[sd455hota]

I have a 72 TA that is an original code D adriatic blue car. Documented through PHS. Does anyone out there have or know of any other 70-72 TAs that were originaly a color other than white or lucerne blue. Any info would be appreciated. Reply through here or email me at grnsd73@inebraska.com thanks

[indyta1989]

There was the black 1972 Trans Am discussed a few months ago and it was proven to be documented via PHS. I have pasted the link to that discussion below. There was also the red 1972 Trans Am mentioned in the same discussion which was a car that showed up at VOLO for sale a few years ago.

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...d.php?t=486878

I am starting to believe that in 1972 a good number of people had the right contacts to get a Trans Am in a color other than the standard white and blue!

[giles]

sd455hota, Is there any indication on the build sheet that this car was special, other than the comments that you mentioned? This is not a car that would have been built for dealer stock. It was very likely made specifically for someone that had some clout with Pontiac. I could be way off here, maybe you could plop down $62 and run the plant through all those hoops but that seems improbable. Might have been a dealer with some influence or an influential GM retiree or for a relative of a GM exec. Was the original delivering dealer listed as a conventional dealer? Temple, TX does seem like an out-of-the-way place for anyone that would have been employed by GM or an ad agency at the time. Any info that you can provide might give some insight into the car's history.

[Lloyd-TX]

Originally Posted by giles

sd455hota, Is there any indication on the build sheet that this car was special, other than the comments that you mentioned? This is not a car that would have been built for dealer stock. It was very likely made specifically for someone that had some clout with Pontiac. I could be way off here, maybe you could plop down $62 and run the plant through all those hoops but that seems improbable. Might have been a dealer with some influence or an influential GM retiree or for a relative of a GM exec. Was the original delivering dealer listed as a conventional dealer? Temple, TX does seem like an out-of-the-way place for anyone that would have been employed by GM or an ad agency at the time. Any info that you can provide might give some insight into the car's history.

No doubt in my mind that this car was built for someone special. Definitely a GM executive or similar deal. That's why I remarked earlier about the cowl tag date vs. the invoice date. My money's on a long lag time between the cowl tag and invoice dates. Meaning it was driven with an open MSO for some period of time.

Let's hear more about that invoice - dated significantly later than the cowl tag?

[sd455hota]

Originally Posted by Lloyd-TX

No doubt in my mind that this car was built for someone special. Definitely a GM executive or similar deal. That's why I remarked earlier about the cowl tag date vs. the invoice date. My money's on a long lag time between the cowl tag and invoice dates. Meaning it was driven with an open MSO for some period of time.

Let's hear more about that invoice - dated significantly later than the cowl tag?

Build date on cowl tag is 03D. Ship date on invoice is 04-03-72. Selling dealer was Friendly Pontiac GMC in Temple TX

[Lloyd-TX]

Originally Posted by sd455hota

Build date on cowl tag is 03D. Ship date on invoice is 04-03-72. Selling dealer was Friendly Pontiac GMC in Temple TX

Well, I was dead wrong.

Still had to be a VERY special order car. I wonder if there might have been a retired Pontiac or GM exec living in the area around that time?

Hmmmmm . . .

[Jim Rotella]

sd455hota,

Glad to hear from you here at PY. There has been some interest in the history of your Adriatic Blue Trans Am, so maybe you can fill us in a little on your very rare car. The person with the black special order '72 Trans Am posted once and then dropped out, so we've never had a chance to find out the origin of that car. It's also been reported that a silver '72 T/A may have been built.

The following post came from the current for-sale board and although it's not a Trans Am, it shows how glitches can occur on even on special order Formulas.


DAN
Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: PURCELLVILLE, VA
Posts: 3

Nice car Lloyd. I also had a 72 Formula 455 HO out of Brown Pontiac in Arlington, VA. It was a special order, black with off white/green int. Car sat at the dealer for 6 months waiting on a nose, the dealer finally put a green nose on the car and painted it black. I sold the car to a airline pilot in MN. in the early 80's. I still have all the orig. paper for the car.

