One of One - The 1969 Pontiac Trans Am Ram Air V

** Editors Note: Since publishing this video we have learned some new information about the history of this vehicle. As Pontiac super fans we were eager to learn new things about the probable history of our mystery T/A, however the current video may not represent the most accurate information - so take that with a grain of salt. Please share any new information or sources you may have about our unique vehicle. **
The Throttlestop has recently come to own one of the rarest Pontiac Trans Ams of all time - or at least that's what our friend and dedicated Pontiac-enthusiast Mike Janotta's detective skills tell us about this mysterious car. Pontiac never made an official '69 Trans Am 400 cubic inch Ram Air V, but all the clues point to this being the test bed for the revered and sought after monster motor in the iconic '69 F-body Trans Am. Watch as Mike takes us through some of the rare Trans Am 'unobtanium' that The Throttlestop has preserved and filmed for your viewing pleasure.

[@richsargent5333]

Not a test vehicle, this car was put together by Bruce Logan in the late 80's. He bought the super rare parts from founder of a small monthly Newsletters called Classic GTO by Phil Baumann. Both have since passed away. Many menbers on PY online fourm know of the car and Bruce and Phil, was a orginal Ram Air 111 Trans AM. Still a really cool car with super rare parts. I have a black 69 Judge with a aluminum V in it. Not factory V car, but a Ram Air III that was put together like your car with rare parts.

[@thethrottlestop]

Wow thanks for the information. We have of course suspected various origins of the car but its nice to hear someone with solid account of the origins of the car. Would you mind reaching out to [e-mail] - we'd love to ask you a few more questions!

[@donkeefe4679]

@@thethrottlestop That car was also featured in the August, 1988 issue of High Performance Pontiac. I looked the car over at MCACN and it is definitely the same car.

[@pontiaddict2992]

As soon as I saw the car I knew it was the one Bruce put together. I use to bring my 69 down to SoCal for car shows and saw him all the time. I may have some pictures of it from the 80's

[@fogtown3027]

You sure know your car lol

[@duygukayhanisaskank4915]

@@thethrottlestop PLEASE SERIOUSLY CONSIDER MY RESPECTFUL ADVICE: Considering the fact that this '69 Trans Am Ram Air V was "created" by 2 guys & has no significant PMD heritage, PLEASE, PLEASE...FOR THE LOVE OF GOD...PLEASE contact a "PROFESSIONAL" automotive restorer. Preferably, one who specializes in Pontiacs; Firebird, Trans Am & GTO. Believe me, a 100 point, concourse restoration will significantly increase the value & overall worth of this "concept creation". By leaving this car in its' present condition & allowing the slow decay to continue serves no logical purpose. It's criminal. THINK...the history of this '69 Trans Am shows it has already undergone 1 restoration...of sorts. It deserves a true 100-point professional restoration. I am confident the creators of this concept Ram Air V, 1969 Trans Am would agree. There are still good sources for OEM PMD parts for items needing to be replaced. For example, the water pump you replaced can be found...correct & numbers matching...through "NOS OEM" sources. BTW: If you are wise & do return this unique car to its' former glory, pay "extra special" attention to the engine rebuild. It must be rebuilt by Butler Performance Pontiac: butlerperformance.com/ If the PMD RAM AIR V Heads still retain their original "sodium-filled" valves...REPLACE THEM with modern valves. Techs at Butler Performance Pontiac will advise you on this & other such issues. These guys are "THE BEST". I pray you will follow my respectful advice. It would be extremely interesting to watch videos of the restoration process with an extended video of the completed project. Best regards, Ben

[@ristiakennedy1500]

I was fortunate to have viewed this car March 1990 during a visit to Purely PMD in Albuquerque, NM. Not only was the RA V TA on hand, the RA V Judge was present as well with its unique hood tach, what an unexpected site, both cars under one roof. It is unfortunate to see the “V” in the current “survivor/preserved” condition as I remember the car in its glory. The car may be an assemblage of extremely rare over the counter service parts, but what a special car it is.

[@TheMrmmkkpro]

I agree. I own a 1972 455HO, just the engine it's in a 1973 firebird. This Ram Air 5 is a master piece. As a life long Pontiac freak, I'm glad you guys are keeping her as is. She is a SURVIVER. Beautiful. 💪💪🏁🏁👍👍

[@donaldedler8892]

My father is an original owner of one. Had hutter racing in Ohio rebuild it and with new technology along with original carb heads and block made 690hp at 7500 and it purs like a kitten on the road.

[@billturner8649]

G🎉c1

[@billturner8649]

​@@donaldedler8892if Driving ii@IIRC or 2

[@billturner8649]

​@@donaldedler8892i6r ukd9

[@V8Deuce]

This car was originally owned by a friend of mine (ex police officer) Bruce Logan. The car was first built/restored in 1988 our of a Ram Air III 69 1/2 Trans Am. He owned a business called Tach Tech out of Orange, California, and during the GTOAA western regional meet, he took me for a drive in this car from Torrance, California - to Orange, and back. This car was FAST, and I'll never forget it. Don't read too much in to this. That engine was put in the car back in the 1980s. If you want further confirmation, simply do a PHS , and I think you already know that........................

