70 Formula 535

[Olds.PhD]

I am of no help for your particular issue, but just wanted to say that's a gorgeous car. Love sticking with the Pontiac motor. The stance and wheels look great. Well done all around.

[gto406]

Agree with “Dr. Olds” - the car will be that much sweeter with BOP power and sound.

Car is coming together nicely!

[slazisme]

Time for an update, and looking for some input on issues I'm having.

I was hoping to have the car ready for Goodguys here next week, but not gonna happen because of issues with EZ EFI 2.0. The car starts up and seems to run fine, but I can't make it through the system set-up without getting a lost com message, after which the ECU resets. I was also getting random errors every now and then, but nothing consistent. After moving the ECU around, rewiring, etc., FAST asked me to send the ECU back so they could check it out...I sent back the harness and throttle body as well just in case, but I was told they're short handed and may take them a few weeks to get to it.

I've lost a little faith in FAST so considering other TB type FI options that will work with my current intake (single plane HSD copy, 4150), fuel system (returnless with ZL1 module and vaporworx controller) and power level (around 650hp). I looked at Holley's offerings (sniper and terminator) but not sure how they play with the Vaporworx controller--the Holley instructions say a return is mandatory and I don't see a wire specifically dedicated to trigger the fuel pump through the Vaporworx controller. I'm especially concerned about this integration because the FAST folks I talked to wanted to blame the Vaporworx stuff for the problems I was having.

Suggestions?

Hopefully your issues can get ironed out but if they don't and you need some help with the tune or getting things figured out, my tuner buddy who is familiar with Fast and Terminator can possibly help out. I ended up using Fitech that I picked up back in 2017 for my LS conversion and he got my car running great! I talked to him and mentioned your situation and he said it was okay to pass along his contact info. So if you need some help I can set you up with him. Send me a PM if you're interested, here's a excerpt from his Facebook page, he's got a crazy powered Grand National. Simon.
Intro
25 years of fast classic fast, xfi and general GN tuning experience! field technician by trade.

[Alponcho]

The EFI system should be back to me tomorrow. FAST said the ECU, throttle body, and wiring harness checked out fine. I'm really tempted to go with another system, but I guess I'll reinstall and try to eliminate as many possible problems as possible. Though not sure how much further I can go without throwing money at parts (e.g., ignition box, distributor, coil, alt, plug wires, etc.).

[4mul8ion]

I'm running the FAST Sportsman EFI in a multiport injector setup on my 505. I'm using the FAST E6 CDI box through their coil and Dual Sync distributor. Runs great. Can their Sportsman EFI run your TB without having to replace everything?

I thought that for the vaporworx on FAST efi setups the pwm is switching the ground vs the +12v for Holley EFI systems.

[eversaul86]

Nice car! Love the progress. This thing is sweet!
Martin

[Alponcho]

Well, I spent yesterday rerouting wires, removing non-essential electrical parts, and hooking the system back up. Unfortunately, the instant I powered up the fuel pump to check for leaks, fuel poured/sprayed out the LH side of the throttle body. What a mess. Folks at FAST must have forgotten to do something inside the unit when they were testing it.

[ttrimgto]

if you want to discuss Holley efi for your pontiac can you send me an email or private message thru the forum? Are you in the Cave Creek area?

Thanks and I apologize for disrupting your thread.

[andrewb70]

if you want to discuss Holley efi for your pontiac can you send me an email or private message thru the forum? Are you in the Cave Creek area?

Thanks and I apologize for disrupting your thread.

I tune Holley EFI systems for a living. I'd be happy to chat. Send me a PM

Andrew

[CarlC]

I'm running the FAST Sportsman EFI in a multiport injector setup on my 505. I'm using the FAST E6 CDI box through their coil and Dual Sync distributor. Runs great. Can their Sportsman EFI run your TB without having to replace everything?

I thought that for the vaporworx on FAST efi setups the pwm is switching the ground vs the +12v for Holley EFI systems.

Most all EFI systems use a 12v+ signal to turn on an external control (relay, FSCM, etc.) Hence, the standard trigger for VaporWorx controllers is 12v+.

FAST is the oddball with a pull-to-ground. VaporWorx can supply this option at no charge, I just need to know that either with a phone call or put into the Notes section when ordering online.

The other option is to use the 12v+ output from the FAST fuel pump relay output. This harness add-on is kinda spendy, and adds no useful function vs. having the controller set for pull-to-ground.

