1969 1/2 Pontiac Firebird Trans/Am RA IV
 

Did anyone ever 'Drag Race' one these rare cars,,,,,,,,,or even own one...

Available Engines;
400/335 HP,,,,Ram Air III
400/345HP,,,,,Ram Air IV

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...J626jI-A84-brf

Re: 1969 1/2 Pontiac Firebird Trans/Am RA IV
 

In the mid/late eighties, a good friend of mine, Milt Robson, owned four of the eight??? trans am convertibles. I remember him selling one to Otis Chandler, who owned the L.A. Times. I don't remember what happened to the others.

Re: 1969 1/2 Pontiac Firebird Trans/Am RA IV
 

The Option Code #WS4,
'Trans Am Performance and Appearance Package'
not cheap,,,,,,,,,,,,$725

Base Engine; Ram Air III, L74 (400/335 HP)
Option Engine; Ram Air IV L67 (400/345 HP)

Only 55 of the 697, 1969 1/2 Trans Ams came equipped with the L67 option.

I remember when they first came out in early 1969, and the few numbers produced.
Considered one of the rarest 'musclecars' by 1975.

Not sure what the 'advertised performance' was, but I think a 4-Speed with
the L67 and 3.90 gears was capable of running 13.70's @ 103 MPH.

Re: 1969 1/2 Pontiac Firebird Trans/Am RA IV
 

When those first came out I didn't care for them. Liked the Z28
and Boss 302 better. Now I think their awesome.

Re: 1969 1/2 Pontiac Firebird Trans/Am RA IV
 

father of a high school friend of mine bought a ram air 4 trans-am....bought it new at griffith pontiac in johnson city tennessee...traded it in on a new 70 firebird

Re: 1969 1/2 Pontiac Firebird Trans/Am RA IV
 

Beside's being a rare car,,,,,,,,
Only '2' print advertisements were released featuring the
1969 1/2 Trans Am, which was available for purchase in April 1969.
* Car and Driver (May 1969)
* Road and Track (June 1969)


Pontiac did not market the car as a 'drag race car',
but more of a 'road sports car'.

One of the original promotional photo shoots.

http://www.firebirdgallery.com/1st%2...ges/69ta20.jpg

Re: 1969 1/2 Pontiac Firebird Trans/Am RA IV
 

He had a lot of muscle cars but had an auction at his place last year and sold everything off .

Re: 1969 1/2 Pontiac Firebird Trans/Am RA IV
 

Base Price; $3556 (with Ram Air III as standard engine)

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...69TAinsert.jpg


Magazine Performance Tests;

Sports Car Graphic (April 1969)
Car Tested; Ram Air III, 4-Speed with 3.55 Gears
14.30 @ 101.7 MPH

Hot Rod (April 1969)
Car Tested; Ram Air IV, 4-Speed with 3.90 Gears
14.10 @ 100.78 MPH

Re: 1969 1/2 Pontiac Firebird Trans/Am RA IV
 

What a good looking car...I'm curious if anyone ever Special Ordered one other than white.
http://bestfreewallpapers.net/mediag...ns_am_1969.jpg

Re: 1969 1/2 Pontiac Firebird Trans/Am RA IV
 

He sold 55 cars, if I remember correctly, for a little over 9M. He still has a few stashed away.

Re: 1969 1/2 Pontiac Firebird Trans/Am RA IV
 

Moose,

The 69 1/2' Trans Ams,,,,,,,,,,,only available in "Cameo White"

Hi Performance Magazine;
Got one to test, a TH-400 Automatic, with the Ram Air IV engine,
and 4.33 gears.

It was a Pontiac Executives car,
Performance Results; 13.61 @ 104.8 MPH

Re: 1969 1/2 Pontiac Firebird Trans/Am RA IV
 

Average sale price per car: $163,636.36 :eek:

Re: 1969 1/2 Pontiac Firebird Trans/Am RA IV
 

I'd also like to know that question myself...did anyone here know someone that bought one of these things and turned it into street & strip bracket car or an all out drag car from day one.