[@V8Deuce]

Also, there is a reason this car is in the condition it is, but I won't get in to that right now.

[@chrismc.4437]

Mysterious...........

[@user-bc9sz1dj1g]

I am a life long Poncho guy, taught how to build motors by Nunzi himself......SUPER rare, and MOST SPECTACULAR!!!!!!....didnt know they actually put a RAV in a car, with heat risers.......WOW!!!...all i can say is WOW!!

[@thethrottlestop]

Thanks for watching!

[@MrJohnnyDistortion]

Is Nunzi still alive and active?

[@user-bc9sz1dj1g]

@@MrJohnnyDistortion i dont think he's still with us, but i have no way of confirming.....i DO know he was suffering from some dementia, as the last time my brother talked to him, he didnt remember who my brother was, and they used to have lunch together, every week, back in the 80's, my very first motor (machined by Nunzi) still runs today in a '69 Bird.....THATS the motor Nunzi, and my brother taught me what/ how to assemble a Poncho motor.....it was 1983.....i actually purchased his LAST 3" SD scoop he had, as i needed it for my '64 Tempest post car....i sent a cupla pics of it installed on the car, and he wrote me a note back......i have it somewhere.....he was his normal, kind self in the note....that was 2006 or so.....the last thing i was aware that he did, was build a '63 Tempest, 4cyl, 4brl, 4sp car, and went mid 11's with it.....amazing!!!.....GODSPEED to an absolute genius!!......i'll NEVER forget goin to his shop to pic up my 400 block with my brother......spotless, with his low 9 sec 69 Bird sittin there (again '82 or so)....

[@MrJohnnyDistortion]

@user-bc9sz1dj1g That's a shame. I have quite a few old Pontiac magazines with articles on him and his knowledge. Articles from the 70's. At least we have that to remember him by. He won't be forgotten. Cheers.

[@user-bc9sz1dj1g]

@@MrJohnnyDistortion no sir, he WONT be forgotten!!!.....TY for ur responses....and CHEERS to YOU!!!...glad we had this little chat....PEACE!!

[@ytwhite5930]

It's too bad that PONTIAC wasn't able to get the RAM AIR V into production...Things likely would have turned out differently at the end of "horsepower wars"...

[@BuzzLOLOL]

The Ram Air V engine was available in a crate or as parts...

[@DucknCoverin]

It’s a shame the RAV never made it. My gramps had a 69 RAIV Judge he ordered new with a lot of delete options. Those RAIV Pontiacs were tough cars to beat if you knew how to tune them. A RAV would have been the perfect end to that era.

[@stever7638]

Very cool, that's a rare bird. The 400 was for street production, and the 428 was for drag racing. There were some 303's and 366 CU in models for SCCA and Nascar respectively. Hold on to that beauty! Thanks for sharing.

[@jspriver]

after watching this video and being a firebird guy my whole life, I was amazed that these guys got a hold of a car, then did a video on it while knowing very little about it. I'm like, dude, your in the presence on an icon and have no idea. It's like meeting Ozzy, your friends gushing and you having no idea who he is.

[@michaeltaylor7843]

I remember that Pontiac had a 303ci r/a v so they were legal to run the trans am circuit

[@1967davethewave]

That's really cool. I remember reading about a 303 Ram Air V powered '69 Trans Am in a '69 car magazine. My dad has every car magazine from the early 1950's up and I studied them as a kid. The writer was lamenting that Pontiac wasn't going to actually release a street version. One of Pontiac's great designs that never saw the production line like their '70 427 engines.

[@insulman100]

Most didn't know Pontiac had a 427 HEMI

[@BuzzLOLOL]

The Ram Air V engines saw the production line but not the cars... you had to put it together yourself...

[@1967davethewave]

@@BuzzLOLOL It wasn't available on the car production line. I mean c'mon, if you want to knit pick the there were hundreds of cool things you could claim were available "from the production line". Every make had a performance parts catalog with mass produced Hipo parts you could put on at home. Direct Connection being the most famous one by name. But the 455 Super Duty and 400 Ram Air IV engines were still in production in 1984, but obviously not a street production option available.

[@TAWS-wq3hx]

There was also a RA V 428 that never made it into production

[@donnellrobinson7189]

Pontiac had Ram Air up to 7!!! Mickey Thompson had Hemi Heads as well! Yes certain things did slipped through production lines. Especially if the foreman was a frat brother or good friend! Now all manufacturers lied about a lot of things because of insurance companies! Nevertheless just enjoy folks 🔺🔺🔺

[@johnh6532]

Boy, that's something. What a car. Great video.

[@w41duvernay]

The Ram Air 5 heads were so large they needed a large cube size to make the heads work. The 400 size wasn't large enough, they really should have put those heads on 428/455 engines.

[@d.e.b.b5788]

I noticed that the redline was at 5000; was the 400 a bored/stroked 389? Or a new design block? And if so, was it stretched all the way to 455?

