1970 Trans Am option installation rate approximations
 

Now for some 1970 TA trivia….

For probably 25 years now I’ve been saving PHS Invoice copies for 70 TAs that are posted online. This started when I was doing research to restore my first one. I’m up to 196 invoices now (70 TA only, I don’t do it for other models or years…).

Since I managed to bust up my shoulder slipping on ice in my driveway and can’t do much else right now, I did some data entry from the invoices to tabulate option take rates.

So below are the percentage of 1970 Trans Ams that have each available option, based on my sample of invoices. 196 invoices represents only a little over 6% of production, so I’m not suggesting these are pinpoint accurate – but probably directionally so.

342 4BBL SD R/A 5 % (actual rate was a little under 3 %)
368 AXLE-PERFORM 12 % (More than 12% got 3.73s, but on many they were unpriced, thus not on the invoice, because they were mandatory/included with RAIV cars and RAIII / M21 cars)
401 RADIO P/B 78 %
402 RADIO AM&FM 12 %
404 RADIO STEREO 7 % (the sum of these three implies 3% got no radio)
411 SPEAKER R/ST 24 %
412 TAPE-STEREO 12 %
431 MOULD-DÉCOR 39 %
441 MIRROR-VISOR-R 12 %
451 BELTS-CUSTOM 32 %
471 TRIM RINGS 11 %
494 CONSOLE 78 %
504 STG WHL-TILT 12 %
521 MATS-FL-FRT 39 %
522 MATS-FL-REAR 16 %
524 TRUNK MAT 2 % (incl. with Custom Trim, so these are just standalone orders on base trim cars)
531 GLASS-S/R-AL 45 %
532 GLASS-S/R-WS 36 %
541 DEFOG-R/WIND 8 %
551 PWR WINDOWS 10 %
552 POWER LOCKS 4 %
554 DECK LID-CON 6 %
582 AIR COND 32 %
661 CONVEN LAMPS 9 %
684 GRDS-DR-EDGE 20 %
692 BATTERY-HD 10 %
701 RADIATOR-HD 33 %
711 EM/SYS-EVAP 17 % (All California-sold cars)
731 CUSTOM TRIM 51 %
741 ROOF MLDG 3 % (incl w/ Décor Moulding, so these are just standalone orders on base moulding cars)
752 ANTI-FREEZE 5 % (All Canadian-sold cars)

Amongst the 196 cars, there was a 2-way tie for most invoiced options at 13.

One of them was a white over red RA III/auto sold out of Meridian Motors in Concord, CA. The other was a white over blue RA III/auto sold out of Peoples Pontiac in Clayton, NJ.

You might have it but if you don’t.

I should have saved the PHS's.... I'm doing this off memory.

Out of the 4 RAIII 70's I've had..
3 were blue.. all were 4 speeds..
3 had blue deluxe interior(the blue cars.. white car had black standard).. white car did not have a console
one had tilt wheel..
2 had 3.73 rears.
2 were sold new in CA (white and blue).. one in WI (blue).. and one in Alberta Canada (blue).
The Canada car came with trim rings and tilt wheel.
2 of the blue cars were identical as both were optioned out the same with 3.73 rears.. etc.. (CA car and WI car)
All 4 cars had their original engines. The white car had a 350 in it but came with the original block.

I wish I would have kept one of the blue cars. My current '72 is white.. :(

Here's a copy of mine. I guess the dealer who originally ordered it was in RI, but it was sold new out of Pontiac Village in Boston MA

https://pixvid.org/images/2025/12/24/5Xfxf.jpg

Thanks, guys - I had neither of those. Up to 198 now.

You were just lucky (or selective :)) to have had all those blue cars!

But your comment inspired me to check my counts of blue vs white amongst the now 198 invoices. It comes out to 132 white (66.7%) and 66 blue (33.3%).

From the Fred Simmonds published numbers, there were a total of 2150 white cars (67.3%) and 1046 blue cars (32.7%). So that matches pretty well.

