for its time it was fast, got good mileage, and was fun to drive.
the 2018 toyota camry xse-v6 model. 29/41mpg 0-60 in 5.8 sec. 301 HP. 136mph top speed. tested by CAR AND DRIVER.
Maximus Areilius So?
@@davefinfrock3324 240 HP out of a small block v8 was right below a corvette back then, which was amazing in the 80's. You're comparing a 40 year old/20th car to a 21st century car. Of course it's going to get better performance. I have a v6 camaro that pushes over 300 hp, which would smoke most of the v8 f-bodies of the time, but FAST nowadays is in the 600+ HP range.
@@gozinta82 The L98 for much of its tenure was rated 245hp for the coupe and 240 for the convertible. The L98 topped out at 255, I think in its last year. All of them were around 330ft/lbs torque.Then the LT1 came out in '92 and things escalated quickly.
I HAD A 1988 FORMULA 350 AND MAN IT WOULD SCREAM! I LOVED THAT CAR!!!!!!!!
I had one and LOVED it. Formula's also had the Borg Warner 9 bolt diff with rear disk. Mine did anyway. It always went faster than any of my friends expected it to.
My Dad bought mom a white 1988 white Formula 305 HO. Fully loaded. Never forget that smell as soon as it rolled out of Red Mcombs Pontiac San Antonio. Foever engrained in my mind.
i owned two of these, a '87 formula 350 & a '91 formula 350. i absolutely loved them both.
My dad had a '89 Formula with the 305 HO with all of the SLP upgrades and a 5 speed. Ah the memories. Such a fun car.
cool story....
I just absolutely love this generation of firebirds. I own a 1983 Trans Am and have just loved these cars since I can remember.
Every time I watch this video, I get even more motivated to keep restoring my 88 formula. It’s my favorite firebird model and at 31 yrs old, that car is driven daily and still has it where it counts. Awesome video!
My Formula 350 has pretty much ruined me on newer cars. It's everything I need!
I agree
Don't blame you one bit my friend! You know something good when you see it. Congratulations on your common sense.
I have an 89 formula 350. 93000 original miles and 100% rust free never crashed or restored in any way. The only bad is that the clearcoat is starting to peel across the t bar roof. I don't care for anything newer either.
Ruining it? Thats called living the dream. The Formula 350 was always my favorite! Always got girls looking whenever I swapped cars for the wknd with my buddy Chris in NH during the early 90’s with my LX 5.0L. No comparison in looks. The Formula was probably the best handling car for that period next to the Corvette.
I owned a black 87 formula 350 auto back in the mid 90's for about 6 years and i loved it .
Purchased it from the original owner in Australia and he'd had it converted to righ hand drive , it only had 39k miles on it and i think i did about 4 thousand miles in it in 6 years i owned it it was a true Pontiac love affair.
Thank you for the great video.
The 92 formula was one first cars i ever drove as a kid, don't underestimate how great the suspension was in this car had a w handling package, you could take sharp turns very fast
I had a 1991 firebird with a 305ci v8 that looked pretty sweet & a 1999 v6 firebird, both red. Have always loved the firebird look.. both inside & out 😎👍
I just inherited an 86 firebird with the 2.8 mpfi & a 4 speed from my late father....so I'm gonna make him so proud & do a restoration on it from the ground up...to the best of my knowledge & abilities...make it a father & son project...with the help of my wife, mother & best friend
I am repairing one. A 1989 firebird formula got it for 400 dollars.
Awesome I got an 88 for 575
What? In my area these things are like late 60's mopar was in the early 2000's. Anything I could certify for the road and still has an interior I'm looking at at least $5000. Many that are good condition but high mileage are well over $10k
see if it has a borg warner 9 bolt diff
Woah! Congrats!
Whatever you got. It was a STEAL. For that price. KEEP her running!
I had a white '89 Formula 350, I loved the car. I ran it down the quarter mile many times and in all stock form I ran a best time of 14:40 at 96 mph.
My 87 Iroc-Z 5.7 went 14.6 all stock, except for the air filter boxes were gutted
Yeah, that's about where I was with mine. I had a few! Great performance for those days!
