[Secondgenaddict]

Can someone post a pic of a non console 70 ta 4 speed shift knob. I purchased a NOS and want to be sure its correct. thanks

[Norwood]

Non counsel shift knob is different than console knob? I know lever is different but didn’t know knob was.

[Secondgenaddict]

I saw this in a 70 advertising for fire bird and ta, is it correct for a non console car.

[Held for Ransom]

Wasn't it a black knob as standard and the simulated leather knob an available option?

[unruhjonny]

my understanding is that pre-production showed simulated leather knobs with red inserts;
It has been suggested here that some very early cars with deluxe interiors recieved the simulated leather knobs with the red inserts;
The "normal" knob was an oversized black ball unit.

Lemme see if I can find a picture...

[unruhjonny]

Here you go;
Centre is a standard sized Hurst ball;
On either side are NOS shifter handles for '70 Firebirds.

Obviously only the four speed unit is correct for TA's;
These were used into early(?) in the '71 model year when the simulated black knob with the tall chrome insert first showed up - and that knob was used till somewhere around 1975/1976.

[Judge273]

You're saying that a early build 71 TA 4 speed was equipped with the big black ball?

First I've heard this...

[unruhjonny]

Originally Posted by Judge273

You're saying that a early build 71 TA 4 speed was equipped with the big black ball?

First I've heard this...

I have come to understand that early 1971 model year Firebirds carried over some of the 1970-only parts - like shift knobs and exhaust tips;

Here' is a post not by me supporting this:

Originally Posted by 2manyT/A'S

I've found that early 71's (especially Van Nuys built) tended to use a lot of "carry over" parts from the 70 model run,including 70 exhaust tips,chrome guage bezels & mixes of JW & KR wheels.

It would be interesting to find out the percentage of cars built at each plant for the 70 & 71 model years.

My guess would be about 75% Norwood & 25% Van Nuys
If you look on page 27 of the 1971 Pontiac showroom brochure,they show a picture of the dash & console of a 4-speed T/A & the shifter looks kinda different (console application).
That might be the straighter (non-console) lever.

Can you post some pics of YOUR console/shifter?

Here is a quote I quickly found for you that seems hard to refute;

Originally Posted by Chiefpontiac

I can provide two more examples of TA's equipped with the large black ball:

1) 1970 TA without console and less than 100k miles built in May 1970. Did not end up with this car but it was original down to the hose clamps.

2) 1971 TA with console and less than 90k miles built in August 1970. This is my personal car and it is definitely the original knob. It also has the chrome rings around the gauges.

It seems to me that this shifter handle issue comes up every once in a while, and many say something along the lines of "I've never heard of this"...

If you spend more time than I just did, you should be able to come up with several examples of original 1971 Firebirds having the black knob...

Lastly, here is a page out of the 1971 Firebird brochure;

[Secondgenaddict]

Thanks for all the replys, I wish I asked this question before I paid for a nos leather knob.

[68bird400HO]

I am sure there was some carry over into early 71, but, it is clear that for the 71 brochure they just snapped a picture of a 70 interior. Aside from the black ball it has the early 70 TA dash bezel and no 455HO on the shaker. Interior color looks too light for 71 as well.

[weranc55]

Originally Posted by 68bird400HO

I am sure there was some carry over into early 71, but, it is clear that for the 71 brochure they just snapped a picture of a 70 interior. Aside from the black ball it has the early 70 TA dash bezel and no 455HO on the shaker. Interior color looks too light for 71 as well.

And the black dash bezel rings.

[necdb3]

That can't be an original picture from a 71 brochure. Look at the wiper/ lights section of the bezel. That's later model.

[68bird400HO]

Originally Posted by necdb3

That can't be an original picture from a 71 brochure. Look at the wiper/ lights section of the bezel. That's later model.

I thought that too initially but when you look really close, it is a correct 70 bezel.

[necdb3]

Originally Posted by 68bird400HO

I thought that too initially but when you look really close, it is a correct 70 bezel.

Wow, after blowing the picture up, I can see the divider. That's really deceiving!

[Peter Serio]

I have 3 old paper photographs of a very low miles original blue 70 Trans Am. It has a tan standard interior and no console. That car has the large black plastic ball on the shifter. The guy who sent me the photos (pre-internet) days. Said the car was very original, so much so that I recall during a phone conversation he was lamenting about the hood locks that the first owner had installed into the hood. They were those nicer chrome flush mounted ones (one lock per side) that took a key that was the same kind of a key that was used on a an older soda machine.
The current owner did not like the hood locks but he did not want to remove the hood and fill those holes as then the hood would have to be repainted and perhaps the center stripe sticker replaced..

He told me that the car was like 95 to 97% original paint. Blue, white stripe tan non-deluxe interior.

Thinking back I probably received these photos in the mail sometime in the mid to late 1990s. I kept them because even back then the white with the blue stripe Trans am was the one you always saw at the car shows. Uncommon, at least for me, to see a blue one for 70 or 71. More so the blue with the tan interior. Most of the ones I remember had a black or a blue interior. Although a friend of mine has a White/ blue stripe '72 Trans Am that has the blue or black dash and carpet with the white deluxe seats.

