# 1970 GTO 455 Ram Air



## Rick Willis (Sep 27, 2017)

I purchased a barn find 1970 455 GTO Ram Air car. All original. Ordered PHS documents and have all the original paperwork from the original owner including order form and payments. Everything is correct. From what I can gather there are not many 455 Ram Air Cars made. I have had all the numbers checked and everything is correct. Still has original hoses clamps ect. Has the Ram Air knob under the steering. It is a factory 4speed Hurst no console car with power steering/power brakes. Car is rust free and if it had not been repained 20 years ago I would keep as a survivor but will most likley start a frame off this winter. If you know about these cars let me know. I did trade some emails with PHS folks but they have no info on how many made
Opie


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## BLK69JUDGE (Jun 10, 2010)

*Gto*

leave it alone and enjoy it

they are only original once..... you will have more people talking about it in
old patina .. than once its restored ....

just my opinion

Scott


pictures always help 

be ready to be chastized

welcome aboard..........


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## Shake-N-Bake (Jun 16, 2015)

Sometimes that info is provided with the PHS paperwork if known. My books don't list production totals for L75 RA cars. Best I can find is 1802 total L75 4 speed cars made....not sure how many had the RA package.
Nice find though. Enjoy!


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## Pinion head (Jan 3, 2015)

Following topic I responded with the L75 RA production numbers broken down as far as possible via numbers Fred Simmonds researched.

http://www.gtoforum.com/f12/1970-ram-air-455-ho-s-matching-4sp-c-car-rarity-102697/


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)




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## Poncho17 (Jul 5, 2017)

It is your car, you are the custodian of the vehicle now and it your money. That said it is original only once. Why not drive it for a year and then decide to restore or not.

Welcome and drive it as it was meant to be.....


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## mikek (Apr 9, 2019)

I purchased a ram air 455 GTO in October 1969 - Pepper Green - lots of options, 4 sp close ratio muncie, posi, hood tac, ps, etc.
Unfortunately sold in 1974. Purchased at Hoagland Pontiac, Somerville, NJ. Believe I still have window sticker and buildsheet, lsted about 
$4900. 9 mpg. I believe 59 were made
Mike


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

There was no 'Ram Air 455' spec'd engine in 1970. There was simply a 360 HP 455, coded differently for manual and auto trans. You COULD get optional functional Ram Air hood scoops on this engine, however. Not common at all. From the information I looked at and cross-referenced, they only made 158 4 speed 455 GTO's in 1970, so they are rare birds. A buddy and I picked up a Red/white 455 4 speed '70 in 1980 for $175 (coil wire was burnt open) and pulled the drivetrain to use in a '66 GTO. We had no idea we were destroying a very rare car. Nothing was wrong with the '70, either. It was a decent car and ran like a scalded cat.


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## PontiacJim (Dec 29, 2012)

geeteeohguy said:


> There was no 'Ram Air 455' spec'd engine in 1970. There was simply a 360 HP 455, coded differently for manual and auto trans. You COULD get optional functional Ram Air hood scoops on this engine, however. Not common at all. From the information I looked at and cross-referenced, they only made 158 4 speed 455 GTO's in 1970, so they are rare birds. A buddy and I picked up a Red/white 455 4 speed '70 in 1980 for $175 (coil wire was burnt open) and pulled the drivetrain to use in a '66 GTO. We had no idea we were destroying a very rare car. Nothing was wrong with the '70, either. It was a decent car and ran like a scalded cat.


Although the Ram Air cold air package was an $84.00 option on the $58.00 extra cost 455, _it could be _called a Ram Air 455 due in part that the Ram Air package called for a different carb than the non-Ram Air equipped cars. According to Pete McCarthy's book, the manual trans WW block Ram Air optioned 455 used carb 7040279 vs 7040267, while the automatic trans block codes YA & YC Ram Air optioned 455 used carb 7040278 vs 7040268.

The 455 was eventually offered in 3 versions beginning in 1971, standard 455, 455HO, and 455SD with the HO & SD having specific engine parts included much like the RA versions of the 400CI.

When we think of the RAIV, or RAIII, these are performance builds on the 400CI that included specific engine parts which made each engine what it was. So if a 455 was ordered with the RA option and it did include a specific carb as cited (engine part), then I would be inclined to call it a Ram Air 455 versus the 455 without the Ram Air option, so in my book you could break it down as a 455 and a Ram Air 455 - unless Pete McCarthy's info is incorrect.

Keep in mind that the same engine (non-RA) in the Gran Prix was rated at 370HP. :thumbsup:


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## gljplc (Apr 25, 2010)

PontiacJim - thank you so much for the clarification on the 455 Ram Air option. QUESTION: Several articles say that the 455 option was made available in the late model year 1970 Judge - were any actually built ?? 455 Judge ?? with Ram Air option ?? One article says about 1970 455 engine Judges were built but I have not seen that in any listing of production numbers. Thank you again. Greg


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## Steve71 (Mar 26, 2014)

gljplc said:


> PontiacJim - thank you so much for the clarification on the 455 Ram Air option. QUESTION: Several articles say that the 455 option was made available in the late model year 1970 Judge - were any actually built ?? 455 Judge ?? with Ram Air option ?? One article says about 1970 455 engine Judges were built but I have not seen that in any listing of production numbers. Thank you again. Greg


gljplc, I know your post was over 2 years ago, but I just saw it. I have read that there were 17 455 Judges built in 1970, 14 hardtops and 3 convertibles. All 17 were automatics, though apparently just because they were ordered that way, not because it was required. All 17 were Ram Air cars; all Judges of all years were Ram Air cars.


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## PontiacJim (Dec 29, 2012)

Steve71 said:


> gljplc, I know your post was over 2 years ago, but I just saw it. I have read that there were 17 455 Judges built in 1970, 14 hardtops and 3 convertibles. All 17 were automatics, though apparently just because they were ordered that way, not because it was required. All 17 were Ram Air cars; all Judges of all years were Ram Air cars.


You are correct. All Judges had Ram Air along with the 360 HP RA III engine being the standard engine and RA IV and 455 being optional. But not all GTO's had Ram Air - very few were ordered with the Ram Air hood option - which should not be confused with the Ram Air engine option.


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## William Jackson (Jan 4, 2021)

Rick Willis said:


> I purchased a barn find 1970 455 GTO Ram Air car. All original. Ordered PHS documents and have all the original paperwork from the original owner including order form and payments. Everything is correct. From what I can gather there are not many 455 Ram Air Cars made. I have had all the numbers checked and everything is correct. Still has original hoses clamps ect. Has the Ram Air knob under the steering. It is a factory 4speed Hurst no console car with power steering/power brakes. Car is rust free and if it had not been repained 20 years ago I would keep as a survivor but will most likley start a frame off this winter. If you know about these cars let me know. I did trade some emails with PHS folks but they have no info on how many made
> Opie


Hello i own 1 also i was told by jim matson Pontiac guru 5 or 6 out there. Mine is triple green 40k all original one repaint


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