[PontiacJim1959]

Trying to determine if this is a true RA carb, or something faked/cobbled together. Looks suspicious. https://www.gtoforum.com/threads/car...3/#post-895450

[dataway]

You would get way quicker and more enthusiastic responses if you posted this in the street section.

['ol Pinion head]

Originally Posted by dataway

You would get way quicker and more enthusiastic responses if you posted this in the street section.

this is the correct forum, could have been asked in the Judge forum too.

['ol Pinion head]

the Float bowl is an original, has gained a Tomco fitting & an automatic vac modulator port. Properly restored, the carb can lose both of those. Cant tell/not a good view of the Airhorn, if it has the recess for an accelerator pump rubber boot or not

Am being generous today Jim, you can thank me when we meet, that day will come.

[Kenth]

Like OPH said, the float bowl looks genuine aside from the added hot idle compensator cover that does not belong on any Ram Air carb.
The airhorn is a regular 1969 or 1970 style and so is the throttle plate.

And, Carter made NO parts or carbs for the Ram Air engines, if you see a c inside an O stamped on any part you can rest assured it´s a frankencarb.

[PontiacJim1959]

Originally Posted by 'ol Pinion head

the Float bowl is an original, has gained a Tomco fitting & an automatic vac modulator port. Properly restored, the carb can lose both of those. Cant tell/not a good view of the Airhorn, if it has the recess for an accelerator pump rubber boot or not

Am being generous today Jim, you can thank me when we meet, that day will come.

LOL. I figure I'll catch you some day with your GT-37 at Norwalk.

[PontiacJim1959]

OK, that's to all so far. It is a Rochester carb. Again, no expert and trying to help the OP, it just looked like the stamped numbers were not as good/crisp as some of the other factory stampings I have looked at. The OP just posted a new photo of the base with its factory cast numbers on it.

[unruhjonny]

I don't find fault with anything said;
I also did not critique the feul bowl considering who has spoken;
the fuel bowl is the wholly unique part, and the additional vacuum line can be replugged.

The later post showing where the date code would be is 100% correct;
My understanding is that all except for the earliest 1968 castings, and later 1969 carbs were assembled with stamping in a single line of characters on the fuel bowl in that spot;
then the later 1969 carbs used the same single line, but the first part of the application code dropped so that the assembly date could be added.

I agree that this particular carb has had both the airhorn and throttlebody replaced, but a correct '454 airhorn, and correct TB shouldn't be too hard to find - it's the 70-RA airhorns that are virtually unobtainable.
That airhorn is a 1970 Carter manufactured unit;
Look on the front/top/passenger side of the carb, the circled "C" and casting number are visible.
(please also refer to previous comments about Carter manufactured units)

I will say that the assertion of the absence of drilled primary butterflies disqualify it as correct is in itself an wrong assertion;
From my observation the drilled primary butterflies showed up for 1970 RA carbs, and were used (along with presumably the same TB) on all post-1969 manufactured SR carbs.

I hope this helps.

Also, if you find the correct airhorn and TB, I'd consider buying those incorrect parts from you.

[Kenth]

All 7029270/7029273 and 7040270/7040273/7040570/7040573 Q-jets will have the drilled throttle blades from factory, no exceptions.

The Ram Air Q-jet air horns and throttle plates for these carbs are special machined, having their own fine stamped #´s and are very hard if not impossible to replicate from standard parts.
Calibration in float bowl is very close, if not the same, as standard Pontiac Q-jets from the same years.

Good luck finding correct 1969-70 Ram Air Q-jet airhorns and throttle plates!

Looking at all the fake Ram Air units on ebay makes me wonder if the sellers are honest? $2000 for a restamped/destroyed std Pontiac, Olds, Buick or any make Quadrajet looks like a fraud.

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

The throttle plate actually has the correct casting number - but it was shared with a few other carbs as well.
That being said - this one is not an actual RA plate , like Kenth said.
There are a couple differences, but can only be determined by looking at the underside (which is shown by the owner).