I had a 87 Formula 350. Red/grey/T-tops. Gold Enkeis with 245/50/ZR16S BF Goodrich tires. It had the 140mph speedometer. Loved that car. Wrapped it around a tree racing a 350 IROC.
I remember my 1984 TA had a 5 speed and I believe 190hp 305. Its amazing to think the 2018 Camry v6 has 300 hp & gets 24 mpg city and 30 plus on the hwy.
But it's still a Camry
I drove all this cars when I worked for Van Chevrolet back in the early 90’s used car lot. These cars were NOT slow! They had an unreal amount of low end torque and had traction issues with the hard Goodyear tires. Believe me they were raw and they were fast/fun!
I have an 87 Trans Am with the 350 TPI in it and if you put that thing down to the floor you're going to take off in a hurry and nine times out of 10 you're not going to be straight while you do it. It's very impressive for a 30 year old chunk of iron.
I bought an '87 Formula 350 brand new. I went from a '79 10th Anniversary T/A with a 400/4 speed to the Formula. My other car was a '69 GTO with a '70 455 that was built. I still have the GTO. I guess it's all about perspective but I was truly disappointed with the 350 TPI. I got beat by every 5.0 Mustang and Buick GN I came up against. I even raced my buddy with his '87 IROC 305 and we stayed neck and neck from 20 to about 80. The engine looked really impressive and I guess for a small block maybe it was torquey, but I always wanted more out of it than I got. It did handle and brake excellently and for a 19 year old kid it was a really great car. A drunk driver rear ended it in December of 1989 and totaled it. It had 21k miles and was in perfect condition. I would even wash the undercarriage at the carwash every week and kept it immaculate. I wish I had it back pre-wreck but I wish even more I had the 10th Anniversary T/A back.
Actually the original Formula in 1970 was marketed as the straight line performance version of the Firebird. It had all of the Trans Am engines available and a fiberglass hood to reduce front end weight and a softer standard suspension. It was marketed that way all throughout the 2nd generation. The '87 up Formulas had the WS6 suspension standard and we all know it was the king of the twisty turnies. I think you are right that it was more marketed as cheaper Trans Am and not a drag Firebird. I would buy another '87 Formula today in a heartbeat if I found a really nice one. I don't care about being the fastest car on the road anymore and they were performance cars and fun to drive anyway.
@CC Ryder same here! :-)
My first car since I was 14 years old...it's still in my back yard🤠💪🤠🤜👊🤛🤟😀😁
Just bought a Black 91 Firebird Formula as my first car and I love it
Great video! I used to have an 87 Firebird w/ t-tops, automatic 5 speed. It was SUPER FAST! Thank you!
I remember the 80s Mustang 5.0 LX was actually faster than the GT due to it being lighter.
It was
Yes, Slightly Faster, a Tenth or 2 Tenths .1 or .2sec in the Quarter Mile due to weight. Same Power Train tho.
I bought a new ‘90 GT in 1989 (automatic). Beautiful car. Sold it 6 months later for a new ‘90 LX 5.0L notchback manual. A few years later, with some mods, running 11.7et @124mph (emissions legal, daily driven, A/C). That car went like a raped ape. In stock form the GT auto vs the LX 5.0L M5 was night and day, the 5.0L was a super fun car. The Pontiac Firebird Formula 350 of this period was drop dead gorgeous and not slow. But the LX 5.0L’s were always on top, if stick.
Not by much if at all. I had an 89 Stang GT 5.0
@@jjs777fzr well said an true. The Formulas were awesome bk then indeed. Had an 89 Stang GT 5.0 auto (saleen parts & chipped) cause my parents wouldnt let me get the manual. Lol. I raced that GT 5.0 every wknd in NJ. I still only buy /drive Fords to this day cause of how incredible that car was. I have an 04 Stang SVT Cobra an daily drive an '18 F150 Platinum FX4 EcoBoost. Blue Oval.
Proud original owner of a 1989 Firebird Formula 350. I still love this car 32 years later.
My old man has an 89 formula 305 5 speed in Maui blue with black interior and T tops so I sent him this video. He’s watched it 5 times in the last 2 days, I think he’s in firebird heaven!
