I swapped off a piece of***** '49 Ford ragtop for an equally piece of***** '75 Trans Am, site unseen other than a few pictures, that I'm thinking about parting out. I wanted it mostly to have another Pontiac engine handy - not knowing it would come with all the plugs laying on the radiator support where they appear to have been since like 1990. And oil that looks like a Wendys Frostee, color wise, with rust on the dipstick. Supposed to be a 400. However, the car has all the signs of a motor swap, no sign of any bracket for the factory AC compressor, and the sequential serial on the block doesn't match the VIN. So I'm checking out the codes from the block, just the ones I could find easiest. It's stamped WT for a motor code and has 4X heads. 4X heads are 1973-74 only according to the sites I've googled. And the WT code in 73-74 is a manual trans 455. Previous to that it was used on manual trans 400 motors. Info jibes across several sources, including Year One's info sourced from Pete McCarthy's books. So next step is to probably pop the intake and valley cover and see what's cast in the center block web - Pontiac was good enough to cast the displacement in several places on their blocks, it just happens that with the motor in the car this will be easiest to get to - and I kind of want to see what this thing looks like inside anyways. If it's a 455, I did good, unless of course it's cracked or something. But who knows if someone built the motor for the car or what. Either way, I'll probably end up pulling it and doing a teardown to see just how bad it is.
The Cube size should be cast into the side of the block in big, skinny, raised numbers, too. If it IS a WT 455, it's worth a lot more to a Pontiac guy than an ordinary run of the mill 455. I believe it might be a Super Duty engine...
Uh, yeah..... If the car is a 455 S.D. 4 speed TA, it's worth a good sized stack of cash to a TA lover/restorer. They're pretty low number cars!
Not with those heads. however, that doesn't mean it's not a******in motor. Pontiac head codes are heiroglyphics of horsepower. there are some real oddballs out there that made startling power right out of the box. The major difference here (in value for a restorer,anyway) is the fact it was a manual block. couple of things to hunt for... in the back, near the distributor, along the bellhousing web, You are looking for a large cast in "pyramid" of sorts. if it is there it is either a 455, or a 326. drivers side, in front of the motor mount, behind the fuel pump on the block there will be a c.i.d. casting. hope for 455. really hope for 428. if You get it out and fully apart, p.m. me the crank codes. there are a plethora of bore stroke combos that make for weird numerics. also, pay attention to the rods...bolts, or studs? there is more, lemme know what You find.
My '73 455 also had the 4X heads on it, the guy told me it was a 400, I heard it run, then paid him and he pulled it out. Then he saw the 455 cast on the side of the block and asked me if it was a 455. I said "No, those are just casting numbers". Worked. Good luck, hope you scored big, a manual trans coded 455 is a good item to have, someone will want that, and Pontiac muscle car guys will actually PAY for***** and not just talk about how cool it is.
I checked with the guy I got the car from and he says it's out of a '73 Formula that he still has some other pieces from - a front clip, taillights, etc. Kind of tempting to put some floors in the car, put the '73 nose on and go with it (I like the 71-73s). Like I need another project. In addition to the casting on the side of the block, the middle web across the valley has the displacement cast in it - just the last two numbers, one on each side of the rib. I think that will be easiest to get to - it's rained so damned much I don't want to go up there alone and try to jack it up to get my face up under where the casting is on the side of the block and have it fall on me or something. You can't see***** from the top with the manifolds on (and removing those looks like a painful experience judging by the rust). Plus if I find that I may as well go on and pop the heads and see what it's like inside.
Firebirds can be a bit like meeting a chick after you've had alot to drink. It "could" be a gold mine or you may have to gnaw your arm off to get away. Sounds like you're either climbing under or popping it's top to see what you got.
The Jalopy Journal