[@w41duvernay]

@@d.e.b.b5788 All of what you said was correct. The 400 was a grown from the 389.

[@BuzzLOLOL]

@@d.e.b.b5788 - The 5000 redline likely indicates the original engine was a base level 400 or 350... HP peak about 4800 RPMs... The Pontiac is a 'mid size block' engine so can't be bored to a 455... like the Olds, they were stroked to 455"...

[@powderriver2424]

Something I'd like to add, my father ordered a 1957 Star Chief nobody knew at the time, however because it was ordered with a heavy duty front end and a couple other items it came with an engine that wasn't ordinary. In 57 Pontiac had a 347 and supposedly that is what was supposed to come with the car, but it came with a motor that was different it was one of 500. It didn't run like it was supposed to and it was found that the fuel line was smaller than it should have been restricting the power. When that was corrected the motor came alive as my dad said, for the era that was a very fast car, the Pontiac Star Chief would run circles around a Chevy and a Ford. That's said if that TA was something that actually went to a customer as ordered maybe that carburetor was added to restrict the power of the Ram Air 5, since that engine and it's parts were for racing it wouldn't surprise me to learn that it was "detuned" as it were to keep a guy from over doing it on the street.

[@BuzzLOLOL]

That carb. is likely 780 CFM and good to 500+ HP so matched to the Ram Air V engine...

[@ThunderAppeal]

And all of this was in '57?

[@Napster-Pontiac]

I just stumbled on to this channel and love it. I am a Pontiac freak and can't enough of the '65 GTO,'69 GTO,'62 Catalina, SD 421 engine and of course this video of the '69 Trans Am. Keep up the good work.

[@puddleduckist]

Wow, what a fantastic bird! The ram air 5 is such an awesome set up...holy grail status! So glad it's being kept as original! Amazing pontiac!!!!!

[@chrismc.4437]

Shout it out loud!!!!!!!

[@BatMan-oe2gh]

If I had the car, I would have to get underneath and clean the corrosion away. If you don't it will only get worse. And nothing wrong with a very good detail to clean the interior up. Replace the exhaust as it looks way past it's use by date. You can make the car better without a full resto, but a good clean underneath, outside and inside will give the car a much longer life. And as the car is now 53 years old, the suspension bushes will need to be replaced as well. Great car, fantastic history, but it needs some TLC.

[@redslate]

Agreed You can "keep it original," but that's not 'petina' on the bottom, that's *rust* . Iron Oxide will continue to spread, so that has to go (otherwise, there won't be any _car_ left to call "original").

[@shimshonbendan8730]

Agreed. A good clean up would not affect the originality of the car at all. The rust certainly needs to be contained. Really, a good detail job would not only look better, but better preserve the car. I just don't get how being filthy and rusty is desirable.

[@rajcam80]

Very neat Poncho! I have 1971 early zone rep Lemans GT-37 at home! It was a 350 2bbl, 350 trans ,ivory interior, ivory top Castilian Bronze car. I found 2 build sheets, I also have a PHS. My father and I save it from a junkyard in N.C! It did not have a power train. But it did have keys!

[@happycat0411]

I remember seeing a RA V 303 TA in the Old Car AutoTrader (Canada) in the early 1980s. Back then there was very little information about the Pontiac 303 engine so we all thought the ad was a just misprint from 302 instead of 303. The 69 303 TA was located in far Eastern Canada so there was no chance of getting to see the car in person after all at that time we were just young teenagers. However, later on in my late 20s I came across a article in a Hot Rod magazine that did a story on a prototype 303 RA V Trans Am and sure enough the car was tested in Eastern Canada. Performance numbers weren't that great though since the 303 required insane RPMs to generate power from the highly unique small block prototype. The 303 wasn't meant for 1/4 mile but rather for competition against the BOSS 302 and the Z28s on the oval track. Nevertheless, the article in Hot Rod Magazine was the last I heard of that prototype 303 Ram Air V Trans Am in Eastern Canada (Ontario area). Came across some really rare cars and car stuff growing up in the 70s and 80s in Saskatchewan as a teenager. At least now I know the 69 303 T/A we saw in the Old Car AutoTrader was the REAL Deal.....

[@MrJohnnyDistortion]

Great story. Too bad that you didn't know it was real and rare.

[@happycat0411]

@@MrJohnnyDistortion There wasn't much info about the 1969 1/2 T/A back then and who really knew what a 303 engine was back in the late 1970s / early 1980s. Everyone was more into Cragar SS 5 spoke wheels, Edelbrock intakes, Hooker Headers, 6-71 blowers Hot Rod Magazine back then. At least back then people didn't go insane with HP. Anyone who had at least 350 HP under the hood had a really fast street car. I even remember seeing a COPO 427 up in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in the old car AutoTrader. No one even had a clue what even COPO meant back then.... b/c big block cars could be found everywhere for under $5000 Canadian.

[@frankmccracken743]

Always great to see a 69 TA what ever the story. Thanks, but give it a mild cleaning. Jeeezzz. At least to remove the destructive mould etc. And there is no need to powerslam the hood.

