1973 CARs Hi-Performance Cars Car of the Year SD-455, 4sp RAM AIR GTO
 

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/wb...En8=w1220-h380


Yeah, I know they never made them, but I saw one today.

Of course its a clone, but you can't tell by looking at it. I know I'll get crap for the picture quality, but space was tight!!

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/HU...qG8=w1420-h580

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Kj...k78=w1420-h580

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ch...sfk=w1420-h580

I get emotional when I see a 73 this nice!

Just thought you guys might appreciate seeing it.

Beautiful color.

That ram-air setup looks factory. Could you tell if the lid was factory or reproduction? There is one bloke out there who reproduced a lid from metal that at quick glance is a dead nuts on copy of the original. I've been trying to contact him through private messages here but it seems he's either ignoring his messages or he rarely comes to this page.

WHOA!

I wouldn't even know what to look for in a repop, but I did ask him that. Its all factory parts. The lid was even run over once and he had to restore it.


Short blurb on a a Local TV show on the car from a few years ago - I told him if he ever wants to sell, to call me.

https://youtu.be/5vqmutv5Ok8?t=1257 (Cruisin New England is a local show for us Nor-Eastas)

The original lids were made from a "plastic" fiber material similar to what the NACA scoop inserts were made from, but thicker and more robust. Probably the material the air-conditioning evaporator "doghouse" is made from would be a closer representation. Very easy to tell from metal.

Love it! Very nicely done. Something to be very proud of for sure.

@Brian Baker - I got a chance to clarify with Paul on this car yesterday. You know these cars cars better than I, so I knew I must have mixed up the facts.

The lid in the pictures, is a metal reproduction of the original he had that was the fiber material. THAT was the piece that was run over.

Wow ....beautiful car wouldn't it have been great if this was an option back in the day..... LOVE the color...any idea what it is......

I'm trying to talk him into letting me drive it someday. If I promise to clean it when done, he says he might. I certainly wouldn't lean on it of course, but Id love to say I drove a SD 455 at some point in my life. He did start it and it sounds quiet a bit raspier than the typical HO, or 455 I'm used to.

Good question on the paint. Most of his cars are a factory color. Not this one apparently. All I know is its termed the following in a blurb he wrote for his street rod group.

1973 Special Order Paint GTO- 455, 4speed w/ rare Ram Air

What kind of paint would" special order" be? Any color? Maybe another line's color if so desired? Or a color from a previous year? I don't see how that's feasible for GM to do and make money, but who knows?

I'll ask next time I talk to him.

My bet is that it's Navajo Orange metallic. It's a 73 Pontiac color that was supposed to be only used on the smaller Firebird and Ventura, and not one of the colors normally offered on the A and B bodies in the 1973 "buyer's guide" dealer brochure. Since it's a 73 Pontiac color that was available at the time, it would make sense that it could be special ordered for use on a GTO. Buccaneer Red was another color that wasn't offered on the A-body in 73, but was also probably special ordered a number of times. Below is a PPG paint chart showing the Navajo Orange color.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...188850aa_c.jpg73 PPG CHIP CHART by grand73am, on Flickr

I like the logic, but it looks darker than CNCs firebird. Could be lighting.....

If he or anyone can make a repop of his metal one shown here, I'd sure like one. My friend Phil has an original on his Grand Am and I've tried twice in the last 23 years to repop one from fiberglass but couldn't get anyone interested.

Navajo Orange Metallic is the color. Show'em what he's won Johnny!


A resurrected Facebook post had a picture of Paul's storyboard he pairs with the car at a show. It reminded me I took the same picture last week picking up my quarter. On that board he lists the color, among other interesting details of the car.

Sorry for the crappy picture. I had to zoom and take snapshot. Original shot was 8 feet away. And when you're surrounded by his awesome collection, the stuff on the walls seem to play 2nd fiddle to anything with wheels on the ground.

So the 2555 fromPPG is Navajo Orange Metallic.....nice