[thefirebirdm@n]

This is not a production car. Its a '72 prototype Trans Am designed by and built for Bill Mitchell. Not only is not white or blue (at least not Cameo White), it received one of the first SD455s and an unusual graphics package. I lot of you probably read about in HPP a several months back.

http://www.firebirdgallery.com/72lot1.htm

[Tygrr67]

I'm a bit confused... are you saying that the metallic white car is the adriatic one.... I understand them to be 2 seperate cars.... so the list now shows:
1 the adriatic car
2 the black one that recently surfaced
3 the red one at Volo's
4 the metallic white mitchell car and any other's....?
How about some of the mysterious and elusive adriatic car..... we're dying over here......

[sd455hota]

Sorry I haven't gotten back sooner. Not much chance to get online lately.

Adriatic blue 72 has the PHS which shows the paint code as "DD". I faxed back to PHS and asked for some thoughts. Didn't get a lot of response other than they verified the D code to be actual and that it is a trans am. The cowl tag shows code 24, no spaces or dashes, just the #.

The PHS has some info added to it :

Under "ACC. OPT. EXTRA EQUIP" is SCO 72-167
Under "SUG RETAIL PRICE" is 62.00
Under "CODE" is MIS
Under "AMOUNT" is 42.00

Anyone have any insight on the "SCO 72-167" ?

All "total" $ amounts on the PHS have been crossed out and retyped to reflect the added $62 or $47.

It's a 4 spd with A/C car, FM stereo, bumper guards few other minor options and has a white custom interior. Built the end of march. Sold new in Temple TX. The car is undergoing a frame off restoration now so there aren't any pics I can send. I plan on bringing it to the POCI nats in OK next year.

[allmycarsrjunk]

Originally Posted by thefirebirdm@n

This is not a production car. Its a '72 prototype Trans Am designed by and built for Bill Mitchell. Not only is not white or blue (at least not Cameo White), it received one of the first SD455s and an unusual graphics package. I lot of you probably read about in HPP a several months back.

http://www.firebirdgallery.com/72lot1.htm

A friend of mine owns the Mitchell car. After some decoding, the engine was found to be a 455 h.o. block with Ram Air IV s.r. heads. The compression was 11 1/2 to one. The original reporting was wrong.

[W72-Bandit]

sd455hota,

I notice your car came out of Temple Tx. Was it ever in the Houston area?
I recall an Adriatic blue '72 T/A here in the late 90's.

[sd455hota]

W72-Bandit : I got it from just outside Houston. Probably the same car. Do you remember anything about it from back then?

Jim Rotella : Two of the spoilers are with the car. Lucerne blue painted adriatic blue. Can't say for sure if they are original or replacements from years ago. It has a metal valance. If it had a plastic one originaly it was probably molded in adriatic blue since all the adriatic blue firebirds, esprits and formulas would have needed the same valance so it wasn't a 1 of a kind piece. In another thread you mentioned all 72s came with trim rings. Is that the case? It looks like these wheels (correct dated KRs) have never had rings on them. Regardless, I need a set of NOS, excellent used or exact repos for a 70 TA I'm doing if you know of any.

[thefirebirdm@n]

Originally Posted by allmycarsrjunk

A friend of mine owns the Mitchell car. After some decoding, the engine was found to be a 455 h.o. block with Ram Air IV s.r. heads. The compression was 11 1/2 to one. The original reporting was wrong.

Is your friend Neal Wichard or has it been sold again since Neal owned it? Interesting information. Are all parties involved sure the 455 HO is the engine originally put in the car when GM built it?

[68bird400HO]

I believe "SCO" stands for "Special Color Option"

[trishieldchief]

Originally Posted by 68bird400HO

I believe "SCO" stands for "Special Color Option"

SCO means "Special Car Order" not the above.

[muscle_collector]

what color is adriatic blue???

[keith k]

Originally Posted by muscle_collector

what color is adriatic blue???

Close enough to Lucerne that in a photo of a car I think you'd be hard pressed to know the difference.

Wonder why if someone got through all the red tape to get a special color, they painted it one that was so close to an available color...?

[Jim Rotella]

sd455hota,

Do you still have the original wheel flairs and front plastic valance? We've been trying to find out if these special paint Trans Ams came with painted or molded plastic parts. We've established that Larry Leist's black '73 SD Trans Am was delivered in primer with red molded wheel flairs, but since your car was actually painted code 24 adriatic blue from the factory, might they have painted the flairs to match.

Jim

[thefirebirdm@n]

Sorry yes, I meant two separate cars so your list is accurate.