written by villafish on 02/11/2004
Good Points
Scorching acceleration! (Or should I say thrust?) Ran quarters in low 13's with the 3.90:1 Safe-T-Track differential and close ratio 4-speed. Slot car handling. Unbelievable exhaust note. Bucketloads of torque -- 430 foot pounds at 3,000 RPMs. Stunning good looks. Ate small block Corvettes and Z-28 Camaros for dinner. I have never had a car that would pull from zero mph starting in 4th gear and have enough torque to accelerate. In later years my 70 1/2 Z-28 and 1963 340 hp Corvette--both with 4:10 and 4:11 gears respectively--could not do this.
Bad Points
6 miles per gallon. Had to fill up twice an evening back in 1970--at 28 cents/gal. My parents complained about their $75/mo. gasoline bill. My Dad's 1969 Pontiac Grand Prix got a respectable 15 MPG. No drip rails above the doors. The water ran in on my left shoulder. Dinky trunk. Child-sized back seat. Very noisy at cruise...did I mention 3.90:1 gears? Build quality was not real swell...I don't think that the United Auto workers ever actually finished the car. The car was delivered with parts missing...We never did get those parts.
General Comments
I had no business learning to drive a classic goldenrod yellow Pontiac 1970 Firebird Formula Ram Air III Car. I had the pleasure of taking a Pennsylvania State Trooper for a ride on the test track at Trevose. He loved the car, and I passed my driver's test. The trooper had me run the slalom at 25 mph...instead of the normal 15 mph. My mother watched in horror as I "heated up" the tires...G-70-14 Goodyear Polyglas with white letters. The State Trooper hit his head on the passenger's window--under lateral G's--and knocked his trooper hat right off his head. This is the only car I have ever received a ticket for "fast acceleration" in. This is a car that was capable of executing "Bat Turns." This is a 180 degree turn accomplished by tromping the gas in first gear and cranking the steering wheel over...