There are certain questions that encourage the thinking soul to stop for a moment and plumb the depths of reason in search of an answer. What is the sound of one hand clapping? How many roads must a man walk down, before you call him a man? Is it really a proper 70s Firebird if it doesn’t have a screaming chicken on the hood? Sometimes, though, we are graced with a moment of sublime clarity, and where better to experience satori than behind the wheel of a 1979 Pontiac Firebird Formula? This example is located in Chicago, Illinois, far from its birthplace in sunny Los Angeles, and is listed here on Craigslist for $6,950. Many thanks to Kenneth Athon for the tip!

1979 was a special year for Pontiac for two reasons. First, it was the ten-year anniversary of the Trans Am, the top of the line for the Firebird. Second, due to dwindling reserves, it would be the last year that the Pontiac 400 cu.in. W72 V8 would be available. Being the more understated younger sibling of the Trans Am, very few Formulas were equipped with the W72– far more received the 301 cu.in. Pontiac V8. This is the engine installed in this car at the factory, though it was the L37, equipped with a four-barrel carburetor, and so was still a step up from the base engine for the Formula. Horsepower and torque just don’t compare, however: the L37 configuration produced 150hp at 4000 RPM and 240 lb.ft. of torque, compared to over 200 hp and 300 lb.ft. from the W72. But it is said that there is no replacement for displacement.

The underwhelming horsepower figures of the 4.9L engine don’t tell the whole story, though, since these are net rather than gross horses. And that power is routed, not through the Turbo 350, but a Borg Warner four-speed. The wheels are the optional cast-aluminum– Rally IIs were standard on both the Formula and the Trans Am– and they really suit the car. The seller states that while the car runs and drives, there are some problems with the brakes and it should really be trailered. Here’s hoping that the brake issues are a product of its long slumber and are a quick and easy fix.

The 1979 Formula isn’t a terribly rare car. Though it’s the least common Firebird for that year, over 24,000 of them were made. But it might be rare in this sort of garage-fresh condition. With the exception of a few missing trim pieces, even the interior might clean up nicely. Rust is evident along the door sills and the driver’s side rear quarter, but if this car spent any real time on the road in Chicago then the damage could be far worse. All together, this could make a nice winter project, and by the time Spring is sprung, the new owner can have the t-tops out, the music turned up, and the wheels rolling down some sunny back roads. All which sounds like a sure path to inner peace.