Judges

[Steve_Hoog]

Eric

The one you said was in Sweeden and now in Seatle, is that the 1 red auto car?

[yellowjudge]

Hi, I know a red 71 came out of Sweden. I thought it was the 4spd, that Kevin S. has now. Mine came out of Sweden too.

[Steve_Hoog]

That is why I asked if the one you mentioned much earlier was really an auto car, the one in Seatle? Because several people say Suydam's is the 4sp and that he still has it.

Plus I found this on CP:

[ QUOTE ]
I believe Gary Cave had the 1 of 3 71 Judge Convertible 4 speeds. I saw the car a couple of years ago at the Burdette Bros Pontiac show in Maryland. He said he had bought the car in pieces from someone overseas. It was a beautiful car. Gary apparently has quite a collection of rare Pontiacs. I hope to get by to see his collection some day.


[/ QUOTE ]

It takes a bit to sort through all the "he had", "sold there", "was in a barn", and all were red but only 1 was made.

Gary's (not the aboved mentioned Gary Cave) and Suydam's are the only two I can find that have a web presences, then a couple of others are talked about in some forums. It's not going to be as easy as the Cudas.

I went back 20 years on the HPP and didn't find a one cover story on a 71 Judge Rag, I am missing a few here and there would be my luck one of the missing ones has an artical.

[yellowjudge]

That makes sense, Gary was buying that red 71 4spd, when I bought his 70 orbitorange convt. Sweden was a haven for these convts. I assume,

[Steve_Hoog]

Here we go, I don't have Oct98. Do you or anyone else have this and can let me know which one it is and anything else of importance from the Mag?

[ QUOTE ]
The 71 Judge Conv. was on the cover of the 1998 Oct. issue of HPP.The were several options on the car.One of the rarest option # RPO 564,being electric seat back.When the door is opened a switch similar to the doorjamb light switch activates a solenoid in the seat and it can be folded foward instead of reaching in and pushing the button.The car also has a AM/FM radio with rear headphone jacks.It says in the magazine that the car had 7 years of on & off work done to it.


[/ QUOTE ]

[supergonzo]

gtaa9 wrote:"This is to anybody that can answer this question:What was the most potent and strongest pontiac engine?I hear alot about the 455HO's RAlV's and 455SD's???"

They are all round port headed motors, which means the exhaust ports were round, instead of standard GTO D-port heads. They are all very similar, and MUCH stronger than D-port head engines.

1969
400 RAIV...Good flowing heads,10.75 compression, 308/320 duration .520 lift camshaft, 1.65 ratio rockers,screw-in studs,thick pushrods,4 bolt mains, beautiful aluminum 4 bbl intake, removeable heat crossover, Special Q-jet carb.
This was one of the musclecar era's strongest combo. Well tuned stock examples regularly run very low 13's.
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1971
The 455 HO motor is basically a stroked low compression (version of the RAIV motor with a much milder 068, slightly inferior heads. This motor made tons of torque. Did the cubic inches make up for the loss of compression and camshaft?? This is a long debate, with even Pontiac themselves trying to say that it did. I think Pontiac knew the end of the muscle car era was upon them, and did the best they could, this was still a potent motor, however the cars they were installed in were getting heavier.
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1973
The 455 Super Duty, Best flowing round port heads to date, however still low compression, still mild cam, aluminum intake now made of iron. Beefed up block, was ready to be raced. Headers helped this engine breathe tremendously as now it was only in the 73' Firebird/TA line with restrictive crossflow mufflers. Still an EASY mid-13 second performer, right off the showroom floor. A set of headers, step-up camshaft and a better intake and carb... and you had a bonefide street cleaner.
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I think if Pontiac had made a High compression round port 455 motor in 1970, with the same attributes as the 69' RAIV engine, That would have cemented Pontiac's round port designed motors as one of the strongest ever built.
Instead we are left with debate as to which is better:
Smaller cubes and higher RPM. OR
More cubes and low compression, lower RPM.
Any one of the three, will put a smile on your face quick when you mash the pedal down.

[DaJudge]

Well said

[JLP]

You left out the 68 1/2 RA-II which was the fore runner of the RA-IV. Cast intake and 1.5 rockers. Intake side (I think) did not flow like RA-IV. Jim Mino has probably the quickest PS Firebird around w/RA-II power and not RA-IV.

I am posting this just to make the controversy go on and on.

[gtaa9]

Thanks for the information I appreciate it.I would think the smile on the face is a given.

[yellowjudge]

Steve, I'm a real avid mag. collector. I have a 2/80 Car collector, has great cover story(70 Orbit orange) on Judges, has 71 white convt. in there.