What Mattison may be able to provide (after the fact) and after the PHS is sent to the owner or buyer is feedback for what is what.

Say I am looking at a correct 68 HO with original ram air pans. Of course not a ram air car, but lets say I call Mattison and say hey, this is this, I found this my build date is this and it came from this plant. I understand he is only involved with the PHS aspect, but he does see alot of anomolies.

I am sure if I asked, I may be able to copy some 69 HO and "ram air III" billing histories if I did it on my time. Can't hurt to ask and of course, I would expect, even insist the VIN's be covered over with marker to protect the integrity of the service.

I believe the best way, for now, is to have a running list of build dates, plants, dealers delivered to and all the options on the billing history. There are options that are unable to be combined with RA cars and that would help in deciphering what is an HO and what is a RAIII.

I still insist that all 69 Firebirds were designated as an HO unless 611 was specified. If the nomenclature orientated enthusiasts called it a RA because of a billing oversight, so be it. If it is because Pontiac needed to sell cars and never planned or announced a RAIII (because of the HO and RAIV) so be it.

My contention is that there are no real "true" RAIII cars and that according to all I have written, is a guess.

I do like the ad Vikki posted referring to the HO, RA (not identified as RA III) and the RAIV. If Pontiac, at time of that ad (9/68) knew this would have been named a RAIII car, they (GM) would not have referred to it as "Ram Air". In all the loose Pontiac ads I have from 1966 to 1969 read, the RAI and RAII and RAIV were VERY pronounced and NOT generic as in the case of the 1969 "RA" as so stated in GM's advertisement.