Hi everyone. I am not totally new here, but don't recall my e-mail address or username from years back when I joined for the first time. So I am starting over.

I am here for help and information about my car.

I bought a "1992" Jamaican Yellow Firebird Formula brand new. It has 38,000 miles on it. It has never seen snow, and barely seen rain. Everything is still Factory. This car has the T-Tops, L98 5.7 litre F.I. 350 engine. It's an automatic. It has power mirrors, windows, tilt wheel, cruise control, cassette player & black cloth interior. The inside and out looks like new.

The bird has NEVER seen a winter, and has barely seen the rain. It's a baby for sure.

I read that Pontiac only made 56 or 57 or these rare yellow birds, but I don't know for sure. I read that in a Pontiac magazine back in the 90's. I do know that Pontiac only made 1,017 Formulas in 1992.

So, there's me in a nut shell. I don't show the car. I am currently 41 and living with and caring for my elderly parents. I couldn't do car shows if I wanted to. My loyalty is with my mom and dad.

In the meantime, I have this great car, that I am afraid to drive. I know the blue book value is like $3000. So if something happened, I would be in trouble. I guess I need to get the car appraised and then insured for the amount of the appraisal.

I don't know where to start or who to trust. Does anyone have any advice for me? I would greatly appreciate it. I have been into Pontiacs all my life, but never had something so rare.

Thanks for reading this,
Mary/OHIO

You can get the build info from http://www.phs-online.com/

I got mine from them for my 79 T/A

Welcome to the Formula Source Mary!

Thanks so much for the info! I need all the help I can get.

Nice to meet you.

to TFS Mary! If you've got any other questions about your car or about the site please feel free to post them up. Someone here will be able to help you out.

Pontiac Historical Services is a good place to start with info though. Just use the link that Formyla gave you, fill out the form and then send it and the small fee in and they'll send you back everything they can find about your car. If you really want to get it appraised your best bet would be to talk to either your insurance agent or to someone at a place that handles older model cars. Either of those should be able to tell you of someone or someplace to take it to (or who could come to you) to tell you how much it's worth and how much to insure it for.

As for being afraid to drive it, don't be. Letting it sit there is actually worse for it then you driving it around and maybe getting some dings/dinks in it. It just sitting there isn't doing the tires, belts, hoses or fluids any good. The tires, belts and hoses will end up dry rotting and the fluids will end up getting water in them and the parts they're supposed to lubricate aren't going to get the lubrication they need. So if nothing else, take it when you go for a short run to the store or even for a loop or two around the block to get the engine warm and the fluids moving through everything.

(back)

For insurance talk to these guys: Geisheimer Insurance they have all different plans and are very friendly.

-Jim

Thanks for the great "welcome" SUE!!! I have already contacted my insurance company. They are in the dark about these kinds of cars.

As for not driving it, I would never just let it sit. I think that's one of the first things I learned when I started driving in 1982. lol I know some women who really don't know that stuff, but I am pretty good when it comes to do's and don'ts. Thx for checking though.

My main goal is to find out the true value of my car and then insure it for that.

Thanks again,
Mary aka Dollface!~

THX PYRO!!!!!

MARY/ohio

thx for the suggestion Jim. I will look into it.

Mary/OHIO

Ok you got me --- Dollface! I wanna see a picture

I do not understand how to load pics.

I just tried and failed.

I will try this again tomorrow when I am not half asleep.

Here are a few blurry pics by the worst photographer in the world. lol (ME)

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2633760

http://www.cardomain.com/member_pages/show...3760_1_full.jpg

Nice looking car Mary. I can see why you want to find out how much it's worth and why you don't want to drive it too much either.

I just thought of another place you might be able to get some help finding out about your car and it might be close to you too. It's the Trans Am Club of America, Dayton Ohio Chapter. They're a pretty big group and they're the ones who sponsor Trans Am Nationals in Dayton each year. Here's some info to try and get in touch with a couple of their members. They might be able to help you out or know who can:

Becky: (937) 233-9504 11:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.
Or
Sue: (937) 667-4232
Fax: (937) 667-4232 (please call first)
Cell: (937) 673-6885
Nextel Direct Connect 136*662178*1
11:00 a.m.- 11:00 p.m.
E-mail Suece49@aol.com or suetanationals@aol.com
Or
Jerry: (513) 202-1212


To add pics you need to use the 'addREPLY' box, not the 'fastREPLY' box. Once you click on that a new page will open. About 3/4s down that page you'll see the word 'Browse'. You just click on that like you would if you'd be adding an attachment to a regular email to find the pic you want to post in a box that opens on the page. Then once you find the pic you want to post, just click on that pic in the box, then click on 'Open' and the "link" for the pic will be added to the file box. Once that link is in there, just click on the word 'UPLOAD' to add your pic to your post. Then finish up your post and then click on 'Add Reply'.