The original throttle plate in this instance also would have had the julian date stamped on it.
And air bleeds in the primary blades.
At the end of the day - this base could be worked up to "appear legit".

We have seen many of these frankencarbs with genuine main bodies and retrofitted bases and airhorns and other generic mods. They have been through one of the mass rebuilder outfits in their past.
aka - originals turned in as cores - then restyled to generic specs with random pieces from bulk processes.

At minimum - the rods, hangers and jets will need to be replaced.
The remanners remove all the performance aspects and turn them into generic "one carb fits many" type units.
It would have been sold over the counter as a replacement for ANY 68-69-70 Pontiac 4bbl Q-Jet with Auto or Manual.

Tomco and Kimko were 2 of the larger remanners in the 70's and 80's
In the late 80's and 90's some vendors would have 100's and 100's of them in the boxes for sale at the bigger swap meets that came from closeouts.

Most all the 68-69 units were rehashed with 70-71 style metal choke counterweight assemblies.

[Orguyal]

I'm the original poster and want to thank ya'll for the info. This carb is probably not something I want to rebuild myself given the changed modifications and mix-matched parts. So will most likely sell on eBay. Contemplating selling by the part or all together. I wouldn't feel bad parting it out because its mixed anyway. Also open to offers from anyone here and would consider trades. Looking for a 25-30 ft motorhome. I'm currently in Bullhead, AZ.

[unruhjonny]

My opinion:
either keep it if you have a car that needs this casting number, or sell it as a whole unit.
if you do decide to sell, it's a complete carb, and that's what's going to really help.
Most rebuilders won't be deterred by the mismatch, and will likely use the other parts on other carbs.

[Ram Air IV Jack]

Originally Posted by unruhjonny

I don't find fault with anything said;
I also did not critique the feul bowl considering who has spoken;
the fuel bowl is the wholly unique part, and the additional vacuum line can be replugged.

The later post showing where the date code would be is 100% correct;
My understanding is that all except for the earliest 1968 castings, and later 1969 carbs were assembled with stamping in a single line of characters on the fuel bowl in that spot;
then the later 1969 carbs used the same single line, but the first part of the application code dropped so that the assembly date could be added.

I agree that this particular carb has had both the airhorn and throttlebody replaced, but a correct '454 airhorn, and correct TB shouldn't be too hard to find - it's the 70-RA airhorns that are virtually unobtainable.
That airhorn is a 1970 Carter manufactured unit;
Look on the front/top/passenger side of the carb, the circled "C" and casting number are visible.
(please also refer to previous comments about Carter manufactured units)

I will say that the assertion of the absence of drilled primary butterflies disqualify it as correct is in itself an wrong assertion;
From my observation the drilled primary butterflies showed up for 1970 RA carbs, and were used (along with presumably the same TB) on all post-1969 manufactured SR carbs.

I hope this helps.

Also, if you find the correct airhorn and TB, I'd consider buying those incorrect parts from you.

The debate of the drilled primary butterflies in a RA carb is an intense one but I do agree with you here. The clean air act of 1970 began to change a lot of things on factory cars. I had my 29273 rebuilt by Cliff Ruggles some years ago and mine is an original unit, verified by Cliff. This carb does not have the drilled primary butterflies and has a April 1969 date. The casting numbers are correct too. From what I have learned, these drilled butterflies leaned the air/fuel mixture at idle and therefore caused less pollutants. This would make sense with your statement of 1970 and later RA and SR carbs having the drilled primary butterfiles. This discussion will always rage on but that is my take on the subject.

[Mcronk]

Interestingly while reading through my 67 Service Manual it states holes were drilled in primary throttle plates for cars with AIR system.

[Kenth]

Originally Posted by Mcronk

Interestingly while reading through my 67 Service Manual it states holes were drilled in primary throttle plates for cars with AIR system.

Carter AFB A.I.R. units have the holes, 1967 Quadrajet do not.