cubedhead

i have an '87 Trans Am and it has nothing on the the out side that says Trans Am or anything like that just pontiac. and i dont know how to tell from the codes in the consoul if it is a diffrent model. it looks liek there was some thing on the fender with glue but it was taken off (both sides). now what do i look for and how do you find out? any help would be fine.

bnoon

There's an RPO (the codes in the center console) decoder link on the main site...

okfoz

The 87 T/A WITH WS6 had the 16" Rims as the Formula, These to be exact...

What your car has on them now may differ...

John

cubedhead

the rims have been changed. chrome ones are on it now. i tried the RPO codes and it only knew like 5 of them.... and dunno can you think of anything else?

tbfirebird

sorry to interrupt but i too dont know if my car has ws6 because i have the rims that look like that but go in towards the rotor and inside the dash it says

PERFORMANCE
SUSPENSION


but i thought that if your car has performance suspension u should have the wonder bar which mine dosent have.

also my car is a 1989 Firebird formula with the 305 tbi engine.IF that helps

DJP87Z28

WS6 is the RPO Code for the Performance Package. Check your codes on the center console lid. If not listed you don not have WS6 option.

wsp1970

I too have a 1987 T/A. Look at the RPO list of codes, inside the console lid. If you have a code "WS4", then your car is a T/A. (provided that the console lid is original) You can also figure out if it is a T/A using the vin code. The fifth didget is a "W" for standard T/A or "X" for T/A Special Edition. If it has the WS6 suspention it will say so shortly after the WS4 code. Mine is not a WS6 car. It has the F41 performance suspention, and this is also listed in the RPO code list.

Hope this helps!

Trans_AM_88

well, ill jump in too heh. my car has no sticker inside the center console. how else can you find out?

tbfirebird

cant you measure the rotors and find out that way that if there bigger than 10 inches.Than youve got ws6

DJP87Z28

Stock Rotors are 10.5 " in dia. And larger brakes were not part of WS6 Option.

wsp1970

Sorry but I made a mistake in my previous post. The fifth didget in the VIN # for a T/A in 1987 would be a "W" for a T/A or Formula Bird.


3RD GEN F-BODY VIN BREAKDOWN

1982 - 1984
1 G 1 A P 8 7 F X C N 1 0 0 0 0 1
| | | | | |-| | | | | +---------+---> Production Sequence
| | | | | | | | | +---------------> Assembly Plant
| | | | | | | | | N = Norwood
| | | | | | | | | L = Van Nuys
| | | | | | | | +-----------------> Model Year
| | | | | | | | C = 1982
| | | | | | | | D = 1983
| | | | | | | | E = 1984
| | | | | | | +-------------------> Check Digit
| | | | | | +---------------------> Engine Code
| | | | | | F = 151 ci L4 LQ8 (1982-1983)
| | | | | | 2 = 151 ci L4 LQ9 (1982-1984)
| | | | | | 1 = 173 ci V6 LC1 (1982-1984)
| | | | | | H = 305 ci V8 LG4 (1982-1984)
| | | | | | 7 = 305 ci V8 LU5 (1982), L69 (1983)
| | | | | | S = 305 ci V8 LU5 (1983)
| | | | | | G = 305 ci V8 L69 (1984)
| | | | | +------------------------> Body Type
| | | | | 87 = 2 door coupe
| | | | +---------------------------> Carline Series
| | | | Chevrolet:
| | | | P = Sport Coupe, Z28
| | | | S = Berlinetta
| | | | Pontiac:
| | | | S = Firebird
| | | | W = Trans Am
| | | | X = Trans Am Special Edition
| | | +-----------------------------> Restraint System
| | | A = Manual belts
| | | B = Automatic belts
| | | C = Automatic belts (inflatable restraint)
| | +-------------------------------> Make
| | 1 = Chevrolet
| | 2 = Pontiac
| +---------------------------------> Manufacturer
| G = General Motors
+-----------------------------------> Country
1 = USA
2 = Canada


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1985 - 1986
1 G 1 F P 8 7 H X F N 1 0 0 0 0 1
| | | | | |-| | | | | +---------+---> Production Sequence
| | | | | | | | | +---------------> Assembly Plant
| | | | | | | | | N = Norwood
| | | | | | | | | L = Van Nuys
| | | | | | | | +-----------------> Model Year
| | | | | | | | F = 1985
| | | | | | | | G = 1986
| | | | | | | +-------------------> Check Digit
| | | | | | +---------------------> Engine Code
| | | | | | 2 = 151 ci L4 LQ9 (1985)
| | | | | | 1 = 173 ci V6 LB8 (1985)
| | | | | | S = 173 ci V6 LB8 (1986)
| | | | | | F = 305 ci V8 LB9 (1985-1986)
| | | | | | G = 305 ci V8 L69 (1985-1986)
| | | | | | H = 305 ci V8 LG4 (1985-1986)
| | | | | +------------------------> Body Type
| | | | | 87 = 2 door coupe
| | | | +---------------------------> Carline Series
| | | | Chevrolet:
| | | | P = Sport Coupe, Z28
| | | | S = Berlinetta
| | | | Pontiac:
| | | | S = Firebird
| | | | W = Trans Am
| | | | X = Trans Am Special Edition
| | | +-----------------------------> Carline Code
| | | F = F-Body
| | +-------------------------------> Make
| | 1 = Chevrolet
| | 2 = Pontiac
| +---------------------------------> Manufacturer
| G = General Motors
+-----------------------------------> Country
1 = USA
2 = Canada


