[The Boss]

Originally Posted by Judge273

March 68 is when Pontiac offered it or made it available? Seems to be the written word...

I'm not lying here Mike, no RA II's built before my RA I was built.

For what it's worth.

[68RamII]

Rick,

Thank you for posting the pictures of the heat shields. AWESOME!!!

Mike,

My car was built 06A. If the earliest known RA II GTO was 05C, that would make the date May 12 thru 18th. I have heard that new model year vehicles would start showing up on the dealer lots sometime in September. So, depending on inventory levels at the end of the 1968 production year, GM/Pontiac may have started the change over process in August? If this is true then we could assume these cars were only built in a 14 to 17 week period?

Does anyone know when the first or earliest Firebird RA II was produced? Or the earliest documented Firebird RA II?

[68pongto]

Originally Posted by gto66yellow

More pictures of the heat shield

Thanks for the pics, looks great. Scott

[brians]

Originally Posted by 68RamII

Rick,

Thank you for posting the pictures of the heat shields. AWESOME!!!

Mike,

My car was built 06A. If the earliest known RA II GTO was 05C, that would make the date May 12 thru 18th. I have heard that new model year vehicles would start showing up on the dealer lots sometime in September. So, depending on inventory levels at the end of the 1968 production year, GM/Pontiac may have started the change over process in August? If this is true then we could assume these cars were only built in a 14 to 17 week period?

Does anyone know when the first or earliest Firebird RA II was produced? Or the earliest documented Firebird RA II?

Here is the timeline as best as I have been able to piece together based on different sources.

1st-2nd week April 1968, dealers were unofficially informed of the RAII.
(This is purely through word of month from talking to owners or dealership employees over the last 20 years, but I do get similar stories – probably some heard earlier and some later)

5/7/68: Bulletin went out officially announcing the “Ram Air II” engine with the
new price to the dealers.

Around 5/20/68 (Monday): First RAII’s were shipped. Jim Mino’s 5/22 invoiced RAII
Bird has a hand written price adjustment on it for the option.

6/12/68: Last date orders for the RAII was accepted per Pontiac’s distribution bulletin.


Looks like they were built into August. PY’s “RA1John” has a card from a RAII with an Inv. Date of 8/6/68 and a EUN of 82424X. This had to be one of the last.

[The Boss]

Brian,

Any GTO's built at any of the plants other than Pontiac? and any of the birds built anywhere other than Lordstown?

Not sure how the engines would have made it there in such a tight time frame.

[68RamII]

Chris,

I have a picture of the data plate on Rob Bugby's RA II Vert. I do not think it is a Pontiac built car. If there would be no harm in posting the pic, then I will do so. Let me know.

[robert bugbee]

the numbers for cars are not 199 and 47 you could order motors over the counter for racing these are included in those numbers.

[robert bugbee]

my car is a baltimore factory one the frist one that came out of the factory the heads do not have 96 on them and the pertecto plate has xs instead of wy because the person typing the plates werent informed of the motor change. my broadcast sheet confirms this with ay in the box.

[68RamII]

Hey Rob,

Welcome to PY Years!!!! I thought it was a Baltimore built car. We need pictures!!!! LOL

[68pongto]

Nice that you have joined the forum. Your ragtop is a true time capsule! Scott

[muscle_collector]

welcome rob, we havent talked in a while. call me sometime. gary

[The Boss]

Welcome Rob, glad to see you joined.

Chris

[Judge273]

Wow, within that timeframe. One has to wonder how could they sell that many RA IIs?

Has to be less cars more engines as stated...

[gregsgtos2]

Fremont car here.

[brians]

Originally Posted by The Boss

Brian,

Any GTO's built at any of the plants other than Pontiac? and any of the birds built anywhere other than Lordstown?

Not sure how the engines would have made it there in such a tight time frame.

Boss:
You mean the first week or ever? Both the FB and GTO RAII were made at multiple plants, but you may be right if you meant the first week. Never have seen anything but Lordstown and Pontiac for cars billed the first week. Granted I have only seen a small percentage of the RAII billing sheets.

