[brians]

Had one of the best conversations I’ve ever had yesterday.
Tracked down by pure accident thru Facebook, the original owner of my RA2 GTO.

I’ll summarizing and keep it short


Early 68, he ordered a Hemi Charger as a birthday present to himself as it was supposed to be the best out there. It came in in May 68, but when he went to take possession, the manager refused his 66 Tempest trade in as it had been modified. The gave him a short time to sell it but did not happen. So third week of May, he walked into a little Pontiac dealership in Alliance Ohio to talk to them about what Pontiac had to offer and would they take the trade in. The dealership owner sat him down and showed him literature about this new top HP package that just came available. Prior to that, he never heard of it. He sat down and checked off options on a GTO.

About 5 weeks later, he is driving down the road and sees a car transport with a single green 68 GTO. He turns around and follows it to the dealership. He grabs the dealership owner and says we are going for a ride. By third gear, the dealership owner said that is enough and tells him to go back and so they can prep it and install the RA system.

He took it back and drove it himself into the service center (it was just 2 bays). He stood there while they installed the system. One side note, he stated the 2nd set of scoops were in the trunk. They were open and already painted Verdoro Green. I asked if he was sure they were open and he said yes, he stood there when they opened the trunk, cut the hood and installed them.

And I also found out about the original engine. The RA2 engine broke a valve a few months later and it destroyed everything. They replaced the entire engine under warranty.

[1oldgoat]

Originally Posted by brians

Had one of the best conversations I’ve ever had yesterday.
Tracked down by pure accident thru Facebook, the original owner of my RA2 GTO.

I’ll summarizing and keep it short


Early 68, he ordered a Hemi Charger as a birthday present to himself as it was supposed to be the best out there. It came in in May 68, but when he went to take possession, the manager refused his 66 Tempest trade in as it had been modified. The gave him a short time to sell it but did not happen. So third week of May, he walked into a little Pontiac dealership in Alliance Ohio to talk to them about what Pontiac had to offer and would they take the trade in. The dealership owner sat him down and showed him literature about this new top HP package that just came available. Prior to that, he never heard of it. He sat down and checked off options on a GTO.

About 5 weeks later, he is driving down the road and sees a car transport with a single green 68 GTO. He turns around and follows it to the dealership. He grabs the dealership owner and says we are going for a ride. By third gear, the dealership owner said that is enough and tells him to go back and so they can prep it and install the RA system.

He took it back and drove it himself into the service center (it was just 2 bays). He stood there while they installed the system. One side note, he stated the 2nd set of scoops were in the trunk. They were open and already painted Verdoro Green. I asked if he was sure they were open and he said yes, he stood there when they opened the trunk, cut the hood and installed them.

And I also found out about the original engine. The RA2 engine broke a valve a few months later and it destroyed everything. They replaced the entire engine under warranty.

Very cool story! Thanks for sharing. I'm not 100% convinced that there was a second set of scoops in the trunk. However, I have learned to never say never or always with Pontiacs.

[brians]

Originally Posted by 1oldgoat

Very cool story! Thanks for sharing. I'm not 100% convinced that there was a second set of scoops in the trunk. However, I have learned to never say never or always with Pontiacs.

That is why I asked him if he was sure. My car had two sets with it when I got it - a closed set and a set that sure looked perfect open. Openings are very straight and clean. The car only had 22K miles on it when I got it. The open scoops were in the hood and the system was in the trunk. The pans could have passed for nos.

Now I found out why. After they installed the SR engine he removed the system and installed dual quads on the car. There is much more to the story but he fell on some hard times and the car got repo'd late 1970. The pans were in the trunk at the time and must have always stayed there.

[1oldgoat]

Originally Posted by brians

That is why I asked him if he was sure. My car had two sets with it when I got it - a closed set and a set that sure looked perfect open. Openings are very straight and clean. The car only had 22K miles on it when I got it. The open scoops were in the hood and the system was in the trunk. The pans could have passed for nos.

Now I found out why. After they installed the SR engine he removed the system and installed dual quads on the car. There is much more to the story but he fell on some hard times and the car got repo'd late 1970. The pans were in the trunk at the time and must have always stayed there.

That is so cool! If they were factory open scoops, they likely would have had their own part number. I never thought to look. I have a September 68 dated parts manual, I will check for a 68 open scoop part number.

Sounds like a great car!

[nmoreilly]

Originally Posted by brians

Had one of the best conversations I’ve ever had yesterday.
Tracked down by pure accident thru Facebook, the original owner of my RA2 GTO.

I’ll summarizing and keep it short


Early 68, he ordered a Hemi Charger as a birthday present to himself as it was supposed to be the best out there. It came in in May 68, but when he went to take possession, the manager refused his 66 Tempest trade in as it had been modified. The gave him a short time to sell it but did not happen. So third week of May, he walked into a little Pontiac dealership in Alliance Ohio to talk to them about what Pontiac had to offer and would they take the trade in. The dealership owner sat him down and showed him literature about this new top HP package that just came available. Prior to that, he never heard of it. He sat down and checked off options on a GTO.

About 5 weeks later, he is driving down the road and sees a car transport with a single green 68 GTO. He turns around and follows it to the dealership. He grabs the dealership owner and says we are going for a ride. By third gear, the dealership owner said that is enough and tells him to go back and so they can prep it and install the RA system.

He took it back and drove it himself into the service center (it was just 2 bays). He stood there while they installed the system. One side note, he stated the 2nd set of scoops were in the trunk. They were open and already painted Verdoro Green. I asked if he was sure they were open and he said yes, he stood there when they opened the trunk, cut the hood and installed them.

