Hi-Performance CARS magazine

’72 PONTIAC FIREBIRD, FORMULA & TRANS AM

Arguably, 1972 was the last year of the great ones. The ’72 PONTIAC FIREBIRD, FORMULA & TRANS AM, however, still delivered head-turning style, sporty car ride & handling, plus big-block performance!

’72 PONTIAC FIREBIRD, FORMULA & TRANS AM

Chrysler and Ford followed GM with a vengeance, not only reducing compression ratios but killing some great engines and models. This resulted in GM’s carryover vehicles, including the ’72 PONTIAC FIREBIRD, FORMULA & TRANS AM, powered by underrated engines, dominating the marketplace. Even though new SAE Net horsepower ratings made almost every new engine look wimpy, performance prevailed.

The 1972 model year saw minor cosmetic changes. A difference that differentiates a 1972 Firebird from the other 1970-‘73 Firebirds is the hexagonal honeycomb grille insert in the front fascia of the vehicle. During a 1972 strike, the Firebird and the similar F-body Camaro were nearly dropped. There was an industry-wide change to the way the engines were rated from the factory, with Gross horsepower ratings replaced by more accurate SAE Net information. Compression ratios were again lowered to comply with the regulation that mandates a more environmentally friendly, low- or no-leaded fuel, further reducing power ratings.

Engine options remained mostly unchanged. However, the L75 455 engine was dropped, but the standard Trans Am LS5 455 HO remained as an option for the Formula model. Pontiac rated the 1972 455 HO at 300 horsepower, but the engine was a carryover from 1971. Starting in 1972 and continuing until 1977, Firebirds were only produced at the Norwood, OH, facility.

Pontiac Formula and Trans Am Firebirds were Ponycar class leaders. With an available 455/300 H.O. engine, slick styling, and some of the best suspension tuning in the industry, you would have had difficulty finding a more potent Ponycar. We drove a unique ’72 Trans Am with a prototype louvered hood instead of the Ram Air Shaker hood at GM’s Milford Proving Ground that posted sub-14-second times at 102 mph!

’72 PONTIAC FIREBIRD, FORMULA & TRANS AM Joe Oldham tested a 455/300 Trans Am with four-speed and 3.42 gears for the September 1972 issue of Hi-Performance CARS. Like the T/A we drove, it too had been “tuned.” Before tracking it, Oldham brought the T/A to Nunzi’s Automotive in Brooklyn, NY, for ignition and carburetor tuning. Oldham registered the best times of 103.22 mph in 14.04 seconds.

Check out the ’72 PONTIAC FIREBIRD, FORMULA & TRANS AM Fact Sheets with lengthy lists of powertrain and performance options, and links to sales brochures at Over-Drive magazine, https://over-drive-magazine.com/2025/08/18/1972-pontiac-firebird-fact-sheet/

’66 OLDS 4-4-2: TRI-POWER ROCKET!

One of the early adopters of street performance (’49 Rocket V-8 coupe), Oldsmobile kicked butt with the ’66 OLDS 4-4-2: TRI-POWER ROCKET!

’66 OLDS 4-4-2: TRI-POWER ROCKET!

When carmakers announced their 1966 models in September 1965, it was like the Musclecar/Supercar floodgates had opened. Ford had already proven that its 1964-1965 marketing mantra – “Win On Sunday, Sell On Monday” – worked. For 1966, Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors unleashed their all-time hottest models, and it was nirvana for car enthusiasts and automotive magazine editors!

One of the finalists for our Top Performance Car honors at Hi-Performance CARS magazine was the ’66 OLDS 4-4-2: TRI-POWER ROCKET! Olds’ engineers had finally come up with a big-engined midsize car to compete seriously with Pontiac’s GTO. Not long after revealing the latest 4-4-2 with four-barrel 400/350, they upped the ante with a late-arriving Tri-Carb version conservatively rated at 360 horsepower. It was Oldsmobile’s first use of three-two-barrel induction since the legendary 1957-1958 371-cube J2 Rocket V8s, rated at 300 and 312 horsepower, respectively.

We found that an L69-option Tri-Carb 4-4-2 with four-speed and 3.90 Anti-Spin gearing was quicker and faster than the 360-horsepower Tri-Power GTO we tested for March 1966 Hi-Performance Cars. GTO styling was refreshed in 1966, and it became a distinctive model series, no longer an option on the Tempest. The GTO’s best time was 100 mph in 14.50 seconds, compared with an L69 Olds’ 13.80s and approximately 105 mph.