[@cliffnicholson5265]

Yes please clean it up.

[@Sensecommon557]

You literally just re-ignited my passion for classic Pontiacs. Awesome peice....even more awesome ta. Oh my lord.

[@Zenk61]

I knew of a 1970 Formula 400 (Castilian Bronze auto car) that had a RA V motor in it. The original owner was a Detroit GM line worker, and he sold this car to my best friend back in 1976. It was not advertised as a RA V. It wasn't until the motor was blown that we discovered it's true identity. I spent many hours in this car, it was a beast and I will never forget it. Sad to say... the car and motor are now long gone.

[@thethrottlestop]

Ah wild - thanks for sharing!

[@gregkistner1955]

Wow this is a really cool car and find! It's a shame The manufacturer didn't keep pursuing this Ram Air 5 engine

[@davidflanders3526]

Ram Air V was a ringer engine to build Pontiac's reputation among readers of the car buff magazines. Pontiac was notorious for doing that.

[@DucknCoverin]

@@davidflanders3526 From how I understand it they fully intended to offer the RAV in 1970 but the high ups favored the 455 that was introduced and wanted to promote that engine for 70. Then the fuel crises and EPA drama started to unfold ultimately killing it.

[@insulman100]

My great uncle who was an engineer at Pontiac from 1950-1980 always said he didn't care what anyone said a few Vs made it out the door in production cars apparently, he was correct

[@jeffbranch8072]

I listened to a presentation made by Fred Simmons about just some of the oddball stuff that came off of Pontiac assembly lines. Bottom line, never say never. They did some things that (people that don't know any better) will refuse to believe, like 1963 GP convertibles (7 or them to decide if they really wanted to make these for '67), late '64 GTO's with the 326 HO (because they expected to sell only 5000 GTO's and ran low on 389's), a Bonneville coupe with a GP roof custom ordered by a zone manager... it goes on and on. And they had some prototype parts that were canceled and instead of scrapping them, they just put them on the line and ran them through. I know a guy that bought a '69 GTO and years later tried to replace the front valance panel, but the stock parts weren't the same. Turned out he had an "ET" valance panel. (ET was the original concept that developed into The Judge.)

[@insulman100]

@@jeffbranch8072 My great uncle was pretty high up and loved HP engines when we would visit my grandparents my dad would go over to check out what he was driving I remember a 64 tempest concept he had in 63 that had a 421 SD 2x4 carbs he told dad it made close to 500 hp the only problem was he had to give them all back after a mouth or so I think Jim Wagners ended up with the tempest ( it was like a 64 with a solid rear axle Pontiac may had planned to put the 421 in GTOs I don't remember any talk on that though I also don't remember when GM started their 400 cid limit on mid-sized and smaller cars)

[@jeffbranch8072]

When Wangers hosted the press release for the original '64 GTO at the Daytona Speedway they had 2 cars: the blue one with the standard 389 4bbl and ST300 2-speed auto, and the red one with Tri-Power and 4 speed. What Wangers admitted many years later is that he cheated and had a 421 Tri-Power slipped into the red car. Track times were outstanding and the press couldn't get over it. And that's how the mystique of the GTO was created in one event, and never fully wore off.

[@thebigpicture2032]

This was built in the 80’s so isn’t proof your uncle was correct. I remember seeing it in a magazine at the time.

[@insulman100]

@@thebigpicture2032 ok

[@chadhasvold1872]

Amazing. Absolute dream car. I love it so. Thank you for sharing. 👍🏻

[@yvescote9893]

Supposedly Pontiac only produced 2 RamAir V's. a TA & a GTO. I imagine that if Pontiac division had their own "copo" vehicles, they would have decimated the competition. I'm wondering if that gel in the water pump was their version of a stop leak because I know what it's a little bit of white smoke coming out those tailpipes. And I totally don't blame anybody for wanting to not tear apart what could be GM's rarest engine

[@joequillun7790]

At the host above, I'm with you. I would feel privileged, just standing next to that car. The early 60s SDs were amazing enuff, but this is the "ultimate" Poncho mill. A pontiac that could actually "use" solid lifters. And in a 1st gen, light bodied car to boot. With the stick, it would be a fantastic drag car. (Once the chassis and suspension were beefed to handle the power, and a set of slicks). Another great Poncho video, and another subscriber.

[@SolamenteVees]

What a neat car! I'm a Mopar guy, so I liken the Ram Air V to the Chrysler Ball Stud Hemi, that never went into production.

[@texasblueboy1508]

Pontiac made a 303 cu.in. engine for true TransAm racing. I worked for a small town Pontiac GMC dealer in Texas in High School. The parts for the 303 were listed in the parts books.

