My new Formula project!!!!
10-10-2006, 08:44 AM
#1
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Car: 1988 Firebird Formula
Engine: 388 Carb
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 4.10
My new Formula project!!!!
Im pretty excited about this new Firebird. This is my forth Firebird and my first Formula. The person before me owned it for six years and put a ton of work into it, he basically gave up on it b.c of having to rebuild the engine twice and not wanting to do it a third time but this is the perfect oppurtunity for me to build a 383 out of my current 350. Everything else is perfect on it, although i am going to miss shifting through 5 gears... that sure was fun with the 350... What do you guys think??
BTW There is no body damage, with a paintjob less then a year old, this is my first car with a nice paintjob.
BTW There is no body damage, with a paintjob less then a year old, this is my first car with a nice paintjob.
10-10-2006, 09:01 AM
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Car: 1986 Firebird / 1985 Trans-Am
Engine: 305 4BBL / 383 4BBL++
Transmission: 700R4 / 700R4
Axle/Gears: ?.?? / 3.47
Nice car. Where did you take that center picture from, the roof of your house?
10-10-2006, 09:48 AM
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Car: 1988 Firebird Formula
Engine: 388 Carb
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 4.10
Thanks guys, the center picture is from my room on the second floor. When i get a chance to put it in the driveway and go on the roof i will get some better pics, i think our thirdgens look good from all angles, i just forgot to put the rear cover over the junk in the back,
10-10-2006, 11:01 AM
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Car: 84' z28
Engine: Built 350 SB 4 Bolt, Bored .30 Over
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: 3.42
Looks pretty good, the paintjob looks like the best part... what did you pick that up for
10-10-2006, 12:05 PM
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Car: 1988 Firebird Formula
Engine: 388 Carb
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 4.10
I picked it up for $2400, not exaclty the cheapest car i have bought but to me well worth it, the paintjob is the best part...It is practically brand new and rust free. The interior needs a headliner which isnt a big deal, other then that it was redone a few years ago and looks as good as new... which IMO isnt that nice so i will be putting in my 98 TA seats... still debating wether i want to put in my 98 center console... as of now i just want to get the engine done. I really want to do a 5 speed swap with what i have but i am sorta nervous about doing that... espically since the tranny in it was redone 7000 miles ago with reciepts to prove everything. Either way i will be swapping the rear out even though the rear in this was redone along with the tranny at 7000 miles ago, only thing is it isnt a posi unit and it is a 2.73... not exacltly what i want. I have my posi 3.73 to roll on when the time comes.
I emailed the person i bought it from asking about the color and apparently it is the stock Medium Orange Metallic just brand new and without the silver stipe at the bottom... Alot of people arent a fan of this color but i like it auctually. Not sure how i feel about the silver stripe though.
I was wonderng what you guys thought about rebadging it a formula and restriping the bottom silver or should i keep it the way it is?
I emailed the person i bought it from asking about the color and apparently it is the stock Medium Orange Metallic just brand new and without the silver stipe at the bottom... Alot of people arent a fan of this color but i like it auctually. Not sure how i feel about the silver stripe though.
I was wonderng what you guys thought about rebadging it a formula and restriping the bottom silver or should i keep it the way it is?
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10-10-2006, 08:54 PM
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Car: '82 formula clone, 95 saab 900se
Engine: 350 vortec'd tbi, 2.0L turbo
Transmission: 700r4, 5 spd
Axle/Gears: 10 bolt 2.77 open
$2400?!!!! holy crap man guys over here would kill for a car like that for that kind of a deal!. my friend bought a rust free '82 t/a for $2000 but it needed body work, and t-tops, and the paint was more faded than you can imagine
10-10-2006, 09:29 PM
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Car: 1988 Firebird Formula
Engine: 388 Carb
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 4.10
Well, the ONLY downside is it basically needs an engine, after driving for an hour with the A.C on and i come to a stop light the oil pressure goes down to about 10... this engine has a fresh rebuild but apparently they didnt do it right. Bearings???Maybe??? Well anyway, the body alone was worth it to me!!
10-10-2006, 09:56 PM
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Car: 1991 Z28 (sold)
that color is perfect for that car man. it looks so awesome! you should put the 91 nose on there and have "FORMULA 383" going down the side in big letters. drool
10-10-2006, 10:23 PM
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Car: 1988 Firebird Formula
Engine: 388 Carb
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 4.10
Its funny you mention the FORMULA 383 down the side, i was talking to my friends when i got it about that but if i put that on it would look naked without all the other birds on there and idk if that would make the car look clustered... once i get the 383 in there i will decide. BTW the hood on the car just has pollen/ dust on it, no paint defects, this is the car right after i bought it... it looks better clean but either way i love looking at the pics.
10-11-2006, 10:17 AM
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Car: 1988 Firebird Formula
Engine: 388 Carb
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 4.10
Medium Orange Metallic... I was told that the painter used the factory color code but cannot be 100%. underhood and doorjambs are same color just not as new so i would assume it is the same.
