Was looking to replace the white 4-spd shifter ball with the correct one. I thought the one that PY sells with the Pontiac emblem in it wa the correct replacement, but just ran across a picture of a '70 T/A with a bright blue interior (same as mine) with a black shifter ball. Is this correct, or at least an option?

Here's what mine looks like now:

the black ball.....one year, '70.

Thanks Larry!

Larry,
Any idea why all the repo houses advertise this one as correct for a 1970? Is it correct for a Firebird, but not a Trans Am:

"broad-base" term..."firebird".
yes its correct.

Both of the extremely original, low-mileage '70 4-speed T/As I've seen have had the black 8-ball. One was a standard interior car, the other deluxe.

I have owned my 70 Trans Am for 30 years and this is what was in it the day I got it. I am not saying that it is original, but the car was not that old when I got it. I don't think this is an aftermarket ball. It is larger than the hurst ball. My car has a standard interior.

This knob was used 71& up. The 70 w/deluxe int had black wrapped knob, w/wood knob all red 4spd insert.
http://forums.performanceyears.com/g...icon_smile.gif

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by racerboy:
Larry,
Any idea why all the repo houses advertise this one as correct for a 1970? Is it correct for a Firebird, but not a Trans Am: </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

My 70 T/A is mostly original and it has the big black ball. It's so worn you can hardly make out the shift pattern. It has deluxe interior.

Hurst T-Handle came on mine. What do you think about that?

My last reply was in regards to the black ball and NOT the repro 71-81 KNOB.
The KNOB is nothing more than an AUTOMATIC trans shifter knob that has been retrofitted with a bad 4 speed emblem AND a threaded insert to mount on the stick.

Here is a picture of an NOS knob.. These are rather pricey, but I would not put one of those cheap looking repos on my car.

Now this is intresting.
When I bought my '70 back in 1989, it also had the Hurst T handle.
Going to P.O.C.I. car show in the SoCal area, I found that the black ball was on cars up to '69. On all of the 4 speed '70s I looked at (six of them with standard interior), they all had the white ball.
So, I bought a white ball.
Anyone else with a white ball? (uh, on their car's hurst shifter)

George http://forums.performanceyears.com/g.../icon_cool.gif

Norwood, your picture is interesting. I wonder if your NOS one is a late production one? The one I still have that was in my '72 Formula (bought in '82) has a distinct metal ring around the insert. I have seen NOS ones being sold that look like yours (and I've even bought one) and I always wondered if they were really later repros.

Has anyone bought the '70 black ball repro that Ames lists? It says it is a little bigger than original, but the one that is in my '70 Formula (standard int) is so worn down it looks like crap.

NOS purchased in about 78. A GM product for sure, but also could be a second design.

I'm gonna try and post a pic of my original 1970 shift knob. This came in a totally original, totally rusted away, nothing changed '70 Firebird.http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL731/.../105552242.jpg

and this....http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL731/.../105552249.jpg

so..what have we concluded here? A '70 TA would not have the leather knob? It also would not have a white knob? a '70 TA would have a large black knob?

I believe that the black 4-speed (simulated leather) knob that appears similar to the black automatic (simulated leather) knob is considered by many people to be correct for 1970 Firebirds, but it is not the OE piece...

To the best of my knowledge all 1970 manual transmission Firebirds recieved the large black ball shifter handle (pictured several times above; also the three speed cars recieved the same sized and coloured ball)
- there is only one exception; it appears as though some of the very early 4-speed cars could have a recieved a walnut knob that appeared very similar to the early walnut simulated automatic shifter handle (this is the same one pictured on the 1970 RAIV T/A recently pictured in HPP).

I have found one company that appears to have a very close match to the original black ball shifter handle, they're here:

http://www.precisionpontiac.com/

Here is the direct link to the repop knob (it's marketed for 1965-1969 Pontiacs):

http://www.precisionpontiac.com/products.htm

I hope this helps!

(although I intend to buy one, I haven't yet!)

Jonathan