#1  
Old 08-13-2014, 10:30 PM
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Rich-Tripower Rich-Tripower is offline
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Default I want to decode a few things on my PHS build sheet

K45 - is this the foam covered air cleaners?

Interior code is 219 - parchement which in this car meant off-white and black. The top of dash and steering column accent color is maroon. What dictated the accent color, the exterior color?

Tires show as 75014RSW - I assume RSW means redlines?

Does the buildsheet show which transmission, M20 or M21?

Does the buildsheet indicate which axle ratio it was built with?


  #2  
Old 08-14-2014, 05:15 PM
John V. John V. is offline
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Rich, you will note the asterisk ahead of the K45.

This means this "option" was standard content on the build, not extra cost.

K45 is coded on all Fremont GTOs produced from about March 15, 1964 on. It does not appear on the Manifest record of earlier Fremont builds.

The description AIR CLEAN/SIL I interpret to say Air Cleaner/Silencer. I am not aware of any change to the GTO Air Cleaner at mid year and the K45 is independent of the K24 option listing, the Cal Closed Circuit PCV option (which was extra cost).

The Inspector's Guide identifies K45 as the HD Air Cleaner option, Sales Code 431. Early year it was only available for the 326. In mid Nov. '63, Pontiac announced a HD Air Cleaner option for the 6 cyl.

I assume Fremont Tempests ordered with the HD Air Cleaner will show the same K45 AIR CLEAN/SIL but without the asterisk.

I do not know why Fremont began coding this on GTO manifests when they did, perhaps just a way to indicate the extent of content that was included with the GTO option.

Yes, 75014RSW means the Redlines were in your car when new. If the no cost Whitewalls had been included instead, it would have read 75014W2R and the option P30 WHT W TIRE OVR would have been listed, meaning "White Wall Tire Override". My own '64 got this option as did many other GTOs in '64, I do not know if that was by PMD choice or the Dealer Order choice.

Yes, the Fremont Manifest would show the Wide Ratio or Close Ratio.

Yours got the M20 TRANS SYN 4SP.

The M20 was the Wide Ratio, regardless of whether it was a code W backed by all ratios except 3.90 or a code 9 backed by the 3.90 axle.

The Close Ratio was identified as M21. I do not know the description that would have followed M21, on the Fremont Window Sticker it read, "M21 4 SPD SYNC TRANS 778" but not sure how it appeared on the Manifest.

Fremont always coded the Axle Type and Ratio by code in the Box labeled Axle Ratio.

For just about the entire year, it was coded letter first for the ratio such as K for 3.23, D for 3.08, and F for 3.55.

Followed by 0 for an open differential or 1 for a Safe-T-Track (locking) differential.

Very late year, Fremont changed the coding so that the code would show a 2 for open differential or 3 for Safe-T-Track, then the letter for the ratio followed. The same letter codes were still used to indicate the same numeric ratios.

If the Safe-T-Track was included the Manifest would also show, "G80 DIF POSITRACT". This was an extra cost option.

Your build was ordered with the Safe-T-Track. Shows the G80.

But the handwritten notes reflect Adds/Deletes. Probably because of a build error or shortage of axles, your GTO was built with an open differential rear.

The numeric codes show +691 indicates the standard differential and brakes (standard content), -703 indicates delete the Safe-T-Track (resulted in a credit given to the dealer), +702 means open differential was added to the build.

The line item for the G80 was also crossed off.

And the Axle Ratio Box which had shown the late style coding 3K to indicate a 3.23 axle with standard brakes and Safe-T-Track differential was replaced by the handwritten 2K which indicates a 3.23 axle with standard brakes and open differential.

Next to the 2K, the guy initialed his approval of the change as it affected the dealer price.

In '64, early Tripower GTOs got the 3.55 axle ratio as standard. In mid January, Pontiac announced that going forward the Tripower GTO would get the 3.23 as standard. To get a different available ratio, the dealer had to note the requested ratio on the order. Your car was not ordered with a special order axle ratio but unfortunately failed to get the Safe-T-Track that the order was supposed to include.

I would be curious to know if your Tripower also got the 2" core radiator. The 2-5/8" core had been standard on early Tripower GTOs but around March, it seems you had to order the HD Rad at extra cost or you would get the 2" core Rad. Your manifest does not show the HD Rad so I assume it got the 2" core.


Last edited by John V.; 08-14-2014 at 05:19 PM. Reason: Ckarification of the M20 trans description
  #3  
Old 08-14-2014, 07:01 PM
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Rich-Tripower Rich-Tripower is offline
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Funny about all those handwritten notes, it has had Safe-T-Track for as long as we've known it, since about 1970. Concerning the owner who had it before that, I doubt he would have bothered to modify it but who knows.

I totally looked past the M20 code for the transmission. Duh.

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Old 08-14-2014, 07:39 PM
John V. John V. is offline
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Rich, it is entirely possible that the car was a customer order and when it came in without the Safe-T-Track, the buyer may have compelled the dealer to install the locking diff to replace the factory unit.

There is always the possibility that the dealer hoodwinked PMD into giving him a credit claiming the car had an open diff when it was locking all along. But I suspect that would have been hard to pull off and not a likely scenario.

Is it an original '64 center casting? Did the rear have the limited slip tag on the rear cover? Did it have the limited slip warning decal on the decklid?

Have you checked the stamping on the rear axle tube? Will read "P 3.23" if it originally housed an open diff, "P 3.23 L" if it housed a locking diff.

Not sure what you can do beyond these clues to know if the documents correctly reflect the factory axle.

  #5  
Old 08-17-2014, 07:54 PM
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Are the A49 seat belts the standard black plastic ones? My cousin remembers them being the brushed chrome ones. Maybe they got replaced before he got it or he is remembering wrong. Anyway, the black plastic ones were all we could readily find during the restoration (these are reproductions). The original seat belts are about the only thing we couldn't locate during the restoration, no idea where they got to.

Does anyone have a photo or two of the optional seat belt buckles?

  #6  
Old 08-17-2014, 09:21 PM
John V. John V. is offline
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A49 were The "Custom Seat Belts with retractors".

It has always been my belief the Custom belts had the metal buckles, I think they were stainless steel, not chrome, but not positive about that.

  #7  
Old 08-17-2014, 09:26 PM
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Hmm. One thing to correct if I can find the right ones. He wants to put rears in so I could recycle these to the rear if I can find the right ones. Rears can always be tucked into the cushions during shows for the correct look.

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Old 12-17-2022, 12:14 AM
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Jon Salem Jon Salem is offline
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So, does a source exist that lists the meaning of the various build order codes?

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  #9  
Old 12-18-2022, 08:15 PM
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Jeff Hamlin Jeff Hamlin is offline
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Try to find a copy of this book.
Out of print but a great resource to have if you can find one.

Cheers.
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