[Jim Robertson]

Anyone remember a 69 TA RAIV with 729.8 miles that was located in Muskogee Oklahoma? The car was featured in October 1984 Car Craft and at the time was owned by David Abston.

Is he among the PY membership? Where is car now and how she's surviving?

Just looking through some old mags and saw the article and thought I would ask....

[Uncle Judge]

Not sure if David is still around but that car is now in a collection in California.

[muscle_collector]

i knew the car well and drove it a few times. in my opinion it was bull**** on the miles. it has a restamped engine in it. i know this for a fact. when he bought it, it arrived with a 350 engine in it.

as for dave, he is one sick sob. and is in prison for life for molesting little boys.

[MikeNoun]

What ever happened to the 600+ mile car (RAIII) from Illinois? I saw the car back in 1980 at a local Pontiac dealer here, and I believe in the mid-1980's it was featured in HPP or perhaps one of the Musclecar magazines along with a 2nd Gen T/A.

[azbirds]

Look closely at the pictures of that car in your magazine. I sent them a scathing letter about that car. Going off of memory it had Camaro seats, no trans cooler lines and many other problems.

[MikeNoun]

I just realized where I saw the name David Abston before....his 1969 RAIV Trans Am is the one used for that big 16x20 poster from back in the 1990's (there was a whole series of these posters, covering most Musclecars). His name is in the corner as the owner.

[keith k]

Originally Posted by MikeNoun

I just realized where I saw the name David Abston before....his 1969 RAIV Trans Am is the one used for that big 16x20 poster from back in the 1990's (there was a whole series of these posters, covering most Musclecars). His name is in the corner as the owner.

Yes, I have the blue '70 T/A poster from the same series hung on my garage wall. Also says owned by David Abston...

[muscle_collector]

dave abston is a really sick little boy molesting pervert who will hopefully spend the rest of his life rotting in prison. this sick sob bought a skating rink just to have access to young boys.

[gtojon]

Just did a Google search, and found news stories from this jerk, one report said "Abston will have to serve a minimum of 38 years, keeping him behind bars well into his 90s."

Good!

[Steve Hoog]

Originally Posted by azbirds

Look closely at the pictures of that car in your magazine. I sent them a scathing letter about that car. Going off of memory it had Camaro seats, no trans cooler lines and many other problems.

It was a four speed car, I don't think it would have had lines for that but didn't they have them for the power steering pump? I do not remember if it was a power steering car; but I'm thinking maybe it was manual steering when I drove it.

I'm curious; has anyone even run the numbers to know for a fact it's a IV car?

Dave built this car back before Pontiac was officially releasing invoices; and while I know Dave had the conections to get parts, I do not know if he was connected enough to get an invoice.

[Cammer-6]

Originally Posted by steved400

It was a four speed car, I don't think it would have had lines for that but didn't they have them for the power steering pump? I do not remember if it was a power steering car; but I'm thinking maybe it was manual steering when I drove it.

I'm curious; has anyone even run the numbers to know for a fact it's a IV car?

Dave built this car back before Pontiac was officially releasing invoices; and while I know Dave had the conections to get parts, I do not know if he was connected enough to get an invoice.

PS and PDB were standard

[Tellyshavilli]

Originally Posted by Jim Robertson

Anyone remember a 69 TA RAIV with 729.8 miles that was located in Muskogee Oklahoma? The car was featured in October 1984 Car Craft and at the time was owned by David Abston.

Is he among the PY membership? Where is car now and how she's surviving?

Just looking through some old mags and saw the article and thought I would ask....

Car was advertised in hemminigs a couple times back in early 80's . I talked to the owner at the time and think they owned the dealership also and had the car for their son who never returned from the war . At the time it was not advertised as a raiv and they didn't know it or mention it . The second time it was advertised it sold and went to Abston in OK .Been in collection in N . Calif for a long time ..

[muscle_collector]

it is a very nice car. i drove the living daylights out of it back when i was friends with abston (for a few years until i started figuring out this guy was a child molester. i told several people back then and everyone thought i was nuts). he ended up pissing me off and i went on a mission to document any car that he bought was legit to what he was saying. examples are: this 69 t/a guaranteed restamped block and has had paint work, a blue 70 ra 3 t/a when he bought it , it got its miles rolled back at first to 8k and then i believe the last i saw it showed 800 something. a 73 sd t/a was rolled back, his 79 yellow t/a 6.6 4 speed t/a he bought new, supposedly had only 32 miles on it. but the speedo was unhooked on it. i drove it from muskogee to tulsa for him and the miles never changed. it was however a very low mile car. my guess real miles on it were around 1000 give or take. there were others also. he was planning on passing off a 70 judge convert as low miles after a resto on it, but he knew i had plenty of pictures of the car and good pictures of the speedo showing the real mileage. i made it very clear that if he did, i would pass out the pictures everywhere i could. needless to say, this guy hated me with a passion.

[ramair2]

Wow. I met the N California current owner in Indy this spring and he described owing an unmolested, timewarp 700 mi '69 RA IV TA survivor. Given that, it would appear that he is unaware of the alternate history that this car may actually have...

[weranc55]

I doubt anyone has had the motor out of that car. I looked at that car for a while a few years ago. If that motor is a stamper than I would say that the previous owner was a master at making a car look like a survivor.

[Cammer-6]

Originally Posted by weranc55

I doubt anyone has had the motor out of that car. I looked at that car for a while a few years ago. If that motor is a stamper than I would say that the previous owner was a master at making a car look like a survivor.

if it was done in the late 70s or early 80s it would like a survivor today.

[muscle_collector]

Originally Posted by weranc55

I doubt anyone has had the motor out of that car. I looked at that car for a while a few years ago. If that motor is a stamper than I would say that the previous owner was a master at making a car look like a survivor.

well, you are wrong. i have seen it with my eyes. yes, the work was done by someone who is unmatched for perfection and it was done back in the 80's.

[weranc55]

Originally Posted by muscle_collector

well, you are wrong. i have seen it with my eyes. yes, the work was done by someone who is unmatched for perfection and it was done back in the 80's.

You saw the car 25 years ago I saw it 2 years ago. The car has not been driven in 25 years. So what motor is in the car? Where did he get all the original ra4 parts to put it together? Every nut and bolt on that motor is correct and looks untouched. Ive seen a lot of guys do survivor cars and for someone to do this in the mid 80's? If it was done then the person is a master at his craft.

[Judge273]

Just not sure how to categorized guys who do survivor restorations??

Isn't doing survivor cars like good forgery? What is the point to recreating grease, rust, patina except to deceive the experts...

[muscle_collector]

Originally Posted by weranc55

You saw the car 25 years ago I saw it 2 years ago. The car has not been driven in 25 years. So what motor is in the car? Where did he get all the original ra4 parts to put it together? Every nut and bolt on that motor is correct and looks untouched. Ive seen a lot of guys do survivor cars and for someone to do this in the mid 80's? If it was done then the person is a master at his craft.

the deal is, i was there back then, not just saw the car. and yes, the guy who worked for him was and in my opinion would still be unmatched in his abilities. this guy could match paint that was faded and this was way before any computers were doing it. he would spend the hours in trial and error to get it just right.
as for where did he get all the parts, i didnt ask, but back then parts were readily available compared to today and it was surprising what was still available from the dealer if you had the correct part #'s.