Timing has been a mystery for me since I first researched these. The 5/7/68 document is the earliest dated official Pontiac document I have ever seen on the RAII with prices, but there is no way that is enough time to take orders, build and ship by 5/20/68.

Back in the RAII long thread – Cammer-6 showed a June dated bulletin on the FB pricing that stated the RAII price change went into effect 4/29/68. Never seen any actual April dated document that backed that up. (Or it could have been an internal date). Obviously the actual price change did not occur in April as your car is a May RAI car and billed as a RAI.

Now it may be possible the first week cars were built as pilot cars for stock and not actually dealer ordered cars or maybe only certain dealers were informed and put orders in early?
In your RAII’s case, Knafel would definitely be one that could have got an order through.

It would be interesting to see how many were built the first week then each week after.


Robert – Welcome - I can only guess from the posts and name that you own the black RAII conv’t. In my opinion the two largest events that have done the most to publicize the RAII have to be Jim Mino’s racing exploits and the press that car has received.

[robert bugbee]

Originally Posted by 68RamII

Hey Rob,

Welcome to PY Years!!!! I thought it was a Baltimore built car. We need pictures!!!! LOL

this spring i will take my car out of the bubble and take pictures for you

[robert bugbee]

Originally Posted by brians

Boss:
You mean the first week or ever? Both the FB and GTO RAII were made at multiple plants, but you may be right if you meant the first week. Never have seen anything but Lordstown and Pontiac for cars billed the first week. Granted I have only seen a small percentage of the RAII billing sheets.

Timing has been a mystery for me since I first researched these. The 5/7/68 document is the earliest dated official Pontiac document I have ever seen on the RAII with prices, but there is no way that is enough time to take orders, build and ship by 5/20/68.

Back in the RAII long thread – Cammer-6 showed a June dated bulletin on the FB pricing that stated the RAII price change went into effect 4/29/68. Never seen any actual April dated document that backed that up. (Or it could have been an internal date). Obviously the actual price change did not occur in April as your car is a May RAI car and billed as a RAI.

Now it may be possible the first week cars were built as pilot cars for stock and not actually dealer ordered cars or maybe only certain dealers were informed and put orders in early?
In your RAII’s case, Knafel would definitely be one that could have got an order through.

It would be interesting to see how many were built the first week then each week after.


Robert – Welcome - I can only guess from the posts and name that you own the black RAII conv’t. In my opinion the two largest events that have done the most to publicize the RAII have to be Jim Mino’s racing exploits and the press that car has received.

my car is in the book by tom cotter called hemi in the barn it gives a little insight as to how ifound the car ,it was also featured at the saratoga auto museum called cars in barns by tom cotter, i have a poster 9x4 inwich jay leno wrote the foward to the book,they only made 2 posters jay has one at lenos garage and i have the other one goes with the car when i sell it

[Diego]

Originally Posted by Judge273

Wow, within that timeframe. One has to wonder how could they sell that many RA IIs?

Has to be less cars more engines as stated...

We know total RA production being around 1,000 units, so I think the prevailing wisdom for RAII production makes sense.

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

Originally Posted by brians

Boss: ... In your RAII’s case, Knafel would definitely be one that could have got an order through.

Robert – Welcome - I can only guess from the posts and name that you own the black RAII conv’t.

uhm ... is this a sign that The Boss now owns a Knafel Deuce Car ?
(if so ... you stink you sorry [censored] [censored] [censored] SOB, Boss !)

Welcome to Robert and his Black Deuce Vert.
Heard a lot about it, but seen very little.
Show and Tell us more, when you can.

Welcome to gto66yellow and his Blue Deuce Hdtp.
Your story kills me so hard. I'm dying over here.
Pretty much about the scenario i've been hoping for ... for a couple decades.
Big time Congrats, and you stink. [censored]
Grind the salt and give us a link to the eBay listing.
Did any pics on the listing clue you to Ram2'ness ?

[The Boss]

Originally Posted by Baron Von Zeppelin

uhm ... is this a sign that The Boss now owns a Knafel Deuce Car ?
(if so ... you stink you sorry [censored] [censored] [censored] SOB, Boss !)

Twins....Thing I & Thing II

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...d.php?t=509801