75 grand am

68sd · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

75 grand am

427carl · A Poncho Legend!

Wow very nice lets chip in, and buy it for Ray hmm

65Camino · Uber Guru

I am in for $10.

Astro Jet · Poncho Master!

I'll go $20.

Seriously though, what are the details on this car? Does the A/C work? What is the interior like? Mileage? Engine strong? Need anything to be certified?

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

Maybe Hillar is interested. We could cruise together and make a big splash when we arrive. biggrin

Astro Jet · Poncho Master!

73SC wrote:

Maybe Hillar is interested. We could cruise together and make a big splash when we arrive.

I am a sucker for big blocks. wink

65Camino · Uber Guru

If it was a stick, I'd be interested. Never learned how to drive automatic!

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

Just a point of trivia, even in a 73 GTO, 4 speed was never offered with the 455 in these vintage A bodies.

Astro Jet · Poncho Master!

73SC wrote:

Just a point of trivia, even in a 73 GTO, 4 speed was never offered with the 455 in these vintage A bodies.

You beat me to the punch, I was just going to post that. In fact, there was only one year in which you could order the standard "D" port head 455 with a stick, that was 1970. From 71 onwards, it was only the 400 or the 455 HO motors with the round port heads that could be ordered with manual transmissions. My thought is that the regular 455, which was essentially a stroked 400 with longer rods, was not designed or appropriate for the high revving and rpms that stick cars usually experience. The regular 455 really is a torque monster suited to an automatic transmission and that is why they were never really rated with much more horsepower than a 400. In 71-72 they were essentially rated at the same horsepower, but at a lower rpm, and with much more torque. I'm also guessing that Pontiac received an inordinate number of warranty claims for the 455 stick combos (given the number which was produced which was low) so they just decided that going forward, if someone was interested in stick performance they would order the HO motor anyway which was properly equipped to rev higher.

Canadian Poncho · A Poncho Legend!

Looks like a good deal.

427carl · A Poncho Legend!

I'll will pay a tank of gas!

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

Astro Jet wrote:

73SC wrote:

Just a point of trivia, even in a 73 GTO, 4 speed was never offered with the 455 in these vintage A bodies.

You beat me to the punch, I was just going to post that. In fact, there was only one year in which you could order the standard "D" port head 455 with a stick, that was 1970. From 71 onwards, it was only the 400 or the 455 HO motors with the round port heads that could be ordered with manual transmissions. My thought is that the regular 455, which was essentially a stroked 400 with longer rods, was not designed or appropriate for the high revving and rpms that stick cars usually experience. The regular 455 really is a torque monster suited to an automatic transmission and that is why they were never really rated with much more horsepower than a 400. In 71-72 they were essentially rated at the same horsepower, but at a lower rpm, and with much more torque. I'm also guessing that Pontiac received an inordinate number of warranty claims for the 455 stick combos (given the number which was produced which was low) so they just decided that going forward, if someone was interested in stick performance they would order the HO motor anyway which was properly equipped to rev higher.

Just to clarify, you are talking A body only here, right? The F body still had it available starting in 73 I think it was.

68sd · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

ill get some pics and contact info this weekend

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

Carl Stevenson wrote:

Astro Jet wrote:

73SC wrote:

Just a point of trivia, even in a 73 GTO, 4 speed was never offered with the 455 in these vintage A bodies.

You beat me to the punch, I was just going to post that. In fact, there was only one year in which you could order the standard "D" port head 455 with a stick, that was 1970. From 71 onwards, it was only the 400 or the 455 HO motors with the round port heads that could be ordered with manual transmissions. My thought is that the regular 455, which was essentially a stroked 400 with longer rods, was not designed or appropriate for the high revving and rpms that stick cars usually experience. The regular 455 really is a torque monster suited to an automatic transmission and that is why they were never really rated with much more horsepower than a 400. In 71-72 they were essentially rated at the same horsepower, but at a lower rpm, and with much more torque. I'm also guessing that Pontiac received an inordinate number of warranty claims for the 455 stick combos (given the number which was produced which was low) so they just decided that going forward, if someone was interested in stick performance they would order the HO motor anyway which was properly equipped to rev higher.

Just to clarify, you are talking A body only here, right? The F body still had it available starting in 73 I think it was.

Yes, A body only.

Astro Jet · Poncho Master!

Just to add, in the middle of the 1974 model year, Pontiac discontinued the availability of all 455s in the Firebird. Half way through the 1975 model year, they brought back the D port 455 only; the SD was gone forever especially after Pontiac's hanky-panky with it's emissions set-up. wink

Not many were sold and 1976 was last year the 455 was offered in the Firebird.

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

And don't forget, the mid year 455 was an "HO455" hmm

As if..........

They took advantage of the reputation of that engine and hung the HO on a regular passenger smogger engine.