And I also found out about the original engine. The RA2 engine broke a valve a few months later and it destroyed everything. They replaced the entire engine under warranty.

Great story !! was it the blue car (Alpine Blue I think) that was on FB over last couple of days ?

[brians]

Originally Posted by nmoreilly

Great story !! was it the blue car (Alpine Blue I think) that was on FB over last couple of days ?

Yep - as soon as he said he ordered one from Orwig motors, I knew there could only be one so I sent him a message asking more about his car and when he listed the options he ordered I was convinced so asked for his number.

Great guy to talk to and he had some really good stories of that time and filled in a bunch of mysteries of the car. I told him that I plan on calling every month or so just to hear more and if he thought of any great stories, call me.

Sometimes the history of these cars are even better then the cars themselves.

[nmoreilly]

Originally Posted by brians

Had one of the best conversations I’ve ever had yesterday.
Tracked down by pure accident thru Facebook, the original owner of my RA2 GTO.

I’ll summarizing and keep it short


Early 68, he ordered a Hemi Charger as a birthday present to himself as it was supposed to be the best out there. It came in in May 68, but when he went to take possession, the manager refused his 66 Tempest trade in as it had been modified. The gave him a short time to sell it but did not happen. So third week of May, he walked into a little Pontiac dealership in Alliance Ohio to talk to them about what Pontiac had to offer and would they take the trade in. The dealership owner sat him down and showed him literature about this new top HP package that just came available. Prior to that, he never heard of it. He sat down and checked off options on a GTO.

About 5 weeks later, he is driving down the road and sees a car transport with a single green 68 GTO. He turns around and follows it to the dealership. He grabs the dealership owner and says we are going for a ride. By third gear, the dealership owner said that is enough and tells him to go back and so they can prep it and install the RA system.

He took it back and drove it himself into the service center (it was just 2 bays). He stood there while they installed the system. One side note, he stated the 2nd set of scoops were in the trunk. They were open and already painted Verdoro Green. I asked if he was sure they were open and he said yes, he stood there when they opened the trunk, cut the hood and installed them.

And I also found out about the original engine. The RA2 engine broke a valve a few months later and it destroyed everything. They replaced the entire engine under warranty.

Originally Posted by brians

Yep - as soon as he said he ordered one from Orwig motors, I knew there could only be one so I sent him a message asking more about his car and when he listed the options he ordered I was convinced so asked for his number.

Great guy to talk to and he had some really good stories of that time and filled in a bunch of mysteries of the car. I told him that I plan on calling every month or so just to hear more and if he thought of any great stories, call me.

Sometimes the history of these cars are even better then the cars themselves.

Tremendous

[johnta1]

Cool Story!

Wouldn't know the zone and dealer number of Orwig Motors?
(and street address?)

[PurelyGTO68]

I believe the MPC book shows same part number for the scoop bezel as non RA cars. The part number gets cut off when the scoops are opened up.

When I bought my car in the late 80s.....the owner gave me a set of Verdoro green painted closed scoops. The car was Mayfair Maize by that time and the open scoops were on the car. Owner said when her husband first took delivery of the car in California the dealership installed the ram air system that was in the trunk complete with a set of open hood scoops. I asked if they were painted and she didnt remember.

The cut is very clean. The back of the scoop is not cut out....it is cut off. If you look closely, you might see some witness marks from the saw blade.i think it is on the outer edges. I talked to a guy who said he owned two RAII hardrops and he also said the scoops were in the trunk and they were open but he doesnt remember if the dealer cut them out or if they shipped that way.

Back to my car.....
In the box with the closed scoops, there was a single snorkel air cleaner with chrome lid and the heat shield for the exhaust manifold and a single sheet of instructions for installing the kit. Somewhere on that page there was directive to reinstall the closed scoops and original air cleaner in inclement weather. If that is the case, then it makes sense to ship a second set of scoops.

The open scoops on my car had red oxide primer on the underside.....do your scoops have any primer on them?

[RA1John]

In my 3/69 MPC, there is a listing for "Ram Air" Hood Scoop Ornaments (separate from the standard scoop ornament)
- 68 Firebird # 9794283/84
- 68 GTO # 9794281/82

Back in '78, I actually had a set of the GTO RA (open) scoops new in the box. Left them in the trunk when I sold the car.

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

Originally Posted by brians

... After they installed the SR engine he removed the system and installed dual quads on the car.

Good Gracious !
2x4 and 4.33 Gears ,,, he was in a hurry to get there

Incredible you guys found each other.
Wish i could connect with any of the original owners of my GTO's.

Originally Posted by johnta1

Wouldn't know the zone and dealer number of Orwig Motors?
(and street address?)

08-279
from the BHC

[brians]

Originally Posted by Baron Von Zeppelin

Good Gracious !
2x4 and 4.33 Gears ,,, he was in a hurry to get there

Incredible you guys found each other.
Wish i could connect with any of the original owners of my GTO's.


08-279
from the BHC

not 4.33 - the rear gear left after the replacement engine. The car was built up as a streetable race car by a place called Bud Graham Speed Shop. The rear gear was swapped for I think he said 5.13 (should have wrote that down. The car has the original 4.33 housing in it but had 3.23 gears in it when I got it so now I know why.

The speed shop made custom offset rear rims so he could run 9" slicks without rubbing. They cut up the front inner fenders and moved the brake lines for large tube over the frame headers.
(was another mystery that now I know the answer)

He said there was a picture of the front wheels about a foot off the ground but can not find any pictures or paperwork from the car. It was all at his mothers house in Alliance but must have got lost to time.


John: Did not ask him specifically, but the address I found years ago for Orwig Motors was 75 Glamorgan St, Alliance, OH. It is now a mini mall/offices