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1970 GTO 455 Ram Air

10K views 12 replies 12 participants last post by  William Jackson 
#1 ·
I purchased a barn find 1970 455 GTO Ram Air car. All original. Ordered PHS documents and have all the original paperwork from the original owner including order form and payments. Everything is correct. From what I can gather there are not many 455 Ram Air Cars made. I have had all the numbers checked and everything is correct. Still has original hoses clamps ect. Has the Ram Air knob under the steering. It is a factory 4speed Hurst no console car with power steering/power brakes. Car is rust free and if it had not been repained 20 years ago I would keep as a survivor but will most likley start a frame off this winter. If you know about these cars let me know. I did trade some emails with PHS folks but they have no info on how many made
Opie
 
#7 ·
I purchased a ram air 455 GTO in October 1969 - Pepper Green - lots of options, 4 sp close ratio muncie, posi, hood tac, ps, etc.
Unfortunately sold in 1974. Purchased at Hoagland Pontiac, Somerville, NJ. Believe I still have window sticker and buildsheet, lsted about
$4900. 9 mpg. I believe 59 were made
Mike
 
#8 ·
There was no 'Ram Air 455' spec'd engine in 1970. There was simply a 360 HP 455, coded differently for manual and auto trans. You COULD get optional functional Ram Air hood scoops on this engine, however. Not common at all. From the information I looked at and cross-referenced, they only made 158 4 speed 455 GTO's in 1970, so they are rare birds. A buddy and I picked up a Red/white 455 4 speed '70 in 1980 for $175 (coil wire was burnt open) and pulled the drivetrain to use in a '66 GTO. We had no idea we were destroying a very rare car. Nothing was wrong with the '70, either. It was a decent car and ran like a scalded cat.
 
#9 ·
Although the Ram Air cold air package was an $84.00 option on the $58.00 extra cost 455, it could be called a Ram Air 455 due in part that the Ram Air package called for a different carb than the non-Ram Air equipped cars. According to Pete McCarthy's book, the manual trans WW block Ram Air optioned 455 used carb 7040279 vs 7040267, while the automatic trans block codes YA & YC Ram Air optioned 455 used carb 7040278 vs 7040268.

The 455 was eventually offered in 3 versions beginning in 1971, standard 455, 455HO, and 455SD with the HO & SD having specific engine parts included much like the RA versions of the 400CI.

When we think of the RAIV, or RAIII, these are performance builds on the 400CI that included specific engine parts which made each engine what it was. So if a 455 was ordered with the RA option and it did include a specific carb as cited (engine part), then I would be inclined to call it a Ram Air 455 versus the 455 without the Ram Air option, so in my book you could break it down as a 455 and a Ram Air 455 - unless Pete McCarthy's info is incorrect.

Keep in mind that the same engine (non-RA) in the Gran Prix was rated at 370HP. :thumbsup:
 
#10 ·
PontiacJim - thank you so much for the clarification on the 455 Ram Air option. QUESTION: Several articles say that the 455 option was made available in the late model year 1970 Judge - were any actually built ?? 455 Judge ?? with Ram Air option ?? One article says about 1970 455 engine Judges were built but I have not seen that in any listing of production numbers. Thank you again. Greg
 
#11 ·
gljplc, I know your post was over 2 years ago, but I just saw it. I have read that there were 17 455 Judges built in 1970, 14 hardtops and 3 convertibles. All 17 were automatics, though apparently just because they were ordered that way, not because it was required. All 17 were Ram Air cars; all Judges of all years were Ram Air cars.
 
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