[BUQUICK]

Can someone clarify a few things on the Car Billing History card for this ’66 GTO? I searched the forum before posting but want to make sure I've got this correct.

1. Does the CC tire code in boxes 70 and 71 indicate standard redline tires?
2. WS in boxes 75 & 76 are what confirm the car to have the Tri-Power engine option?
3. 77W indicates the FO code wide ratio 4-speed? The close ratio 4-speed (code FO on a P-O-P) would have code 778, correct? I can see on the order form that 784 = 4-speed manual transmission.
4. I initially had a question about the 733 rear axle code but after searching this great forum I learned that 3P in boxes 73 & 74 = 3.90 Safe-T-Track.


About 40 years my dad bought this ’66 GTO from the brother of the original owner for $100. It was a complete car except the seller kept the entire drivetrain, front brakes, bucket seats, and a few other minor items. The $100 price might sound cheap but this was in the early ‘80s and it was just a worn-out GTO with no drivetrain and was not even a roller.

Out of curiosity I contacted PHS this week just to see how it was originally optioned and I was surprised to see the Tri-Power, metallic brake linings, and 3.90 gears on the option list. It’s too bad the seller kept the entire drivetrain. I still have the seller's name and address so maybe I'll check to see if he's still around.

Thanks.

[BUQUICK]

Just making a correction to the codes I posted in question 3. I can’t edit the original post (a terrible limitation for a guy like me that makes lots of mistakes in his posts and doesn’t catch them until the time limit for edits has expired).

Originally Posted by BUQUICK

3. 77W indicates the FO code wide ratio 4-speed? The close ratio 4-speed (code FT on a P-O-P) would have code 778, correct? I can see on the order form that 784 = 4-speed manual transmission.

[BUQUICK]

I found the answers I was looking for with additional searches and also with my Eric White reference book. Therefore, this thread isn’t needed but I can’t figure out how to delete it. Do I need to contact a moderator to do it?
Thanks.

[spartazoo]

This car is optioned similar to my 66 minus the tri-power, mine is a 4bbl car. I have added tri-power to my car and am prepping it to compete in the pure stock drags this fall. What is interesting is my car, like your car, both came with 3.90 gears, metallic brakes, and a wide ratio 4spd. As I prep for pure stock drag racing, research shows that a close ratio would be better suited for 3.90 gears. Why did Pontiac install wide ratio 4spds in 66 GTO's that were obviously built to go fast. Despite mine not having tri-power it came from the factory with no power brakes, no power steering, no console, but had rally gauges, 3.90 gears, and metallic linings. It was built to go fast and was blown up sitting in a fence row by 1973.

Seems these cars should have been shipped with close ratio 4spds. Anyone have any insight?

[ZeGermanHam]

There are plenty of GTOs with oddball options combinations. Just depends on which boxes were checked when ordering the car.

[spartazoo]

Agree, but the wide ratio/3.90 combination doesn't seem like an oddball combination. My research is showing this was pretty norm. Why?

I am finding, that in some corners, people say Pontiac's power band and torque were better suited for the wide ratio when a 3.90 gear is installed. The only exception seems to be the higher revving Ram Air 2 and Ram Air 4 motors. Those automatically got close ratio 4spds.

I find this kind of interesting.

[gtospieg]

It seems that a 3.90 rear gear with the 2.52 1st gear(wide ratio) would be a better combo for getting off the line(9.82 effective 1st gear ) vs the 3.90 rear gear with 2.20 1st gear(close ratio)(8.58 effective 1st gear), especially in a relatively heavy car like our GTO's.

[ZeGermanHam]

Originally Posted by spartazoo

Agree, but the wide ratio/3.90 combination doesn't seem like an oddball combination. My research is showing this was pretty norm. Why?

I am finding, that in some corners, people say Pontiac's power band and torque were better suited for the wide ratio when a 3.90 gear is installed. The only exception seems to be the higher revving Ram Air 2 and Ram Air 4 motors. Those automatically got close ratio 4spds.

I find this kind of interesting.

Yeah, I had the same thoughts - both that it does not seem like an oddball combo (it's probably more the norm rather than the exception), and that it might actually be better to have the wide ratio box.

[spartazoo]

I just located a 1966 wide ratio Muncie 4spd transmission and a 1966 rear end to put my car back to the way it left the factory. I will be racing the Pure Stock Drags this year to see how it does.