So glad to see this post, I had 2 Firebirds, both were white 1987's, 1 was a Formula, the other was a TransAm. Loved those cars. Some of my best memories are directly related to both.
I always loved those cars my uncle had one when I was in high school and I had the pleasure of driving it a bit.
A friend of mine, who keeps up with the collector car market, told me that the 3rd generation Formula and Trans-Am had become the hottest most sought after American car in Japan as well as in other parts of Asia. Prices there were $5,000 to $10,000 higher than what the car would bring here.
I remember the Pontiac Firebird Formula. It's probably the best looking Firebird I'd seen of this generation.
Agreed.
Agreed
Disagreed. 80s suck
@@CaptainFALKEN I disagree. I thought 80s cars were awesome! I would've loved to have owned either a Ford Mustang GT, a C4 Corvette, or a Pontiac Firebird Formula. I was in elementary school during that time, and way too young to drive one. I couldn't afford the money If I wanted to anyway.
Blows my mind, now I have a 727HP Mustang in my garage that can be daily driven. Man power has come a long way
Makes me want to find a new wrecked vet at the salvage yard and get motor , computer, transmission and rear end for my 89 Formula and add sub frame connectors.
As far as the difference between the Trans Am and Formula of that vintage, you illustrated what I thought back when I was a teenager! I couldn't understand why GM wanted so much more for a ground effects kit, TA logos, etc. While the lower priced Formula had a much bigger engine and higher performance. Thank you for proving my sanity back in the 1980s.
I think you have your facts crossed. GTA came with a 350. Formula came with a 305.
@@phukfone8428 GTAs also came with the 305...
My Dad had one of these when I was a kid. I absolutely loved that car. It was one of the best styled cars of the day for sure. Back in the day through when I got my license, I picked up the Mustang 5.0- The local Ford dealer was giving them away then and I could easily afford a brand new one as a bussboy in High School. But today I'd go right for a C4 TPI vette or a 5.7 F body Pontiac.
bought my son a 90 Firebird formula t-tops red I forgot how fun these cards really were
The third gen Firebirds are great looking and performing American muscle cars... very fun to drive.. I currently own a 1989 formula 350 t -top in Maui blue and one in black also and I throughly enjoy the cars.
🇺🇸
I had an 88 Formula 350 and with a few small tweaks, I only lost one drag race...That was to a 1970 Chevelle! Good Video!
My neighbor had an 87 T/A in the blue with grey 2 tone, 5.0 tpi with 5 speed. It got stolen.... After that he bought a red 91 Formula with the same engine and trans, but WS6 package. He said that car was 'noticeably faster' . Since it was his daily, by 2003 it was getting pretty rusty, and he traded in for a (gulp) Trailblazer. Still some of my favorite Ponchos!
Credit was hard to come by back then. In 88, I was 23 and didn't have bad credit, but I had NO credit. Despite being on my job a couple years, no one would touch me (even with a couple grand down). I tried to buy an LX5.0 coupe and get turned down. The way they throw credit around now days, they would have sold the sheit out of cars like these.
Yeah but the way theyre giving ppl credit nowdays is the reason the global economic collapse happened back in 08. So in perspective its good they didnt give ypu credit back them cus if they would they would of given it to much less applicable ppl
Well, your post really don't apply to people like me because I have always paid my bills but I think I know what you were trying to say.
Yep. I remember them advertising 9.9% and 8.9% financing like it was the most amazing thing ever.
@@1MaxxRPM well i have always paid my bills on time too even paid my bills instead of buying food and guess what. Its done absolutely nothing to help me build credit. Nothing at all. You have to have money to get credit. Plain and simple.
@@steerwheelholder6060 No, easy credit was not the main issue, It was the unregulated selling of credit default swaps and the bundling and selling of high risk home loans with low risk home loans that caused the problem. There are a huge number of videos here on TH-cam explaining the problem, PBS and Frontline have a god number of videos. Two good ones are "The Big E" and "The Smartest Men in the Room". Both are about Enron, not exactly about the 2008 problem.
great video, i had 3 TA'S ,79 400 4SPD, 85 305 TPI (1ST year for TPI) 96 350 LT1 6SPD. loved all of them.
