72 TA : New Project
 

After hunting for a while I finally found a nice project car for the next year or so: and actually found it on eBay! It ended up being an hour from my house so I went to get a look at the car and we struck a deal right there. It's a 72 Trans AM 455 HO four speed with a/c. One of 458 stick cars. It still has its original engine and trans (havent found the rear dif code yet but it looks original) Originally came from Reliable Pontiac in Roseville, CA. I did a google search and they are still in business! I called them and spoke with a very nice lady in the parts department who is sending me a bunch of complimentary license frames and stickers. She doubted any old docs exist as the dealer moved around in the past 32 years but she took down my VIN just in case. The car has 114,000 but the sheetmetal is amazing. The only rust I've found is a small 3" section in the pass quarter, some soft areas in the trunk center section and a couple small spots in the rad support where batt acid did it's thing. Everything else is amazing. You wipe off the grime and there's bright red primer under everything. The original front fenders are perfect. There is a bunch of bondo in the doors and one rear quarter from parking lot damage and the paint is cracking all over, but nothing a good stripping won't handle. The seller had to get rid of his three Pontiacs on wifes orders. He still has a 71 GTO 455 HO 4 speed car and a 71 Formula 455 auto car he's looking to sell Both are original engine cars. This car recently had a carb fire that must have been a doozy: From what I can surmise the car backfired and caught fire in his garage, he was faced with the choice of trying to put it out and risk the house burning down, or pushing it outside and putting it out, out there. The time spent getting it out took its toll.

Re: 72 TA : New Project
 

Here's the rear 3/4 shot

Re: 72 TA : New Project
 

engine shot. The shaker was damaged in his haste in trying to get the fire out. I also think he ended up backing the car over the edge: look at the front snorkle.

Re: 72 TA : New Project
 

Check out the Shroud of Torchin. There must have been a two foot long flame coming out of that snorkle to melt the shroud in that spot.

Re: 72 TA : New Project
 

Oh and even though the engine was "totally rebuilt" by the previous owner before the seller had it, I think I will take it all apart anyway. Tell me what's wrong with these two plugs............ one peanut plug and one large plug and neither was tight!. I checked all the plugs and none were tight. There were four different brands and sizes. Thankfully all the threads are OK in the heads. The car actually ran when I took it for a short test drive.

Re: 72 TA : New Project
 

The carb fire melted all the wiring in the engine compartment. There is a lot of visible copper showing. But the car still starts and runs. I guess you cant kill a Pontiac with fire. You gotta drive a stake through its heart or a silver bullet or something

Re: 72 TA : New Project
 

And what the heck is this? A Ford solenoid. I have a full set of engine compartment harnesses on order already. I can only imagine what these wires are hooked to.

Re: 72 TA : New Project
 

And here's the interior. Its in really nice shape. Orginal carpet could use a shampooing. Driver's set has some separating seams, the headliner has a rip and the console has a tear in it. The dash is perfect, though I have to see if they hogged out the hole to fit that CD player.

Re: 72 TA : New Project
 

OH MAN the solenoid does it, you should just sell the car to me.

Re: 72 TA : New Project
 

As for what's missing: it needs a 7042273 Quadrajet, the correct divorced choke pulldown, a new shaker lid and air cleaner base, an original 1112126 or 27 single point distributor (thankfully it was ordered w/o the infamous semi-functional unitized/transisterized ignition), some of the shaker hardware, throttle bracket stuff...and a whole lot of $$$ to redo everything. But the nice part is that the body needs very little work and the original drivetrain is there. Let the parts hunting begin! If anyone has any of the above mentioned stuff or advice, drop me an email. Thanks, NJSteve

Re: 72 TA : New Project
 

And of course it needs a front valance and spoiler. I just spent some time under the car and it does have its original CMG 3.42 rear. I am still amazed, having lived so long on the East Coast, that a (California) car could be 32 years old and have so little rust. I guess all these years in the rust belt have made me metalically cynical.

Re: 72 TA : New Project
 

[ QUOTE ]
OH MAN the solenoid does it, you should just sell the car to me.