[@donaldedler8892]

They sound so bad ass. My dad still has a cassette tape of him running down 42 dragster ripping 7500 rpm shifts in his 64 goat.....motor is still alive and way more powerful. 690hp

[@jchavins]

I seriously doubt that there were 650 or so of these Firebird RA V since everything I've ever read or was told was that less than 500 of these motors were ever built and none came in a car off the production line. I did happen to be at a Pontiac dealership in Phoenix in September 1969 and saw one in a crate on the parts department floor. Somebody had ordered it and decided not to take it. I was offered it for about $640 but I had just quit my job and was on my way back to college. What a mistake....I would have given my right nut for that motor....

[@WilliamClowe-tq7gc]

A high school friend of mine had a '68 Firebird 350 HO. Great highway cruiser but he wanted a drag car and he started modifying it. He swapped the powerglide tranny for a 2.20 low Muncie, added a 4.11 rear, Holley 780 double pumper, Hooker headers and he had a pretty fast car. Not satisfied, he bought an insane solid lifter cam from a GTO that a local race team had blown up. Now the car was almost impossible to drive on the street, and eventually he cracked a head. He took the car to a Pontiac dealer in Dickinson, Texas to see about an engine swap. They had a Ram Air V engine in a crate, and after some negotiation, agreed to take his modified 350 and install the Ram Air engine in his car for $800. Of course he had to have custom headers made for the round port heads, and in 1970 all this was quite an investment for a 20 year old guy. I drove the car with the radical 350 and also with the RAV, and the power levels were not much different. The Ram Air V could do pretty much everything the 350 could but without threatening to explode. There weren't many pure stock cars at the time that could touch it. He joined the Navy a little while later and I tried to buy the car from him, but he declined and eventually sold it to one of his Navy mates. I remember at the time the word was that Pontiac was only going to make 50 of those engines. That engine was kind of a mythical thing that reading some of these comments brought back to reality for me.

[@corottolt1]

If this is the real deal. This is a huge story.

[@edbeck8925]

Beautiful car

[@matrox]

Pontiacs had their own distinct sound back then. My friends mother bought a brand new 67' GTO and it sounded like that out the dealer showroom.

[@BuzzLOLOL]

Ram Air V cam was two steps larger though... didn't do much below 3,000 RPMs...

[@classickruzer1]

Had a 69 400 4 speed and duals coming out about 2 inches from rear bumper and it had a deep rumble to it. Fueling up, I would leave it running and listen to that orchestra.

[@Snake.br549]

I had a 70 Pontiac GTO with the ram air stage 5 engine they have separate exhaust ports instead of the two in the middle had a four-speed another car I wish I would have kept

[@user-kw7eu5hr9z]

When I saw this video I was reminded of a gentleman from Southern California that made one of these, from over the counter parts that where available back in the day. If my memory is correct I learned about him at a POCI event in Southern California . I believe he was a police officer of some sort, and an avid Pontiac fan. I was also told he liked to drive very fast, and would put his badge against the window, if confronted by law enforcement while driving fast, and they would let him go without pulling him over. The only other Ram air V Firebird that I’m aware of was a supposed engineering test car. It was on Ebay and they wanted over $400,000 for it several years ago. Based on the Ca plate I suspect it belonged to the police officer from Southern California. With the Vin and the plate number a private investigator could probably find out for you.

[@michaelroberts6450]

Run the VIN thru PHS. They will have all the information about this car. To my knowledge, Ram Air V Parts were strictly dealer service parts over the counter. I would try the GM Archives for engineering vehicle documents if they exist once you get the PHS Info. As for the multiple block codes, those could be stamped on after the block was cast. As it went through different phases of development in the engineering building at the time. Super interesting story, thanks for sharing.

[@patrickwendling6759]

Very very cool 😎

[@bfmcarparts]

The re-engined car by Bruce Logan and Purely PMD (NOT General Motors) was restored in 1988 and featured in an article and on the cover of 'High Performance Pontiac' magazine. It is a 35 year old owner-modified car that needs a re-restoration. No more. You would be better to delete and give the host an accurate script to read.

[@bradwilliams4921]

Nice car.

[@samspade8612]

Does PHS have any documentation on the car? How did it get sold and not crushed? Fantastic video, Thanks.

[@hiitsstillme]

What an exciting and rare car... whatever the story is. We love the idle. 👍

[@thethrottlestop]

Thanks for watching!

[@number3665]

That car with the 400 would've been the street model for sure. The Trans Am racing version would've had a 303ci RAV. And these things were supposedly extremely close to production ready before the plug was pulled. And you could get everything over the counter from a Pontiac dealership. Would those engines have had regular block codes or would some of them have possibly been engineer coded I wonder.

[@RyanBassForLife]

Nice car

[@westleyhanbury6046]

The biggest liability with the RA5 engine is the sodium filled exhaust valves- I don't know if it was early technology or poor manufacturing but they will fail and severely damage the engine. They should be replaced for safety purposes.

[@lcurtsinger4313]

You might try contacting Greg Wallace at the GM Heritage Museum in Sterling Heights Michigan, great iconic car, love the cam

[@thethrottlestop]

Thanks for the lead!

