[thews]

Originally Posted by johnta1

You're correct.



I didn't notice it. Just saw that it had a 455 in it.
When I saw the BHC, I knew it was a RA II. Then read it again (guess not well) with the 455 being built and Aluminum heads and didn't see it mentioned until the end.

How much does being an original RA II affect the bottom line in asking $$$ if it doesn't have the original engine?

[johnta1]

I don't know. That would be for the guys who want them.
But they are so rare and hard to find an original car, it would possibly be worth quite a bit just for the documented car.

[Mcronk]

The way I look at it is you would need to calculate all the work and parts needed to make the car whole again. Then subtract that from the market value of a complete and correct car. That would be what I would pay. I do recall a thread about a RAII GTO that sold on ebay years ago but was missing original engine. I have been sourcing parts for my RA II car for a few years now. With only 246 RA II GTOs built the parts are rare. However they are out there but expect to pay a lot!

Mark

[DANTIP]

Originally Posted by Mcronk

The way I look at it is you would need to calculate all the work and parts needed to make the car whole again. Then subtract that from the market value of a complete and correct car. That would be what I would pay. I do recall a thread about a RAII GTO that sold on ebay years ago but was missing original engine. I have been sourcing parts for my RA II car for a few years now. With only 246 RA II GTOs built the parts are rare. However they are out there but expect to pay a lot!

Mark

I'm sitting on a RAII as cast 2506 SR block engine waiting for a real car without the original engine. As mentioned above, this one is really too far away from stock for it to make sense.

[Mcronk]

Originally Posted by DANTIP

I'm sitting on a RAII as cast 2506 SR block engine waiting for a real car without the original engine. As mentioned above, this one is really too far away from stock for it to make sense.

So the block does not have a two letter code? At Norwalk in 2023 I saw a 2506 block with a C118 date code but the area where the two letter code was acid washed. Back in the day NHRA stock racers would "cheat" and do stuff like that. This could have been a Bird or GTO block.

When you consider how few of these cars were produced, then factor in they had no visible badging or decals to alert you to what they were, many are now gone forever (crushed/trashed/etc). Finding a car with the proper tags (VIN and Data plate) is very difficult. Only 246 GTOs built and far fewer Birds. Chances of finding a car that is a legitimate RA II is almost impossible. Possibly the best chance is someone else who is sitting on a car that is missing its engine may be willing to sell. But it won't be as cheap as the car listed. You could sell off the parts you don't want. M21 4 speeds are not that hard to find. The ZL axle is a tough one. Heads come up for sale regularly, intakes are not any different that standard 4bbl. The carb and distributor are big ticket items. Exhaust manifolds are extremely rare. Most restored RA II cars are wearing reproduction RAIV manifolds. I was able to find a set of original RA II exhaust manifolds and the are very different.

[wovenweb]

Originally Posted by Mcronk

The way I look at it is you would need to calculate all the work and parts needed to make the car whole again. Then subtract that from the market value of a complete and correct car. That would be what I would pay. I do recall a thread about a RAII GTO that sold on ebay years ago but was missing original engine. I have been sourcing parts for my RA II car for a few years now. With only 246 RA II GTOs built the parts are rare. However they are out there but expect to pay a lot!

Mark

Originally Posted by DANTIP

I'm sitting on a RAII as cast 2506 SR block engine waiting for a real car without the original engine. As mentioned above, this one is really too far away from stock for it to make sense.

Originally Posted by Mcronk

So the block does not have a two letter code? At Norwalk in 2023 I saw a 2506 block with a C118 date code but the area where the two letter code was acid washed. Back in the day NHRA stock racers would "cheat" and do stuff like that. This could have been a Bird or GTO block.

When you consider how few of these cars were produced, then factor in they had no visible badging or decals to alert you to what they were, many are now gone forever (crushed/trashed/etc). Finding a car with the proper tags (VIN and Data plate) is very difficult. Only 246 GTOs built and far fewer Birds. Chances of finding a car that is a legitimate RA II is almost impossible. Possibly the best chance is someone else who is sitting on a car that is missing its engine may be willing to sell. But it won't be as cheap as the car listed. You could sell off the parts you don't want. M21 4 speeds are not that hard to find. The ZL axle is a tough one. Heads come up for sale regularly, intakes are not any different that standard 4bbl. The carb and distributor are big ticket items. Exhaust manifolds are extremely rare. Most restored RA II cars are wearing reproduction RAIV manifolds. I was able to find a set of original RA II exhaust manifolds and the are very different.

I think this car is stuck in no man’s land. Seller will want a premium for it being a RA II car, but it is so far away from it right now that paying too much for it(unless cost isn’t an issue for the buyer which may be the case) ruins the economics.

I do have a set of SR RA II heads sitting on my coupe. Would pair nicely with that block.

[north]

This car reminds me of a car I looked at about 20 years ago. It was a burgundy (or whatever it was called in 68) GTO hardtop with a non HO 71 455 (from a GTO). It had a black interior, original m21, and original coded 4.33 STT. Other options included hideaways, manual discs and manual steering, factory looking RII’s, console annd AM radio as well as dash tach and gauges with a wood wheel. It was mostly original paint in presentable condition with some touch ups indicating very minor body work behind each wheel. Clearly not winter driven. I studied it carefully and I’m pretty sure it was a RAII car. The hood plate and air cleaner was missing but the original paint hood was clearly a RA car with the factory cutouts ion the bracing. It also had an untouched looking set of round port manifolds (I didn’t know at that time how to ID the difference between RAII, IV or HO). Trim tag was home plant June 68.

Couldn't make a deal with the seller (he was a “non-yard” scrap yard guy selling used later model engines, body parts etc out of a warehouse. He didn’t No, the history of the car. If I recall correctly, he had bought it when he was there buying a scrap car from the same owner.

no, the history of the car. If I recall correctly, he had bought it when he was there buying a scrap car from the same owner. This all happened in the early 2000s and the car was right across the border from Vermont in Canada

[wovenweb]

Someone finally outbid me.

[wovenweb]

High bid of $41,250.