[SaveFerris]

And they were putting in Oldsmobile 403 when they ran out of Pontiac 400 back then

I had a new ‘78 almost waited for a ‘79 but you could only get a 403 when you got an automatic.

I ordered very late in the year.

[Charles Martel]

I do recall the 403 cars, now that you mention it. The engine was reliable, though by 1982 it was getting clobbered by the new Mustang 5.0 H.O. in street races. The 403 cars regularly got engine swaps, though - I knew a Pontiac guy who had a 455 built for one. That was a properly fast F-body.

There was only one that I really lusted after - the '73 Firebird Formula 455 that my friend's mom drove. Ascot silver, dual scoop Ram-Air hood, honeycomb wheels, just amazing. I dropped hints that I wanted by buy it, but they held on to it until I was away at college, then traded it for something tragically boring.