[@LordMekanicus]

I think you need to call Her Adams, he might know. He was very informative when I chatted with him about the RA V 303 for Trans Am racing. (As per his advice, I built up an X code 301 with No. 16 heads. The RA V heads were very lazy until about 6k revs and the older No. 16's would be better for roadracing.)

[@rayjon237]

Herb is a great guy,. Him and his son Matt are great car builders and racers,.

[@phillipthethird42]

This car is most incredible. It's a shame to keep it a museum piece, but it should be.

[@gregorybarnes3526]

I've always been told, the Ram AirV WAS EVER installed in any production Vehicle. Could only be bought at the parts department at the dealership, also 697 T/A came with 400ci only Ram Air 3 or 4

[@brucevincent9876]

It was available as a dealer installed option. Guy I worked on his nitro funny car had one installed in his 69 GTO. Said it was like 5Gs nothing would touch it

[@olzkng]

WOW!!

[@jeffbranch8072]

The round port heads were the only thing from the 303 Tunnel Ram project (intended for SCCA racing) that made it into production, and were used on the 400 RA IV and RA V, and the SD-455.

[@tedschore4237]

Round Ports came out in 68. RAV are not round.

[@benkrom2737]

@@tedschore4237 RAIV have round port exhaust only RA-5 have round split port intake and round exhaust ports with pushrods running through the intakes. They're a copy of the ford nascar heads.

[@icefoxracing]

Drove one of these (RA 4), did San Diego to Oceanside in 38 minutes, round trip, it was on a lot in San Diego, plus we got 20 hits of Green Dragon blotter in Oceanside, and that was the test drive, it was yellow, turned it down 'cuz I thought I couldn't afford the 58 cent a gallon gas for it........ just sayin'...........

[@rayzimmerman1541]

I found myself watching this and realized my mouth was open.

[@thethrottlestop]

Appreciate that! Thanks for watchin!

[@robertnash2446]

I think that Trans-Am should be nut& bolt restored......and then driven as well and trailered to shows.......and driven occassionally as well.

[@thethrottlestop]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mJPQmGptnch4msk

[@DroidIncredible-hn1zc]

It also has the 303cid RamV F-Body exhaust manifolds. Approx 50 sets made. The 400cid RamV F-Body exhaust manifolds were much larger and longer than the 303cid versions. Equal length both sides. Approx 6 sets made ... only a few guys known with singles , and no one will sell the other guy their single so someone can make a pair. The ultimate chess match. Cast from a material known as unobtanium. GTO RamV exhaust manifolds were cast with the same unobtanium material. 2 or 3 sets known to still exist. One of the other commentors has a pair of them (GTO).

[@benkrom2737]

Pontiac was going to go Trans Am racing but was nixed after Jerry Titus was killed in practice. Engine was a 4 x 3 303 ci ram air v. Pontiac Ram Air motors had nothing to do with cubic inches but with head design and cam etc. A Ram Air IV 400 was actually a destroked 428 block. RAIV came in 455 ci also. Pontiac had to pay royalties to Trans Am series to use the name. Trans Am had a limitation for cubic inches and that's why they made the 303 RA-5. Would've really liked to see that car race. Oh and that 303 cubic inch was nothing like that stripped down 301 cubic inch POS OH, and anyone wanting to build a RA-5, DCI Motorsports makes aftermarket RA-5 HEADS. They cost $$$$

[@terryschnereger8531]

You could never leave out the fuel crunch, insurance premiums, and demise of the muscle cars whenever we talk about muscle cars.

[@rosstempletonogskater]

I had a Red 67 400, 4 speed, ram air hood, beautiful. Never heard of a ram air V ? Only ram air IV was the highest Pontiac made.

[@craigannettewallace4653]

Ok I will will take it Dream car

[@justinrasmuson]

I understand preserving it but don’t understand why you can’t clean it

[@Funtimes670]

I thought the same thing. I guess the idea is to show that “barn find” feeling every time it’s out. Dirt will deteriorate that interior and needs to be cleaned.

[@BuzzLOLOL]

Yeah, looks like a repaint, so take the parts off underneath, clean, add rust converter, and black paint...

[@steveproctor1748]

If that was mine I would make it look like it was brand new and drive the piss out of it. I bought a brand new 76 Trans Am 455 on September 21 1975. It was the very first one on the Lot at my local Pontiac dealership. $6700. I'm a Ford guy but I also loved Pontiacs. I bought the car because it was beautiful and you didn't see to many TAs. Then the next year Smokey and the Bandit came out and they were everywhere. I kept my Trans Am for 18 years and when I sold it,it almost looked as good as new. A few years after I sold it they were going for 50 or 60 thousand dollars. I've told people that they're was no fooking way that I would ever pay that much for one of those cars because they were not worth it. I loved that car but it had the worst build quality of any new car that I've ever owned. And you can all thank Japan for making Detroit have to make a quality American car. And they did because they had to do it.

[@z74birdman]

Not so sure on this one. The history books say there was never a ram air 5 put into a firebird/trans am. There would need to be some serious documentation for the car to be considered a authentic ram air 5...The stamp markings alone do not prove this is a ram air 5. Many " re stamp" to make #s matching cars. I really do hope you have some type of proto type which with the right documentation would make this the rarest TA in the world.

