1973 Pontiac Firebird Formula 455-SD

[71Dartman440]

Video is of a 70 TA, but does a great job of capturing the sound of that 455's Quadrajet eating up all the air in the neighborhood...

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uf2iugXZOHI"]1970 Trans Am burnout - YouTube[/ame]

[MWNorris]

"X" code cars...
my 73 Formula did come w/ TA scoop, blocked off by riveted plate as did the TA. 3.42s no ac. 3rd owner , Navarro orange I think, came to Arkansas originally. Lighter than TA.
TA 3.08 w/ ac. (they would not factory install even the 3.42s in an air car coming to the south, per a phone call made to the plant at the time it was ordered) 2nd owner still in it's home town...
column shift auto no console, floor shift w/ console was an option then.
both had "plastic" front valence panels (slotted in top against lower bumper vs replacement steel piece slotted in the middle like the 70 1/2 - 72 versions)
had the 313' dur cam low lift, not the 308' ram air 4. had 1.5:1 rockers ran down tight.
Vapor locked like crazy in summer when new.
Did not come w "SD-455" on the TA scoop, lol, had "455" . apparently they did not have the stickers ready when the car was finally built. Someone from Pontiac called and said they could ship it w standard 455 right away or wait 6 months...
didn't one mag jump the gun and name the 73 SD-455 GTO "car of the year"?! and was never built...