How did the 305 tpi compare to the 79 ? Which had more guts?
I bought my 1989 Formula in December, 1988. Loved that car. Out of all the cars I have had, this was my favorite. I've had a '78 Z-28, 85 Firebird, the 89 Formula, and a 99 Trans Am.
I had an ‘89 Formula 350...loved it. Needed a 5-speed though
Strange how GM never put the T5 in a 5.7
@@lonmcq7317 I have one in my 351w swapped 1985 Mustang. I don't power shift it and it has been holding up well so far.
My father bought a silver 87 new. Fantastic car.
Loved my 91 Formula 350 I had it was Red with gray cloth
This was really cool to watch. My first car was a black 89 T-top firebird formula 350. The exact car I wanted my brother found for me in the newspaper. Bought it at 18 and at 35 I still have it.
Great informative video! Every time you show the Black Formula 350 it reminds me of my first car! And almost 19 years later I still own it and still runs great! Thank you!
When I was a kid my mom's friend Dawn had a formula firebird black with the orange and silver lower stripes for years and years. I've always been in love with that car and it's been gone for decades
In 1990, the Trans Am's base engine was upgraded to the TPI V8 with 205hp without the performance package, 230 with. The Firebird V8 and base Formula engine was the L03. I have all the dealer brochures for 3rd gens :D
I didn't watch the video, but as a GM guy the LX 5.0 is the best bargain of the 80s.
I agree. 8.8 rear end with no torque arm. Lots of Ford Motorsport and aftermarket support for the 5.0 HO.
I can see how the Formula may possibly be a better all around car with better suspension and brakes, but for straight line acceleration LX 5.0 FTW.
@@sbf_fox2434 I agree with you on the straight line. The mustang was designed better for straight line duties. I believe it's due to the shorter wheel base and body length. Plus the location of the engine was probably more closer to the firewall to help distribute weight. The formula was originally to combat the mustang at the strip while the trans am was the road course expert. What made the 3rd gen bird (and 'maro) line interesting was that the strut towers were adjustable for camber setups. Making the f body car a natural selection for racing either at the strip or at the road courses.
My uncle still drives his high school 89 firebird formula as his daily ever since then, he is rich Af and has only bought his wife a new car. It amazes me it has been his daily car since senior year in High School. I have know idea how many miles it has, but he takes care of it, never wrecked, its been broken into just to steal the stereo thats about it and it still rides like a new car, so smooth and powerful 350 5.7 V8 is bullet proof
I love your videos. Extremely detailed and very well done. Keep up the great work.
I had a 89 Formula 350 back in 1990 and loved that car. They had fairly decent performance in stock form but the best thing about them was they were easy and fairly affordable to wake up the 5.7L and get it over 350hp. heads, cam, larger throttle body and reprograming of the PCM were the go to mods for most guys
Very meaty and informative vid, Kevin. Tho’ I chanced on a low mileage 79 TransAm here in U.K., I always had soft-spot for Formula from their inception in early ‘70’s. This vid really extended my poor knowledge beyond 70-81 F-body - many thanks for this episode!
Ford also had the SVO mustangs from 84-86. Mercury had Capris with 5 liters too.
Why do idiots like you always make irrelevant comments?
@@GT5DAN
But, the SVO is wicked!
had a 91 GTA and always regreted selling it 25 years ago. Finally just found another one owner 91 GTA with t tops and original 66 thousand miles, always stored indoors! talk about mint- like finding a piece of heaven. think its in better shape than my first one.
also have a 1980 TA.
I had an 89 Formula 350. Best, most fun car I ever owned. Had it for 7 years. Never owned any car longer then that.
God....I wanted one of those Formula 350s!!!! Had a poster on my wall of a black one next to the poster of a 1970 Chevelle 454 in green with white stripes. I was only 14 at the time,so I did a lot of wishful thinking... LOL
Great video!!!
Love the third gen firebird and camaro video's you make. Make more please if possible.
Had a great 1989' Formula 🔥 Firebird'.. Nothing short of a good muscle car for the money!