10-11-2006, 04:31 PM
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Car: 1987 Camaro SC, 1999 Z28
Engine: GMPP 350HO, LS1
Transmission: Built 700r4/EDGE 3200, T56
Axle/Gears: 3.42 Eaton 7.625, 3.42 Zexel Torsen
wow, she's pretty. what a steal too for only 2400!
i bet the former owner is going to regret getting rid of her sooner or later.
good luck w/ the engine! get your gears under that back bumper soon too.
i bet the former owner is going to regret getting rid of her sooner or later.
good luck w/ the engine! get your gears under that back bumper soon too.
10-11-2006, 05:47 PM
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Car: '92
Very nice bro!!!
As for the motor, I had a (loose) 355 that would turn 9000 rpm's and it would hold only 10 lbs of pressure at idle in gear on a hot day, it never used oil and never made any noise.
So, I would drive it a bit, get used to it, listen for any engine noise before pulling it, the gauge could be off.
The car looks awesome and good luck with it......................
As for the motor, I had a (loose) 355 that would turn 9000 rpm's and it would hold only 10 lbs of pressure at idle in gear on a hot day, it never used oil and never made any noise.
So, I would drive it a bit, get used to it, listen for any engine noise before pulling it, the gauge could be off.
The car looks awesome and good luck with it......................
10-11-2006, 10:14 PM
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Car: 1991 Z28 convertible built 3/1/1990
Engine: Cammed 6.0L LSX
Transmission: T56
Axle/Gears: custom Ford 8.8", 4.10 gears
All you need appearance related is a set of chrome or polished 2002 WS6 wheels 
10-12-2006, 03:29 AM
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Car: 1988 Firebird Formula
Engine: 388 Carb
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 4.10
I made my self a "wishlist"... well one that could come true...
91-92 TA taillights
clear sidemarkers
window tinted reasonably
new rims...
91-92 TA taillights
clear sidemarkers
window tinted reasonably
new rims...
10-12-2006, 04:27 AM
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Car: '88 IROC-Z / '91 Z28 / '91 GTA
Engine: LT4 Hot Cam 305 / L98 355 / MR 383
Transmission: 5-spd / 700R4 / 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3:45 / 3:23 / 3:23
hot lookin car, and it'll be cookin fast with a 383
10-12-2006, 08:25 AM
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Car: 1986 Firebird / 1985 Trans-Am
Engine: 305 4BBL / 383 4BBL++
Transmission: 700R4 / 700R4
Axle/Gears: ?.?? / 3.47
Again.. Nice car..
And hey.. Ironically I just picked up a new Formula myself.
A guy who didn't know *&@#$ about cars put it for sale for $400.00.
Its not perfect by a long shot. No rust, but plenty of dents, guess he pissing off the wrong guy with a baseball bat.
Engine and tranny ran great. I already had 4 Firebird / TAs, and I needed another like a hole in the head, but for $400.00 I had to jump on it.
And hey.. Ironically I just picked up a new Formula myself.
A guy who didn't know *&@#$ about cars put it for sale for $400.00.
Its not perfect by a long shot. No rust, but plenty of dents, guess he pissing off the wrong guy with a baseball bat.
Engine and tranny ran great. I already had 4 Firebird / TAs, and I needed another like a hole in the head, but for $400.00 I had to jump on it.
10-12-2006, 05:21 PM
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Car: 1988 Firebird Formula
Engine: 388 Carb
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 4.10
Jeeezz $400, no rust... that makes $2400 seem insane. Thanks for all the comments.
Oh and about polishing the Formula wheels, well i tried to polish one of my 15" wheels and well that didnt work so well, i didnt get past the stripping of the clearcoat on it... maybe cause the black/ blue part was so hard to get off but it was discouraging.
Whats weird is all the Birds that i have owned before this one had ground effects and i never saw myself liking the formula style... till i saw this one in person and it just blew me away.
Oh and about polishing the Formula wheels, well i tried to polish one of my 15" wheels and well that didnt work so well, i didnt get past the stripping of the clearcoat on it... maybe cause the black/ blue part was so hard to get off but it was discouraging.
Whats weird is all the Birds that i have owned before this one had ground effects and i never saw myself liking the formula style... till i saw this one in person and it just blew me away.
10-12-2006, 06:57 PM
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10-12-2006, 07:23 PM
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Car: 1988 Firebird Formula
Engine: 388 Carb
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 4.10
I was told that the springs are Eiabach (spelling?) I looked underneath the car when i bought it and noticed that they are red...clearly aftermarket, But I am not sure which ones they are just by looking. The car doesnt ride too bad, I would like to dynamat or cheaperbrand the whole interior of the car to reduce road noise... Also i read a thread a while back how to make the door sound more "soild" and would like to do all the things mentioned in that thread.
I will keep my eyes open for some 4th gen WS6 Wheels...
I am not decided yet about the decals... maybe when it comes time I will photoshop them on and see how it will change the look of the car.
