The Holy Grail for A-Bodies?

65Camino · Uber Guru

The Holy Grail for A-Bodies?

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

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Pretty rough, but worth saving, could it be nicked named the 444 ?

400, 4dr, 4 speed.

Ghost Post · Poncho Master!

I thought the Holy Grail A-Body was the 455 SD car?.

smile

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

Ghost Post wrote:

I thought the Holy Grail A-Body was the 455 SD car?.

I'd agree with you on the SD car, code X in the fifth digit of the VIN but this has to be pretty darn rare too.

With your experience Ghost Post, how many 4 speed 4dr GA's or LeMans have you come accross? Any Wagons ?

Canadian Poncho · A Poncho Legend!

I remember seeing a 4 speed 4 door Grand Am in the London Auto Trader about 15 years ago in really nice shape. Who knows where it is now. It was light brown with light brown interior
Todd

68sd · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

i know i posted this before but yhis is my father in laws 73 cutlass factory four speed car,always wonder how many four speed cars were made in those years?

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

65Camino wrote:

Thought there were no SD A-bodies built?

We A-Body affectionatos like to say "None sold to the Public" that is very different than saying "None built." biggrin

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

68sd wrote:

i know i posted this before but yhis is my father in laws 73 cutlass factory four speed car,always wonder how many four speed cars were made in those years?

My research over the years shows the following for Pontiac 1973 A Bodies with manual shift, could be HD 3 or 4 speed on GTO, 4 speed on GA only:

GTO - 2dr Colonade - 187
GTO - Sport Coupe - 926
GA -   Sport Coupe - 147
GA -   4dr. Sedan    -   42
Other Lemans         -  940

Total GTO production was 4,806
Total GA production was   43,136
Total Pontiac A body was 248,785

In other words in 1973 less than 1% of Pontiac A Bodies had manual shift but 23% of GTO's did.

For 1974 there were 833 4 speed manual shift Pontiac A Bodies produced on a total production of 149,637 again less than 1%.

For 1975, 1976 and 1977 no cars were produced with 4 speeds but I have no research on 5 speeds with the Olds 260 which were made in later years in the USA which have to be extremely rare, as if less than 1% is not.

-- Edited by 73SC at 16:32, 2008-09-02

Ghost Post · Poncho Master!

'73 and newer A-Body stick cars I've known include;

a friends '74 G/A 4-Spd..

another friend's '74 Chevelle 454 4-Spd..

I passed on a '73 Laguna SB once that was an original floor stick car...had a 3-Spd in it but not sure if the trans was original?.

Back in the boneyard days I foolishly let a '73 Cutlass 3-tree go into the press before I had a chance to hawk the flywheel and bellhousing out of it...yes a 3-tree '73!.

Rarer yet was a friend's '78 MonteCarlo 4-Spd...how many '78 & up sticks has anyone seen?.

smile

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

65Camino wrote:

Remember the Iraqi Malibu's back in the early eighties? Three speed on the floor.

A friend had one of these, Iraqi Taxi. 229 V6 and a truck 3 speed. You could put it in second and drive it anywhere, it was almost like an automatic in that regard.

Ghost Post · Poncho Master!

I forgot the Iraqi Taxis...even saw what I thought was one drive by a couple weeks back!.
Did they have a rear sway bar?.

Besides the Iraqi Taxis, what other '78 & up stick cars has anyone known..
On what cars and until when could you get them...not to '88?.

Sorry for hijackjing the thread..

smile

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

I'd say 1980 would be about it. Had a nieghbour with a slant back 78 Cutlass 442 305 4 speed, black with gold trim.

The Buick Century Turbo Coupes came with 5 speeds I think, another slant back car. Then I know GA's and GP's had 4 speeds, the Olds W30 must have come with a 4 speed, maybe a 5 speed backing up a 260. I know one of the rarest combos was a Cutlass diesel with manual, remember reading about it in Motor Trend.

My 86 Monte SS had a 4 speed but it was auto, the only transmission available by then.

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

The early 78-80 Turbo Coupes were slant backs like the 442 and I thought you could get a manual in those. They are really rare.

-- Edited by 73SC at 17:52, 2008-09-02

Canadian Poncho · A Poncho Legend!

Remember the 5 speed available in the 77 Cutlass? It was a weak trans and only offered behind the 6.

pontorquer · Poncho Master!

My buddy in Alberta just bought a 1975 Pontiac Grandam 455 4 door, buckets-auto console. Not too many of these made either, a little over a thousand or so. Last summer I seen a green 1973 Olds 442 with 455 4 speed ! Nice car, one of my favorite Olds Cutlass.

pontorquer · Poncho Master!

Here are my friend's other cars : 1976 Grand Lemans and 1975 Grandam 455 both 2drs. Very Nice cars !

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

That white GA is very nice. We had a 76 Grand LeMans as well, same interior as the 75 GA.

Here are Grand Am production figures:

Year                              1973                   1974               1975

Sport Coupe                  35,445                13,961           8,786
4dr Sedan                       8,691                  3,122           1,893

Total                             43,136                17,083          10,679

Easy to understand why 75 was the last year of production on the big A body platform. Hard to justify 10,000 units in Detroit.

sixtywagon · Uber Guru

Ghost Post wrote:

I forgot the Iraqi Taxis...even saw what I thought was one drive by a couple weeks back!.
Did they have a rear sway bar?.

Besides the Iraqi Taxis, what other '78 & up stick cars has anyone known..
On what cars and until when could you get them...not to '88?.

Sorry for hijackjing the thread..

A buddy of mine years ago had a 78 Plymouth Volare 4door, that was a 318, 3 speed on the floor. It was one that was to go over to Iraq or Saudi, somewhere. It moved pretty good!!!

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

I posted an inquiry on a US forum to see if anyone has seen the 4 speed GA in person to get a report on condition etc...if anyone is interested. The boys are saying that GA production figures that are published are inaccurate and this could be as low as 1 of 20. $800 starting bid for 4dr. GTO.