Re: 1969 1/2 Pontiac Firebird Trans/Am RA IV
 

Moose,

Don't think anyone drag raced those cars,,,,,,,,,
Would be crazy, as they were considered 'collector cars'.

The first one I saw in person,,, 1973.
About 1/2 mile away from my fathers machine shop.

Guy had it for about 6 months, then put it up For Sale,,, $3300.

Never got close enough to the car to see what Ram Air engine or
transmission was in the Trans Am...

He sold the car, so he could buy a new 1973 Trans Am for $4300..

pc

Re: 1969 1/2 Pontiac Firebird Trans/Am RA IV
 

PC, I recall seeing an old photo of someone racing one of these long ago some wheres, but I'll be damned if I can find that pic again...and I have seen a few newer pics of some but I'm pretty sure they were clones.

Re: 1969 1/2 Pontiac Firebird Trans/Am RA IV
 

I owned a RA III 4-speed car for a little while in 1971-72. I sold it to buy a 396 Camaro. It was a very nice car and I liked it a lot, but it was not a Chevrolet (fickleness of youth). The paint was bubbling on the spoiler and the interior was blue. I paid $1800 for it with 21k miles on it and sold it for $1750. I thought I was so smart because I didn't lose much on the deal.

Re: 1969 1/2 Pontiac Firebird Trans/Am RA IV
 

Here's another odd one coming up for auction built with a red interior.
http://www.mecum.com/auctions/KC1211...d=110411162121
http://www.mecum.com/auctions/KC1211...d=110411162121
http://www.mecum.com/auctions/KC1211...d=110411162121
http://www.mecum.com/auctions/KC1211...d=110411162121

http://www.mecum.com/auctions/lot_de...63&lottype=car

Re: 1969 1/2 Pontiac Firebird Trans/Am RA IV
 

This car was an original Pontiac Promotional Car,

1969 Pontiac Firebird 400

It was used for the 'I Dream of Jeannie' show (1968/1969 Season).
PMD (Pontiac Motor Division) was the shows car sponsor.

Originally it was Carousel Red (Orange), with white deluxe interior and
white convertible top.

It appeared in '5' episodes of the 68/69 season (7:30 PM, Monday)

In April of 1969, it was shipped to George Barris Custom Cars.
It was customized with a special hand-crafted twin fiberglass scoop,
rear quarter side scoops, and a three-piece adjustable rear spoiler-wing.

It was modeled after the 1969 1/2 Trans Am, which was released in
May of 1969.

The car was re-painted metallic green, with white racing stripes.

It was seen in October 1969 (Season 5) of 'I Dream of Jeannie'
(7:30 PM, Tuesday)

If you were paying attention, 'I Dream of Jeannie' was on NBC.


http://images.hemmings.com/wp-conten...ird_01_700.jpg

Here it is, later in 1969 after customizing by George Barris' Van Nuys,
California shop.

http://www.imcdb.org/i254084.jpg

Re: 1969 1/2 Pontiac Firebird Trans/Am RA IV
 

I found a few more shots of the 'I Dream of Jeannie' TV shows 1969 Firebird convertible...the car was originally Carousel Red before Barris painted it Green with White stripes and customized it, it's now painted White with Blue stripes.

http://blog.hemmings.com/wp-content/...ird_04_700.jpg

http://blog.hemmings.com/wp-content/...ird_02_700.jpg

http://blog.hemmings.com/wp-content/...ird_03_700.jpg

Read the rest of the story here...

http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2...tiac-firebird/

Re: 1969 1/2 Pontiac Firebird Trans/Am RA IV
 

The '69 Firebird convertible was on a trailer when it was damaged by a deer...and some earlier shots of the car.

http://image.highperformancepontiac....c-firebird.jpg

http://www.imcdb.org/i252395.jpg

http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg191...jpg&res=medium

Re: 1969 1/2 Pontiac Firebird Trans/Am RA IV
 

Well, it took 10 years, but Bruce Noland has one on the track this year !

Not a real one, of course. But, depending on how he has it painted, it may LOOK like one. And he's running the round port head engine. Has run mid 10's, so far, in C/SA.