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#1
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Factory A/C on original Tri-Power cars?
There is a 66 GTO on Bring A Trailer with “matching numbers” and PHS. PHS states original Tri-Power car, no A/C hi-lited on paperwork. Pictures of car show it has factory air conditioning and power windows, neither are shown on PHS paperwork. PHS claims that if car does not match paperwork, then something has been changed. Adding factory air to a non factory air car is a big deal. Just wondering if anyone has seen a GTO with factory air and 3-2s and/or a PHS with missing accessories? Thanks. I know this may seem complicated, but I think the car is a fraud and someone may get burned.
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#2
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Nice upgrade using original GM system.
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#3
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I've seen PHS wrong in both directions. The PHS for my 68 GTO shows power brakes. I bought the car from the original owner (who I knew) in 1976 with manual brakes. Hard to believe someone swapped out the power setup for manual unless it was done at the dealership before purchase for some reason.
I restored it WITH power brakes to match the PHS.
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I'm World's Best Hyperbolist !! |
#4
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#5
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Jeff |
#6
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#7
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I removed the factory AC from my 1967 GTO when I started to seriously race it. I sold the whole thing to someone that I knew who installed it on his car. So people do install factory AC.
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#8
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Did it look perfect like a factory installation? I forgot to mention that this car had power windows, also not on the PHS.
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#9
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The hardest part to change when converting an early A-body to A/C is the sheetmetal at the RH kick panel where the evaporator air outlet is. The A/C cars are significantly different there and if that panel had been replaced, it should be obvious with non-factory welding present. To inspect, remove the plastic kick panel cover and look at the steel panel carefully, especially the perimeter.
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#10
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Quick story from the distant past. One of our GTO club members purchased a '65 GTO convertible that had what appeared to be factory air but PHS said no. Story ended up that DeLorean was scheduled to come out to California and visit dealers. He wanted a Mayfair Maize convertible with black top and interior and Tri-Power to drive around in the summer. There was none to be had so the Pontiac skunkworks installed the AC and shipped the car out to California before Delorean's arrival. Car was turned over to a dealership after the visit and sold. I saw the stripped down car during restoration and the firewall had been cut out large enough to install the unit and it wasn't done all that nicely since the surgery was covered up with the unit. Story of the restoration ended up in the Legend Magazine back then.
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Mick Batson 1967 original owner Tyro Blue/black top 4-speed HO GTO with all the original parts stored safely away -- 1965 2+2 survivor AC auto -- 1965 Catalina Safari Wagon. |
#11
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There is no VIN stamped anywhere on the firewall, including under the HVAC box. At least there isn't on my '66 with factory air. There are no "hidden" VIN stampings anywhere else on the body for that matter. The frame should have the last 8 digits of the VIN stamped into the top of the driver side frame rail behind the rear wheel, but that's it.
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1966 Pontiac GTO (restoration thread) 1998 BMW 328is (track rat) 2023 Subaru Crosstrek Limited (daily) View my photos: Caught in the Wild |
#12
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I saw one Friday at the Shrewsberry Amish Market, not the first time I’ve seen it but happened to take a quick pic. If I see it again I’ll ask about it.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
#13
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HERE is the auction listing for the car in question. PHS docs are included in the photo gallery.
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What's unusual about the car at the center of discussion in this thread is that the PHS docs show it was a factory equipped Tri-Power car, and it has what appears to be a factory installed A/C system but no mention of it on the PHS docs. I agree with the notion that it's unlikely that someone actually added an OEM A/C system to this car after it left the factory. Whether or not it's a rebodied car versus just being a glitch with the PHS docs, I'm not qualified enough to tell. The rivets on the data plate and VIN tag look factory to me at least.
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1966 Pontiac GTO (restoration thread) 1998 BMW 328is (track rat) 2023 Subaru Crosstrek Limited (daily) View my photos: Caught in the Wild Last edited by ZeGermanHam; 08-29-2022 at 11:24 AM. |
#14
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I notice on the dash the HVAC controls don't seem to have a selection for AC ... is that normal? (I don't know much about 66s with AC)
If it was OEM added later they did a bang up job in the engine compartment, I'd never guess it wasn't original. Has enough pics in the link that any 66 expert should be able to tell pretty quick.
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I'm World's Best Hyperbolist !! |
#15
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1966 Pontiac GTO (restoration thread) 1998 BMW 328is (track rat) 2023 Subaru Crosstrek Limited (daily) View my photos: Caught in the Wild |
The Following User Says Thank You to ZeGermanHam For This Useful Post: | ||
#16
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Five Group codes. Data plate is missing a K in the 2nd group. Fisher Body needed to know exactly how many holes were needed and where to put them. A small hole in the quarter panel (Power Antenna) was important enough to go on a tag. They'd even write notes about colors and vinyl. AC was a major deviation.
PHS papers might not show AC thanks to an error in the office, but on the floor those tags (and build sheets) served a purpose. I doubt any of the folks at Fisher wanted to be the one who fouled up the assembly line. One department makes a not so critical mistake, entirely possible. But two departments, and this one is a significant error?? Strains all plausibility. I highly doubt this was a skunkworks project. Add me to the I-suspect-it's-a-rebody crowd. |
#17
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Attached is my dataplate below. My car has factory A/C (and it was done at the factory), but I don't see a "K" anywhere on there. Maybe different Fisher Body plants had their own methods of A/C ID?
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#18
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1966 Pontiac GTO (restoration thread) 1998 BMW 328is (track rat) 2023 Subaru Crosstrek Limited (daily) View my photos: Caught in the Wild |
#19
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2nd group has an L (4 speed) and an R (rear speaker) 5th has a Y (deluxe seat belts) PHS managed to get all of those right. And check out the engine stamping... |
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