[trishieldchief]

Originally Posted by 1RAMAIR1

That makes 2 of us. (lol) Today we pulled the Rear Differential apart and found something unusual. The setup appears to have never been taken apart and the original GM part number stampings were found on the Ring Gear. The Build-sheet for the car says it came with 3:90 series gears. When we opened it up, the gears were 4:11. What are the chances that the Factory installed the wrong ratio gears for the car?

I started a thread a few months ago, asking everyone here, if anyone, had a 69 TA with factory special ordered 3.90 posi rear axle.

After a long thread, it was concluded that all 69 RA III Trans Ams were 3.55 Posi rear axle cars.

Do you have the PHS for this TA and does it show special order axle?
If so, please post the PHS to your car.

Thanks Rich

[1RAMAIR1]

Originally Posted by trishieldchief

Do you have the PHS for this TA and does it show special order axle?
If so, please post the PHS to your car.

Thanks Rich

Hi Rich! I was wrong about the 3:90 axle being on the Build Sheet. When I bought the car, the person who owned it had "wrote" that it had originally came with a 3:90 set up. I just found the PHS invoice and it only shows a 4 speed and tinted windshield as the options on the car. The weird thing is that it has an AM radio that appears to be original and is correctly dated for the car. It also has Rally II Wheels that appear to be original to the car and correctly dated for the vehicle. It came from a Dealership that was notorious for selling "race sponsored" vehicles and I think this T/A may have been converted when it was new. I have no way to know this for sure. Things just don't add up.

Here is a picture of the ring gear from the rear set up. What would a GM original 4:11 (37/9 stamping) set up be doing in an original "N" 1969 Firebird housing?

[RAJ7395]

The 2680 stamping on the ring gear is the date of manufacture and indicates that the ring gear was produced the 268 day of 1970. As the gear post dates the cars production by over a full year, it was obviously added at a later date and is not a correct "born with" component.

[1RAMAIR1]

Originally Posted by RAJ7395

The 2680 stamping on the ring gear is the date of manufacture and indicates that the ring gear was produced the 268 day of 1970. As the gear post dates the cars production by over a full year, it was obviously added at a later date and is not a correct "born with" component.

Thank you for helping clear that oddity up. I may never know the specifics surrounding the swap but at least it puts that scenario to rest.

Do you have any insight for the AM Radio and the Rally Wheels? Since both are considered "options" they should be listed on the invoice but they are not. Would they have been installed at the Dealership? I can understand how easy it would be to swap Wheels but the Radio has me baffled. Why would anyone want a mundane AM Radio added to the vehicle when it was new? Keep in mind that it looked Factory installed when we dis-assembled the Dash.

[RAJ7395]

Here's the PHS from my 69 TA. As it so happens, my car originally came with a push button AM radio and Rally II wheels. As you can see, both options are listed on the invoice.

Unfortunately, mine was not ordered with stacked gauges. As my car is a non-numbers matching auto, I will be adding the stacked gauges as I feel that it enhance rather than hurt the value of the car. I plan on selling it after completion to fund my 70 and 71 TAs restorations as those (and 71 cudas) are my true dream cars.

My guess is that radio and Rally II's were added at the dealership to meet a particular buyers desires.

FYI- The exact correct date code for the Rally IIs for my 06A cars build date is April first 1969. The car came with three of it's original rims and it took me years to find the last two to complete the set.

[1RAMAIR1]

Originally Posted by RAJ7395

Here's the PHS from my 69 TA. As it so happens, my car originally came with a push button AM radio and Rally II wheels. As you can see, both options are listed on the invoice.

My Car came from Jack Shaw Pontiac in Michigan. They were notorious for turning out Factory "race" Cars. One of my Friends who is a 28 year Executive for Chrysler, said that the Dealerships constantly swapped Wheels and other "simple" bolt on parts if that is what it took to sell a vehicle that was on the lot.

I can't explain the installation of the AM Radio but the Dog Dish Hubcaps might have been swapped with another vehicle in order to expedite or push the sale of the Car. They are correctly coded and dated for my vehicle so I am going to put them back during the Restoration.

[Charlie Jones]

Originally Posted by 1RAMAIR1

Why would anyone want a mundane AM Radio added to the vehicle when it was new? Keep in mind that it looked Factory installed when we dis-assembled the Dash.

AM radios were the norm back then . All FM stations back then played "symphony" music , and only "old fogies" bought AM/FM radios .
Look at the hole where the antenna was mounted in the fender . If it looks like it was cut with a hole saw then the radio was dealer installed.

Lots of muscle cars back then had dog dish hubcaps because they were destined to get a set of "mags" on day two.