73 TA, Auto or manual
 

Hi there, just picked up a 73 TA, is there any asy way to tell if it was a factory 4 speed, or auto car.
Its a disassembled project, and has a normal auto shifter, but there is a 4 speed hump in front thats blocked off. The auto console is also fiberglass, so possibly a repreoduction, ??

VIN is 2V87Y3N10XXXX. Not an X in position 5 unfortunately lol.

Cheers

get a PHS. You can get the main sheet emailed back to you once you pay.

Yep that's in the plan.

Does that still apply for cars that may have been sold new outside of USA.
This has been in New Zeland from very early on, and possibly sold here new

Not definitive I know, but it looks to have a lot of original 4 speed hardware attached. Fingers crossed

PHS will not tell you your TA came with manual or auto. Clues do indicate a manual trans. vehicle. May have been a no console car, in which case having the correct steering column will also tell something.

That hump and hump cover is Weird .
Was it converted to Right Hand Drive also ?

PHS on a 70-73 TA won't tell if 4 speed or Auto
Was no cost alternate.
If it came back as no console , that could mean 4 speed - or Auto on the Column.

If it was ordered new with a console, back to ground zero again.

But yours probably was factory 4speed with the clues you have.

Yes it will still be available as an export invoice.
Congrats on your new TA !

Thanks all

I have seen some examples on the PHS site that showed original invoice which indicated if a car was manual or not ?. Was hoping that would be the case here ?
Maybe not on 70-73 as mentioned due to no cost difference ?

The car is still LHD (allowed here in NZ) and was registered in 73 or 74, will need to check. The cover on the steel 4 speed hump is just blocked off, and the retainer looks exactly the same as the boot retainer on my 76 manual TA. Guessing it was just blocked off and the retainer hacked to fit an auto cable. The auto shifter mounting definitely does not look stock.

Heres hoping as I have a correct Muncie, bellhousing and everything except the cross bar to convert it back.

If the '73 was optioned w a tilt column, & still has it, feel free & check the colored pick tag (decal) on the column tube & PM me. That decal will be different than one with an automatic, I can check the my '73's man trans tilt. As a manual trans car, should also have a neutral safety switch.

Exactly.
The invoices only show content that had a cost.
On the ones you viewed , they had a cost involved with their transmissions.
70-73 TA did not have a cost for the choice , so it doesn't show up on invoices.

I have owned 1970 and 1973 models , it is not on the invoices.

Congrats on that pickup - I saw that on Facebook Marketplace and posted a link to it on the 'Pontiacs Downunder' group. Certainly a major undertaking, but looked like a good score. I ran the plate through Carjam when it was first listed and it looked like NZ new (or very early registration).

Auto on column was still being built... just tossing that out there..

Besides the steering column itself, wasn't the under dash harness also different for auto vs manual, especially concerning the fasten seat belt warning? I need to look back at my schematics at home, but I recall the manual cars of late 72 and 73 had an extra relay to integrate with the parking brake switch vs the auto utilizing the neutral safety switch for the fasen seatbelt buzzer.

I hope its congratulations lol, yes a lot of work !!
But it will be a long term project. All of the required rear sheet metal is there and the floors are in surprisingly good shape, just the usual boot, rear quarters etc.
Rear frame rails are still good which is a bonus. Its certainly not an Arizona car lol.
There was alot of NOS and reproduction stuff as well, like lights, surrounds, fender flares etc etc.

Yep its been in NZ most of its life. Interesting enough the 1st NZ owner only lived about 1/4 mile from where I was born and lived at the time, I was 2 yrs old in 1973 !!!!

From memory there is an extra relay under dash which I have never seen before, I will need to climb under and look at the column, and also the markings, pink tag etc etc .

It is encouraging that the majority of the 4 speed stuff is attached to the frame, the clutch rod boot has been there, and the 4speed hump is intact with factory sound deadening cut around it etc

Edit,

Column is non tilt, there is the normal ? arc shaped switch on the columns with green / pink / purple / purple wires, as well as the opaque white plunger style in line with the clutch pedal with 2x purple wires.
I am guessing this is the neutral safety switch?

I’d say looking at the posted pictures that you can take it to the bank it’s originally a 4 speed

Purple wires under dash went to CLUTCH pedal. To run an auto, they may be spliced together. They are thicker than other wires.
My window sticker for a 71 had paint color and m20 at very bottom of the window sticker ( from PHS also).

Yep your right, the 2x purple thicker wires go to clutch pedal switch, as seen goin into black connector above switch in photo.
Thanks for the info everyone.

Do you have the original engine block with the VIN stamp? If so, block code will tell you.

Nope, unfortunately that's long gone