TRANSAM82-92

iTrader: (1)

I recently picked up this 87 GTA ASC convertible in Florida. 66,000 miles 305 TPI automatic. Bright Red Blk top Blk cloth. It had a power rear top pull down. The motor was gone and replaced with a cast **** of some sort. I'm wondering if ASC did this mod since they stop using power pull downs? Still has power toneau release. I'm looking for a power top pull down and the pin that's different than solid pin. It's grooved. Here's some pics. Too cold to work on it now. More pics in spring or when I put it in garage. Enjoy

TRANSAM82-92

iTrader: (1)

more pics

TRANSAM82-92

iTrader: (1)

And more...the body is super clean with no rust. The previous owner thought it would look neat with a gold bottom..UGH I don't.He also painted mirrors and third brake light black. Purchased new in Miami FLA in 1987

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

Interesting.

TRANSAM82-92

iTrader: (1)

Yep love those verts

okfoz

As per our conversation yesterday the Power pull-down seems to be a Firebird only thing from 1986 & 1988. I have only seen pictures of them, I believe it was a typical motor from the era, like a Seat motor, but Like I said, never even seen one in person.

That is a Norwood car... I can tell without looking at the VIN...

John

TRANSAM82-92

iTrader: (1)

The motor itself is not the difficult part, its the billet end added on that pulls in grooved pin as opposed to a regular solid pin...difficult but not impossible. How can you tell it's a norwood car?

okfoz

PPG Glass

TRANSAM82-92

iTrader: (1)

I guess you're looking at pic with front windshield? Did PPG have a BLK border around glass and Norwood used PPG glass?

okfoz

Passenger Door... I can see PPG on the partially rolled down window.

PPG made glass for Norwood, and LOF (Libby Owens FORD) made the glass for Van Nuys.

They are identical As far as I can tell, the only difference is the logo. Also the Factory PPG Glass had their Logo on one side, and aftermarket was on the other... I forget which is which... I would have to look at my 87, as it has aftermarket PPG Windshield glass.

John

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

That cast aluminum **** looks like a grainger sourced part.

TRANSAM82-92

iTrader: (1)

I'm trying to figure if it's ASC doing or not. If anyone has a power pull down id like to use it I have a machinst to reproduce them out of billet. The motor i can source and the switch so i can remake those to from billet

okfoz

I know it kind of defeats it, but Why not convert it to the 87-92 Camaro/ 89-92 Firebird type?

John

TRANSAM82-92

iTrader: (1)

because I want to keep it like it was when new....and that they only used them on firebirds and 87-88 scarcely
I've had 88s and 89s both 305 and 350 cars. I want to keep an 87 because its first year for the GTA and the first ASC GTA convertible and certain features 88 and 89s didn't have

TRANSAM82-92

iTrader: (1)

I heard that 1987 Trans Am/GTAs did not have a trim tag on the radiator support...Is this true? It's a Norwwood built GTA

lonsal

iTrader: (2)

That original motor will be next to impossible to find. I too have only seen pictures a customer sent to me. Personally I would convert it to the pin/spring & lever arm style.

Good luck,

Lon

TRANSAM82-92

iTrader: (1)

The motor I can get direct from manufacturer. The end that ASC installed on it to pull pin needs to be made and the grooved pin...

okfoz

1987 have no trim tags on the radiator support

TRANSAM82-92

iTrader: (1)

Thanks

mjds

Every time I see third gen verts I just end up wanting one.....

okfoz

I know what you mean... so I got one... IMO I think the 87-89 Trans Am/GTA just look right as a convertible, even more so than the 91-92.

TRANSAM82-92

iTrader: (1)

Ditto X2....that's why i keep buying them. 87-89 are the best looking convertibles...and the only thing better than a formula TA or GTA is a convertible.

okfoz

TransAm82-92
Did you buy the 89 Turbo Trans Am Convertible, or did you make it?

TRANSAM82-92

iTrader: (1)

I made it because there were only 3 convertibles made. Oddly enough the convertible i was using was an 89 TA convertible that was a 350. Guy i bought it from took out 350 and trans to put in his 305 Iroc???? I ended up pulling the 89 tta drivetrain and putting it back in tta and selling it and sold 89 vert as roller again. I think the guy i sold it to cut it up and parted it. It was blue\silv blk top car. You've looked up the VIN before...

okfoz

I have considered doing that too... but I have a hard time cutting up 2 cars to make one. It would have to be high miles TTA & high miles Trans Am Vert for me to do it.

Just a note, the 2 TTA convertibles both had tan tops.

John

TRANSAM82-92

iTrader: (1)

I didn't cut up the tta. I kept the car whole. The convertible was already missing the drivetrain. There were 3. TTA convertibles. 2 sold to public and the other was a PAS test car that Scott Kelly drove around which was a T top that was later sent to ASC and converted and given to Jeff Beitzel owner of PAS at the time. He's now deceased and his car is owned by Rich (Biggdogtta) formerly of Carmotorsports. He's in Georgia and for sale sometime ago for $140,000. He also owns the PAS test vehicles...the epa emmisions, fitiment car and i forget what the red car was...

okfoz

Nope, ASC shows only 2... The PAS test car went to the guy in GA like you said. There was only one TTA sold to the public through the dealer network. The Cloth car was the press car shown there, the Leather was sent to a dealer in California... I have both the TTA list and the 1989 ASC conversion list, and only Two VIN's match up...

