1970 Pontiac Firebird Formula 400 Ram Air III

Pony car powered by Pontiac 400 Ram Air V8.

Stock-presenting 1970 Firebird Formula 400 with Ram Air hood treatment; representative exterior appearance, not proof of this car's Ram Air III installation.

Factory path Formula 400 with optional Ram Air 400, commonly called Ram Air III; not a Trans Am Ram Air IV.

Engine rating Captured 1970 Firebird engine table lists 335 hp at 5,000 rpm and 430 lb-ft at 3,400 rpm for the Firebird Ram Air 400.

Reported production 7,708 Formula 400 buyers reported for 1970; exact Formula Ram Air 400 subset needs cleaner source confirmation.

Authentication Factory billing or PHS documentation, engine code, carburetor, induction, transmission, axle, Formula hood/nameplate, paint, and interior evidence all matter.

Story

1970 Pontiac Firebird Formula 400 Ram Air III

The 1970 Pontiac Firebird Formula 400 gave buyers the second-generation Firebird's cleaner performance look without the Trans Am's shaker, spoilers, flares, and full stripe treatment. The source boundary matters: this page covers a Formula 400 with the optional Ram Air 400 commonly called Ram Air III, not a Trans Am Ram Air IV.

The captured 1970 Firebird fact sheet lists the Ram Air 400 at 335 horsepower and 430 lb-ft, with a Rochester four-barrel and a note that it was standard on Trans Am and optional on Formula 400. The same source keeps the Ram Air IV 400 as a Trans Am-only engine. That distinction is the backbone of the page.

Production references support 7,708 Formula buyers for 1970, but the exact Ram Air 400 Formula subset still needs a cleaner source before it should be stated as a public number. For any individual car, factory billing or PHS documentation, engine and carburetor evidence, transmission and axle markings, Formula hood/nameplate details, body tag, paint, and interior trim evidence should all agree.

**Stock-presenting 1970 Firebird Formula 400 front detail. The Commons description identifies the Ram Air III engine path, but the photograph alone is not car-specific authenticity proof.**Sicnag via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Specs

Car type: Pony car
Body: 2-door coupe
Engine: Pontiac 400 cu in Ram Air V8
Horsepower: 335 hp @ 5,000 rpm
Torque: 430 lb-ft @ 3,400 rpm
Carburetion: Rochester four-barrel: Over-Drive lists 7040273 manual and 7040270 automatic

Equipment

Formula 400 twin-scoop hood and Formula 400 fender nameplates
Ram Air 400 optional on Formula 400 and standard on Trans Am in the captured engine table
Ram Air IV listed as Trans Am-only in the captured notes
1-1/8 inch front and 5/8 inch rear stabilizer bars listed for Formula 400
Higher-rate springs and rear axle windup controls listed for Formula 400
Manual front disc brakes and rear drum brakes listed for Formula 400

Linked Parts

Price history

Values

Nominal dollars from original price sheets, auction archives, and approved value references.

Original Price

A verified original price is not yet available for this car.

Market Observations

Auction sale $50,000

May 20, 2023 · Bring a Trailer
PHS-documented automatic L74 Ram Air III Formula 400 226870L110570 after a two-year refurbishment that included engine and transmission rebuilds. · restored · good Bring a Trailer records the completed sale, exact VIN, date, amount, L74 identity, transmission, refurbishment, replacement components, documentation, and true-mileage-unknown disclosure. Good is a conservative summary, not an independent inspection.
1970 Pontiac Firebird Formula 400 Ram Air III, lot 107801
Auction sale $66,000

Feb 25, 2023 · GAA February
Automatic Formula 400 226870L110928 identified by the archive with a 400-cid Ram Air III and previously classified as original or highly original. · survivor · good CLASSIC.COM records the completed sale, exact VIN, date, amount, Formula identity, Ram Air III engine, and automatic transmission. Survivor context carries the archive's prior same-VIN originality classification.
1970 Pontiac Firebird Formula 400, GAA February 2023
Auction sale $30,800

Jan 15, 2016 · Mecum Kissimmee
Four-speed Formula 400 226870N127758 classified by Hagerty as a 400-cid/345-hp Ram Air III and documented in the same-VIN Mecum archive as a Ram Air 400 car with PHS papers. · unknown · good Hagerty records the completed sale, exact VIN, date, amount, body style, and Ram Air III configuration. A same-VIN Mecum archive corroborates Formula Ram Air identity and PHS documentation; restoration state remains unknown.
1970 Pontiac Firebird Formula 400, Mecum Kissimmee 2016, lot F10 1970 Pontiac Firebird Formula, Harrisburg 2015, lot S33.1
Auction sale $35,000

Jul 25, 2014 · Mecum Harrisburg
PHS-documented Formula 400 226870N117583 with a four-speed, Ram Air 400 claim, original-color Lucerne Blue finish, and original black bucket-seat interior. · survivor · good Mecum records the completed sale, exact VIN, date, amount, Ram Air configuration, four-speed, original-color finish, and original-interior claim. Survivor denotes disclosed original configuration and interior, not a claim of original paint.
1970 Pontiac Firebird Formula 400, Harrisburg 2014, lot F148
Auction sale $48,400