[/ QUOTE ]

I guess it's the heavy duty idle stop solenoid that I'm missing from the carb. It's now fender-mounted. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/grin.gif

Re: 72 TA : New Project
 

I hate hearing that a guy has to get rid of his cars because his wife told him to. Man that irks me. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...emlins/mad.gif

Re: 72 TA : New Project
 

Sds good.Luckily your car's bdy sound. I think the 455 HO is a great car! I have 2 71s. my 1 is a 1 owner 4spd. non a/c, console! 52 k miles, still has orig belts & hoses.It's a great street mtr. I think these cars should go up in value. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/flag.gif https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...ins/3gears.gif

Re: 72 TA : New Project
 

I've been looking for one for a few months now and just in that time period the prices have gone from 10K to 20K for a nice restorable car. I picked this one up for a number in between those two and after really checking out the body on this car I think that was a major score. Not having to pay for the extensive amount of rust repair and panel replacement is a major bonus.

Re: 72 TA : New Project
 

Great car. Restore it and enjoy.
I had a '74 T/A with the 455/Auto and 3:42 posi many years ago. That car was SCARY fast. I have no idea how I survived driving that car.

Re: 72 TA : New Project
 

Great looking car!
I just don't see how you could part with your pace car though?(my personal dream car)
...hoping you got the T/A for such a good deal that you can hold on to the pace car too. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/beers.gif
Is the black interior common...of the few early T/A's I've seen most had either a bright blue or white interior.
just wondering?

Re: 72 TA : New Project
 

I would have prefered a blue interior but this car was so nice and so close. The other car I was looking at was in Michigan and I dreaded driving 1400 miles round trip to look and possibly buy it. That one is now on ebay, though it's a 71, white, 455 HO auto, w/ac. He wanted 18,500 a couple weeks ago. Has some weird dashboard rust though. I paid less than that for my 72. If the Pace Car sells then I have enough money to do this car and get my wife her new kitchen, floor, husband, etc.

Re: 72 TA : New Project
 

Awesome! I'm jealous https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/smile.gif

Re: 72 TA : New Project
 

I started tearing the car apart this weekend. Found more of the burned up wiring and repairs under the hood. I'm just amazed that this thing started and ran with all the toasted wires and crispy fuel lines https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...emlins/eek.gif Pulled all the carpet out and this is how the floors looked. Just amazing. All the original mastic sound deadener in place, shiny overspray on the floor. Gotta love California cars!

Re: 72 TA : New Project
 

Here's the front floor. The car still has its original Hurst shifter on the M-22...you know the one you can sell on ebay for $900 per bolt https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/grin.gif

Re: 72 TA : New Project
 

Gotta love this guy's version of a performance exhaust. The car still has its stock 455HO manifolds (non cracked) with all this stuff attached to it. See if you can count all the adapters on the exhaust system https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...ns/scholar.gif

Re: 72 TA : New Project
 

Here's some more adapters...

Re: 72 TA : New Project
 

Here's the engine compartment ready for engine removal. All the toasted wiring is on the cowl.

Re: 72 TA : New Project
 

And here's the engine VIN in case anyone out there is unfamiliar with Pontiacs. It is stamped on the passenger front face of the block, below the water pump inlet. Just about impossible to see unless you're under the car, looking up, or you've removed everything in the way.

Re: 72 TA : New Project
 

And here's the mess that is the garage...

Re: 72 TA : New Project
 

Love those performance pipes.
455 HO 4spd T/A nice!
Smooth ride Mr. Bandit.

Re: 72 TA : New Project
 

I just got the results of a Washington State title search on my 72 TA. They had info on 3 previous owners out there back to 1992...and it was for free. The lady on the phone couldnt understand my shock at the fact that a DMV didnt want any money for copies of the records. I guess people are just different out on the left coast. So if I am owner "X", now I have info on owners X-1 Pennsylvania, X-2 Wash, X-3 Wash and X-4 Wash. I have no idea how many more there are as the car was sold new in CA and I havent gotten their info yet.

