"Phantom" Cars.....Again.....

Got some flap from some people claiming that there "Were So" 4-dr 442s after the post a few days ago that talked about options that never made production.  I stand by my statement. I have never seen one, no Olds executive or engineer has ever verified one, and I have never seen a build sheet or window sticker for one. Sorry guys, all 442s are 2 dr models.  Like I said in the previous post options or packages are often listed as available in sales literature, or in the buff magazines, but then never make production. I've touched on this before, but it's worth re-visiting. Here's a big list of "Phantom" cars that people continue to insist are real, but no magazine or factory rep has ever verified.  # 1. Tri-Power 1967 GTO. When the 3-2bbl option was dropped at the end of 1966, the buff magazines howled bloody murder, ignoring the fact that the new for '67 400 inch engine with totally redesigned cylinder heads actually made MORE power and torque with a 4bbl than  the old Tri-power 389 did. The '65-66 tri-power setup would bolt on to the new engine, and some dealers would install it for you if you paid extra. But there was never a factory built version.  # 2. 1970 LS6 454 Corvette. Initially, the mighty LS6 was slated to be optional in the Camaro SS and the Nova SS as well as the Chevelle. Since the 396 was an option, it would be a bolt-in. Further, Zora-Arkus Duntov, Chief Corvette engineer, fully expected the much more radical 12.25:1 compression LS7 454 to make production as the 'Vette's "top dog", so he felt no need to offer the 11:1 LS6.  At the last minute, the brass decided to cut down on "Model Proliferation"-whatever that means-and the LS6 was only offered in the Chevelle line. Also the LS7 was nixed for production, leaving the 370 hp LT1 350 small-block as the 'Vette's most powerful engine. You could get a 454 in a '70 Corvette, but it was the hydraulic-cammed, quadrajet, LS5 "Station Wagon" 454 rated at 360 hp.  # 3. 1969 Ram Air V GTO. In 1968-69 Herb Adams and others were trying to come up with a "Tunnel Port" 303 inch engine to run in Trans-Am racing, as they knew Ford was developing a "Tunnel Port" 5 liter motor. ( "Boss 302" ring a bell? ) In testing-Adams and crew found that the little 303 ( a de-stroked 400 ) ran better and made more power with production RAIV heads.  However, drag racers Arnie Beswick and Doug Nash found that the big heads, and a hot General Kinetics solid lifter cam made phenomenal power when used on the 400 and 428 inch motors. Phenomenal as in 427 Chevy and 426 Chrysler Hemi power levels. Beswick had great success with his "Super Judge".  Adams, and others pushed to get the engine into production, hoping to make the GTO "King Kong" again as it had been from 1964-66. For some reason Pontiac brass said they would not warranty a solid-lifter engine. Adams and DeLorean argued that Chevrolet had several solid-lifter small and big-block engines that GM warrantied, but the brass wouldn't budge. Adams pointed out that Chrysler sold the limited edition Hemi Darts without a warranty, as Ford had done with the Thunderbolt Fairlanes. He suggested Pontiac do that. No, they wouldn't sell the cars without a warranty either. They had enough parts to build about 600 engines, and DeLorean was pissed over the money spent developing it, and didn't want to scrap 600 special engines. Adams suggested they sell them over the counter to Racers through parts departments. Royal Pontiac mechanic Milt Schornak had great success drag racing an RA V GTO, and Hot Rod did an article on an RA V '69 Judge that Royal built for a customer. As late as 1972 the engineers were trying to get it into production, and the story is that Pontiac built a 455 inch RAV GTO and Buick engineers built a Stage 2 455 inch Skylark and they had a drag race. Both cars ran high 10s, and word is the Buick won by two car lengths. The Buick was destroyed in a fire at the GM proving grounds. No one knows what happened to the Pontiac. Over the years buff magazines have featured various "reader rides" with RA V engines, some built by legendary Pontiac tuner Nunzi Romano, but the fact remains that there was never a factory built version.  # 4. 1971 LS6 Chevelle / Monte Carlo. For some perverse reason-Chevrolet flip-flopped from 1970. The LS6 was listed in early '71 Chevelle literature, but it never made production. However, about 1,100 Corvettes were built with an LS6 rated at 425 hp and 9:01 compression, down from the 11:1 and 450 hp rating of 1970. Some people also claim that there were "a few" LS6 '70-71 Monte Carlo SS's. Not true. The LS5 was available, rated at 365 hp ( up 5 hp from 1970 ). But I have never seen a window sticker or build sheet for a '70-71 LS6 Monte, or '71 SS Chevelle. Further muddling the waters-GM sold the LS6 as a crate engine until 1991. So someone may have a '71 Chevelle or Monte Carlo with an LS6 under the hood, but it's not a factory built model.  # 5. 1972 440 Six-Pack Charger / Road Runner. The Hemi was killed at the end of '71. The 440+6 was listed in early '72 sales literature with 9:1 compression and a 330 hp rating. Down substantially from the 10.3:1 and 385 hp from 1971. However the engines had trouble passing the stiffer '72 emissions standards, particularly backfiring through the carbs, and the option was scrapped, leaving the 280 hp 440 4bbl as the top engine option. Rumors persist that 10 or 12 "slipped out" but I have never seen one, or a build sheet or window sticker for one. Until someone produces documentation-I will say that these cars don't exist. # 6. 1971-72 GTO Wagon. In 1971-72 you could get the scooped hood and "Endura" ( read GTO ) front bumper on any LeMans model, including wagons. The 400 and 455 engines were optional. However these were both rated at 250 hp. The Vaunted 300 hp 455HO was not available in wagons, only in Trans-Am and Formula Firebirds, and GTO and Lemans GT models. So if some clown claims to have a GTO wagon-he's wrong. It's a LeMans Sport.  # 7. 1977-79 5-speed Trans-Ams.  T/A's were wildly popular in the late '70's and tuners were everywhere. Dennis Mecham, creator of the "Macho T/A" is well known, and a Doug Nash 5-speed was an option. Former Pontiac engineer Herb Adams founded VSE ( Very Special Equipment ) and partnered with Cars and Concepts to create the "Fire-Am" which, like the Macho T/A-offered a hopped up engine, tweaked suspension, and yes-a 5-speed manual as an option. I can't remember the guy's name, but there was a guy offering a "Bandit" package that included a 5-speed and a 455 inch motor swapped in.  But these were all tuners upgrading used cars, or cars sold as used. The first T/A with a factory installed 5-speed stick was built in 1983 behind a 305 Chevy.  Mastermind