Here you can see how the Ram Air pan on the hood mates with the air cleaner. Bill says the system is original to the car and even has a blue date stamp denoting April 1970 on the inside of the pan.
Conclusion
Bill's Formula is a clean weekend cruiser. It's not a concours car and he is happier because of it. While some may view that as a disadvantage, in reality, it's an advantage for the wallet as the Formula costs far less to maintain than a concours model. It can also be driven and enjoyed with much less worry of undoing thousands of dollars of resto work and detailing. Bill's Formula regularly takes home First and Second Place trophies in his class at the shows.
Though he wants to maintain the overall appearance of originality, he is not spending every waking hour in search of every NOS part ever made for his Formula, as would be required for a concours Pontiac.
Bill McCoy built his Poncho to suit his needs-to relive his college days with a Ram Air Formula 400. Though it's rare and valuable, when compared to any Ram Air IV Pontiac, it may be just what you desire and can possibly afford.
This is actually the third Formula hood that's been on this Pontiac. According to Bill, the original was badly damaged and the first replacement cracked near the hinges within a year. So far, knock on fiberglass, this hood has held up well.
How Much Resto Do You Really Need?
Being able to acquire the Ram Air III that you want does not end with taking advantage of the lower-than-a-round-port buy-in price. The choices made before and during restoration work can potentially save thousands of dollars or cost you thousands of dollars you really didn't need to spend. Since Bill had a clear goal in mind for his Formula, he was able to decide what was important and what wasn't as he built it. This philosophy would pay dividends in the long run with reduced build and maintenance costs.
Build it for its real purpose- Bill did not intend for the Formula to be concours-judged but he does enter it in shows. Thus, the underhood and interior areas are detailed to a level that will perform well in a general show.Payoff- Money is saved in parts and detailing, and the Pontiac can still be driven without constantly worrying about deterioration of painted surfaces under the hood.
No toothbrush detailing here- Bill knew that he would drive his Formula on a regular basis, so undercarriage detailing was very basic-mostly black. No stickers or inspection marks, etc. were applied.Payoff- This saves time and money up front and long hours of detailing areas, after cruising, that most people will never see.
Only replace what is required- Bill has maintained the suspension and braking system on his Formula by only replacing worn parts as needed.Payoff- This saves money if the suspension and brakes are in overall good condition to begin with. However, if the entire systems are suspect, more time and money will be saved by going through them completely in one shot.
The Formula is driven on weekends and to car shows and is representative of a great Ram Air Pontiac that is still attainable for many hobbyists.
Payoff- The '73 and up 15x7 Rally IIs were redesigned and are much cheaper and plenti-ful at swap meets, so Bill installed those wheels instead. Also, since the Formula is driven regularly, modern radials were a better choice for him than reproduction F60-15 bias ply tires.
Upgrade where you want to- If Bill were to install 20-inch wheels and tires, his effort to maintain a stock appearance would be compromised. However, subtle upgrades like larger stabilizer bars and gas shocks will go unnoticed.Payoff- Just like in this month's First-Gen suspension story, "Suspension Ascension," Bill enjoys increased handling capability while maintaining a stock look. The same sort of hidden advantages are realized in the decision to upgrade the torque converter, add a shift kit, and install a Flowmaster crossflow muffler.