FOR YOU PONTIAC DUDES, 70 GTO RAM AIR 4 PICS

[njsteve]

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looks like the stripes are off it now. Looks 100% better too

http://inventory.bestofshowautomotiv...asp?VIN=131757

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Yes, it does look beautiful!

Best of Show, unfortunately, is known for their typos and incorrect descriptions, though.

"The original fiberglass Ram Air IV hood was reinstalled"

???

[njsteve]

The way that car sits now, it reminds me of June, 1970 when I was at summer camp in Orange, Connecticut and one of the counselors, a local teenager, drove up in his brand-new 1970 GTO: Starlight Black with a red interior and that same rear wing.
That was the hottest car I had ever seen up to that point in my curmudgeonly young life. ...that was until July when I saw a B5 blue, Hemi Superbird parked at the beach in Orleans, Cape Cod.

[al8apex]

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These numbers-matching Ram Air IV, 4-speed Pontiac GTO's and T/A's are EXTREMELY rare due to the fact that a missed gear with cast-iron connecting rods usually had disastrous consequences. Every single Small and Big Block Chevy had forged connecting rods and it's a shame that Pontiac skimped in the rod department. It sure would have been nice if they had released those famous SD 455 Forged rods just a few years earlier. It would have saved some rare Pontiacs!Hey, does anybody know the story about the theft issue that occured with these forged SD 455 rods when they were released. They were big news and demand was high.

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talk about getting way off track of the original post but ...

I was working at Pontiac from the summer of 71 through 74 as a General Motors institute student. 6 weeks of work at the plant then 6 weeks of school in Flint.

The SD assembly area had to have a cage built around it because of all the parts "disappearing" ...

they finally installed metal detectors on the ramp to the plant but a lot of people had other ways of getting around it (them?)

One burly plant electrician bragged to me how he had a complete engine at home that he had taken out a part at a time ... the block too he used a sling to hang it from his shoulders and took it out in the winter ... he was a BIG guy (in all directions) and wore one of those winter coats that goes down to your shoes, like the cowboys wear in Montana ... I think they are called slicks ... regardless, he was happy to brag to a kid in college how he had taken home stuff all the time. People had SD parts from back in the early 60's, one guy said he had the aluminum front end, all taken out a part at a time ...

I was amazed that GM could make any money on their cars with all the slacking and stealing that was done ...

[RM Schimel]

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These numbers-matching Ram Air IV, 4-speed Pontiac GTO's and T/A's are EXTREMELY rare due to the fact that a missed gear with cast-iron connecting rods usually had disastrous consequences. Every single Small and Big Block Chevy had forged connecting rods and it's a shame that Pontiac skimped in the rod department. It sure would have been nice if they had released those famous SD 455 Forged rods just a few years earlier. It would have saved some rare Pontiacs!Hey, does anybody know the story about the theft issue that occured with these forged SD 455 rods when they were released. They were big news and demand was high.

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Yes, the bottom end of the Pontiac engine was always prone to breakage. That being said it also makes a numbers matching RAIV car all that more desirable. RM

[Mr. Chevy]

I personally like the stripes on the car. I really think they make it look better!! It will be interesting to see if they pull that kind of cash out of this car in today's market...

Speaking of parts disappearing, I spoke to a guy who grew up in Canton, Ohio who said that when Winters Foundry was up and running and making all the big block aluminum intakes and aluminum heads for the Chevy Motors more of them would "go over the fence" and into the hands of teenage kids building race cars back then...

Rich

[Smokey]

Back in the 90's when I worked at a Chevy dealer,all the old timers had stuff that got snabbed out of the back door. Scottie still has 3 L88 crate motors, 1 on a stand, 1 in his Tahiti boat and 1 still in a crate. Its amazing listening to them on what they payed for and what stuff cost back then.

[firstgenaddict]

Atoll blue is one of my favorite colors... it is beautiful...

[agtw31]

really nice car,but you have to be on the pipe to pay 100k for it

[HPMIKE]

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Atoll blue is one of my favorite colors... it is beautiful...

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Agreed-- It's a great color.

I had a 70 GP SJ455HO that was Atoll blue with a black interior. Was one of the best cars I ever owned. Sold it in the late 80's.

MB

[Kim_Howie]