I have a set of 98TA seats and centerconsole but am still deciding on keeping the interior looking stock or not, and also the centerconsole would need to be modified if i keep the auto in it, if i make it a manual i would most def put the newer centerconsole in. I am deciding on either selling the seats, which are in near mint condition and putting the money towards the engine or selling the mint condition recovered stock seats that are in there for less then what i could get for the 4th gens one.
I will keep my eyes open for some 4th gen WS6 Wheels...
I am not decided yet about the decals... maybe when it comes time I will photoshop them on and see how it will change the look of the car.
I have a set of 98TA seats and centerconsole but am still deciding on keeping the interior looking stock or not, and also the centerconsole would need to be modified if i keep the auto in it, if i make it a manual i would most def put the newer centerconsole in. I am deciding on either selling the seats, which are in near mint condition and putting the money towards the engine or selling the mint condition recovered stock seats that are in there for less then what i could get for the 4th gens one.
10-13-2006, 12:03 AM
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Car: 1991 Z28 (sold)
what color are those 4th gen seats btw? i wouldnt put in the 4th gen dash, i think they look like a dash right out of a minivan or something boring like that. the 3rd gen interior is unique
10-13-2006, 12:31 AM
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Car: 1988 Firebird Formula
Engine: 388 Carb
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 4.10
The 4th gen interior is darker grey, not leather... it is only the center console, not the whole thing, im not sure what you are talking about if the center console looks like a minivan or if the dash console looks like a minivan... it is an interesting remark about the dash since it is a much desired interior modification. I like our dashes just the way they are and mine happens to be lighter grey... first timer for that.
10-13-2006, 03:35 AM
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Car: 92 B4C 1LE/2010 GT/2003 P71/2002 Z2
Engine: 5.7/4.6/4.6/5/7
Transmission: A4/A5/A4/A4
Axle/Gears: 3:23/3:73/3:23/3:73
Looks like 4th gen Sunset Orange Metallic....love that color! Nice find!
10-20-2006, 10:42 AM
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Car: 1988 Firebird Formula
Engine: 388 Carb
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 4.10
I had found a set of 1998 SS wheels with tires chromed for 650 and silver for 500, and i was going to consider buying them except the price for spacers is insane!!! Hopefully i will find a good deal on those before purchasing new rims...
10-20-2006, 09:06 PM
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Car: 1988 Firebird Formula
Engine: 388 Carb
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 4.10
rwdtech, i can afford the chrome rims with tires!!!!! i just cant afford to buy the spacers to put them on my car so it isnt worth it to buy the rims. Well i would be able to afford it if i didnt do any engine work to it, it just doesnt fit with my budget...
10-21-2006, 09:30 PM
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Car: 88 GTA "Cocaine"
Engine: 350 tpi
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: 3.27
polish the formula wheels
one of my posts somewhere has a picture of my wheels
I would go out and take a pic right now but the batteries in my camera suck
I hate them so much
one of my posts somewhere has a picture of my wheels
I would go out and take a pic right now but the batteries in my camera suck
I hate them so much
10-26-2006, 01:40 AM
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Car: 1988 Firebird Formula
Engine: 388 Carb
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 4.10
As much as i would love to polish them b.c i do love the look i just setup a deal to buy 98 TA chrome rims... Too bad i wont be able to get them on the car till thanksgiving... (im at college right now without my car) but i am excited as of now!!!
10-26-2006, 05:20 PM
#44
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Car: 1988 Firebird Formula
Engine: 388 Carb
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 4.10
I wasnt sure if those were WS6 but i did like how they look, the price includes the adapters which is why i bought them, i think i am getting a pretty good deal on them... I wont be able to get them on the car till thanksgiving because that is when i will be going home, the rims are being delivered to my college here in Rhode Island
10-26-2006, 11:33 PM
#46
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Car: 1991 Z28 (sold)
I wasnt sure if those were WS6 but i did like how they look, the price includes the adapters which is why i bought them, i think i am getting a pretty good deal on them... I wont be able to get them on the car till thanksgiving because that is when i will be going home, the rims are being delivered to my college here in Rhode Island
10-29-2006, 07:10 AM
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Car: 87 Vette
Engine: 355/195AFR/SR/219CAM/1.6
Transmission: TH700R4/Vigilante
Axle/Gears: D44/3.45
Nice car,polish the wheels,it will look even more amazing
nice color there,what's the name of the color ?
nice color there,what's the name of the color ?
11-22-2006, 05:16 PM
#49
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Car: 1988 Firebird Formula
Engine: 388 Carb
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 4.10
ok, heres some pics of what i did when i got home today, horrible weather, dirty car from sitting but i think it is a good preview.
11-22-2006, 05:27 PM
#50
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Car: 91 z28
Engine: 383 sbc, 88mm turbo a2w IC, CSU 750
Transmission: th-400 PTC 4000 stall
Axle/Gears: ford 9" 3.55 gear
car looks good on those 4th gen ta wheels! i love the color! if you ever plan on changin wheels in the future, some black ones with polished lip would look good..