[Uncle Judge]

Originally Posted by Peter Serio

I have 3 old paper photographs of a very low miles original blue 70 Trans Am. It has a tan standard interior and no console. That car has the large black plastic ball on the shifter. The guy who sent me the photos (pre-internet) days. Said the car was very original, so much so that I recall during a phone conversation he was lamenting about the hood locks that the first owner had installed into the hood. They were those nicer chrome flush mounted ones (one lock per side) that took a key that was the same kind of a key that was used on a an older soda machine.
The current owner did not like the hood locks but he did not want to remove the hood and fill those holes as then the hood would have to be repainted and perhaps the center stripe sticker replaced..

He told me that the car was like 95 to 97% original paint. Blue, white stripe tan non-deluxe interior.

Thinking back I probably received these photos in the mail sometime in the mid to late 1990s. I kept them because even back then the white with the blue stripe Trans am was the one you always saw at the car shows. Uncommon, at least for me, to see a blue one for 70 or 71. More so the blue with the tan interior. Most of the ones I remember had a black or a blue interior. Although a friend of mine has a White/ blue stripe '72 Trans Am that has the blue or black dash and carpet with the white deluxe seats.

Funny Pete. That was my 1970 Trans Am with 36,000 miles and all original paint with the saddle interior. GOOD MEMORY PETE! I likely had that converstation with you but it could have been the 2nd owner. I bought that car in 1996 from him. I'd still have the car today but the original owner's son who came home from the hospital in it when he was born called me on a monthly basis for a LONG time. I guess it belonged back in the family. I owned it for about 12 years.

My theory on the LARGE black ball VS. the simulated leather knob is that it is dictated by the interior. Plain and simple. The LARGE Black ball came with the standard interior and simulated leather knob came with the Deluxe interior.
This has played out to be true on several low mile original 1970-71 Trans Am's that I have personally owned.

I also feel that the red insert on the simulated knob is pre-production thing and MAYBE an EXTREMELY EARLY production item. They just ended up using the red insert from the custom wood knob in 1969 on the 1970 pre-production simulated leather deluxe Firebird knob.

I suspect this was just like the 1970 red Pontiac crest on the Formula wheel center cap in a GTO or Judge. It is shown in the Performance brochure but rarely seen in production vehicles.

[unruhjonny]

Originally Posted by Uncle Judge

...
My theory on the LARGE black ball VS. the simulated leather knob is that it is dictated by the interior. Plain and simple. The LARGE Black ball came with the standard interior and simulated leather knob came with the Deluxe interior.
...

Respectfully;
So this theory of yours is Trans Am specific?

I would think that if an interior trim level dictated the knob used, that this would not be predicated by the model.

I would think that if your theory could stand on two legs, that the knob used would not be predicated by the model and interior trim level - but rather wholly by the trim level.

Formulas came with 'standard' interior just like the Trans Am;
Esprit's came with the 'deluxe' interior, unlike the Trans Am;
If your assertion is true, and not dictated by the model, I would think the leather knob would always be observed in the Esprit, and also seen in 'deluxe' interior Formulas.

From the ultra low-mile '70 Formula:



I have seen the early simulated wood knob on a '70 Esprit (I have the whole shifter assembly still), but I cannot recall seeing the simulated leather knob in any '70 Esprit.

My personal belief is that the simulated leather knob may very well have been intended for deluxe interior vehicles, but as the early supply ran out, the black knob was used on all;
Then the black knob supply at both Norwood and Van Nuys was used up, the leather knob supplanted it as the only one used.

I would be curious to know at what point the shifter knob was installed, and when the last documented example of a car with the simulated versus the first example with the black knob were built.
To the best of my understanding this cannot be gleaned from the build sheet.

[keith k]

Originally Posted by Uncle Judge

Funny Pete. That was my 1970 Trans Am with 36,000 miles and all original paint with the saddle interior. GOOD MEMORY PETE! I likely had that converstation with you but it could have been the 2nd owner. I bought that car in 1996 from him. I'd still have the car today but the original owner's son who came home from the hospital in it when he was born called me on a monthly basis for a LONG time. I guess it belonged back in the family. I owned it for about 12 years.

My theory on the LARGE black ball VS. the simulated leather knob is that it is dictated by the interior. Plain and simple. The LARGE Black ball came with the standard interior and simulated leather knob came with the Deluxe interior.
This has played out to be true on several low mile original 1970-71 Trans Am's that I have personally owned.

I also feel that the red insert on the simulated knob is pre-production thing and MAYBE an EXTREMELY EARLY production item. They just ended up using the red insert from the custom wood knob in 1969 on the 1970 pre-production simulated leather deluxe Firebird knob.

I suspect this was just like the 1970 red Pontiac crest on the Formula wheel center cap in a GTO or Judge. It is shown in the Performance brochure but rarely seen in production vehicles.

Sounds like a car I looked at, and thought hard about buying..., in the mid/late '90s. It was for sale in Illinois. Couldn't be many Blue/Saddle/4-speed low mile cars around!

[Tellyshavilli]

All the 70 Trans Ams I’ve owned whether their standard or deluxe interior have had the blackball on shifter

[Ram4TA]

I've had a few 1 owner 4 speed 70 T/A's they all had the large black ball also std or dlx interior.