[Held for Ransom]

I believe a 4-speed car like this w/o Ram Air option would have a '263 carb.

[sehorn]

As far as putting it on the trailer it only got towed a few miles on side streets. Didn't have much of a choice because it would have been more dangerous putting it on frontwards since it had no power or brakes and the guy lived on a hill, getting it turned around could have been deadly, but thanks for the FYI.

Not sure about all the options yet cause I don't know much about them, other then it does have power disk brakes and hood tach. Wheels are just some of my spares since the original tires are flat. I think it may of had steel wheels with some hubcaps.

The carb on it has been changed, guy had it swapped out before he parked it. However, I checked the numbers off of it online and according to the website it's a 68' ram air carb (will post numbers tomorrow, don't remember). I imagine they are just as rare...?


In picture car had already been power washed. It's not waxing out.

And I already ordered the PHS documentation. Will get more pics up soon.

[Big Moe]

Great Find!!Good luck with the project

[trishieldchief]

Originally Posted by Held for Ransom

I believe a 4-speed car like this w/o Ram Air option would have a '263 carb.

No, it is a WQ RA engine so it would have a 273 Qjet even without Hood Inlet pan option

[FunctionalShaker]

X2.

If it's a true R/A III, it's one of 1498 built. Be cool if it came with the optional functioning ram air.

[sehorn]

The hood doesn't look like it ever had a ram air system under it,but who knows, maybe it was wrecked during its time? I'm the third owner and the guy I got it from bought it from some lady before that, so I doubt it was ever wrecked other than its current damage. The exhaust manifolds have the same heat tube pieces bolted to them that the Ram Air's had on the drivers side, according to ram air diagram. Would the factory air cleaner have the same piece?

Where would the hole for the pull lever be in the firewall? If it did have the 611 option it should have a hole I'm guessing.

[Banshee]

I thought I read/heard that the WQ block could have been ordered with 348 RPO without the Ram Air pans..making it an HO. I have seen 69 invoices with WQ blocks with the RA option and the HO option.

It is vague to me as I never owned a 69, but there was a huge debate on whether a 348 RPO 400 was technically a "Ram Air" car or not.

[trishieldchief]

Originally Posted by Banshee

I thought I read/heard that the WQ block could have been ordered with 348 RPO without the Ram Air pans..making it an HO. I have seen 69 invoices with WQ blocks with the RA option and the HO option.

It is vague to me as I never owned a 69, but there was a huge debate on whether a 348 RPO 400 was technically a "Ram Air" car or not.

Banshee
You are correct L74 HO/RA III WQ Firebird engines are identical in very component with or without RA Hood Inlet pans.

A 69 400 HO WQ Firebird engine is identical to the WQ 400 RA III Standard in a 69 Trans am, less RA pans.

[sehorn]

Originally Posted by trishieldchief

Banshee
You are correct L74 HO/RA III WQ Firebird engines are identical in very component with or without RA Hood Inlet pans.

A 69 400 HO WQ Firebird engine is identical to the WQ 400 RA III Standard in a 69 Trans am, less RA pans.

Yeah, I've already read all those old arguments on hear about whether or not it's a Ram Air. Fact of the matter is they are the same car just some may have had the 611 option, some didn't. The early ones "may" of had it without the option since the sheets say ram air even though there was no 611 option to signify it. My guess is that this is a later car (somewhere around 17 thousandth built in Van Nuys) and if it did have the pans the PHS documentation will say that it had the 611 option. Seems like people with earlier HO's try and claim that their cars came with Ram Air's because there was no distinctions in the paperwork. If this one does happen to be early one, I'm not gonna play that game cause I'm pretty positive this is the original hood and it should have some marks if it came with pans.

Any whoo, what are these going for nowadays? Assuming it's an HO without the pans.

[FunctionalShaker]

Have you checked the cowl tag to see when it was built?

[Cammer-6]

Originally Posted by muscle_collector

all depends on what you tow it with.

towed a 99 Camaro SS Saturday,loaded backwards on my short equipment trailer.
Towed with a dually 3500 Duramax flatbed. No problems what so ever but Im sure this would be an exception.Hood on Camaro was about 2 ft higher than normal due to the PO hitting a power pole,so normal forward facing wasnt an option.

[The Boss]

I had no intentions of changing the topic of this thread and apologize to the OP for the distraction.

Killer car with or without the Ram Air - it's a keeper for sure.

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

We always drift and change lanes in most threads, even if nothing is getting towed anywhere.

Around April or May of 69 the Ram3's started getting 9273 XB's instead of 8273 XX's.
Only the buildsheet knows for sure what got what though.

I have to confess, by the pictures it looks like it would clean up a lot better still - with some elbow grease, hot water, good detergent and a green scotchbrite pad.
Even the front glass is still dirty ! lol

As far as what the WQ Bird Hdtps are worth -
Under-rated cars that are hard as heck to find intact.
Not enough change hands to really keep a pulse on their market.
I'd say probably under 30k if this one was finely restored, right now.

[Banshee]

I would say an intact RAIII with correct block, trans, rear, carb and at least 95% original and complete (correct glass, alternator, heads, intake, distributor) essentially most all the hard to find parts with original sheet metal, no rust or panel replacement, unrestored, $15-20k.

It is rare...and difficult to find an HO as it is....all the other hard to locate parts with the car is a huge expense.

[sehorn]

Here are some more pics including some of the No.'s.

intake, body tag, engine ID, axle, more engine id (by the timing chain)

[sehorn]

And some more...

You can see the VIN and engine ID by the Timing cover match. Everything else if matching up too, I have no reason to believe everything is not 100% original. Except carb, which is a replacement 68' Ram Air carb

VIN, ENGINE ID, INSIDE, TRANNY, ANOTHERPIC AFTER CLEANING UP (AND A BUTT)

[sehorn]

MORE...
ENGINE , CARB, AS THE CAR SAT FOR THE LAST 32 YEARS (NOTICE THE RETAINING WALL ABOUT TO FALL ON IT, PIC MINUS THE IVY THAT WAS COVERING IT), MORE CLEANED UP

[steveK]

Nice find for sure!! Gets tougher every year!!

[Old Blue 66]

You stole that car. Nice find.

[muscle_collector]

cleaning up nicely. congrats on the score.