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1987 - 1992
1 G 1 F P 2 1 H X H L 1 0 0 0 0 1
| | | | | | | | | | | +---------+---> Production Sequence
| | | | | | | | | | +---------------> Assembly Plant
| | | | | | | | | | N = Norwood (1987 only)
| | | | | | | | | | L = Van Nuys
| | | | | | | | | +-----------------> Model Year
| | | | | | | | | H = 1987
| | | | | | | | | J = 1988
| | | | | | | | | K = 1989
| | | | | | | | | L = 1990
| | | | | | | | | M = 1991
| | | | | | | | | N = 1992
| | | | | | | | +-------------------> Check Digit
| | | | | | | +---------------------> Engine Code
| | | | | | | S = 173 ci V6 LB8 (1987-1989)
| | | | | | | T = 191 ci V6 LH0 (1990-1992)
| | | | | | | F = 305 ci V8 LB9 (1987-1992)
| | | | | | | H = 305 ci V8 LG4 (1987)
| | | | | | | E = 305 ci V8 L03 (1988-1992)
| | | | | | | 8 = 350 ci V8 B2L/L98 (1987-1992)
| | | | | | +-----------------------> Restraint System
| | | | | | 1 = Manual belts
| | | | | | 2 = Manual belts (built in safety)
| | | | | | 3 = Manual belts (driver inflatable)
| | | | | | 4 = Automatic belts
| | | | | +-------------------------> Body Type
| | | | | 2 = 2 door coupe (hatchback)
| | | | | 3 = 2 door convertible
| | | | +---------------------------> Carline Series
| | | | Chevrolet:
| | | | P = Camaro (all models)
| | | | Pontiac:
| | | | S = Firebird
| | | | W = Formula, Trans Am
| | | +-----------------------------> Carline Code
| | | F = F-Body
| | +-------------------------------> Make
| | 1 = Chevrolet
| | 2 = Pontiac
| +---------------------------------> Manufacturer
| G = General Motors
+-----------------------------------> Country
1 = USA
2 = Canada

Trans_AM_88

wsp1970 good post, but that doesnt help us figure out if we have WS6

LedZep

iTrader: (22)

Heres how you figure it out, go out in the middle of nowhere on a back country road going about 75mph now if you can hold the car on the road and dont die you have a WS6 Supension if you die then you dont. GL

Drew

iTrader: (58)

Wow this thread sucks.

One reply out of 12 that is correct.

Okfoz was correct, everyone else needs to hit the books. This thread makes me wonder why I don't ban people for their stupidity. Posting incorrect information misleads people just as much as flames.

To address the original question...

Then what makes you think its a Trans Am?

Have you tried the VIN decoder and the RPO decoder?

pics? The only fender badges ever used were GTA or Firebird emblems.

Two choices... you can either check your VIN and RPO's yourself or you can post them here and someone will check them for you.
You need to determine if your car is a Trans Am or not, the VIN and RPO's will tell you this. You can verify that the RPO sheet is correct by crosschecking the VIN. The VIN is in the lower drivers side of the windshield and on the top of the RPO sheet. If they're the same, you have the right SPID. If not, you're pretty much out of luck, but you could try PHS.

Cargasm

Christ, Drew, do you ever lighten up?

okfoz

Cargasm,
I do not think its about being hard, when people want good information they want good information. I think he is frustrated with bad information by people that shoot things out there that really should not be commenting.

I know I make mistakes, and its a part of life...

John

Cargasm

taken to pm....

DJP87Z28

Whats so hard to understand from this reply. He had the RPO codes and only had to look them up on this site, to see if that option was on the Car.

SydwayzTA 86

A thought, but i may be wrong so dont quote me, as said before only 2 differant badges were "glued" on, firebird and gta well correct me if i'm wrong but i dont belive the the base firebird in 87 had ground effects, also if enough of the glue is there that you can tell the shape of it, if its thin and long it was the firebird, and if it was almost square i guess you could say, then it was gta

DJP87Z28

Good Point, the size glue thats left on the fenders for the badges tells you what model Firebird you have. Good work Detective. In my opinion it is best to trust the RPO codes.

Zepher

iTrader: (1)

If the engine code shows a V8 then it's a Trans Am , GTA or Formula.
If there are Fender Vents, it's a Trans Am.
If there no Vents but GFX, it's a GTA
No Vents, no gfx, bumper strips on the front and rear, it's a Formula.
Best thing to do is measure the swaybars.

If it's a V6, then it's a Firebird and you shouldn't have WS6 from the Factory.

okfoz

a V8 was availble in the Firebird, but it was only the LG4 for 87...

John

Zepher

iTrader: (1)

Oh, I didn't know that. I though only the later 91-92 had that option with the LO3.

Drew

iTrader: (58)

Now I remember why I stopped refering people to this site for quality information. Too many people that don't know jack **** about thirdgen history, but post their best guesses or misinformed info.

Since the original poster hasn't replied to this thread in quite a while, chances are that this thread is pointless.

locked.