1970 DCE GTO. For those that aren't hardcore Pontiac enthusiasts, option W73, DCE stands for "Driver Controlled Exhaust"...otherwise known as VOE, "Vacuum Operated Exhaust".
This option was available for less than 2 months when the big wigs at Pontiac saw the Superbowl ad and cancelled the option.
It was similar to the Ram Air option, but it was much more rare and more effective. It had the bracket under the dash with an exhaust sticker rather than a ram air sticker. Once the knob was pulled, built up vacuum would activate the actuators on special mufflers moving the rod inside which would open and close chambers in the mufflers. Opening the chambers would let the exhaust flow straight through. What upset the big wigs was that the exhaust note was alot LOUDER. Check out the original commercial on you tube...just type in VOE GTO superbowl commercial.
There were 233 W73 GTO's made and this is one of 54 automatic hartops documented by GM of Canada. It has the original NUMBERS MATCHING block and 13 Heads with edelbrock intake and holley carb and headers. I have an original dated 068 intake and original dated quadrajet and manifolds. The car has alot of the original parts for the DCE setup and about 2 years ago I purchased the remainder of the parts needed to have the setup operational again, including the mufflers. I bought the car with 89000 miles and after 18 years it has less than 6000 more miles. Because I've hardly driven the car and never had it apart I don't know if the tranny is original and at some point someone installed a 12 Bolt rear end.
The car is a bronze colour right now with the original sandalwood interior. The original colour was Sierra Yellow. Here are the rest of the options:
AK1 Deluxe seat belts and shoulder harness
AO2 Glass - Tinted windshield
A39 Frt & RR Seat belts - Deluxe
A85 Frt Seat Shldr Harness Deluxe
D33 Outside Rear View Mirror - LH - Remote Control
D55 Frt Compartment Floor Console
D98 Accent Stripe ( Tape )
G80 Rear Axle - Positraction
H02 Rear Axle - 3.55 Posi
JL2 Disc Brakes - Front Single Piston
J50 Vacuum Power Brakes
M40 3-Speed Automatic Transmission ( THM 400)
NK3 Steering Wheel Sport, Soft rim Sim. Leather
N33 Steering Wheel - Tilt - Type
N41 Steering PWR ( variable ratio )
N98 Wheel Rally II Road
PK5 G70X14 W/Letter Tires
U26 Underhood Lamp
U35 Electric Clock
U63 Radio - Pushbutton
VK1 Plate, FRT LIC MT PKG
W63 Rally Gauge & Clock
W73 Driver Controlled Exhaust
The car runs but the mufflers are blown... I was going to put the complete DCE system on but then wanted to wait untill the car was restored so that it would be fresh. Floors and Frame are solid. Car has a couple of bubbles at the bottom of fenders doors and quarters. Trunk pan has some rust where it meets the inner wheel house so it might need to be replaced or patched. Rear bumper has started to pit. Rear spoiler is an original GM spoiler put on by a previous owner many years ago.
Very Cool and What is really neat is its a Canadian Pontiac!!! the toggle switch is not origional for sure but the bracket is right... As far as a price for this Goat... Prices now a days are down ... way down compared to a couple years ago... But still a sweet Pontiac for sure
Looks like the hood is popped open at 37 seconds in the video....
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1960 Pontiac Strato Chief Safari 1960 Laurentian Safari 1960 Laurentian 4door(scrapped) 2001 Grand Am Traded on a '96 Suburban 2WD 2002 Hyundai Accent(SOLD) 1968 Grand Parisienne Scrapped and SOLD
You have here that this Humbler has the 13 heads ?? The 13 casting heads were the Ram Air iii head for the firebirds.. Any Ram Air III in 70 I have seen is the #12 Casting and I believe Pete Mcarthy's Pontiac Musclecar Performance 1955 - 1979 book says the same thing