It is strongly recommended to always use the ECM trigger for fuel pump enable. It has priming and safety features built in that will turn off the fuel pump enable circuit if engine rotation is not sensed. If an IGN signal is use fuel will pump uncontrolled in an accident which could lead to a variety of very bad things.

[Alponcho]

Well, after 10 years, the car is pretty much complete now. I've driven it about 100 miles or so without issue. Everything works, it stays cool, A/C blows cold, no leaks or electrical gremlins, etc. It's quick and handles great. I was expecting a jarring ride, but it's actually no worse than some modern performance cars. It is a little raw--engine idles with some attitude and is loud, some gear whine above 70mph or so--but nothing obnoxious. The only things left to do is bring her in for an alignment, check fasteners, etc.

I ended up spending about twice as much money on it than I originally planned. I went overboard on a few things, and I underestimated how much I would need to spend to maintain the factory Pontiac vibe. There are a few things I would have changed if I had to do it all again, but as they say, hindsight is 20-20. Overall, I'm happy with the outcome.

[stevehoj]

Thumbs up!

[OLDFLM]

LOVE the car! Love the seats and the whole execution!

Would love to hear the list of what you'd do differently too...

[thumper877]

Beautiful car. Love the look without the rear spoiler. The painted roll bar looks great too

[NCSU68]

Congratulations! An amazing car!

[Josh@Ridetech]

I love it. Very nice build! Enjoy it now .

[Alponcho]

Thanks for the compliments!

Would love to hear the list of what you'd do differently too...

Here are a few things that come to mind:
1) The car would have turned out the same if I started with a less expensive base/automatic Firebird shell rather than a running and relatively complete 4-speed Formula 400.
2) I should have taken more time to consider ripple effects and associated expenses and complications when planning what would go into the build. As one example, the DSE subframe is beautiful and the car handles great, but with the Pontiac engine set back 1.5", I had to have custom headers built, modify the oil pan, and few other things...nothing major, but it adds up. If I would have better anticipated these types of things, I might have made changes to keep costs down.
3) Should not have purchased parts so far in advance. Parts costs have certainly increased over the last 10 years, But any savings were more than offset by having to purchase updated parts, parts I misplaced, or replacements for parts that ended up not working out for one reason or another.
4) Should have spent more time mocking things up prior to painting and finishing parts. If I would have done this, I could have tucked the exhaust up a little more, hid more under the dash, etc.
5) I plan to drive the car a lot...and I'm not a car show type of guy, so I probably overdid it on the body and paint and NOS parts.
6) Should have sold/disposed of parts I wasn't going to use during the build rather than holding on to them. I now have a boxes and boxes of stuff from this build (and a couple restorations and another ongoing project) to get rid of and it's a little overwhelming.

[Alponcho]

Just finishing up my son's '79 Trans Am Y84. The build was a little different than my '70--LS (stroked LQ4), TKX, ridetech, Wilwood--but it turned out great. After the engine bay photo was taken, we replaced the long tubes from Hooker with a set from Ultimate Headers and gained about .75" of ground clearance. Only things left are polish and buff, install SE decals, & another remote tuning session with Andrew.

So now that I have more time, I'll be making a couple changes on the Formula. First, I need more ground clearance...especially on the driver's side where the V band is ground down quite a bit. I'm having local guy a build some mid-length Tri-Y headers that will follow closer to the floor and not extend much below the subframe. We'll be redoing the exhaust to get it up higher as well. Second, I'll be replacing the center section with a FN988 from DSE (8.8" gears in a 9" case). The 9" in the car now howls some at highway speed which I find fatiguing on long drives. My son's 9" is a lot quieter, but not as quiet as I heard these DSE deals are. I may go with 3.73 this time.

[Alponcho]

The tri-y's turned out good. Lots more ground clearances. They install easily from the bottom of the car and plenty of room for the steering shaft, oil filter & starter. I'm going to get them Cerakoted. Making progress on the exhaust. Have to redo the fuel line to the throttle body, clutch MC line, and park brake cables. But the added ground clearance should be worth it.

[Pontula]

Beautiful car! I’m close to getting started on a 72 formula. Sundance orange with black interior and I have the same idea of keeping a very original look (especially interior with exception of 4 point roll cage). I’m looking at doing a Kauffman 535 ci crate motor.

Did you end up going with the Tomahawk intake? If so have you gotten it on the dyno yet?