What year is this Firebird? | A question for the experts

Both Ponch's Firebird and the one in Corvette Summer had both Trans-Am and Formula scoops.

Anyone ever see this mod IRL? I cannot recall. Honestly, not my favorite look. Pick one. 

Ponch's car looked horrible to me (maybe it was the gold paint...seriously, who painted the grill?)

But  I came back here to say that the dark blue car in Corvette Summer with the Trans Am scoop on the Formula hood has always been my favorite second generation Firebird. 
 

Formulas > Trans Ams. 

In reply to David S. Wallens :

Either two front scoops (Formula) or one rear (Trans Am), but never both.  Both is hideous IMO.

And Corvette Summer is famous for ugly cars.

Also:

John's truck > Ponch's Firebird. 
 

In reply to David S. Wallens :

And didn't the Corvette Summer car have a light blue Starskey and Hutch style stripe on it?

David S. Wallens said:

Both Ponch's Firebird and the one in Corvette Summer had both Trans-Am and Formula scoops.

Anyone ever see this mod IRL? I cannot recall. Honestly, not my favorite look. Pick one. 

Wait...I wonder if Ponch's car was the car from Corvette Summer?

In reply to Woody (Forum Supportum) :

Hmmmm. And can we assume that more than one car was used for Corvette Summer since the final chase doesn't end well for the Firebird? 

Where's our favorite stunt driver? He would know. 

The dark blue Firebird with all three scoops isn't bad.  My preference would be to have none of them but this kind of balances out the Formula scoops and how far forward they are.  

Someone used to make a fiberglass "Formula/shaker" hood for these. For me, it's too many scoops. Either scoops OR shaker for me, please.

I'm also a fan of the later Formula hoods. My favorite is the one-year-only '76:


77-81 had a decent one as well, although the scoops do absolutely nothing:




Another hood I love is the 1980-81 Turbo Bump hood. I was looking for one of these for a while for my '79 so I could ditch the shaker, but I was able to fix the shaker on mine, as not to anger the Car Gods. I think there's a stone tablet somewhere that has "If a car has a shaker, it must remain functional" carved into it. But if I ever went the Turbo LS route, I'd opt for the bump.

Eh, just go to the Dodge section of the swap meet, fit a Hemi dustpan scoop to a stock hood, grind to fit and weld it on there.  Bring the mullet factor up a degree in the process.

(this is not totally serious and hopefully it still sets someone off)

Woody (Forum Supportum) said:

Wait...I wonder if Ponch's car was the car from Corvette Summer?

I think I read somewhere that it was.  CHiPs was famous for recycling cars that had been in other TV shows and movies,  there was a back lot at the studio somewhere full of cars and they would bring them out for use in the background of street scenes.  A lot of other shows back then did the same thing.  If you watch enough of those shows you'll start recognizing cars you saw elsewhere.

stuart in mn said:

Woody (Forum Supportum) said:

Wait...I wonder if Ponch's car was the car from Corvette Summer?

I think I read somewhere that it was.  CHiPs was famous for recycling cars that had been in other TV shows and movies,  there was a back lot at the studio somewhere full of cars and they would bring them out for use in the background of street scenes.  A lot of other shows back then did the same thing.  If you watch enough of those shows you'll start recognizing cars you saw elsewhere.

Once you get to season six of Emergency!, there's a pale yellow 1969 Camaro RS/SS that's in almost every episode.

In reply to Tony Sestito :

I used to mow lawns when I was a kid, and one of my customers had a '76 Formula. That's a great hood. I didn't realize it was one year only.

How about Bill Hudson's 79 Camaro?

This is from the Mt. Philo Hillclimb a few years back. I think he's entered in the CTTC.

I don't know but it probably isn't a '72 since violent strikes seriously curtailed their numbers for that year.  They do exist, but '72's are rare.

It was a tough year for GM.  Here's a very interesting film where they talk candidly with the Lordstown workers.  I'm sure Norwood wasn't too different.

https://youtu.be/AahO4-cVnMI

Woody (Forum Supportum) said:

David S. Wallens said:

Both Ponch's Firebird and the one in Corvette Summer had both Trans-Am and Formula scoops.

Anyone ever see this mod IRL? I cannot recall. Honestly, not my favorite look. Pick one. 

Wait...I wonder if Ponch's car was the car from Corvette Summer?

Likely yes.  Same time frame.  They probably had a batch of Ponch cars on the back lot.  

Tony Sestito said:

Someone used to make a fiberglass "Formula/shaker" hood for these. For me, it's too many scoops. Either scoops OR shaker for me, please.

I'm also a fan of the later Formula hoods. My favorite is the one-year-only '76:


77-81 had a decent one as well, although the scoops do absolutely nothing:




Another hood I love is the 1980-81 Turbo Bump hood. I was looking for one of these for a while for my '79 so I could ditch the shaker, but I was able to fix the shaker on mine, as not to anger the Car Gods. I think there's a stone tablet somewhere that has "If a car has a shaker, it must remain functional" carved into it. But if I ever went the Turbo LS route, I'd opt for the bump.

It didn't have much under the hood but that '81 Formula was one of the most dead sexy cars GM ever built.  A teacher (in her '60's) at my Jr. High had a gold one.  I got to ride in it a few times.  What I remember was the giant hump in the passenger side floor for the cat.  Fast forward several years and I bought a new Opti-spark '94 Formula.  Two generations newer than the '81 but not nearly as attractive even if it did actually have some go.  Guess what?  Same giant hump.

Mad props to that '76. The partial vinyl top seals it. 

And that would be interesting if Ponch's car came from Corvette Summer. Could explain the painted grille. 

And 30 seconds of internet sleuthing says it's the same car.

stuart in mn said:

Woody (Forum Supportum) said:

Wait...I wonder if Ponch's car was the car from Corvette Summer?

I think I read somewhere that it was.  CHiPs was famous for recycling cars that had been in other TV shows and movies,  there was a back lot at the studio somewhere full of cars and they would bring them out for use in the background of street scenes.  A lot of other shows back then did the same thing.  If you watch enough of those shows you'll start recognizing cars you saw elsewhere.

They smashed it up in an episode where John had to save Ponch by driving it in a demolition derby.

This belongs here.