I noticed Fred's document also has the number of AC cars at 988 (30.9%). And in my 198 there are 62 AC cars (31.3%). I was surprised those were that close. Would have thought the AC cars had a much higher survival rate than non-AC cars just by virtue of being sold mostly outside the rust belt. And my "data" are mostly from cars that survived into this century...

It looks like my nicest 70 has the 2 most popular options only; pushbutton radio and console!

I've got the PHS on your old 70 blue Canadian car. I can send it to you if you want.

Thanks for sharing your data Keith.

The 33% HD Radiator probably relates with how many manual/auto had performance gear ratios ... counting for all the ones that didn't create charge for it on a lot of Ram3 4spd.

How many Ram3 Auto do you have with Performance Axle ?


None with #534 electric rear de-ice .

What code would the dome light with side spot-map lights be ?

You can post it here. It was a well optioned car... the one I regret selling.

I had a white on black '72 4 speed a few years back with only one option... California emissions.

Unfortunately the RA III automatic with Performance Axle option numbers can't be determined strictly from the invoices, since the invoice doesn't identify the transmission.

But I did my best to note the transmission each one had when I acquired the PHS copy. And based on that, there were only 3 cars among the 198 that have Performance Axle on the invoice, and that I have marked down as TH400 cars. I went back and looked at the pictures/info I have on each of those 3, and one is an original unmolested car that I'm confident came with the automatic. The other two are non-original drivetrain cars ... so I wouldn't bet my life they were originally automatics.

Even if all three are real ... it seems to be a pretty uncommon occurrence.

There are no instances among the invoice copies I have of electrically heated rear windows, or dome/map lights. The '70 Firebird order sheet indicates the electrically heated rear window was not available on 6-cylinder or Ram Air III cars, though.

And I don't see the dome/map light listed as an option? Perhaps that was in the accessory catalog?

I think this is it.

Ram3 Automatic with Performance Axle is a rarity.
Think have only seen one legit example shared , most likely the same car you are mentioning.

Order Sheet shows Rear De-Ice was only NA with #341 6cyl and #541 Rear Blower De-Fog
Have witnessed 2 mega-optioned 70 TA's with it, one Auto - one 4spd
Both were 15+ option cars with AC, both White with Blue Deluxe.

Dome map light doesn't show up on Bird sheets until 1977 . GTO had it in 1970.

I parted out a very rusty 1970 Ram III automatic with performance axle. It was white with deluxe blue interior, non-a/c. It came out of the Bluefield WV area.

Any idea how many column shift automatics were made? I have one, and I've seen one other 1970 column shift automatic. It was a low option white car.

Looks like it. Was sold new at Stampede motors in Calgary Alberta.

Last I heard the car ended up in Florida.

Attachment 662715

Here is one with a couple options...

This might be a new one for your list. I don't know this car.
228870n120578
Blue Automatic , said to be matching numbers throughout.
Decor moldings deleted. Custom Black interior upgrade.

And a magnified order sheet.

I did have that one - it was on a Hemmings auction in 2022. The pics posted in the auction do show the belt portion of the decor moldings were not present (hood, fender corner, door top), but the roof molding is on it. It's also had its interior converted from blue to black at some point in its life.

Thanks for the order sheet reference!

Yep - I have seen only a couple with that many.

That's another one that's difficult to determine, just because the transmission isn't specified on the invoices.

A little over 20% of the invoices that I have copies of do not include a console, but those cars were mostly equipped with 4-speeds. I have seen only maybe a handful of column shift auto trans cars over the years. It had to be a small single digit percentage...

My ‘70 Formula was originally a column shift automatic. It’s the only one I’ve ever seen myself personally.

I'll add the one I posted is/was a YZ/PQ car.

Those 2 cars I mentioned - unless crashed total losses - have to still exist in someone's long term collection .
They were fully optioned other than trim rings , and both were drip rail non-decor iirc.

Automatic was in Greensboro for about 4 years then sold to a fellow in High Point NC named David Payne around late 87 or early 88. Full #s car , kind of tired engine , very tired repaint , nice interior.

4spd was in Myrtle Beach SC at a Corvette dealer around early 1986.
Immaculate , full #s car.
It had the dome/map light installed at some point.

I tried to buy both of those cars. $500 difference in opinions was a lot more money back then.

