1996-2020 The Hunt and reunion
Auto Trader - the only way to find a car before the internet
Google makes searching much easier in the late 90's. I watched the used car sites for years, but never saw my car, and never saw another 5 speed Formula
In 2014, I found a hardtop version of my original car with a 305 TPI-5 Speed. When I first saw the ad, my heart skipped a beat. With the Bra in the picture, I thought I found my car. Then I noticed it didn't have T-tops. It was as close as I could get, so I brought her home.
I had her painted, replaced the carpet and headliner, and In 2016, I won second place at the Trans Am Nationals behind Jay with his 1988 Formula
In 2020, I posted in Facebook groups looking for tips and help finding my original car. A Facebook friend sent me the phone number to the guy I sold the car to in 1994. I called him, but he sold the car in 1995 and could only remember the town the lady was from.
I searched that town on Google Earth satellite view looking for a red Firebird with T-tops. I found what could be my car, so I drove there and found a body shop. I told the owner my story and showed him a picture of the car. He knew the car and told me a lot of history. The car was owned by a lady that went to prison for a few years and the car sat in the driveway across from the body shop. While she was gone, the car was vandalized. He told me where she once lived and I knocked on doors in the area asking about my car. I eventually talked to her mother and she told me her daughter had sold the car and had no more information.
After that lead turned up dry, I ran an updated CarFax report and that showed it was last registered in 2015 in New Weston Ohio
I drove to New Weston and scanned the streets for my abandoned Formula. I found 5 guys having coffee in the Town Hall parking lot. I told them my story and when they stopped laughing, they sent me to a mechanic a few miles away.
A young man working in the garage overheard me asking about the car. He said he saw what he thought might have been a red Firebird in a barn, in pieces. He gave me directions to the barn. How ironic is it that the last tip leading to my car was from a garage called Burkettsville garage in a town called Burkettsville? When I bought the car in 1989, I lived on Burkett Ave.
I found the barn and I knocked on the door, but nobody was home. I peeked in the open barn door and there was my car! I left a note on the door explaining the story with the VIN and my contact information. I went back home and Googled the address and called every phone number associated.
I contacted the owner the next day on September 12, 2020 and went to see the car. He agreed to sell me the car after hearing the story and confirming the VIN. I grabbed my trailer, some cash, my wife and good friend Brian with his son Mathew and headed back to pick up the car.
We loaded all the parts in the truck and on the trailer
I asked the owner if he had the keys to the hatch, so we could put parts in the back. He said they were on the keychain hanging in the ignition. I pulled the original spare keys out of my pocket, yes I still had them on the Rodgers Pontiac keychain, and asked if he thought these would still work. When the key opened the hatch, I finally knew this was real!
The next day, I pushed the car outside to start assessing what I had to work with.
The front end had substantial damage to the radiator core support and the driver side frame rail
The hood was not salvageable, but makes a nice wall hanger in my garage.
The interior wasn't much better
After removing the seat covers, I found the vandalism damage that resulted in the salvage title in 2001
It broke my heart to see someone take out their frustrations for someone else on an innocent car.
A quick power wash revealed more of the vandalism damage, but also revealed a very clean and solid back half of the car.
Mice and squirrels had made their homes in the seat and insulation, but this was eviction day.
I was surprised to find the floor pans were near perfect.
Although the shift knob had been replaced with a stylish Dale Jr. ball, the original leather knob was still in the console. Hard to believe it was there, given what the car had gone through
I installed these Nationwise Auto Parts splash guards on the car in 1990. I couldn't believe all 4 were still installed on the car 30 years later. They are now hanging in the garage with the original hood and rear spoiler.
The T-tops and storage bag were near perfect. I can only imagine they spent most of their life in the storage bag in the back.