[Held for Ransom]

Originally Posted by napster

Just sent my '73 dash to randy combs as a core. Lucky he had one for a '73 to do before I sent mine back for as a core. Randy said the '73 is hard to get while the RTS ones are plentiful. This was a while ago but I think he said the '73 has a different wiper control or headlight switch. I'll have to check if the variance is both or just one.

Funny. I sent my '73-4 dash bezel to Randy for restoration months ago. Crickets after sending out. 1970-2 had the 2 windows for the Lights / Wiper.

[napster]

Originally Posted by Held for Ransom

Funny. I sent my '73-4 dash bezel to Randy for restoration months ago. Crickets after sending out. 1970-2 had the 2 windows for the Lights / Wiper.

HFR,

I got the finished bezel in March of this year. My '73 was in paint and I couldn't get the core back to him until the car came back from paint. Late April is when I sent it to him.

Always got quick responses back from Randy. Got the finished bezel in I think it was three to four weeks.

Hope you get it back quickly.

Jim

[napster]

When I get home from work I will check Rocky Rotella's 2nd Gen book to see if there is an answer to the RTS question on '73 TA. Experience says it was only on the Grand Am.

[napster]

Found some '73 Grand Am advertisements that don't refer specifically to RTS, but in the ad it says, " Suspension was designed for the standard radial tires". You don't see that on anything for the '73 firebird lineup.

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

I think the only difference in a radial tuned car was the shocks were updated from the old spiral core shocks.
Going to guess a 73 Bird with radial tires would have gotten the updated shocks.
There are at least a couple very well preserved 73 Birds that came with radial tires and they don't have RTS anywhere , of course.

Some Buildsheet comparisons in the shock boxes would be interesting data.
But all my files are still in limbo on a sick laptop.
Seems like the Primer SD was a radial tire car and its Bsheet is readily available on the net.
Would just need another 73 TA Bsheet that wasn't radial tire.

[poncho-mike]

My 73 is a radial tire car. I don't remember if it had the glove box emblem. The PHS only states GR-70.

Mike

[Held for Ransom]

Originally Posted by napster

HFR,

I got the finished bezel in March of this year. My '73 was in paint and I couldn't get the core back to him until the car came back from paint. Late April is when I sent it to him.

Always got quick responses back from Randy. Got the finished bezel in I think it was three to four weeks.

Hope you get it back quickly.

Jim

Always worried when it's a pretty rare piece. I DM'ed him again and he said about another week.

[napster]

Originally Posted by napster

When I get home from work I will check Rocky Rotella's 2nd Gen book to see if there is an answer to the RTS question on '73 TA. Experience says it was only on the Grand Am.

Well, I checked the '73 & '74 section of Rocky's 2nd gen book. 1973 did not have RTS on the firebird lineup. RTS was a '73 Grand Am exclusive. This is what I remembered in '73 when I started hanging out at the family Pontiac dealership. I knew RTS was exclusive to the Grand Am since I was so into the car at the time. My dad had two GA demos, which is why I was so into the cars.

Yes, there were changes to the wheels for the additional flex radials put on rims. Also, the extra load led to changes to the suspension. This was according to Trevor Brown per Rocky's book.

The above changes did not result in RTS on the Trans Am.

Baron- RTS included changes to the shocks and springs.

1974 was the year RTS was standard on the the Trans Am & Formula. It was also option code WY5 on the Base and Esprit models when certain size tires were present on the car.

Thanks to Rocky Rotella's book to answer this question. Rocky, thanks for providing such a great reference for the 2nd generation Firebird.