[Pod]

Hi!

Hopefully somebody will be able to help me confirm if this is still fitted to my GTO which was imported new in 1964. The previous (deceased) owner to me drag-raced it extensively during the late '60s. His brother remembers that he read an article in "Car & Driver" magazine where a Royal Bobcat raced (and beat) a Ferrari. This was enough to convince him that he had to have one! He contacted Royal Pontiac and had the package sent to him. It was fitted and improved his ETs.

My problem is that I do not know if these parts are still on my car. Is there any way to identify them? I understand that the package included replacement jets and a "distributor curve kit".

[Pod]

Hi!

Hopefully somebody will be able to help me confirm if this is still fitted to my GTO which was imported new in 1964. The previous (deceased) owner to me drag-raced it extensively during the late '60s. His brother remembers that he read an article in "Car & Driver" magazine where a Royal Bobcat raced (and beat) a Ferrari. This was enough to convince him that he had to have one! He contacted Royal Pontiac and had the package sent to him. It was fitted and improved his ETs.

My problem is that I do not know if these parts are still on my car. Is there any way to identify them? I understand that the package included replacement jets and a "distributor curve kit".

[fasteddy]

It has been a long, long time but if I recall, the kit also had sbc chevy style lock nuts to allow you to set the lifters rather than just torque them down. Also the kit came with intake gaskets to block the heat passages to the carburetor.

[DiamondJim]

I odered the Bobcat package in 69(for my 66 GTO). It also had .020 head gaskets/polylocs/decals and a card. Seems like it was around a 100 bucks. A LOT of money back then. As far as the tests, didn't Milt Schornack later admit it was a built 421? -Jim

[60man]

I believe you are thinking of a Tempest with a 421 at the 24 hour race. I believe there were three of them.I have a photo (some where) of it passing the Ferrari in the straight away.......of course the nose is in the air.

..........and I do remember the thin metal head gasket too !!

[Old Man Taylor]

I have some documentation somewhere that goes into the Bobcat Package. As I recall it included rejetting the tri-power, thin head gaskets, locking rocker nuts, blocked intake heat riser and a recurved distributor. I used to race my car at San Fernando when it was bone stock. I saw guys go from the stock configuration to the Bobcat Kit. My car was running about 97 at that track and the Bobcat cars were running 105. They also had better gears than I did, but most of the difference was due to the Bobcat improvements.

[Royal GTO]

The Car and Driver 1964 (red car) was a 421 engine transplant. Blue (also a transplanted 421) 1964 GTO was destroyed in fire in the late 60's. For the Royal Bobcat content see www.jimwangers.com

[02Hawk]

I was recently reading Jim Wangers book where he said that the Car & Driver piece was done without a Ferrari because they wouldn't give them one. they had separate pictures and didn't actually do second heads up test until later on in Florida with a privately owned Ferrari. They took two GTO's down and they had one with a 421 in it for the straight line tests. Wangers said that the second one they spun a bearing in cause they were putting through the twisties and the oil was sloshing too much in the pan and had to get a tow rig to haul the car back to Detroit or New York , I'm not sure which.

He also said the magazine guys didn,t know how to run a stop watch and were publishing things like 0-60 in 3.9 seconds and quarter mile times in the low 13's. He sais that he had to avoid their eye contact cause he new from racing the GTO's that there was no way they would get those times especially on street tires. He kept quiet cause his job was to sell Pontiac.

As a side note ,you could buy Royal Bobcat packages over the counter or by mail order. Thousands were sent out and installed all over North America and maybe at least one in the UK

[Pod]

Hi All!

Thanks for your replies. I am going to pull off one of the rocker box covers to see if I have the lock nuts. I'll let you know.

I have a copy of "The Royal Pontiac Story" produced by The Royal Racing Team which gives much information as to the various packages available, and their costs. Unfortunately, there are no pictures of the parts!

I guess I was hoping that somebody who has a Bobcat package could post some pictures of the distributor that I could use for a comparison. Though maybe the differences are hard to see?

For the record, here is what was offered:-

2-Super thin head gaskets.
2-Blocked heat riser gaskets.
Carburettor jetting package (4 bbl or Tri Power).
Distributor Curve Kit inc HD Mallory points & condenser.
Special Hydraulic Lifter Rev kit.
8-Special Range Champion Spark Plugs.
2-Rocker cover gaskets.
1-Valley cover gasket.
2-Royal Bobcat emblems.
Complete and simple Installation & Service instructions.

I do have the two stickers, but that doesn't count for much!

Watch this space.

Pod

[BVR421]

you wont be able to see any thing in the distributer or under the covers if you dont know what to look for and very difficult to describe unless you have stock parts at hand to compare. The changes were all subtle and individually not overly significant but in combination were effective enough to become legendary. Really the hot ticket to raise performance and remain NHRA Stock legal.
I wouldnt go tearing into your motor just to look for different color distributer springs or locknuts on the rockers. Your cars history and documentation seem very real.

[RPM]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by 02Hawk:
Thousands were sent out and installed all over North America and maybe at least one in the UK </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

You would think that being called a "Royal Bobcat kit" more than one would have sold in the UK.

[02Hawk]

I have no info on the amount shipped to the UK. You would have to ask Ace Wilson. I was only stating that at least 1 went over. however I doubt that many were shipped to Austin Mini owners.

[RPM]

Good point. The Austin Mini owners shouldn't have a need for such a kit.