The 1973 Pontiac Firebird, Formula & Trans Am
Lot#2

Thomas De Sabatino owns this Formula AND the one below. Are you jealous? I am!! Thomas writes:      "My name is Thomas Di Sabatino and I live in Newark, Delaware. I have two 73 Formula firebirds both equipped with the factory Ram Air hood option. Both are also equipped with the dealer purchased air cleaner option. The Florentine Red car was purchased in 2001 and was meant as a replacement for the car that I had purchased when I was 18 years old. I just couldn't get the look and feel of that car out of my mind all of these years. The "Red" car is equipped with a 400 4-bbl (nicely cammed and with a little bump in the compression) 4-speed M-22, air, 3:42 posi, Formula wheel, full gauges and the optional T/A suspension with honeycombs. You would think that a car that nice would be enough, but nooooooo......"

"About 3/4's of the way through the restoration of the "Red" car I spied this one on ebay. This guy had bought it for his son who wasn't interested. He needed the cash quick so I made a deal to end the auction early. The Valencia Gold car is a 34 thousand mile original with a 400/400 automatic, air, full gauges, Am/Fm 8 Track, Formula wheel, custom interior, console, honeycombs, wheel opening moldings, and a 3:08 posi. This car was also equipped with the factory "Ram Air" hood option and dealer purchased air cleaner. I have to admit it is my favorite of the two. That color looks great on the car and since it hasn't been restored I am a little more comfortable driving it."

This is an incredible low mileage example of the Brewster Green '73 TA in excellent condition. Mileage at the time these pictures were taken was an incredible 23,000. The car had spent most of its life in the garage and only received one professional re-paint. Its equipped with a 455ci, Turbo 400 tranny, black deluxe interior, optional rear console, power steering, and power brakes. This Trans Am has the familiar large bird decal on the hood that was new in '73 and optional (buyer's could still opt for the smaller bird on the nose). The bird portion of the decal was always black but the background varied depending on the color of the car: orange on red cars, black on white cars, and light green on the green TAs. 1973 brought several changes to the interior and exterior choices for all firebirds. On the inside lower door panels were molded instead of carpeted and the woodgrain dash was switched from a flame chestnut pattern to African Crossfire Mahogany. Standard upholstery was unchanged from the previous year but the deluxe interior (now dubbed the Custom Interior) changed quite a bit. Front buckets were now deeply contoured with a cushy upside down U-shaped seatback. Material was now either Madrid pattern Morokide, Prado Corduroy, or Bravo cloth. Standard trim colors were black, saddle and white. Custom trim came in white, black, saddle and burgundy. Finally a unique set of carpet colors were available with the white interior including bright blue, orange and red. The red carpeting was also an alternate option that could be had with the black interior.

This is the first Trans Am pic I ever found. I downloaded it from a BBS several years ago before I had internet access. This pic served on wallpaper duty for a long time. Too bad there aren't more pics like this out there.

This picture was submitted by Ken Carothers. He photographed it at the POCI (Pontiac Oakland Club International) convention in Irvine California a few years ago. The TA is equipped with the potent 250hp 455 and a Turbo 400 tranny. You will notice the car has T-Tops. This is an aftermarket addition to the car that was performed by the owner. T-Tops were not available from the factory till 1976. Upon closer inspection you will also notice the 3rd gen style fender vents that have been added to the rear of the hood. Interesting modifications for this year model Trans Am.

Another rare bird. The 73' Brewster Green SD455 Trans Am was the lowest production Trans Am with the SD455 engine option. Besides the color is really cool. In fact the color options on the Trans Am broadened for the first time in 3 years. Previously the TA could only be had in either Cameo White or Lucerne Blue with a stripe, the opposite color of the car, running down the center of the car. The new color options included the Brewster Green on the car above and Buccaneer Red. Cameo White remained and Lucerne blue was deleted.