If you do that once you click on 'Add Reply' and link to your pic will be added to your post that members can click on to see your pic(s).

A couple of hints: make sure that your pics are in JPEG format if possible; you can add them directly from your computer. They don't need to be hosted on another site to show up that way; if you're pics are hosted on another site all you need to do is right click on the pic, go to the bottom of the box that opens to the word Properties and click on that and then copy the line behind the word Address (URL), then go to where you're wanting to post the pic, paste that address in with the IMAGE tags before and after the address and your pic will show up that way too once you add your post; also make sure that the pic isn't too large. Usually anything over 500kb doesn't load or has trouble loading, so keep your pics on the smaller side.

If you have any more problems let me know and I'll see what I can do to help you out.

SUE...............

You are a gem my lady!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for understanding my position. I will drive the car, but like I said, it just kind of makes a person weiry. You know how people are when you have a nice car and they don't. It's sad, but true. So I will just do some cruisin, and that's it. lol

I had a bad day yesterday. With taking care of my parents 24/7 and also having a handicapped boyfriend, my days are so full that I don't even have time to make phone calls unless it's medical related. I think I am beginning to lose my marbles. lol

So I am keeping this short because I have some medical calls to make, but I wanted you to know that I saw this post and I am sending out big hugs and many thanks for the time you took to write to me and to help me.

God bless,
Mary/OHIO

testing my picture adding skills again! lol

Please bare with me.

Mary/OHIO

Oh my................................I think I have got this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks again SUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mary/OHIO
aka Dollface!~

You're more then welcome Mary.

I do know what you're talking about. I always try to park away from other cars when I'm out cause otherwise it always seems like some idiot parks 2 inches away from my car and then bangs their door into my car. Grrrrrr

And I also know what you mean about not seeming to have any time and feeling like you're losing your mind. Several years ago I had to take care of both my mother and stepfather when they had cancer (lost both of them to it) and help take care of their house and take them to their doctors appts while at the same time taking care of my own family and home. It made for some long 24 hour days. And now isn't much better for me. I lost my husband to a heart attack just under two years ago, so now I help take care of my 80 y/o mother-in-law (my husband was her only child and she doesn't drive anymore so I'm her wheels when she needs to go anywhere), take care of my 17 y/o daughter who still lives at home, support my 22 y/o married daughter who is out in California and whose hubby is over in Iraq, take care of and deal with stuff around my house and work full time. Sometimes I feel like I need another 24 hours in my 24 hour days to get 5 minutes worth of things done or to have 5 minutes of "me" time to just unwind.

You've got it though with the posting of pics. If you need any more help with anything about the site, just post up about it in the Open Discussion forum. Either myself or someone else here will be able to help you out.

Nice bird. I saw it already on Cardomain.

As for parking way out in the boonies... I do it because not only do I like the car, etc, but the darn doors are like 10 FEET LONG and even when I and the other person park correctly, it's still hard to get in the car without swing the doors wide!

Thanks JOE!

You are so right about those long doors! lol

Dearest Sue,

Why do the idiots like to park by our cars? LOL I have still yet to figure it out! Let me know if you do.

Thanks for understanding what things are like here. You have been through so much and are still going through it. I admire you. I am sure you will have a set of wings awaiting you when you get to heaven!!!!!!!!!!

I am really for the losses you have suffered so close together. That's just awful. You have to be way to young to have lost your husband. What a tragedy for you and your kids.

It's really great that you are taking care of your mother-in-law. You will not regret it. The poor dear lost her son, and you know that was hard for her. So you being there for her is priceless. She really needs you in more ways than you probably know.

Your kids are blessed to have you too! You sound like "wonder woman"!!!!!!!! You are amazing, and I don't even know you.

It's funny how people meet on the internet. We are here because of the cars that we love, but we have so much more in common.

If you ever need to talk, I am here for you.

Thanks for understanding and sharing your story with me. Again, I am really sorry for what you have been through. Keep your chin up for those kids of yours!!!!!!!!

Prayers and blessings,
Mary/OHIO

That sure is a nice 92!

ty!!!!!!!!!!
Mary/OHIO

Thanks Mary. I do try to make the best of each and every day, take each day for what it is, try to look and see all those "little" things that we can miss cause of our busy lives and I also try not to let the bad times/things get to me since that does no good but waste energy. I've also come to realize that I've become a much stronger person because of what I've been through and that I'm the person I am today because of them.

But I mainly told you about myself to let you know that you're not the only one who's going through tough times with family and that things do get better and to not give up hope.

Oh and I think I've figured out why idiot people and people with crappy cars park next to our - it's cause I think they think our cars will make theirs look a whole lot better.

You go girl!!!!!!! Find the silver lining in the cloud. That's what I try to do. I always keep laughing. I try to make others around me laugh. It's the only way to get through the tough times.

Thanks again.

Mary/OHIO

Yup, gotta keep a good outlook on life or it'll just run you over like a freight train going full speed.