This is my 1975 Pontiac Trans AM that I am going to use as the basis for my Tribute 1970. I am closing the rear drop windshield to the 70/74 fastback

Are you sure you want to cut that up?

From what I can find, they only made a total of 857 455 TA’s that year. They made 26,000+ of the 400 TA’s for comparison.

Seems fairly rare. Maybe not high dollar rare and definitely lo-po (200 hp 455 is low, but not compared to it’s comtempories which where sub 200 hp), but still a rare bird….assuming its an original 455 HO TA.
 
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great white said:
Are you sure you want to cut that up?

From what I can find, they only made a total of 857 455 TA’s that year. They made 26,000+ of the 400 TA’s for comparison.

Seems fairly rare. Maybe not high dollar rare and definitely lo-po (200 hp 455 is low, but not compared to it’s comtempories which where sub 200 hp), but still a rare bird….assuming its an original 455 HO TA.
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Hi, I know it is a low production # car but none of the drivetrain is original to the car. This body is in exceptional condition with no rot. The HO badging only amounts to a Borg Warner 4 speed and a Bonneville 455 motor. Having had a 1970 Trans Am from 1973 to 1985 only to let it go for $600.00 at that time I want another but refuse to pay for one that doe's not have the correct front fenders, headlight bezels, spun dash insert, radio, wheels or paint I won't pay that kind of money. My intentions are a completely stock body with a 1970 454 450 LS6, M21, 9" ford carrier which I have in my possession. This is my last project. Pontiac purists will hate me for this but I just have to do it.
 
Charles scozzari said:
Hi, I know it is a low production # car but none of the drivetrain is original to the car. This body is in exceptional condition with no rot. The HO badging only amounts to a Borg Warner 4 speed and a Bonneville 455 motor. Having had a 1970 Trans Am from 1973 to 1985 only to let it go for $600.00 at that time I want another but refuse to pay for one that doe's not have the correct front fenders, headlight bezels, spun dash insert, radio, wheels or paint I won't pay that kind of money. My intentions are a completely stock body with a 1970 454 450 LS6, M21, 9" ford carrier which I have in my possession. This is my last project. Pontiac purists will hate me for this but I just have to do it.
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Cool beans man. I was just pointing out it's a low production car, in case you weren't aware. I'm certainly no "purist" either. Doesn't seem to matter what it is, I have to do something to it.

Regarding this car: You have ( i believe) the last big block TA, maybe the last big block pony car. Might not mean much today, but I can see a car with that low a production appreciating in value. IIRC, it was the top of the performance heap in 75 (which isn't saying a lot actually) and only the Vette being able to take it that year. It would likely be fairly easy to find a numbers matching 455 for it, a 4 speed might be a harder find though.

Again, your car and I totally get wanting to modify it. Being non orginal adds a certain amount of hassle to restoring it to orginal and you will alsmot certainly spend more on restoring it than it will ever be worth. Still, lots of guys just coming into financial range of wanting the cars they grew up around but couldn't afford and the TA was a pretty "flashy" car....
 
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The 455 HO was only made for two years. The 455 lo-po in the Bonneville is not the same thing. The HO had forged rods, a critical component for super stock racers. The heads have superior ports and the largest valves ever used in the RAM AIR III decendents.

The heads on the HO had large combustion chambers, so they were not as sought after as the RA-IV or RA-V (I have seen them in person) heads that Pontiac racing development killed during the smog crisis.

The HO block has additional webbing not found on others.

I would accept what you are doing to a non-HO version, but if that is a HO car, you're destroying it. I have the production numbers somewhere, it is rarer than rare. I've only seen a few 73-74 455 HO cars in my lifetime, and I'm a pontiac guy.

I would have been able to hook you up with a buyer for that engine once upon a time. I bet it would have got you $5000 back in 1995 dollars as a running core.
 
Let me walk it back. There was the 455 HO in 71-72, which was a Ram Air III based 455. Then the Super Duty in 73-74. I mistook yours for a super duty. The 1975 HO was either a 455 lo po or an olds 455 POS. So do what you want with your HO, it's not a SD. I'm just getting rusty.
 
Yeah, SD and HO are two different animals. 75 HO is a bit of a "lame duck" compared to even the previous year (73-74) HO. Basically, it was a run of the mill 455 (ie: passenger car). Heads, block, carb, et al.

I actually had a chance to pick up a 73 455 SD (LS2) 4 speed (M20) Formula Firebird (with the fake twin hood scoops) and handling package (Y99) when I was younger (late 80's). Couldn't swing the 2 grand at the time. Ah, missed opportunities because you're young and poor.....


(if pressed, I'd say I'm a "Ford" guy)
 
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