$50K was a lot for the Firehawk. The Japanese were getting serious about performance then and both the twin turbo Z and 3000GT/Dodge Stealth were way cheaper. The Mitsubishi built turbo cars had AWD as well. Firehawk was a bargain compared to the ZR1 of the time.
Love this video.. I currently have a 1982 Pontiac Trans Am with the 305 cross fire fuel injection.. during this time horse power was at the lowest. Mine is basically the Knight Rider car.. with the fiber glass front end.. need to put in the scanner and the fog lights.. but need a nice paint job to finish off my car.
Very cool always loved the Pontiac Firebird formula and Trans am, but could never afford it
I had a 90 red formula for a bunch of years, loved it and i kept it perfectly clean...was a fun car
My buddy had had a burnt orange z28 with a 5.7 liter automatic. It was quick. The auto was awesome. Great car optioned out that way. So much fun.
You bought the LX Mustang notchback with the 5 liter for Police use or to turn into a dragstrip car. You still see lots of those on the strip. Not too many people were willing to tear out all the sound deadening, interior and options of a Formula Firebird or a fully loaded GT stang for racing purposes.
The major problem with the Formula and the GT were the higher insurance rates - you didn't get that higher rate with a Mustang LX even with the 5 liter.
You could also get the Buick Regal with the turbo V6 without any performance stickers and fake scoops. A little tweaking here and there and you're running with the big dogs of the day.
Also could get a turbo Dodge Daytona hatchback without the stickers and fake scoops for pretty cheap - a little tweaking and you're running 7 seconds zero to sixty easy.
1991 Firehawk was way underrated in the HP department ..
Ive seen dyno numbers around 370-372 range. The HP was always underrated on them. Never seen dyno numbers for the 366 rodock engines though in the last 4 Firehawks but slp rated it 375 HP which is probably low as well.
@@91TransAmKid , yeah I read a few articles on the 1991 Firehawk saying HP @ the crank was more in the 450hp range and some of the articles are from quite a few years ago. I haven't seen a Firehawk in a long time.
I had a 1990 Trans Am GTA. Driving it always brought a smile to my face but I definitely had a Lemon.
The heater core was replaced along with the carpet. Drivers seat leather completely cracked and peeled in the first year-also replaced. Computer crapped out-replaced. Lots of squeaks and rattles. Missing rear suspension parts(sway bar) Car spent a lot of its first year in the shop.
Owned both 1989 and 1991 Formulas. The L98 was a beast and the car handled, braked and drove much nicer than my 1989 and 1992 Mustang GTs.
I miss my 89 formula 350 sooo much 😔
Perfect timing! I just bought an 87 Formula with a 305. I appreciate the history and info!
I like how this video is about one particular car but you still give its comparison to its main competition
great job on the video, the formulas had a very clean and beautiful styling.
My friend and I ran around the riverside area in the early 90s in one of these. Really fun to drive and pick up girls in. Miss them days.
You mention the wheel and tire size in the video. The Formula with WS6 had a larger wheel and tire in the back than it had in the front. I'm not sure about the Non-WS6 cars.
I ordered a 1989 Formula 350 from GM military sales. Among the options I checked were 350 C.I. V8, WS6 suspension package, and dual catalytic converter exhaust (I believe a one-cat exhaust was standard). As stated in the video, the 4-speed automatic trans was the only transmission option with the 350.
Already enjoy your videos thanks you for the sharing this info
I bought my first firebird on a wednesday night,in the rain from a girl in a wet t-shirt that worked at a small used car lot outside of schofield army base...every mistake a 20 year old dishwasher could make when buying a car!
My first car was a 87 Formula ws6 and it is still one of the sexiest cars I have seen.
Yup they sure are. 😍🤩
I saw a couple of Firehawks on the road back in the day. A rare sight indeed.
Thanks. Cool video. Me & my buddy just picked up an 88 GTA with a 5.0 TPI 5 speed. But being in Canada, the salty winters have beat the old girl pretty bad. The old GTA needs some TLC.
I always liked that the rear seats were pretty much actual buckets. I also always liked this body style. Actually when I think about it...I like every single body style of the Trans Am.
The anniversary 1989 turbo GTA is my fave of these birds for 3rd gens but the formula was a looker and a sleeper bird for sure.