Honestly I have no idea where these numbers come from... So many people say the 350 GTA's were 50, I have a letter From ASC stating that there was only 10 Formula 350 convertibles, BUT I know of 15... So the 3 number, I read it in a book once, but I do not think it is accurate...

John

TRANSAM82-92

iTrader: (1)

Looked at my GTA a little closer….had to change a flat Goodyear Gatoback in rear. My car has a Drum rear end…Is that correct for an 87 GTA 305 TPI auto car?

okfoz

I do not think that is out of the ordinary. The LB9/M5 and L98 cars came standard with rear disc brakes. J65 is kind of strange in 1987, here is the note:
1st 87 printing 5-86: Req. w/L98 Engine - Opt w/LB9 Engine on Formula -N.A. Trans Am w/LG4
2nd 87 Printing 7-86: Req w/B2L Engine - N.A. LB9 Engine on Trans Am -N.A. LB9 Engine w/Auto Trans on GTA.
3rd 87 Printing 8-86: Req w/B2L Engine - N.A. LB9 Engine on Trans Am -N.A. LB9 Engine w/Auto Trans on GTA.

Rear Disc Brakes, (according to Dealer Order worksheet)
Firebird Base N/A
Formula could have Rear Disc Brakes on anything
Trans Am LG4 & L98 ONLY
GTA LB9/M5 & L98 only

It ended up being a weight problem.

What I found to be most interesting is the first release actually lists L98 instead of B2L for engine, I think that was the only time.

John

TRANSAM82-92

iTrader: (1)

So you could get the drum rear end on an 87 GTA 305 TPI auto?

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

I parted out a 92 gta, was a 305, auto, posi 273 aluminum drum car.
It had ttops and leather. You could downgrade to the 305 for leather and ttops that yr.

okfoz

Apparently yes.

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

Getn you closer
***** with Four Lobes or Prongs (Star *****)
http://www.jwwinco.com/products/section8/

TRANSAM82-92

iTrader: (1)

Thanks. I was under the GTA this weekend, it's a 305 TPI car and noticed it had an oil cooler. I thought only 350 cars had coolers not 305s...

okfoz

Is it an Automatic or Manual Trans? I think some of the LB9/MM5 cars got them too.. but not sure. Maybe someone installed it after the fact.

TRANSAM82-92

iTrader: (1)

It's an automatic...

TRANSAM82-92

iTrader: (1)

I also have to scan and send you the ASC worksheet i found with paperwork. I also have the transport paper from dealer to ASC. Kinda neat. The car was almost $24K new and with financing through dealer it would have been $28K. Payments for 36 months were $792. Holy Sh!@t these car were a lot back then.

kramer87gta

iTrader: (1)

I actually have a 87 GTA Vert as well. I was able to find the build sheet for it, but mine is a 305 TPI and does have drum brakes in the rear, but has the digital dash options, Does your radio face plate have a special edition number xxx tag on it? I do have that convertible top set up and can send you some picts of what the striker looks like, ill be pulling it out tomorrow as its finally becoming spring here in Wisconsin

okfoz

I would like to see the special edition sticker too... never seen one on a Firebird, only on the Camaros...

John

kramer87gta

iTrader: (1)

Hey John,

I actually created this a while back.. but in my second post i have a picture of it.

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/conv...7-asc-gta.html

unfortuantly i lost my password for the site, have have actually gotten the car back together since this was posted, I am going to get some updated pictures to it.

TRANSAM82-92

iTrader: (1)

I'm the one who made those trunk decals and in the correct color for the Firebird, camaros were yellow, firebirds white...

okfoz

It says #412, which is interesting as in 1987 the max number was 174, and there was only a handful in 1986. I wonder if this was grouped in with the Camaros.

TRANSAM82-92

iTrader: (1)

I've never seen one of those and with those custom back seats it looks like something someone added after the fact. Talking with Brian from ASC, he never mentioned adding those to radio face. I asked him about the process when car arrived and what they did...I've had plenty of these 350 GTA 350 formula digital dashes and TA convertibles...it almost looks like something from another car

TRANSAM82-92

iTrader: (1)

Those might have been in IROC Z convertibles 87 if i remember correctly. Located on right side of dash under IROC Z badging

TRANSAM82-92

iTrader: (1)

Like this....in orange red to match IROC Z bagde. They also made about 2500 Iroc Z convertibles unie GTAs which were onlyi in the hundreds..nowhere close to 417.

kramer87gta

iTrader: (1)

Yeah I am still learning more about the car that's for sure, I was able to find the build sheet for the car, i was just always curious about that special edition name plate and what it meant.

But yeah the back seats where done last year as i re-did the interior of the car. the rest of it is stock besides the logos in the seats.

TRANSAM82-92

iTrader: (1)

They didn't produce over 400 GTA convertibles. That's from an IROC Z and I don't believe ASC placed it there either. What i really need is to meet up with you so i can have the pin and top of motor made by friend and take pics of switch so I can make them for m car and others, like the ASC and trunk decals i redid.

okfoz

From 86-89 there was only about 600 Firebird convertibles and the majority of them (about half) were made in 1989. BUT 89 was the only year you could get a convertible Firebird with a 350...

John

TRANSAM82-92

iTrader: (1)

I was in the GTA again today trying to figure out the top pull down...low and behold look what I found…the original switch to pull down top, and looks like metal that was cut and thrown in...messy ASC. Also this number scribed with a paint marker.#253. Hmmm wonder if it's the 253rd they built between firebirds and camaros...

TRANSAM82-92

iTrader: (1)

Also bought this in Arizona...1983 autoform...real clean