Each August in the Chicago area, the Cruisin’ Tiger’s Pontiac Club hosts its Indian Uprising. It’s a weekend long event that brings out several hundred local Pontiacs and draws in dozens of others from nearby cities and states. Previously held in St. Charles, Illinois, the 2021 event was relocated to Crystal Lake and despite the minor hiccups a new facility brings and the COVID variant flareup, this year’s show didn’t disappoint.
If you’ve been following my blog posts recently, you’re familiar with my appreciation for 1974 Formulas. I photographed this beautiful Formula 400 in June 2015 for my 1970-1981 Firebird book.
For the past several years the Cruisin’ Tigers have invited me to be a guest speaker on a panel that includes such Pontiac notables as Jeff Denison, Don Keefe, Jim Mattison, and Scott Tiemann. I consider it a distinct honor and greatly enjoy participating. I spend the weekend walking the show field, meeting owners, and visiting with friends. I truly look forward to attending the Indian Uprising each year and urge you to consider attending the 2022 event if you’re able to.
Owned by Teri Reed, this Admiralty Blue ‘74 Formula has just 25,000 on its odometer. I had the chance to drive in on a Firebird cruise she arranged while at the Indian Uprising in Crystal Lake, Illinois.
This year’s Indian Uprising included an unexpected twist for me. Local hobbyist (and fellow Firebird owner) Teri Reed invited my dad and I to participate in a Firebird cruise that she organized with a group of her friends (who are also Firebird owners) that Saturday morning before the show began. We’ve traveled from Omaha in my GMC Yukon, so I initially thought we’d simply ride along with others in their cars. Teri, however, had us covered. She lives close enough to the show site that she brought three of her own Firebirds to the event and thoughtfully offered two of them to us!
As I peered out the windshield from the driver’s seat of the ‘74 Formula, there was my dad in Teri’s ‘74 Trans Am equipped with the Super Duty 455 that she let him drive.
If you’ve read my past blog posts, you’re likely familiar with my love for ‘74 Formulas. Teri owns a beautiful example in Admiralty Blue with just 25,000 miles on its odometer. It’s powered by an L78 400 4-barrel and backed by a 4-speed manual transmission. I’ve admired her Formula for years and even included it in my ’70-81 Firebird book. She brought it to the show as well as her Super Duty 455-powered ’74 Trans Am and ’78 Formula powered by its original 350-ci small-block Chevrolet.
As we departed the show site and headed north, I found myself mid pack. Looking ahead I saw Sean Bransky’s ‘72 Trans Am, Brian Hoffeller’s ‘73 Trans Am, and Teri Reed’s ‘78 Formula.
Early Saturday morning, we walked out to find seven Second-gen Firebirds ready for the cruise. Teri asked which of her cars my dad and I wanted to drive. I immediately called for the ’74 Formula and my dad chose the ’74 Trans Am. In addition to Teri’s Firebirds, Craig Ehrlich was in his ’70 Trans Am, Sean Bransky was in his ’72 Trans Am, Brian Hoffeller was in his ’73 Trans Am, and Dave Clark from Ohio joined in his ’74 Trans Am.
In my rear view mirror was Dave Clark’s ‘74 Trans Am, my dad in Teri’s ‘74 Trans Am, and Craig Ehrlich’s ‘70 Trans Am.
My dad and I climbed into our respective Firebirds, started their burly V-8s, and quickly got settled in. A few minutes later the group departed the hotel parking lot and immediately headed north from the show site and were on our way to cruise the open highways of rural Illinois. It was a perfect morning with an abundance of sunshine and moderate temperatures.
We planned to stop so Brian Hoffeller could top off the gas tank in his Brewster Green ‘73 Trans Am SD-455. Craig Ehrlich gave him a ribbing for showing up unprepared. Craig snapped this photo of Brian’s response…
From the driver’s seat of the ’74 Formula, looking forward and back, I was surrounded by Second-gen Firebirds—something I’ve never had the pleasure of experiencing before. I can only imagine what other motorists thought as a caravan of shiny Firebirds rumbled by. It certainly elicited a plethora of acknowledgments that included stares, honks, and waves.
I was right at home in the driver’s seat of Teri’s ‘74 Formula. It was at this moment that I breathed a sigh of relief in that I didn’t choose to drive her ‘78 Formula instead. I’m not sure I could have ever lived down the “FOXY” license plate!
Over the course of the next hour or so, the group traversed the two-lane roads and each driver treated their Firebird respectfully. We traveled at or slightly above posted highway speeds. While we all took the opportunity to hit the accelerator from time to time, no one raced or drove recklessly. There simply wasn’t any need. We were a group of mature hobbyists doing with these Firebirds exactly what Pontiac intended—driving them spiritedly and letting them do their thing sucking up road bumps and straightening curves.
Trekking along at 65 mph, the ‘74 Formula’s L78 400 4-barrel was turning 3,000 rpm. Oil pressure and coolant temperature were in the normal range too. The car performed and handled wonderfully.
When we returned to the show site and parked the Firebirds, I immediately remarked to my dad that this group certainly knows how to enjoy their Pontiacs! Yes, these Firebirds were quite rare and, yes, some were very valuable, but these owners were enjoying them in ways beyond displaying them on a show field.
About half way through the drive we pulled into an industrial park to discuss the best route back to the show site. When is the last time you’ve seen this many beautiful Firebirds through a windshield?
I had much fun participating in the Firebird cruise. I told my dad that we need to arrange something similar with our friends and fellow Pontiac owners in Omaha. And I suggest that you consider the same in your area. After all, car shows are enjoyable, but our Pontiacs were made to be driven and exercising them on the open road is not only therapeutic for them, but it can be for you too!
And thank you, Teri for not only thinking to include us, but also entrusting us with two of your beautiful Firebirds to drive during the cruise!