May 17, 2013 · Mecum Indianapolis
PHS-documented four-speed Formula Ram Air III 226870N118531 with matching-engine claims, original sheet metal, and substantially original interior. · survivor · excellent Mecum records the completed sale, exact VIN, date, amount, Ram Air III identity, transmission, documentation, and originality claims. Excellent reflects the disclosed presentation, not an independent inspection.
1970 Pontiac Firebird Formula Ram Air III, Indianapolis 2013, lot F134
High bid $29,000

Oct 6, 2011 · Mecum Dallas
Formula 400 coupe 226870N133181, previously documented as an original 335-hp automatic car with 26,000 miles, original paperwork, and one prior owner. · survivor · good Hagerty records the 2011 no-sale high bid, exact VIN, venue, lot, date, and amount. Survivor and condition context comes from the same-VIN Barrett-Jackson archive and is not a 2011 independent inspection.
1970 Pontiac Firebird, Mecum Dallas 2011, lot T108 1970 Pontiac Firebird Formula 400 Coupe, Palm Beach 2006, lot 329.1

Values move with paperwork, originality, options, condition, venue, and body style. High bids and guide values are labeled separately from completed sales.

Reference records

Options, Colors & Components

Source-backed details for trim, chassis, production, and authenticity.

Transmission

Factory transmission 3-speed manual listed as standard Formula 400 equipment
Factory transmission 4-speed manual availability requires individual-car documentation
Factory transmission Turbo-Hydramatic automatic listed for 400 and 400 Ram Air Firebirds

Options

Reference graphic separating the 1970 Firebird Formula 400 Ram Air III path from Trans Am-only Ram Air IV context.Classic Muscle · Reference illustration

Formula 400 Firebird Formula 400 model equipment factory · performance · Formula 400 equipment includes stabilizer bars, higher-rate springs, windup controls, front discs, bucket seats, dual sport mirrors, concealed wipers/antenna, twin-scoop hood, and Formula 400 nameplates in the captured fact sheet.
L74 400 CID Firebird Ram Air V8 optional · performance · Captured source lists the 335 hp Ram Air 400 as optional on Firebird Formula 400 and standard on Trans Am.
L67 400 CID Ram Air IV V8 unknown · performance · Listed only as a boundary marker: the captured notes identify Ram Air IV as Trans Am-only, so it is not treated as a Formula 400 option on this page.

Paint

10 Polar White factory · solid
26 Lucerne Blue factory · solid
28 Atoll Blue factory · metallic
48 Pepper Green factory · metallic
67 Castillian Bronze factory · metallic
75 Cardinal Red factory · solid

Production

1970 Trans Am side/front view used only to show the same-year second-generation Firebird profile; Trans Am stripes and callouts are context.Valder137 / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 Commons media

Reference graphic summarizing the captured Firebird Ram Air 400 335 hp engine table and Formula 400 availability.Classic Muscle · Reference illustration

1970 Firebird Formula model total total · 7,708 · reported

Authenticity

Reference graphic summarizing Formula Ram Air transmission and axle proof boundaries.Classic Muscle · Reference illustration

Formula Ram Air documentation Factory billing or PHS documentation should identify a Formula 400 with the Ram Air 400 path · Factory billing/PHS documents, order records, restoration files, and inspection binder · fraud detection
Ram Air 400 engine identity 400 CID Firebird Ram Air V8 with source-consistent carburetor, induction, engine code, casting/date evidence, and paperwork · Engine code pad, block/head/intake/carburetor casting and date evidence, Ram Air hardware, service records, and factory billing · numbers matching
Trans Am boundary Ram Air IV and Trans Am shaker/spoiler/stripe cues should not be treated as Formula 400 proof · Model-line references, option documentation, body tags, and photo evidence · fraud detection
Transmission and axle agreement Manual or Turbo-Hydramatic path, axle ratio, and Safe-T-Track evidence should agree with stamps, tags, dates, and paperwork · Transmission stamp/tag, axle tube stamp/date code, differential tags, billing records, and inspection notes · date correctness
Paint, trim, and Formula appearance Paint code, interior trim code, Formula hood/nameplates, and body evidence should agree with the documentation · Body plate, paint traces, interior trim evidence, Pontiac paint/trim tables, PHS/factory billing, and period photos · trim correctness

Still Researching

production Reviewed sources support the 7,708 Formula model total, but not a clean public number for the exact Formula Ram Air 400 subset.
transmission Transmission families are source-backed, but a complete exact-code matrix for Formula Ram Air 400 cars was not isolated in primary order literature.
rear axle Axle ratio context is source-backed by engine and transmission family, but not normalized to a complete Formula Ram Air 400 matrix.

Codes & names

Names & Engine Codes

Common names and codes are grouped so LS6 references point to the same engine, not separate pages.

Reference graphic summarizing the reported 7,708 Formula model total and the unresolved exact Ram Air 400 Formula subset.Classic Muscle · Reference illustration

1970 Firebird Formula 400 Ram Air III Pontiac 400 Ram Air V8

1970 Pontiac Firebird Formula 400 Ram Air III Pontiac 400 Ram Air V8

Formula 400 Ram Air III Pontiac 400 Ram Air V8

L74 Formula 400 Ram Air III Pontiac 400 Ram Air V8

400 CID Firebird Ram Air V-8 Pontiac 400 Ram Air V8

Photo and video gallery