Power Wheels Magazine A Notch Above
After his 1970 Pontiac Firebird Formula 350 suffered some damage from an engine fire in July 2022, owner Ferdi Raquelsantos took his muscle car to JSK Custom Paint and Auto Works, where it was partially disassembled, the damaged and rusted portions repaired, and the body was prepped for paint. Ferdi opted to have the car painted in Plum Crazy Purple, a vibrant color that was very popular in the late 1960’s on Mopar – Dodge and Plymouth – muscle cars but not on sports coupes from General Motors (GM).
After meticulous preparation, the Plum Crazy Purple paint was applied on the Firebird.
The paint finish will undergo several wet sanding processes to bring out the luster and shine.
The new groovy color choice and the decision to cut a hole on the hood to accommodate a bug catcher-style hood scoop for the new 4-barrel carburetor proved that Ferdi wanted to customize the Firebird to his personal preference. He didn’t want it to look like any other restored American pony car from the Seventies – he wanted it to be distinct and different. Because of its personalized look, most of the people involved in the project now jokingly refer to Ferdi’s Firebird as the “Ferdibird”.
The painted engine bay no longer shows any sign of the damage caused by the engine fire.
Even the rear panel was meticulously prepared and carefully painted.
Pontiac 350 V8
It’s funny how some supposed “vintage car experts” can take just one look at a picture and then declare, “Ay! The engine of that Firebird is no longer original. It’s a Chevy small block V8.” Well, Mr. Expert, we’re sorry to disappoint you but we decoded the engine and found that it’s an authentic Pontiac 350 V8 from the correct era. For the uninitiated, 350 refers to the engine displacement in cubic inches, which translates to 5,700 cubic centimeters or 5.7 liters in the metric system.
The Pontiac 350 V8 looked like this when it was first removed from the Firebird’s engine bay.
The “YU” suffix after the engine number can indicate if this is indeed a Pontiac V8 engine or not and if it’s period-correct, just in case it’s a replacement engine.
The engine is stamped with a suffix “YU”, which, according to the Pontiac Engine Decoder, means it’s a Pontiac 350 V8 from 1970 that was fitted with a 2-barrel carburetor to make 255 horsepower. Our engine decoder also indicated that the YU Pontiac 350 V8 was mated to an automatic transmission (A) that the Firebird is fitted. We can only guess that the original 2-barrel carburetor and factory intake manifold was eventually replaced with 4-barrel carburetor and aftermarket intake manifold to make more power. In any case, the new Edelbrock 4-barrel carb, high-rise intake manifold, and bug catcher hood scoop will surely increase the power output.
A quick check with the Pontiac Engine Decoder showed that it is indeed a 255-hp 1970 Pontiac 350 V8 mated to an A/T. Thus, everything lines up correct for Ferdi’s Firebird.
The water jackets of the installed intake manifold were heavily corroded.
The engine was cleaned, disassembled, and the block was sent to a machine shop.
Turbo Hydra-Matic 3-Speed A/T
Several models in the GM family from the ‘60s and ‘70s – Chevrolet, Buick, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Cadillac and GMC – were equipped with the corporate Turbo Hydra-Matic 3-speed automatic transmission, either in the TH-350 or TH-400 guises. The Ferdibird came with the TH-350 but it needed to be refurbished to ensure efficient and optimal operation, especially since it was exposed to an engine fire. After all, Ferdi wanted his Firebird to be reliable as well as powerful and attractive so he had the TH-350 overhauled.
Like the V8 engine, the Turbo Hydra-Matic 350 automatic transmission was disassembled and overhauled.
The original torque converter was examined and replaced. After all, it’s been working between the V8 and the A/T for more than 55 years!
Aside from replacing the internal clutches, bands, and gaskets of the TH-350, the planetary gears were also checked for nicks, cracks or warping. After the automatic transmission was restored, the mechanics also replaced the torque converter after finding that it was also damaged by the engine fire. The radiator, which included a cooling circuit for the automatic transmission fluid (ATF), was refurbished by Roberts AIPMC in Cabuyao, Laguna using the radiator’s original frame, core and tanks but with new fins and water passages.
Roberts AIPMC made a brand-new and more efficient radiator out of the Firebird’s old radiator frame and tanks. Note the connectors at the bottom that will cool ATF from the A/T.
While the paint finish is being applied, the bill and parts lists for the engine, transmission and other mechanical components are piling up!
With the expenses gowing exponentially, Ferdi opted to reuse the polished slotted wheels and Mastercraft Avenger G/T tires.
What will Ferdi’s Pontiac Firebird Formula 350, a.k.a. the Ferdibird, look like when it’s finally done? Stay tuned for the next update!