[oxfordsteve]

I have a set of heads with casting # 6H, stamp 6 and date code c116. Are these the 455 heads that came only on the Trans Ams with the so called 455HO? Any idea what they are worth? I had the complete engine but sold the block to a friend last summer. I am a GTO guy and really am not up on the late TA casting numbers. Also does anyone need them?

Steve

[PunchT37]

They are boat anchors to most people except some boost guys. Those are the 124 cc chambers. Too low compress to run on anything.

[oxfordsteve]

Originally Posted by PunchT37

They are boat anchors to most people except some boost guys. Those are the 124 cc chambers. Too low compress to run on anything.

Thanks for the reply. I was aware of the large chamber size and that is why I had thought them to be fairly worthless, but then realized that someone restoring a car to original might need them if they were a fairly low production item.

[BOPcollector]

What were those? 7.6 compression on a 455? 200hp 455 HO?

[PunchT37]

Originally Posted by oxfordsteve

Thanks for the reply. I was aware of the large chamber size and that is why I had thought them to be fairly worthless, but then realized that someone restoring a car to original might need them if they were a fairly low production item.

They are the same heads that came on all 455`s in those years. There was no special head for the "HO" engines in `75-`76.

[Mr Twister]

Originally Posted by PunchT37

They are boat anchors to most people except some boost guys. Those are the 124 cc chambers. Too low compress to run on anything.

Sad, but true.

[oxfordsteve]

Originally Posted by PunchT37

They are the same heads that came on all 455`s in those years. There was no special head for the "HO" engines in `75-`76.

Yeah, I knew it was not a special head. As a GTO guy I am well aware of the "true" HO heads and actually have a round port motor. I am not real knowledgeable on the post GTO years cars as a 78 SE T/A is the only late Pontiac engined car I have owned. I honestly thought I had read somewhere that by 76 the only Pontiac that still had a 455 was the 4 speed TA. I therefore thought these admittedly lowwww performance heads might have some value to a 76 TA restorer looking for correct date codes. So the big cars still had 455s in 76 and had these heads?

Today then had value because I learned something new.

Thanks again!
Steve

[2manyT/A'S]

According to Pete Mcartneys book,ALL 76 455's had 6s or 6h heads,which are BOTH pretty LAME from a performance perspective.

The so called 75/76 455 HO package consisted of a Super T-10 4 speed,3:23 posi,semi-metallic front pads & an "anemic" station wagon 455.

Dropping on a set 6X 4's with an 068 cam and a decent dual exhaust system would easily add 100hp & 2 points to the CR ratio.

There might be somebody out there that would give you a few bucks for them,but you will probably be waiting for a while.

[superdutybob]

Originally Posted by 2manyT/A'S

According to Pete Mcartneys book,ALL 76 455's had 6s or 6h heads,which are BOTH pretty LAME from a performance perspective.

The so called 75/76 455 HO package consisted of a Super T-10 4 speed,3:23 posi,semi-metallic front pads & an "anemic" station wagon 455.

Dropping on a set 6X 4's with an 068 cam and a decent dual exhaust system would easily add 100hp & 2 points to the CR ratio.

There might be somebody out there that would give you a few bucks for them,but you will probably be waiting for a while.

X2!

[oxfordsteve]

Originally Posted by 2manyT/A'S

According to Pete Mcartneys book,ALL 76 455's had 6s or 6h heads,which are BOTH pretty LAME from a performance perspective.

The so called 75/76 455 HO package consisted of a Super T-10 4 speed,3:23 posi,semi-metallic front pads & an "anemic" station wagon 455.

Dropping on a set 6X 4's with an 068 cam and a decent dual exhaust system would easily add 100hp & 2 points to the CR ratio.

There might be somebody out there that would give you a few bucks for them,but you will probably be waiting for a while.

Yes I am very aware that they are not performance heads. I am a pretty knowledgeable Pontiac guy about most stuff but not late TA head casting specifics. I have over 80 sets of heads and many sets of 6x along with many more valuable castings including round ports. What I was trying to learn and didn't articulate too well I guess is whether that particular date code casting would be possibly needed by someone restoring a correct 76 4 speed TA. I didn't want to just throw them away if a fellow PYer might need them for a restoration. I am cleaning out the shop and trying to decide what is not worth saving. This is why I chose to post in the TA forum rather than the performance section because I really don't need performance advice. I have no intention of building a motor with this head I assure you. If that head is not a TA only head and therefore not of any value then it goes to scrap. If it was T/A only then I wanted a T/A restorer to have it. They were on a TA 4 speed 455 block.

The money wasn't important to me, helping a restorer was. The inquiry about worth was to help me determine whether to bother advertising them.

Thanks again for your reply. If anyone thinks they would be of interest to a RESTORER let me know. Otherwise they will be discarded.

