73 F455 4-speed
 

Is it worth what he's asking for it? Appears to be a 1973 Formula 455 4-speed with ram air. Vin is 2U87Y3N141788.

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/5876893056.html

If it's all legit, #matching w/RA, yes, IMO.
Rare car Indeed, w/Ram air and 4 speed.
But you never know, Trans am flares throws a red flag to me.

Need to see PHS first and foremost.
VIN indicates 455. Emissions tag indicates auto (but may be a repop). Air cleaner decal is placed in wrong area, so it may be a repop also (air cleaner and/or decal).

I'll bet BossbirdTA knows this car.....maybe he'll provide some feedback....

I believe you are right. I think this car has been advertised before in the same area, so I think he will know the car.

Be a nifty car if its legit.

Good chance there are holes where u don't want holes

So in '73 you could get a 4 speed with the regular 455 not just the 455HO and regular 400? I thought the D port 455 was automatic only.

...I did see it parked on the avenue w/a for sale sign in the window, but that's been well over a year ago... I think it first appeared on ebay around that time...never see it on the streets otherwise, I actually thought it sold...PHS is a must on a car like this, that's for sure....

In 73 you could get a 455 with 4spd in a Trans Am also, a 400 4spd.
The SD 455 got you a 4spd also. The change was in 74 when the
4 sod was not available in the d-port 455 but still in the 400 and the SD.

I never knew that.

I learned something new!

73 was the only year you could get a formula L75 455 and a 4 speed, and nearly
all of them were M21 Muncies. Total produced was 227. PHS is needed to confirm
both the 4-speed and the RA, but the Vin Number does indicate the Formula 455.
with the 503 Autos (most T400) the total for 73 was 730 Cars. The other option
to look for is the Y99 suspension upgrade. Cars with this option have the same
running Gear as the Base Trans-Am in 73. (SD's are a different animal)

I have one of these and they are indeed very rare, and most are highly optioned
with 20 or more not uncommon. If this is a Numbers matching 4-Speed RA Car
I think the price is very reasonable, but PHS is a requirement for this one as others
have noted.

Agreed, mine has 23 options, if I recall correctly.

I bought back a '73 Trans Am earlier this year that I originally owned from '78-'80. It is a 4 spd but missing the original trans.

The Dealer Invoice (PHS record) does not confirm the 4 spd.

Does the PHS record for a '73 Formula confirm the 4 spd?

And if so, does it distinguish between the M20 and M21?

Also, I have been confused about the availability of the M21 for '73.

The '73 Firebird Order Form shows the (2) 4 spd options.

The M21 is shown as Not Available for the Standard (Base) Firebird, the Esprit, and the Trans Am. Blank for the Formula which indicates it was optional. There is a Note to say it is only available with the 4 BBL 400 or regular 455 (not apparently available with the SD).

The M20 is indicated as optional for any of the 4 Firebird Models with a Note to indicate it was Not Available with the 6 cyl or 2 BBL 400.

I have another document that I printed from a website. It looks like it may have been reprinted from a Salesman's Catalog but not sure.

It lists all the options and whether they are standard or available for each of the 4 Models (Base, Esprit, Formula, Trans Am).

The M20 is shown as Not Available for the Base or Esprit. It shows Available for the Formula and Standard for the Trans Am. With further Notes to say "Not available with 350 ci V-8 or 400 ci V-8 2 BBL".

The M21 is shown as N/A for the Base or Esprit. It shows Available for the Formula and Trans Am. With further Notes to say "With Formula 400 or 455 4BBL".

AFAIK, my Trans Am originally had an M20 (which was long gone when I reacquired it).

I originally interpreted the Order Form option list to mean the M21 was only offered for the Formula. But the Option List document that I found contradicts the Order Form, showing the M21 as Available for the TA. And you say most '73 Formula's got the M21 (if 4 spd).

Now I'm not so sure about my TA.

