Hello to all! I've loved Pontiacs all my life, but I went a few years without one, getting the kids through high school and college, starting a business, caring for elderly parents. My past loves were my '73 Formula, '73 Trans Am, '66 Tempest Custom and a '67 Lemans Sprint. I'm back and I'm thinking pretty darn serious about a '96 Formula. If anyone here would be kind enough and take some time to tell me what the trouble spots are with this car, peticularly with the engine and tranny. Much thanks!  

The '96 Formula was equipped with a 4L60E trans and an LT-1 small block. The good thing is it's a '96, so it'll have the OBD II computer system, which'll make tuning easier. The main problem spot on the LT motors was the camshaft driven distributor, or Opti-spark system. They're notorious for failing when they get wet, or when the water pump goes bad and drips water onto them. MSD's new Opti-spark replacement is a fully sealed unit which helps eliminate some of the trouble with these units.

The other main problem with the '96 is it's a difficult car to work on. The common method for engine work on any 4th Gen F-body is to drop the front cradle down from underneath the car so you can easily access all parts of the engine.