CadeFirebird

I have looked up my Vin number and decoded it, and according to the Vin number it is a 1989 firebird base model. However, I rarely see a firebird with the same body. It has the power bulge hood that comes on the formulas, but has the ground effects of a GTA. Did the base model firebirds come like this, or has something been changed to my firebird?... The photo below is exactly how my firebird is. This may be a dumb question, but Its my first car and im still learning about third gens.

Andrew James

iTrader: (3)

Somebody may have customized it before you to their liking. Or swapped vins....

AmorgetRS

iTrader: (6)

No stock base model came like that. It could either have the ground effects and a flat wing or be a Formula and have the wrap around wing and the power bulge hood, not both. The VIN won't directly tell you if it was a Formula or a base model.

Andrew James

iTrader: (3)

If that is true Amorget, then it could be a Formula with gfx.

CadeFirebird

Thanks, I am going to try and figure out what has been done to it. Is there any way I can figure out if the Ground effects have been replaced? The car was in an accident and the front left fender was completely crushed, however everything else on the body is perfect..this leads me to believe that other parts of the body that were damaged may have been replaced? Everything seems as though it came with the car, but i guess after 23 years gave the previous owner plenty of time to change the body.

AmorgetRS

iTrader: (6)

What is the 8th digit of the VIN?

CadeFirebird

It is an E, which i believe registers to a 305...Which is what it came with

91phoenix

iTrader: (5)

Another way to get more information is to look at the RPO codes that are probably on the rear storage compartment door backside or possibly in the console storage area.

It appears as though the whole car had a repaint a while back because of no discernable decals. I would look under the front edge of the front and rear bumpers for any signs of a different color paint there and on the front fender ground effect pieces. These could help give you a clue as to what has been done.

CadeFirebird

Ok cool...So did the base model firebirds come with any decals? Also, when my paint chips, it is light grey underneith, and then you see the metal. Do all cars have this light gray color when the paint chips? or is this old paint?

mantaguy

iTrader: (5)

http://www.kt-s.net/media/1982-1992_...ember_1992.pdf
Check and see if you have a RPO sheet,it will be in the console if you have one.
This PDF will show you where the decals belong if it is a FB or Formula,I don't think FireBirds had any??? but Formulas did.About the paint chips,that might be primer your seeing!!!

CadeFirebird

Yea i really have no idea to tell if anything has been changed on the body because it is done so well..Are you guys sure that firebirds didnt come with the wrap around, ground effects, and power bulge hood? If not could you maybe like request to have these features from gm?

AmorgetRS

iTrader: (6)

In 89 you could get a base model with ground effects. If you got a Formula, then you got the power bulge hood and the wrap around spoiler.

GM didn't allow requests like that.

The E on the VIN means from the VIN there will be no way to tell if it was a Formula or a base Firebird. The SPID sheet, which would tell you everything the car came with, would be located in the center console. It didn't move to the rear compartment until mid 91.

mantaguy

iTrader: (5)

What is your 5th digit,in 86 the 5th digit would tell you what model it is.

AmorgetRS

iTrader: (6)

Yeah, but he has a 1989 and the model VIN for the Formula is the same as the base model Firebird.

mantaguy

iTrader: (5)

I see !!!! didn't the formula model takeover the SE model??

AmorgetRS

iTrader: (6)

I don't know if I'd phrase it that way, but the SE went away and the Formula came, however I wouldn't really call them comparable.

mantaguy

iTrader: (5)

Just curious,because of that reason.I discovered the the 5th digit for the Formula is a S,and the SE would have been a X.

CadeFirebird

I'm going to look at my car tonight...Isn't there a paint code on the in the engine bay somewhere that tells what the original paint color was? I want to see if it got into an accident and was maybe repainted a different color. Im going to take pics of the gfx, the hood, and whole car to try and figure out what has been done to it. I am also going to look at that rpo code you all recommended I find.. Anything else I should look for when i go to figure out what was changed? May anything else hint what has been done to it?

mantaguy

iTrader: (5)

You can lift the carpet to see what color it was or look behind the rear plastics.In 89 the paint code would be on the RPO list,

mantaguy

iTrader: (5)

This site will list your paint codes for 89 Pontiac
http://search.yahoo.com/r/_ylt=A0oG7...tiac%26rows=50

navy02ws6

Yep! Little known fact. T/A ground effects made their way onto probably half of 91-92 base model Firebirds, but they were also available on base model 89-90 Firebirds, although I've only seen a handful of 89-90s that had them.

AmorgetRS

iTrader: (6)

Oddly, I have 3 base models with ground effects. 2 1989s and 1 1990.

From what I've seen it was much more common on the V6 models then the TBI V-8 models. All mine are V-6s.

musclecar70sfan

iTrader: (1)

Look at your RPO sticker, if you find WS6 (performance suspension) then it's a Formula. If you don't, it's a base model Firebird with the ground effects and a power bulge hood. I'm sure there's an RPO for the ground effects on a base bird; I just don't remember what that is exactly.

AmorgetRS

iTrader: (6)

If he had the SPID this wouldn't be a long thread.

W66 is the RPO for a Formula. I believe that W68 is the Appearance Package.

CadeFirebird

Yea sorry guys, due to the car having body work done and on a lift, I haven't had the opportunity to get the RPO code. I will try to get it today, if not tomorrow.