1976 Formula Update

[SuperNovaSS]

Spare tire delete and a note that the tire will be given to the dealer when available? Were they low on those base rims or something?


Jason

[daleone3]

Originally Posted by SuperNovaSS

Spare tire delete and a note that the tire will be given to the dealer when available? Were they low on those base rims or something?


Jason

That is a good question, would not surprise me based on probably low demand maybe. The good news is it was picked up and in the trunk.

[L78racer]

Originally Posted by SuperNovaSS

Spare tire delete and a note that the tire will be given to the dealer when available? Were they low on those base rims or something?

I worked at a Chevy dealer back then and there was a shortage of tires due to a strike I think. They were rationing tires and shipping new cars without the spare tire but with the rim in the trunk. Then the tires became available and the dealers got loads of tires for cars that were missing them. The parts department was a mess with tires stacked everywhere. We had no way of mounting or balancing tires off the car so customers picked up their tires and went to the tire store with a voucher for mount and balance.

[napa68]

Originally Posted by SuperNovaSS

Spare tire delete and a note that the tire will be given to the dealer when available? Were they low on those base rims or something?


Jason

My 76 Trans Am is the same. I am of the understanding they were in short supply and installed at the dealer

[StealthBird]

The spare tire deletion message is actually quite common on 1976 Firebird invoices. Just a side note, the photo posted is just the invoice, not a build sheet.

Very interesting that this car was delivered to Cochran Pontiac, a dealership that recently has gained some notoriety as it was the dealership that the very first 1970 GTO, a pilot car and a RAIV model, was sold to.

The buyer of this 1976 Formula ordered the "Rear Seat Speaker" and "Additional Acoustical Insulation" options, but only an AM Radio. They most likely were going to install an aftermarket AM/FM Stereo once they received the car. They could have simply not ordered a radio at all and saved a few bucks, but by ordering the AM Radio they got all the underdash and speaker wiring. Since many Firebird owners wanted a better stereo than what GM could provide, in 1977 Pontiac began offering a "Radio Accomadation Package" option that provided all the wiring and harnesses for an aftermarket radio without having to order a radio.

Very cool Formula by the way!

Mike

[mockingbird812]

Cochran was (still is?) a huge volume dealer. My wife went to H.S. in Monroeville and I passed the dealership many times traveling betw Monroeville and Pgh. Cochran probably had significant pull with GM HQ resulting in a couple of early, early versions of '69/'70 GTOs.

[StealthBird]

Yes, I believe because Cochran Pontiac was a large dealership, they had connections with the Pittsburgh Pontiac Zone Office.

[Tracker1]

Originally Posted by StealthBird

The spare tire deletion message is actually quite common on 1976 Firebird invoices. Just a side note, the photo posted is just the invoice, not a build sheet.

Very interesting that this car was delivered to Cochran Pontiac, a dealership that recently has gained some notoriety as it was the dealership that the very first 1970 GTO, a pilot car and a RAIV model, was sold to.

The buyer of this 1976 Formula ordered the "Rear Seat Speaker" and "Additional Acoustical Insulation" options, but only an AM Radio. They most likely were going to install an aftermarket AM/FM Stereo once they received the car. They could have simply not ordered a radio at all and saved a few bucks, but by ordering the AM Radio they got all the underdash and speaker wiring. Since many Firebird owners wanted a better stereo than what GM could provide, in 1977 Pontiac began offering a "Radio Accomadation Package" option that provided all the wiring and harnesses for an aftermarket radio without having to order a radio.

Very cool Formula by the way!

Mike

YUP. UN9 RADIO ACCOMMODATION PACKAGE. Car came with all the radio wiring / hook ups under the dash and a radio delete plate installed. I've owned a few.

On the spare tire, I have owned two survivior trans ams, a '74 and a '76 both with full size spares that had the original Uniroyal stickers still attached to the tire. Both tires Sourced by the dealership when new when the original owners looked at the space saver spare and said
"I dont want that."