MRHP's 72 T/A......

[Belair62]

I owned a '72 T/A that I bought in late '73. White, blue deluxe
interior, 3:42s, 4-spd w/A/C. Bought it with 3000 miles on it & had the
unitized distributor re-curved at the local speed shop. The car was a
rocket. Got into a lot of trouble with that car (I was 18). I also remember
being bummed out by the engine compartment, as everything, even the intake,
was painted that sickly blue color. But that car put a lot of the 'chrome'
crowd 'back on the trailer'. I still have my registration card from 1973.
It was vine # 520001. I actually bought it directly from Pontiac, from the
factory fleet sales rep that was a friend of my older brother. My brother
had 'The' National Car Rental franchise in downtown Chicago & was stocking
the fleet with Pontiacs. The rep was going to personally put my order in on
a new SD-TA. When he came by, production was stopped on the '73s, so I
worked up an order on a '74. Came to about $6300. But he said the factory
had a car that was faster, the '72 that they had done some testing with, &
he could get it for around $3000. Of course, I said no, at which point my
brother was about to pound on me. The rep said the '72 was going to the
factory auction in Deerfield IL, & he would give the ok to have me pick the
car up there, drive it back to Chicago, & if I didn't like it, he would buy
it & order my SD. Well, after burying the speedo on the Edens expressway
that mid-Tuesday morning, I bought the '72 for a total of $3250. Then the
oil embargo hit, & you know what happened... This past year, after many
other muscle cars (Such as the red 70 SS454 that Jim SS4REAL got from me), I
decided to get 'my old car' back. Found it in Illinois, of all places. Was
sold new at McAleer Buick-Pontiac in Danville, stayed its whole life in
Mattoon, & was bought new by the neighbor of the guy that did the 5 year nut
& bolt resto. Stickered out at $5639.18. White with blue deluxe interior
like my old one. Automatic, A/C, 3:08s, tilt, stainless exhaust & numbers
matching drive train. Engine is painted traditional Pontiac metallic blue
w/chrome covers, like the RAIV that it, the 455HO, evolved from. The guy
that did it is a body man/painter by trade, & did it as a trailer queen. I
got it with 80 miles on it, mainly put on to the alignment shop & the
exhaust shop. I had to find the '72 model year only' emission parts, finish
some mechanicals, & dial it in. Now it runs as strong as it looks. I sit
in it & it really is a 'time machine for me. Of course, now gas is high
again, & money is tight. But I don't want to make the same mistake again &
let it get away!

Thanks,
Robb
(mrhp)