[@BuzzLOLOL]

As someone noted above, the car was created several years later...

[@fredblake6135]

Back in the early 1980's, my friend had a 1969 Pontiac Firebird convertible....not a RAM Air of course, but still a neat car. It was white with a black convertible top and manual transmission. I think it came with an inline 6 and he later had a V-8 put under the hood. I would do the tune ups for him.

[@thethrottlestop]

Awesome story and an awesome car! The memories these old cars bring back are just fantastic, thanks for watching!

[@richardpetker4337]

OHC inline 6 {Sprint if it had a 4bbl }

[@Limoman7]

Well I know of one other '69 T/A Ram Air V. My buddy purchased from a retired Pontiac engineer.

[@tedsmith3061]

I had two 1968 Firebirds. One was a Formula 400.

[@andrewpipitone1572]

I wish Pontiac made ram air 5 engines more of a production. Sounds nice coming from the factor. I'd love to have the heads on this motor LOL

[@chuckeelhart1746]

Clean and detail it please!

[@thethrottlestop]

We did! kzbin.info/www/bejne/mJPQmGptnch4msk Check it out!

[@jamiebray8532]

Man that girl is beautiful with all her dirt & glory 🇺🇸.

[@cliffmccauslin7421]

There was a dealer here in Cincinnati where i know of people got there Ram Air 5s..They told the salesman in 1969 they wanted the ram 5 in there new Judge/GTO..The salesman went to the parts dept and ordered the engine..When the engine arrived the service dept did a engine swap for a small fee..The dealer kept the ram 3 or 4 that came in the car from the factory..I have read from people who claimed to worked at pontiac The Ram 5 was a poorly built engine and was a grenade..The friend i knew that had one was the badest car on the street and he beat the hell out of it with no problems until he wrecked it ..I was told they was 525 BHP..My friends Judge had a 410 gear with a 254 muncie trans and ran in the high 11s with slicks..

[@tunnelportterror]

That's anti freeze reacting with aluminum

[@jimmygrant424]

good observation

[@ervingoertzen7233]

Nice ride for sure . Leave as original I agree. Power slam the hood? Didn’t appear like he did. Latch on my original 66 tbird needs a hefty bit of slam as the latch can be stiff at times . It’s not a cream puff lol, it’s a car .

[@thethrottlestop]

This guy gets it!

[@joefreeman9733]

Frankly I never understood why Pontiac fooled around with the RAIII THRU RA5S. THE REASON IS THAT IN THE EARLY 60S THEY WERE SELLING PARTS OVER THE COUNTER TO BUILD A SD421.engine. These engines were rated at 405 hp but in reality put out around 485hp if properly assembled and tuned. Which none of the later RamAirs even came close to. I recall tying into a 62 Catalina on the street with mt 67 427 435 Vette.and I got my ass handed to me. NONE of the later Pontiacs I raced were EVER able to accomplush that. In fact they eere so slow that I wouldbt even waste the gas to race one. Before I started ignoring them I raced a GTO that was CLAIMED to be running a RAIV. It wasnt close. Of course maybe it wasnt but it seemed to run noticeably better on the big end than the average Pontiac. Another thing I never understood was the long cast steel rods that Pontiac used. They were the weak link in the engines.and if a Pontiac owner did spend much time above 5500 rpm hed lose the engine due to rod failure. Later in life I built a couple of 421 and 455 engines. Both times I upgraded the rods to forgings. Both engines were torque monsters abd both would willingly spin to 5500 with no problems. Beyond that I didnt go. I ALWAYS WISHED that I could have gotten my hands on all the parts necessary to build a true SD421. With the improvements in cam tech judicious porting of the heads andc2 step headers pretty sure I could have gotten past 500 hp.

[@donaldedler8892]

My dad bought one and still has it in his 64. They were painted black

[@stephenmazak7028]

Nice car a True time piece , now back in 1977 a purchase a 1970 Formula from a Buy here pay here lot in Gainesville,Fl with a Ram 5 and a 400 trans and a 12 bolt rear end - white and blue . At the time I had a 71 Ram 3 that was my wife and for me a 71 T/A . My Ram 5 came from Miami Florida , Pontiac dealer and had a engine swap ( crate engine ) installed , was in real bad shape at the time and had that car up to my divorce 4 years later and the ex-wife total it . Some Pontiac, guru in Jacksonville got the engine . 😢😢😢

[@brittanystebbins5290]

Ra5 motor reminds me of the 421 super duty

[@kevhauser8058]

I had a 421 SD that I put in my 68 Firebird. Had a Mickey Thompson cross ram with 2 660 holley carbs. Unbeatable on the street. Definitely modified engine too.

[@thethrottlestop]

We're already talking about doing something on our 421 Super duty!