[oxfordsteve]

Originally Posted by 2manyT/A'S

According to Pete Mcartneys book,ALL 76 455's had 6s or 6h heads,which are BOTH pretty LAME from a performance perspective.

And by the way the reason I was prompted to ask the question is because I have an old head chart from Wallace racing that listed the 76 (not 75) 6H as the 455HO head for non air and in another place listed it as a TA HO only casting. Pete also made several mistakes in his head list in his first book. There was a lot of misinformation put out early before it was verified and show judges still get people who have put "16" heads on a 69 judge because some book said it was correct or "62" heads on an auto judge because of some book. I have had several all original judges pass through my life and all had "48" heads regardless of whether they were stick or auto but it is a controversy because some "expert" put in in a book. Therefore untill I see it on a one-owner all original car I am somewhat sceptical. That is why I asked you guys before blindly accepting the publication of an "expert".

I figured you TA guys would be the real experts. So it is a consensus that the publication is wrong, they were not TA only in 76, and they are scrap? All I wanted to know. Thanks!

[2manyT/A'S]

Originally Posted by oxfordsteve

Yes I am very aware that they are not performance heads. I am a pretty knowledgeable Pontiac guy about most stuff but not late TA head casting specifics. I have over 80 sets of heads and many sets of 6x along with many more valuable castings including round ports. What I was trying to learn and didn't articulate too well I guess is whether that particular date code casting would be possibly needed by someone restoring a correct 76 4 speed TA. I didn't want to just throw them away if a fellow PYer might need them for a restoration. I am cleaning out the shop and trying to decide what is not worth saving. This is why I chose to post in the TA forum rather than the performance section because I really don't need performance advice. I have no intention of building a motor with this head I assure you. If that head is not a TA only head and therefore not of any value then it goes to scrap. If it was T/A only then I wanted a T/A restorer to have it. They were on a TA 4 speed 455 block.

The money wasn't important to me, helping a restorer was. The inquiry about worth was to help me determine whether to bother advertising them.

Thanks again for your reply. If anyone thinks they would be of interest to a RESTORER let me know. Otherwise they will be discarded.

The answer to your question is the last sentence in my post.

[There might be somebody out there that would give you a few bucks for them,but you will probably be waiting for a while.]


Somebody restoring a 76 MAY give you a 100 bucks for them eventually to have the correct heads on their shelf but I doubt they would ever get installed on a 76 4 speed T/A.

A 7.6 :1 cr 455 is just a waste of cubic inches.

I'd say that 98% of 75/76 455 T/A 4 speed owners would NOT re-install the original large chamber heads if they were aware of the performance advantages of the 6x-4's.

76 T/A's with 455-4 speeds are not high dollar cars with the exception of the 50th anniversary L/E,& most owners of restored ones are going to be looking for at least 300 hp under the hood,even on a stock appearing car.

I'm not old enough to own a gto,but how many people are buying 2bbl intakes & carbs to restore their 67 290 hp 400's back to original?

I scrapped about 5 pair of those heads 3 years ago,so that should make yours a bit rarer.

Personally,I HATE sending ANYTHING to china,but there is a limit to what I can keep/store.

[1971WARBIRD]

list in the for sale section.i know one guy was looking for a set a few months ago.he was building a boost car and needed the big chamber heads.

[oxfordsteve]

Originally Posted by 2manyT/A'S

I'd say that 98% of 75/76 455 T/A 4 speed owners would NOT re-install the original large chamber heads if they were aware of the performance advantages of the 6x-4's.


I'm not old enough to own a gto,but how many people are buying 2bbl intakes & carbs to restore their 67 290 hp 400's back to original?

I really do appreciate your answer and insight. Actually when GTO values started rising so high, many did take their 455s out of their GTOs and put their cars back to original 350 horse 62 head configuration. I relegated my Judge to the garage and all original status and built a hi-po 455 HO clone of it to drive. I agree with you though about the 2 barrel heads-as rare does not always equal desirable and increased value.

I mistakenly thought the late TA folks might have done the same. I guess the values don't warrant that thinking but I predict the day will come.

I was born the year of the first GTO but fell in love with them anyway so you don't have to be old to own them!!! I love TAs too, although I don't have any.

How many sets of my 6X 4 heads do you guys want?

[thepontiacman]

steve, good to see you are still hanging around in N. AL.

It's been a while since you came down and got parts. Let me know if you need anything.Lots of different stuff available.
preston.

thepontiacman@yahoo.com

[oxfordsteve]

Originally Posted by thepontiacman

steve, good to see you are still hanging around in N. AL.

It's been a while since you came down and got parts. Let me know if you need anything.Lots of different stuff available.
preston.

thepontiacman@yahoo.com

Thanks, Preston. It's good to hear from you! Yeah I haven't had much time to start new projects lately but there are a few things I will need from you when I do. What I really need right now is a warehouse like yours!