I'm asking about the PHS because I am wondering whether a TA with M21 would have that option show up on the Dealer Invoice even while the M20 is not shown?

Or was the M21 not offered for the TA as indicated by the Order Form copy that I have.

I'm assuming that if the PHS doesn't show the M21 when so optioned, there simply would be no way to know if my TA had the M20 or M21 (unless I had the Manifest which I don't).

In '73, the F-body 400/4 BBL/4 speed received the M-20 or M-21. The 455/4 speed received the M-21. The 455 SD/4 speed received the M-20.
The Formula transmission was a chargeable option, so it will be listed on the invoicing. The Trans Am transmission option was a no charge for either automatic or 4 speed, so no info. was listed on invoicing.

Well it has the four speed transmission tunnel and not the automatic so unless they changed the floor I'd say good chance it is an original 4 speed car

HFR, do you have any additional evidence to share? Do any 4 spd base '73 Trans Am manifest build orders exist?

AMA specs can be misleading (or wrong) and I'm conflicted by other sources that point to the base Trans Am getting the M20 as the standard 4 spd in '73 with the M21 optional.

Here is the link to the listing I previously referenced, note that it is highlighted to indicate the M20 was "new or changed for 1973" which I interpret means the '72 Trans Am was different.

http://tran-zam.com/1973/Options.htm

My understanding is that in '71/'72, the M21 was not offered in any Firebird and the TAs did not use the M20, the only 4 spd for them was the M22. So what is shown in the linked chart is at least consistent in showing the M20 as listed for the TA and the listing of the optional M21 being "new or changed" and highlighting them as such.

Manifest records would surely be useful. Any original drivetrain '73 base TAs with documented M20 4 spd out there?

I have one build sheet and I know the original 4 speed in my old TA was an M21.

And yes, the AMA sheet was different from the Accessorizers. I would like to see documented support of an M20 in a '73 TA.

Thanks HFR, still a lot I don't know about the '73 TA.

I spent a fair bit of time searching the archives. Not a whole lot of help either way.

Found nobody that has claimed to have an original drivetrain base '73 TA with the M20.

I've been contemplating why PMD may have offered both but haven't come up with any good ideas. And why put the M20 in the SD if the base TA was getting the M21?

I'm 98% sure mine had the original trans in it when I owned it in '78. But there is no way I believe I could have sensed the difference between an M20 and an M21 so that is a dead end.

dadsformula, you stated that "nearly all of them were M21 Muncies", referring to the 227 '73 Formulas with 4 spd and L75 455. Does this mean you know of documented '73 Formulas that got the M20 with the 455?

Based on what I know about the usage of the M21 in the '64 GTO and the fact that a LOT of '64 guys thought they had an M21 in their original drivetrain '64s that invariably proved to be an M20 (when the M20 was a 2.56 1st to boot) and I'm convinced very few could detect the difference from just driving.

So unless somebody out there steps up with proof of a base '73 TA with the M20, I'm resigned to the idea that the M21 was the likely base '73 TA 4 spd.

Makes the '73 M20 I picked up not quite the prize I thought it was. :)

My assumption based on looking at '73 cars, order sheets , and Gm practices on NON ordered cars is that the 400 4BBL and the 455 had the M21 as an "Option". If the car was NOT ordered it got an M20 ( which was also available on the 350 2BBL Formula and Esprit, but NOT a Esprit 400 or a base 400 2bbl) By '73 they were the same price but "ease of selling and availability " "probably" pushed the more common M20 through the assembly lines. This leads me to assume that base T/A with a std shift got an M20 . I am sure there are original cars out there to check on though..
HFR's pic confirms this .. " M20 STD on Trans Am "
What is a bit odd is that in '71 the M20 was 35E $ 202.92 ( Prices when DOWN?? , this is what I find odd..)
HFR's Former car was probably ORDERED with the "Optional" M21 So I am Not disagreeing
http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...9&d=1480867465