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SpeedRacerX
10-30-2011, 05:30 PM
Same father (GM) - different mothers with one being much younger. LOL.

Today was an exciting day for me and my son. After 1 year of negotiating and researching, we brought home (for my son) a 1989 Pontiac Formula 350 with 30,000 1-owner original miles.

What makes this one special is that it is 1 of only 2 remaining Formula 350's with the Carroll Supercharged 350 VHO Package. Only 4 were ever made. Only 2 are left. There is a Red one down in VA owned by a collector which has been featured in High Performance Pontiac Magazine in 1988 and again in 2008.

Car has a lot of extras as part of the Carroll Package but the key thing is the Paxton supercharger running 50/50 meth/water and about 6psi of boost. The specs were IMPRESSIVE FOR 1988/89:

400HP, 475TQ (motor not rw), 0-60 in 4.3, 1/4 in 13.4, 3650#. When new, dealer took the car to Atco and made a couple of runs of 12.89 and 12.87.

Car has a few performance mods but the car never ran the track again because the owner got very ill. Car has sat for the last 12+ years uncovered in a driveway. Needless to say, it needs to be cleaned-up BADLY!

My son and I are excited to start cleaning this vehicle, tuning it up, and getting all the badges and stickers back on it. Should make for a GRRRR8 project. Doesn't need a whole lot. Idles like new, interior is clean and dry, most/all of the power stuff works, etc. After cleaning, about a dozen little things to fix but other than that, it's good to go. All the documentation is there - it's amazing to me.

I wanted to share it here on GRRRR8.net first! Enjoy! Cell Pix, sorry. Wish us luck - we've never had a project car before. :blink:

http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu40/SpeedRacerXPB/PIC-0280.jpg

http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu40/SpeedRacerXPB/PIC-0281.jpg

http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu40/SpeedRacerXPB/PIC-0291.jpg

Hard to see the hood gauges through the filthy window. LOL.

http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu40/SpeedRacerXPB/PIC-0287.jpg
polo
10-30-2011, 05:40 PM
Cool project! My first car was an '88 Formula that I got when I turned 16.
polo
10-30-2011, 05:44 PM
It's hard to tell from the pic, but is the rear spoiler all rotted out and cracking? Every one of those spoilers that I've seen has ended up looking like crap. When I had mine they didn't even make an aftermarket one, so I had to search all over for one from a junk yard (that ended up cracking not long after)
G8GT721
10-30-2011, 06:12 PM
Sounds like a cool project for you and your son


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SpeedRacerX
10-30-2011, 06:15 PM
It's hard to tell from the pic, but is the rear spoiler all rotted out and cracking? Every one of those spoilers that I've seen has ended up looking like crap. When I had mine they didn't even make an aftermarket one, so I had to search all over for one from a junk yard (that ended up cracking not long after)

Yes, the elements have flaked the paint off badly and warped the rubber. Common with these cars. They make aftermarket ones now that are fiberglass to stop this from happening.
fixem2
10-30-2011, 08:28 PM
Awesome find. Always liked the Turbo TA, as well.

How did you find/ track it down?

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-Ray-
10-31-2011, 02:05 AM
Looks like a good time.
Fatdaddy
10-31-2011, 02:18 AM
And so it begins. Cool.


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SpeedRacerX
10-31-2011, 05:32 AM
Awesome find. Always liked the Turbo TA, as well.

How did you find/ track it down?

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My nephew used to pickup a kid in the AM for work. The kid rented a room at the car owner's house. My nephew sent me a text about this old Formula sitting at this guy's house and that it had a supercharger. I'm thinking, "really, that's interesting." After he sent me a couple pix, I realized it looked too "factory" to be someone's "build project" so I did some investigating and have been trying to buy it since.

The owner was upset to see it go.


Looks like a good time.

Thx!


And so it begins. Cool.


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LOL. Yes, that's what I'm afraid of......
jnak
10-31-2011, 05:39 AM
Nice project! Should be fun.
hot_mic_64d
10-31-2011, 08:13 AM
I cant wait for my son to get old enough to do this kind of stuff. That's going to be a fun project.