Clem Mahabir I used to destroy GTA’s in my 5.0 LX notch back lol but ya GTA’s were a beautiful car.
@@steviedee71
Hi Bro
The f bodies were way better built and out handled any mustang of that day. Fact and looked better too! 😎
Did you ever race a turbo TA with the grand national motor from Buick?
@@steviedee71 no you didnt
@@steviedee71 No you didn't, and a Turbo Trans Am with the Grand National GNX 3.8L Turbo Engine was WAY Faster and in a Totally Different League than your Mustang Sorry !
@@steviedee71 same here...I use to smoke those Iroc-Z's and Trans Am's and Firebird's with those 5.7 liters in my Mustang 5.0 Notchback all night long those was the days here in Detroit
I remember the Firehawk in the press at the time. A true Legend car. Are they all accounted for almost 30 years later? I would assume Leno has one.
One of the owners of Hawks Motorsports has one.
In the early 90’s me and my friends would street race. We’d also swap cars for a wknd some times. When me and my friend swapped my 90 LX 5.0L 5spd for his 1988 Formula 350 I love it! I got so many looks from girls driving his Firebird. It was night and day. I loved the handling and power of the 350. It was never as quick as my Mustang stock for stock (except exhaust). Also loved driving the firebird and seeing the hood scoop. Was a really nice car to drive.
What a wonderful video (as per usual from you). Great details about this great late '80's/early 90's 'pony' car. Thank you.
The Formula was a gem...I actually owned a loaded, all black, '87, 5.0l TPI, 5 spd. (bought it used in 1993). I MUCH preferred the subtle looks of the Formula (compared to the over-the-top looks of the Trans Am). I really enjoyed it.
Watching your video made me miss it all the more.
Bought one of the first 1987 Formula 350's in my area. Really enjoyed that car and it was a blast to drive. Hated to sell it but needed a truck for business.
My '67 E-type with twin-cam, aluminum head, triple-carb, straight-six hemi, with independent rear suspension, had 260 horses, went 150 mph, and produced 20+ mpg.
I rode in a SLP Firehawk. It was fast but I had no idea, it was 1 of 25!I wonder if the guy still has it?
I miss my 1986 TA I had when I was 17 bake in 1998. I also had a 1989 FB that was a 2.8 V-6. But it only had 26 grand for miles. It also had the TA bumper and was white with tan intier with t tops. It was all show and no go. But looked like the 3.8 turbo. The 86 had 100100 miles and was beat up. But I more fun with the red one. And late at night in the wooded highways of PA with less ppl out at 2 am. If you gave it road, you could go over 140 mph. It just took time. The handling of these cars makes them shine. I will get another. ty for your videos. I love watching and listing to you talk. Reminds me of a video that would have been made the the company that made the car. And you are reading from their scripted. However, you know this stuff in your mind. :)
I had tuned port auto
I had a math teacher who drove a Formula 350. We LOVED that car!
2:46A beautiful 80,s firebird i just love herr design 😍❤
When I was 19 I test drove a white '88 Trans Am GTA. It was in mint condition and had every option including T-tops, digital dash, gray leather interior...you name it it had it. The dealer wouldn't drop the price down to what my bank would finance so I ended up settling for an '88 Mustang LX "CHP" car but man I really wanted that Trans Am.
Those turbo deep dish wheels are the best looking ever fitted from the factory. I love 'em!
You know what GM car had awful looking wheels back then …
Grand National. They look like Buick Riviera wheels. The T-Type wheels were better looking.
Also the early Monte SS wheels were nothing to look at, but the later alloy wheels that looked like late 2nd generation Camaro wheels were decent. The 1987-1990 Mustang GT turbine wheels were pretty awful too.
Traded my truck for a used 82 TA in 86 had lots of fun up here in Alaska with it traded it for another truck. 5 years later good times
I love the gen 3 F bodies. I liked the trans am and Z28. The formula holds a special place though, because they aren't trans ams.
Formula sounds cool as a word. The gen 2 had the cool hoods, the gen 3 had that greasy slick look.
I stopped looking at 130 mph in a 95 formula.
I own an 87 formula 350 and it uses the trans am interior.