Pontiac 455 hp reduction

Dave Reuland · 01-16-2022, 01:32 AM

More info on the 73 GTO raced by Mick Leiferman. His brother Dennis, who was a tech at the Pontiac dealership in Madision SD, along with his cousin, Tom Geppert, bought a new 73 455SD Formula Firebird 4 speed and raced it in D/S for several years at Thunder Valley Dragways in SD. They pulled the engine and bought a 73 GTO, installed the engine and an automatic trans and continued to race it in the midwest. Dennis told me that Pontiac never built a SD GTO but NHRA had it in the book so they were going to do it. After two or three years, they sent the car to Mick who raced it for several years before pulling the engine, changing the cam and installing the engine into a light weight Firebird and running S/G. Dennis sold the original Firebird Formula SD in1978 and found it again around 2005 and proceded to restore it. Dennis passed away a few years back but his wife has kept the car at the family farm in Kimball SD.

oldskool · 01-16-2022, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Reuland

More info on the 73 GTO raced by Mick Leiferman. His brother Dennis, who was a tech at the Pontiac dealership in Madision SD, along with his cousin, Tom Geppert, bought a new 73 455SD Formula Firebird 4 speed and raced it in D/S for several years at Thunder Valley Dragways in SD. They pulled the engine and bought a 73 GTO, installed the engine and an automatic trans and continued to race it in the midwest. Dennis told me that Pontiac never built a SD GTO but NHRA had it in the book so they were going to do it. After two or three years, they sent the car to Mick who raced it for several years
before pulling the engine, changing the cam and installing the engine into a light weight Firebird and running S/G. Dennis sold the original Firebird Formula SD in1978 and found it again around 2005 and proceded to restore it. Dennis passed away a few years back but his wife has kept the car at the family farm in Kimball SD.

Many thanks for this info !

I had no way of knowing that. Love to be able to present facts, rather than wondering or assuming.

01-16-2022, 01:32 AM	#1
Dave Reuland Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 13 Likes: 162 Liked 37 Times in 8 Posts	Re: Pontiac 455 hp reduction More info on the 73 GTO raced by Mick Leiferman. His brother Dennis, who was a tech at the Pontiac dealership in Madision SD, along with his cousin, Tom Geppert, bought a new 73 455SD Formula Firebird 4 speed and raced it in D/S for several years at Thunder Valley Dragways in SD. They pulled the engine and bought a 73 GTO, installed the engine and an automatic trans and continued to race it in the midwest. Dennis told me that Pontiac never built a SD GTO but NHRA had it in the book so they were going to do it. After two or three years, they sent the car to Mick who raced it for several years before pulling the engine, changing the cam and installing the engine into a light weight Firebird and running S/G. Dennis sold the original Firebird Formula SD in1978 and found it again around 2005 and proceded to restore it. Dennis passed away a few years back but his wife has kept the car at the family farm in Kimball SD.

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