’66 OLDS 4-4-2: TRI-POWER ROCKET! Oldsmobile engineers worked on the L79 W-30 engine project in late 1964 and 1965, and Tri-Carb packages first surfaced on ’65 4-4-2 Mules. The Lansing Engineering facility was down the road from Demmer Tool & Die, a GM supplier. There was a lot of “information” sharing between Olds and Demmer drag racing engineers. Demmer raced a Tri-Carb 4-4-2, RECTIFIER-2, and worked closely with Oldsmobile. In 1968, Demmer built the 455-inch Hurst Olds. Unlike GTO Tri-Power with vacuum-operated linkage opening the end two Rochester 2GC carburetors, the Oldsmobile L69 Tri-Carb utilized a smoother, progressive mechanical linkage.

’66 OLDS 4-4-2: TRI-POWER ROCKET! An Oldsmobile 4-4-2 performance brochure encouraged enthusiasts to not only buy a 4-4-2, but “Turn it on. Tinker with it. Make it dance to your tune.” “Exclusive on the 4-4-2 Tri-Carb. For peak breathing at the high end, just pull two bolts from the crossover valves on either side of the center carb, rotate the covers 90 degrees and bolt them back down.” It was not great for cold starts, but perfect for taking advantage of cooler, denser air-fuel mixture for better performance!

With a choice of Anti-Spin gearing up to 3.90 and dealer-installed 4.11 or 4.33 gears, plus close or wide-ratio Hurst-shifted four-speeds, the ’66 OLDS 4-4-2: TRI-POWER ROCKET! was a serious Supercar. Taking it up a notch, it was available with a W-30 option that didn’t change the factory power rating, but unquestionably improved quarter-mile performance. Key W-30 ingredients included a chromed Tri-Carb air cleaner with four-inch hoses ducting fresh air from front bumper openings, a high-lift, 308-degree-duration camshaft, and relocation of the battery to the trunk. The majority of W-30 engines were in base model F-85 4-4-2 Club Coupes.

For complete details on the ’66 OLDS 4-4-2: TRI-POWER ROCKET!, 4-4-2 road tests, tech data, please visit OVER-DRIVE magazine @ https://over-drive-magazine.com/2023/12/30/1966-oldsmobile-mid-size-cars-fact-sheet/

’72 OLDS W30 4-4-2 & W-45 HURST/OLDS

The ’72 OLDS W30 4-4-2 & W-45 HURST/OLDS were the last of the great ones from Lansing!

’72 OLDS W30 4-4-2 & W-45 HURST/OLDS

Like the GTO and LeMans, Oldsmobile’s venerable 4-4-2 was reduced to an option available on various Cutlass models. To get maximum 4-4-2 power and image, you had to opt for the W29 Sport/Handling 4-4-2 and the W30 Performance Packages. When you selected the W30, it included the L77 Force-Air 455 rated at 300 horsepower at 4,700 rpm and 410 pound-feet of torque at 3,200 rpm. The best part of the W29 option was Oldsmobile’s excellent FE2 Suspension with HD everything, plus front and rear sway bars. You could order a W25 functionally-scooped fiberglass hood, regardless of engine choice.

Oldsmobile engineer, Dale Smith, supplied the W30 test car with four-speed and 3.91 gears that we featured in PERFORMANCE CARS ’72. While that car ran 100 mph in 14.30 seconds, production models we drove with similar gearing during the year were off by 2-3 mph and a few tenths. He also loaned us a W30-powered Hurst/Olds Indy Pace Car for a road test in Hi-Performance CARS magazine. The ’72 OLDS W30 4-4-2 & W-45 HURST/OLDS Pace Car carried Oldsmobile’s performance cred over for one more year!

The ‘72 Hurst/Olds was developed by Hurst Performance, and not Oldsmobile. It had some of the lowest production numbers of any produced, with a total of 629 hardtops and 130 convertibles. Of the hardtops, 220 were produced with a sunroof, below. All ’72 Hurst/ Olds had a W-45 Code on the cowl tags.

