The children of the Seventies, now moneyed enthusiasts, cannot get enough vintage Pontiac muscle. Consider it a holdover pop culture sensation. More than a few Americans came of vehicular age watching Smokey and the Bandit, worshipping Burt Reynolds and his “Screaming Chicken” Special Edition Trans-Am. In 2014, one of the movie’s original promo cars sold for $450k; months later, a mere “tribute car” briefly owned by Reynolds brought $170k. Then, last year, a second highly controversial promo car fetched $550k. Now, another old Bandit-style Pontiac is headed to auction. How much will this one bring?

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All signs point to mega bucks. The car, a 1978 Firebird Formula, packs serious resto-mod firepower. Under the hood is a fuel-injected 505cid V8 from Butler Performance. Trick aluminum heads, March pulleys, ceramic headers, and a full custom 3-inch exhaust, plus all the cooling (aluminum radiator, electric fans, functional Shaker hood) necessary for a claimed 600 horsepower. The gearbox is a five-speed Tremec manual, with a Detroit Speed mini-tub rear and Hurst line-lock to ensure maximum tire smoke. It’s also got full coilover suspension and, of course, oversized snowflake-style wheels. The interior’s all custom, too, replete with Pioneer and JL audio equipment. Burt Reynolds signature is custom-embroidered on the headrest. Naturally.

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