I also tore the engine down and found that the bearings are bad and the crank was previously cut 010 and 030. So it's new crank time. I might just go for an entire internal reciprocating assembly kit from Butler Racing since the original block is already 040. I have to get it measured to see if we can keep it at that size. Here's a shot of the rod bearings. Caught it just in time I think. And no, they're not supposed to be fully grooved bearings! https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/no.gif

Re: 72 TA : New Project
 

Here's a close-up!

Re: 72 TA : New Project
 

Steve

Throw those rods in the trash can and get some new ones from Bulter, he has some really good stuff at great prices.

Bizarre engine defect!
 

So I'm starting the cleanup getting ready for reassembly of my 455 HO and I see this hole in the main web. It's the original engine with 115,000 miles on it so I guess it really didn't hurt anything. After looking at it all day and sticking assorted picks in it to see how deep it was (over 3/4 inch deep) I used a bright light and saw threads inside. So I pulled the #3 4-bolt main cap and see light through the hole. I guess an overzealous machinist cut the hole too deep originally. Has anyone ever run into anything like this before???? https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...s/confused.gif

Re: Bizarre engine defect!
 

Here's the bolt view from the bottom:

Re: Bizarre engine defect!
 

Engine built on a Monday morning ??

Re: Bizarre engine defect!
 

It was cast on J181, Sept 18, 1971. Anyone have a calendar cross reference???

Re: Bizarre engine defect!
 

J 18 1-is October 18th 1971.
That was indeed a MONDAY.

Re: Bizarre engine defect!
 

Lighter weight. She's a factory race part!! https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...ins/3gears.gif

Re: Bizarre engine defect!
 

[ QUOTE ]
J 18 1-is October 18th 1971.
That was indeed a MONDAY.

[/ QUOTE ]

Actually I think "J" is September as "I" is not used in the casting date sequences because it looks too much like a "1", so it goes, A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-J-K-L-M. How's the calender look now?

Re: Bizarre engine defect!
 

If it's the letter "I",then it's a Saturday in 1971.
I know Tonawanda used the letter "I" in their engine casting dates.
Delco Remy did not use the letter "I" in their dating of electrical components,among others.
At least that is what I have found from back then.

Re: Bizarre engine defect!
 

The casting date is definitely J181. I thought that GM and most other manufacturers did not use the letter "I" in their castings because it would be confused with the number "1". So if you take "I" out of the alphabet then the following is the result A=Jan, B=Feb, C=March, D=April, E=May, F=June, G=July, H=August, J=September, K=October, L=November and M=December

Insane engine shop story!
 

So here I am with the 455 HO short block assembled and about to bolt on the heads. I pick them up to bolt on the engine and sand falls out. YES, SAND! The heads were brought to what I thought was a reputable engine shop in Union, NJ to be disassembled and inspected, cleaned and reassembled. Well it turns out the IDIOT I brought them to dissassembled them, found out the recent valve job on them was fine, installed a new set of seals, reassembled them and then PUT THEM IN THE SANDBLAST CABINET AND BLASTED THE PAINT OFF. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/no.gif He then took them out and shook them off and gave them back to me when I picked them up a week later (about a month ago).

As a result, I just spent the entire weekend disassembling these heads and pressure washing them til my hands pruned up, in order to get every last piece of carbide grit out of the heads, springs, guides, etc. I called the IDIOT this morning and asked him what why on Earth would he do that and he responded that he didn't want to give me the heads back with all the old paint on them. I'm flaberghasted on the phone that this guy has no clue what he has done is beyond insane. I tried to explain that just one grain of sand could wipe out an engine and he responds that he thought he got all the sand out because he ran the heads through the vibrator after he blasted them. I asked how he expected to get the sand out of the areas that still were oily and he said he didn't think that would have been a problem. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...s/confused.gif https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...s/confused.gif https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...s/confused.gif I mentioned the whole episode to my mechanic buddy who recommended this guy and he was speechless. All we can think is that the guy maybe has had a stroke or is in the early stages of Alzheimers (I'm serious here). The speedshop guy has been in business for 40 years.