’72 OLDS W30 4-4-2 & W-45 HURST/OLDS Hurst Performance volunteered to sponsor and pace the 1972 Indy 500, and it was the only time a Pace Car was supplied from other than a major automobile manufacturer. For Indy, an additional six station wagons were constructed for press and ambulance use, though not considered true Hurst Oldsmobiles, and 279 of the hardtop cars were made available and later sold. All cars were Cameo White with reflective gold stripes that were stick-on decals, not paint. All cars had the W-25 Ram Air Hood and gold SS III Rally Wheels with a chrome bolt-on center cap and chrome beauty ring. The tires were unique to the car: Goodyear Polysteel Radials.

The base Hurst/Olds engine was the L75 455-inch V-8 rated at 250 SAE net horsepower. Optional at extra cost was the W-30 option with the L77 455, above, and typical of Oldsmobile at the time, it was a massaged special-build engine rated at 300 SAE net horsepower. Engines were mated to Turbo Hydra-Matic 400 transmissions with console-mounted Hurst Dual-Gate shifters. (There were no manual transmission cars.) All Hurst/Olds were fitted with black Strato-Bucket seat interiors with center consoles and Dual-Gate Shifters, as well as “Digital Performance Computers”.

Check out OVER-DRIVE magazine for complete coverage of all of Oldsmobile’s mid-size models, including: ’72 OLDS W30 4-4-2 & W-45 HURST/OLDS @ https://over-drive-magazine.com/2025/03/21/1972-oldsmobile-mid-size-cars-fact-sheet/

’66 OLDS TRI-POWER 4-4-2: SERIOUS SUPERCAR

One of the finalists for CARS Magazine’s 1966 Top Performance Car honors was the ’66 OLDS TRI-POWER 4-4-2: SERIOUS SUPERCAR!

’66 OLDS TRI-POWER 4-4-2: SERIOUS SUPERCAR

In 1966, Olds Engineers in Lansing finally developed a big-engined midsize car to compete seriously with Pontiac’s GTO. After revealing the latest 4-4-2 with a four-barrel 400/350, they upped the ante with a late-arriving Tri-Carb version conservatively rated at 360 horsepower. It was Oldsmobile’s first use of three-two-barrel induction since the legendary 1957-1958 371-cube J2 Rocket V8s, rated at 300 and 312 horsepower respectively.

We found that an L69-option Tri-Carb 4-4-2 with four-speed and 3.90 Anti-Spin gearing was quicker and faster than the 360-horsepower Tri-Power GTO we tested for the March 1966 Hi-Performance CARS. GTO styling was refreshed in 1966 and it became a distinctive model series, no longer a Tempest option. The best time we ran with the GTO was 100 mph in 14.50 seconds, compared with an L69 Olds’ 13.80s and approximately 105 mph.

Oldsmobile engineers in Lansing worked on the L79 W-30 engine project in late 1964 and 1965, and Tri-Carb packages first surfaced on ’65 4-4-2 Mules.

The Lansing Engineering facility was down the road from Demmer Tool & Die, a GM supplier. There was a lot of “information” sharing between Olds and Demmer drag racing engineers. Demmer raced a Tri-Carb 4-4-2, RECTIFIER-2, and worked closely with Oldsmobile. In 1968 Demmer built the 455-inch Hurst Olds. Unlike GTO Tri-Power with vacuum-operated linkage opening the end two Rochester 2GC carburetors, the ’66 OLDS TRI-POWER 4-4-2: SERIOUS SUPERCAR L69 Tri-Carb utilized smoother, progressive mechanical linkage.

With a choice of Anti-Spin gearing up to 3.90 and dealer-installed 4.11 or 4.33 gears, plus close or wide-ratio Hurst-shifted four-speeds, the Tri-carb 4-4-2 was a serious Supercar. Taking it up a notch, it was available with a W-30 option that didn’t change the factory power rating, but unquestionably improved quarter-mile performance. Key W-30 ingredients included a chromed Tri-Carb air cleaner with four-inch hoses ducting fresh air from front bumper openings, a high-lift, 308-degree-duration camshaft, and relocation of the battery to the trunk. The majority of W-30 engines were in base model F-85 4-4-2 Club Coupes.