Richard and Dana Fish own this 48,000 mile Trans Am. The 455 and Muncie 4-speed are both the factory originals and the car still runs like it was new. The interior is also completely stock, original and in excellent condition. On the outside the car has been repainted and the hood bird is no longer a decal. The bird was custom painted on the hood by Tom Carr of Carr's Autobody. Richard and Dana recently sent me the fifth picture in the set after Dana finished a full restoration on all four honeycomb rims. An interesting story about this car is that at one time Richard wanted to sell it. His wife (Dana) talked him out of it (what a wife huh??!!) and the car became hers. Dana performed the restoration on it and also takes car of the regular maintenance and waxings. The car is now almost in show-ready form. Apparently Dana enjoyed this project so much that shes about to begin the restoration of a 74' 455 Trans Am. Richard also owns a 1977 Trans Am (seen at Drag Racing Firebirds Lot#3) that has been outfitted for serious strip action. Its currently running in the 9s and 10s with a Pontiac 455 and Hughes Turbo 400.

Recently this car was sold to a new owner. Hopefully the new owner will contact me and bring us back up to date on this awesome Trans Am. Its an original "numbers matching" 1973 Trans Am (stock). It is a 4 speed (no console), A/C, 455cid (not an SD) with 2,500 miles on the rebuilt motor. 8.8mm wires were added (the big, beefy yellow ones), new points, coil, condenser, rotor, distributor cap & springs. The original Rochester 4bbl has been rebuilt and fine-tuned. All fuel lines were replaced as were the wheels (it originally had honeycombs on it). This car won first place in class at the Greater Tidewater Pontiac Owners Association Annual 2000 Pontiac Show.

This SD455 Trans Am belongs to a very good friend of mine, Chris Batson. Chris and I have never met face to face but have been long time friends through the internet. We both love Firebirds and that's all we needed. This is a bonafide Super Duty 455 Trans Am. Chris writes:      "I actually found this car on Classical Pontiac, but before I called the guy he had listed it on ebay. I talked to Craig, the guy I bought the car from, for about 2 hrs straight one night,and eventually talked to him everyday for about an hour each time. I asked for all the appropriate codes etc. I believe I also asked you James about some of the codes and the bumperettes that were on the bumper of the car. Well I actually bought the car while it was on ebay and I bid $1 to the Reserve and fortunately bought the car cheaper than he had it listed on ebay. The car was driven quite a bit since it was a California car. I received the car in August of 1999. Believe it or not the Truck company that hauled it actually tied the wheels down, tight! He actually squished the honeycomb pattern together, ruining the wheels. The trucker actually paid for a replacement set of wheels. I was lucky enough to find a set that was professionally re-finished. However, I did drive with the squished set on and they straightened out! I just need to get those refinished as well. Since I've had it I have had the car repainted Cameo White, Decals by Stencils and Stripes and NOS SD-455 Shaker Decals. added Numerous items it needed or was missing, like the original radio. A new fuel tank was added. The car has its original block, heads, intake, carb, and manifolds, but sports reproduction manifolds as one of the original exhaust manifolds are cracked. IT also has a dynomax dual exhaust. BFG wrapped wheels, and traction bars, which I'll be taking off when my new suspension components arrive. The engine had been rebuilt before the previous owner bought it. I haven't done anything to that except replace the valve covers, it had chrome ones. Added new plugs and wires. The car I was told had the engine built to run 12's in the 1/4. I don't doubt it.I drive it probably two times a week in the summer and take it a show just about every weekend summer wise. This year I took it to the 2001 POCI Convention where it place 2nd. IT took Second place at the Muscle Car Concourse judged show as well. Both times I came in 2nd to 69 Trans Am's. IT also had a number of First places last year, including the POCI Chapter show where it took First in popular vote. Numerous trophies at small town shows as well.  I keep fine tuning on it and will eventually pull the motor, detail and correctly paint the engine. It has been a great fun car. It was also my dream car. I bought all the magazines and diecast of the car before I bought it, 5 years later. A dream come true." Chris

A Cameo White Trans Am with a red interior. This car did not come with the optional SD455 engine but did come with a 455. The mudflaps were not a factory option but a nice addition especially color coded with the body paint. A wheel size was added for the 73 models. F60X15s mounted on rally II rims were the standard rubber.