[3tas4me]

On Friday, I visited a salvage yard that has some very old cars in it. I have been there before and knew there was a 1970 base Firebird there which I pulled a few parts off of earlier. I had the new yard owner mover the car to an open area so I could remove some parts more easily. One item I removed from the car is this simulated wood automatic shift knob. I read on the “1970 one year parts” thread where this knob is unique to the very early ‘70 cars and that it only works on the shifter it came on. Are these worth anything and is it worth pulling the shift mechanism as well?

Yes this is an early car. Built just a few hundred units from my ‘70 T/A in Feb of ‘70.

[3tas4me]

Pic of the car itself.

[694.1]

oooooh. Wonder where that is

[keith k]

Originally Posted by 3tas4me

On Friday, I visited a salvage yard that has some very old cars in it. I have been there before and knew there was a 1970 base Firebird there which I pulled a few parts off of earlier. I had the new yard owner mover the car to an open area so I could remove some parts more easily. One item I removed from the car is this simulated wood automatic shift knob. I read on the “1970 one year parts” thread where this knob is unique to the very early ‘70 cars and that it only works on the shifter it came on. Are these worth anything and is it worth pulling the shift mechanism as well?

Yes this is an early car. Built just a few hundred units from my ‘70 T/A in Feb of ‘70.

I don't know if they're worth much... not many built with that shifter, but not many people likely looking for it either.

I hadn't heard that the shifter was different with the wood knobs -- If the yard owner will sell it to you at a reasonably good price, I'd grab it.

Did the car have a pot metal tail panel on it?

[3tas4me]

Originally Posted by keith k

I don't know if they're worth much... not many built with that shifter, but not many people likely looking for it either.

I hadn't heard that the shifter was different with the wood knobs -- If the yard owner will sell it to you at a reasonably good price, I'd grab it.

Did the car have a pot metal tail panel on it?

Tail panel is gone. Not sure what it had.

[unruhjonny]

neat find!

I may have been the one to assert here that the shifter assemblies are unique to accomidate those knobs - as I have one of them here (I cannot recall right now, but something about the sifter is broken);
I do recall trying to use the simulated wood knob on a regular 70-81 shifter, and it does not work - it's the shifter arm itself which was finished/machined different than the arms used in the "Regular" shifter assemblies.

I seem to recall that when I've mentioned these in the past, I would get a degree of disbelief.

Am I seeing it right, has that handle been coloured black?
It looks to be tinted - but it was molded in a wood looking colour of plastic.
I believe my knob is nearly absent of the fake woodgrain too!

[Bandit400]

Keith K, I have one of those pot metail tail panels in the garage. I know they're rare, but are they desirable/valuable?

[unruhjonny]

Originally Posted by Bandit400

Keith K, I have one of those pot metail tail panels in the garage. I know they're rare, but are they desirable/valuable?

they are more of a curiousity;
once painted and installed, they appear identical to the fiberglass one, but unlike the fiberglass one, if damaged, are mostly unrepairable.
I would suggest their value is about on par with a fiberglass one.

[Bandit400]

Damn, I was hoping I had some money out in the garage. Oh well!��

[unruhjonny]

Originally Posted by Bandit400

Damn, I was hoping I had some money out in the garage. Oh well!��

you do know that even the fiberglass ones fetch decent money right?

This is precisely why I no longer have a spare one - I sold it to a guy fixing a '73 TA in my wife's home-town.

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

Originally Posted by Bandit400

Damn, I was hoping I had some money out in the garage. Oh well!��

Have only known 1 person to have one for sale.
Don't know what it brought, but he did find a qualified buyer in need eventually.

You can try contacting PY member The Boss and see what it sold for.

[Bandit400]

Thank you, I'll try contacting him!

[keith k]

Originally Posted by unruhjonny

they are more of a curiousity;
once painted and installed, they appear identical to the fiberglass one, but unlike the fiberglass one, if damaged, are mostly unrepairable.
I would suggest their value is about on par with a fiberglass one.

Not many out there for sale..., and perhaps not many people looking for one -- so not easy to assign a value.

Originally Posted by Bandit400

Keith K, I have one of those pot metail tail panels in the garage. I know they're rare, but are they desirable/valuable?

If you decide you may want to sell it, PM me - I might be interested depending on price..

[3tas4me]

Originally Posted by unruhjonny

neat find!

I may have been the one to assert here that the shifter assemblies are unique to accomidate those knobs - as I have one of them here (I cannot recall right now, but something about the sifter is broken);
I do recall trying to use the simulated wood knob on a regular 70-81 shifter, and it does not work - it's the shifter arm itself which was finished/machined different than the arms used in the "Regular" shifter assemblies.

I seem to recall that when I've mentioned these in the past, I would get a degree of disbelief.

Am I seeing it right, has that handle been coloured black?
It looks to be tinted - but it was molded in a wood looking colour of plastic.
I believe my knob is nearly absent of the fake woodgrain too!

It isn’t black, it is more gray looking in areas. Other areas look brown, like the color of stained wood. I believe the brown is the original color which would make it appear to be real wood. There is graining, but some of that is worn off from sun damage?