[@kevhauser8058]

@@thethrottlestop IInstalled 455SD rods. Balanced. Copper O-ringed cylinders, roller rockers, balanced. 13 to 1 compression , bored .120 over. the machhine shop had t oget 427 ford rings to fit. Way back in 1978

[@ytwhite5930]

It was even more than the SD 421 But the same idea...Forged parts and air flow...

[@MikeLadnun-un4cs]

Does it have super Duty Rods? They are sweet rods.

[@thethrottlestop]

Not sure, we'd have to look into that

[@mikeornellas3562]

got something similar.

[@DB-hr5xy]

More than likely….. A Ram Air 5 CLONE !!!! You really need documentation to convince me. Until you get that, it’s a nice Fire Bird RA 5 clone.

[@BuzzLOLOL]

Someone above id'd the car as a later build...

[@rolandgard6984]

Somebody went to my uncles farm years ago and towed my cousin's wrecked Ram Air car away. Love to know what happened to it.

[@user-wq5we6bv2b]

I remember and know this car. I'll email you with info.

[@dannymostarac1799]

The original am scram!😊

[@ChrisH930S]

Is it for sale?

[@thethrottlestop]

No.

[@bfmcarparts]

Just came onto this video and my 45 years of early Firebirds told me something felt fishy, especially with not mentioning the lack of common cast and build dates. There is no reason to preserve tire letter coating, worn out nose crest paint, torn air induction seals, dulled chrome and interior mildew on a built-up in the 1980s car. If this was a GM/Pontiac test car (which it is not), it should be conserved, but this is what the late Logan and Baumann saw as what the RA 5 Trans Am could have been and should be restored as a good driver so more people could experience this car. 'Conserving' poor storage methods is not a good idea, but its your car, not mine and people will make their own opinions. ps are you trying to start a Pontiac 'Black Ghost' story with this TA?

[@jeffreymorrell6574]

Wasn't the first TransAm powered by a 303 c.I. engine?

[@davidkeizor3494]

What is the mileage on this car ??

[@MrJohnnyb42]

Too bad they only made 50 of them. Unfortunately my dad used to have one and sold it unfortunately.

[@user-wq5we6bv2b]

I remember and know this car. I'll email you with info. I think you know by now a few guys helped Bruce by putting magic in that block.

[@thethrottlestop]

Please do! [e-mail] Thanks for watching!

[@RealDougFields]

My dad had a 303 RAV motor in our shop for a while back in the 80's. The owner wanted to put the heads on a much larger Pontiac motor we were building for him. The heads were very modified- I think it was said they came from a guy that tried ProStock with them. Not sure were that piece ended up.

[@paulsawczyc5019]

"A car is original only once" - I will take the restored one, you can have the "original".

[@BuzzLOLOL]

This car was original with a base level engine... as shown by the 5000 RPMs redline tach...

[@TAWS-wq3hx]

​​@@BuzzLOLOLget your eyes checked. Says 8K on the tach and yes I've seen base 350 birds with same tach. Idk where u got 5k from LOL

[@bigmountain7561]

13th car July 31 1969

[@timothywood4402]

Hit the Pontiac magazine back issues and you’ll find it

[@MikeLadnun-un4cs]

I believe ram air 5 was a dealer inatall ordeal. I don't think it was manufacturer standard option. I could be wrong?

[@thethrottlestop]

Normally but it had to have been tested somewhere, right?

[@wilde.coyote6618]

John DeLorian's creation with the Pontiac motor division

[@TAWS-wq3hx]

Delorean couldn't find his head in his own ass when it came to this 😂

[@robertnash2446]

We dont want to replicate the corrosion on this muscle car, or any muscle car.

[@thethrottlestop]

We did another video after feedback where we went through and cleaned it up, got it ready for driving! Thanks for watching

[@Trebor-gw8lt]

AIR tube bosses on the heads leads me to believe Pontiac ran out of time in terms of getting the “five” production ready. Or the finance dept/lawyers shut it down.

[@fireballrobbie1744]

I thought the Ram Air 5 engines were all painted black.

[@Sojourning_]

owned one in 1979: wasn't impressed with it at all. if you weren't paying close attention, a little pea gravel on the road in a turn, the back end is so light, it beat the front end around a 90 degree turn in a heart beat. got ride of it.

[@BuzzLOLOL]

'79 would have been weak emissions slug gas hog engine... if tires over 5 years old, they would be hard and slippery...

[@TAWS-wq3hx]

U owned a '69 or '79? 69 had way more compression and power than a 79 smogger

[@New_Jax_City]

So you told us nothing?? Why is it a RAM AIR V. Whats the difference between this and a RAM AIR IV. Whats the difference in the internals etc. you just said specific ram air v parts. Whats that mean?!!!

[@thethrottlestop]

We weren't sure at the time of filming, we couldn't get the info we needed. Ram Air 3, 4, and 5 were different generations of engine made by Pontiac. Some of our other projects touch on some more info on that. Thanks for watching!

[@pingbertha]

Why can't you at least clean the mildew and the surface rust on the car? That's not restoring it. Seems kinda' weird to me, but oh well it's not mine. Nice car though. :)

[@tunnelportterror]

I would at least clean it....cmon....