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GOAT WHORE · 06-15-2016, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnta1

Cool TA, where's it at?
(Oregon?)

What's the VIN and options?

Washington, didn't get Vin. Auto with air.

bluebird455 · 07-18-2016, 09:38 PM

Nice looking SD

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pontiac-Tran...m=122033176713

Mezzo · 07-19-2016, 07:51 AM

This car is owned by Bill Parodi.

sdbob · 07-19-2016, 07:58 AM

I will probably be at odds with some,but I always wondered why the SD had air as an option? I guess so gm could make money.Since it was a race engine.I guess I'm glad, fortunate to have gotten mine.Maybe air made production viable to sales ,profit.Just saying since IV didn't have air as option.

SD73 · 07-20-2016, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sdbob

I will probably be at odds with some,but I always wondered why the SD had air as an option? I guess so gm could make money.Since it was a race engine.I guess I'm glad, fortunate to have gotten mine.Maybe air made production viable to sales ,profit.Just saying since IV didn't have air as option.

Good observation. With MoPaRs, Hemi's and Six Packs couldn't get them if they wanted AC. And my comparison a lot more of those were sold.

GOAT WHORE · 07-20-2016, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sdbob

I will probably be at odds with some,but I always wondered why the SD had air as an option? I guess so gm could make money.Since it was a race engine.I guess I'm glad, fortunate to have gotten mine.Maybe air made production viable to sales ,profit.Just saying since IV didn't have air as option.

Much cooler (pun intended) when air was not an option.

74 SD455 Formula · 07-20-2016, 03:00 PM

There were fewer NON-A/C Auto's made than there were stick car's. I.E. look at the break down of the 73 SD Formula's. 10 Stick cars and 8 non A/C auto's that year. My 74 Formula is a NON-A/C Auto.

superdutybob · 07-20-2016, 03:09 PM

I haven't seen the numbers but I would say that doesn't hold true for the T/As in 73 and 74.

71GP76TA · 07-20-2016, 03:21 PM

The SD is a pretty tame low compression engine in comparison....

johnta1 · 03:54 PM

SD Birds in Registry:
(may not be representative since not all in there)

1973 THM400 with AC - 86
1973 THM400 w/out AC - 35

1973 Manual with AC - 01
1973 Manual w/out AC - 43

1974 Manual with AC - 04
1974 Manual w/out AC - 63

1974 THM400 w/out AC - 80
1974 THM400 with AC - 179

I'd say the SD was not a high RPM engine like the RA IV is why they had AC available.

The RA IV would have gears like 3.90 or 4.33, while the SD had a 3.08 or 3.42 gear.

bluebird455 · 07-20-2016, 03:45 PM

Since "officially" you could not order a Manual SD with a/c, I wonder how many were actually installed at the dealer, or later by the owner?
I've seen four 74 SDs with it but none had the paper work for it.

njsteve · 07-20-2016, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SD73

Good observation. With MoPaRs, Hemi's and Six Packs couldn't get them if they wanted AC. And my comparison a lot more of those were sold.

The Chrysler V2 A/C compressor would grenade above 5,000 rpm. Not a pretty sight! So it was a no-go with a stick on the high horsepower engines. It also wouldn't fit under the shaker hood on the E-bodies or anything with the air induction style air cleaner baseplate. You could get A/C with a 440/375hp 4 bbl though in both the B and E bodies. It is rare to see. They came with a traditional style air round cleaner unit.

frank.g · 07-20-2016, 06:19 PM

I have seen that car - it was ordered and built with an automatic, owner converted it to 4 speed.

1971WARBIRD · 07-21-2016, 12:13 AM

just throwing this out there. Pontiac never even wanted to build the SD. it pretty much made it out the back door like the 64 GTOs. there were many engines already made, so they decided to put those in car to at least get some of their money back. they never tried to push them as the performer they could have been, and only let them be put in F-bodies. so as far as the upper management was concerned, it was just another 455 engine going out the door in a car. the informed buyer that had connections might get lucky and get the stripped version he wanted. Bob Blair was a member of the Dayton TA club when I joined. he held records with a 69 428 4 speed GP and when he heard about the SD possibly coming out kept placing orders till his stripped one came in. it was featured in Muscle Car Review back in the 80, red/ black, auto. realized how rare they were so didn't beat on it, kept it in fantastic shape, and ordered a 74 SD for his son, but ordered it with everything but the kitchen sink. funny part is, it came with a rear console, but column shift as the front console was special order at that time. believe his sons was red/ black also.

rexs73gto · 07-21-2016, 12:37 AM

A/C made all cars more salable when it came to trade in time. A car that didn't have A/C would sit on a dealer lot for about 50% longer even back then as a race type engine in it. The lower rear gears in the 455 & SD cars were because the cars were much easier to get moving because of the low end TQ . The RA IV didn't start making power until you got it wound up a bit. The RA IV cars had to be up around 2500 rpms to get them working. The 455 & SD would make power at 1200 rpms & didn't need high rpms to get going. It had it way down low. PLus the 455's & SD cars were all done at about 5500-6000 rpms. Were as the RA IV cars needed the higher rpms to work better. Below 2200 rpms the cars would fall on there face with gears that were low. Thats why it got 433's & 390's. I run what would be considered a RA IV engine with the E-heads & a Crane Blue print cam. Once I get it up over 2000 rpms it really wakes up.

Judge273 · 07-21-2016, 07:07 AM

Back door, and quiet? 252 in 73 and 943 in 74 was hardly backdoor stealth...

sdbob · 07-21-2016, 07:20 AM

My local dealer salesman ,who was a friend asked me or suggested I get air when ordering SD.I said I'll just open the windows. I purchased it from a Pittsburgh dealer who I thought was better connected. He was.Only glitch was salesman,he was jewish, that I ordered through had everything in black and white what I wanted.I told him point blank no SD NO DEAL.He changed order after I left to std 455.The owner and his son changed it back,knowing me and what I wanted.WEW. The mechanic there Jim Miller was racing RA V stuff.I waited 5 mos.

sdbob · 07-22-2016, 01:40 PM

Finally remembered salesman name Harry Langer nice guy just thought he new better.The parts guy at Constantin Pontiac was a nice elderly man,Mel.He was also jewish. I remember ordering SD distributor gears,he said I'll order 6! I ordered a lot of parts from him.He even delivered a truck load of parts one time to Latrobe.Just reminiscing.The simpler and cheaper days.