ARTICLES

THE CAR - MY '69 TA
by Eric Vicker
this is an excerpt from the articles appearing in the EAGLE

I've been a lover of old Pontiacs all of my 29 years, especially Trans-Ams. The attention to the Trans-Am came from a few sources. My family and I vacationed at Presque Isle, Erie, Pennsylvania and that's where I saw a beautiful Lucerne blue '70 Trans-Am cruising around the beaches. That started my love of the Trans-Am - I was 13. My cousin had a '74 red super-duty at that time also which was built and a real terror. When I got into high school and reached the driving age, I was determined to get an early TA. I would talk about it with my friends, all who thought that all Trans-Ams that were made had the hood bird starting around the 1976 "Smoky and the Bandit" syndrome. Nobody here in Pittsburgh, PA seemed to know about early TA's, especially the 1969. The 1969 was the one I wanted, only to find all were in books like Hemmings and all far away. "Why couldn't I find a car in Pittsburgh", my dad said. I did not just want a "car". I wanted "the car" - a 1969 Trans-Am and I would travel across the country if I had to.

I would settle through the years for the average TAs: '76-'81 models, which were okay for a few years as drivers.

I had decided I wanted to find some real rare Pontiacs to keep together as a collection, and I did find four 100% original all 4-spd number-match cars; '70 RAIV and '72 TAs and a '70 Orbit Orange Judge Convertible. Among them is my favorite - a 1969 Trans-Am. After being around cars, parts and going to swap meets and making tons of contacts, a guy in the mid-west that I bought some parts from told me he had the car for me. He was going through a divorce and was selling his '69 Trans-Am. I bought this car, this was no ordinary '69 TA. It was 1 of 46 made, a RAIV/4-spd, it has the M21, 3:90s, stack gauges/tach. It was ordered as a runner, no console, chrome trim, or even Rally II wheels, it had the poverty caps, which I have and will put back on for shows. My '69 TA came originally from Florida, but soon found its way to Colorado.

The condition I bought it in was 100% original and all number matching with all rare, exotic RAIV parts. It has a mint body with some of its original paint, a truly to die for car, and yes its all P.H.S documented, a real '69 RAIV TA. I've tried to trace history, and have been able to pick up the trail in 1978. A guy named Larry, in Colorado, bought it out of the paper from a young guy and sold it soon after, having no idea what a RAIV was, but said it has a weird air cleaner. It was sold to a lady, Ellen, who drove it back and forth to work until 1989. She knew what a '69 Trans-Am was, but never knew that it was a RAIV or the rarity of one. She was very nice and glad to see I had it and was going to have a concourse resto done. She was nice enough to send me some old photos of it.

I finally found the car of my dreams. I just got married and luckily for me my wife loves it too. It's her favorite! We plan to keep this ultra rare bird in our family forever. I still can't believe I can look in my garage and there it is!

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