’66 OLDS TRI-POWER 4-4-2: SERIOUS SUPERCAR

For more information on the ’66 OLDS TRI-POWER 4-4-2: SERIOUS SUPERCAR, and all midsize products for 1966, check out OVER-DRIVE Magazine @ https://over-drive-magazine.com/2023/12/30/1966-oldsmobile-mid-size-cars-fact-sheet/

For complete coverage of the 1960s-1970s Motown Musclecar scene, add a copy of DAY ONE to your library, https://www.amazon.com/Day-One-Automotive-Journalists-Muscle-Car/dp/0760352364/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1493561421&sr=1-1&keywords=Day One by Martyn L. Schorr

’70 OLDS W30 4-4-2 ROAD WARRIOR

Few midsize Musclecars from the 1970s can match the road and track creds of the ’70 OLDS W30 4-4-2 ROAD WARRIOR.

’70 OLDS W30 4-4-2 ROAD WARRIOR

In many ways, 1970 was the storm before the calm. The war in Southeast Asia continued casting a pall over a much-divided country and thinning the ranks of young enthusiasts. Carmakers’ racing budgets were being drastically cut and engineering resources reassigned to prepare for restrictive emissions and safety legislation. And, Ponycar sales had been plummeting and would register new lows at the end of the model year.

Yet, Motown launched its most aggressive power portfolio ever. With the industry working on two-to-three-year product development cycles, there was no stopping the performance products scheduled to go public. In some cases, like the new F–body Camaro, Firebird, E–body Challenger, and Barracuda, they had been in the works for more than two years. They represented huge tooling expenses and GM and Chrysler’s only route to staying competitive in what had been a scalding hot performance car market.

Oldsmobile, like Buick, offered serious Supercars that were also luxurious road warriors. Its suspension packages were spot-on for delivering maximum handling without a harsh, unpleasant ride. Oldsmobile had a very active revolving backdoor, often manned by engineer Dale Smith, for supplying drag and road racers with what they needed. Smith also distributed blueprinting and tuning specs for running a W30 Olds 4-4-2 in NHRA Stock drag racing classes.

I was a big fan of the ’69 Hurst-Olds, the only GM midsize coupe that came with a 455-inch engine. For 1970, the biggest, baddest W30 Force-Air 455/370 was an RPO for the 4-4-2. When covering the hottest ’70 OLDS W30 4-4-2 ROAD WARRIOR in SUPERCAR ’70 ½ , I wrote: “Dr. Oldsmobile has done it again. Not only has he come back on the scene with out-of-sight ‘W’ machines, but he’s knocked Hurst out of the box as well. He’s put it to Shifty George from Valley Forge by coming out with 455-inch Supercars.”

Olds Engineering focused on improving the new W30’s breathing. Heads featured 2.07/1.63-inch valves, actuated by a .475-inch lift, 328-degree duration cam with 108 degrees overlap. A performance-calibrated Quadrajet, on an aluminum intake manifold and sealed to the functionally-scooped fiberglass hood, kept the big-block nourished.

The gold ’70 OLDS W30 4-4-2 ROAD WARRIOR we tested in SUPERCAR ’70 ½ was from Dale Smith’s fleet. A W30 455/370 engine generating 500 pound-feet of torque at 3,600 rpm powered it. It was quick, fast, and, we suspected, not showroom stock. With automatic and 3.91 gears, our best quarter-mile time was 105 mph in 13.70 seconds and the quickest 0 to 60 was 6.6 seconds.

For the May 1970 issue of Hi-Performance CARS, our team tested a production 4-4-2 with a slightly different drivetrain. Also automatic, it had 3.42 gears and a very cool W27 aluminum differential carrier and cover. It represented an approximate 22-pound weight saving and was a $157.98 option. After learning the cost, our test driver commented: “I’d pocket the $157.98 and go on a 22-pound diet!”

’70 OLDS W30 4-4-2 ROAD WARRIOR Finished in brilliant yellow with red stripes, our 4-4-2 was noticeably slower than the gold car. Our best times were 98 mph in 14.30 seconds at the track and 7.5 seconds sprinting to 60 mph. With a great Rally Sports suspension, beefy sway bars, and variable-ratio power steering, the 4-4-2 was a great road car.

While we were celebrating Motown’s heavy metal onslaught, engineers were well on their way to certifying lower compression, less powerful and cleaner engines for 1971. That did not bode well for the future of performance cars. The party was winding down!

For more information about the ’70 OLDS W30 4-4-2 ROAD WARRIOR and fact sheets about 1970 Olds high-performance models, please visit https://over-drive-magazine.com/2024/02/01/1970-oldsmobile-mid-size-cars-fact-sheet/