Keith, any of these cars from Knafel in Akron?

Another rare check point would be cloth interior.
Have only seen one personally in the flesh with Black cloth.
Blue 4spd AC #s car that an older gentleman in Rockingham NC owned for a long time.
He was the second owner. Excellent car.

Keith you probably have the invoice for that car.
It was flipped a couple of times on eBay (10-15 years ago)

Just one ... a white/blue deluxe automatic car with very low mileage, that had been retrofitted with RA IV top end. It's been awhile, and my memory is rusty, but I seem to recall you had either owned or were very involved with this one?

Yes, I do have that one. Nice car. It's one of 4 cloth interior cars that I have invoice copies for. There's one other blue/black cloth car, an automatic that was sold new in Alaska, and appears to be in nice shape still. And there are two with sandalwood cloth: a white one that was sold out of PA on eBay in 2007 as a rolling shell with its interior gone, and the blue one that I own.

IIRC the tinted Glass option was only for cars WITHOUT AC, as I think they are included in an AC car.

Am I the only one here that is a bit antsy with posters showing invoices with key codes showing? Seems like it could be asking for trouble from the criminally leaning types.

I'm not worried about it.

those year cars are so easy to steal who needs a key anyway.

outside
 

Not worried as I don't park my car outside or leave it unattended per insurance regs. Most if not all collector car insurance states this.

It warms my heart that almost 70% of them came without air conditioning.

Here is the PHS on my Blue RAIII 4-speed.

Thx. Awesome car!
Interestingly, that's the second invoice I've collected for one from Andy Klein in Overland Park. The other one is a white/black 4-speed that was built 01A.

Would be interested to find out how many cars came with sandalwood interior especially blue ones.

What's the lowest number of options?

I had a 1970 4-spd that only had one option: AM radio. It had non-tinted glass, 4-spd with standard rear end, and no console. I have a bunch of old PHS sheets in a box that I haven't seen since I moved to Raleigh in 1992. I suspect they're in the attic waiting to be found.

If I include all of the 70 TAs I've recorded information on, currently at 438 cars, I have 13 of them with Sandalwood interior, so ~3%. There are 7 white ones, and 6 blue (yours and mine are included in that number). Note the percentages I gave for options up in the initial post were based only on the cars I have actual PHS invoices for, which is about half of them.

Out of a little over 200 invoices, there are 10 that show two options ... usually something like AM Radio and tinted glass, or AM Radio and console.

There are two that show only one option. One of those has AM Radio, and the other one has "HD Radiator". The Heavy Duty Radiator was often added as mandatory content on the invoice of cars that were ordered with the M21 trans (which itself was a no cost option). So the buyer of the latter car may have thought they were not ordering ANY extra cost options.

I have no invoices that show zero options.

Keith do you have an invoice copy of the car that George Carlin bought new ?

I remember the 2nd owner selling it quite a few years ago with pictures of George , and some with George and his brother , taken when the car was new.
Probably 15-20 years ago iirc

Good lookin' car.

https://phscollectorcarworld.blogspo...lins-cars.html

Here's the PHS if it is the same car.

https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...76&postcount=5

Is the car with only AM radio still around? Do you know what area it was sold to? I owned a one option (AM radio) T/A in the early 1980s, and sold it about a year later when I got a 1972 455HO 4-spd car. The 70 T/A stayed local to the Charlotte area for about a year or so, then I saw it listed for sale in Hemmings. Mine was white with black interior. It had a later model engine in it.

The car that has the AM Radio as its only option is a blue/blue 4-speed. It was listed on eBay by Restore a Muscle Car about 5 years ago, and was sold new in New Hampshire.

So there must have been at least two AM Radio only cars, including yours.

Pls see attached to you aide in your quest. I don't own the car but as of 2016-ish it was still around and sold at Mecum. I do own the engine and it resides in my Judge, hence why I paid for the PHS

Thanks. Interestingly the Trunk Mat is the least common of all selected options amongst the cars I have invoices for. Only 2% have it. It was standard with the deluxe interior, though, so only a standard interior car would have had it ordered as an individual item.

Here's mine