purpleZ-28

ok, so i recently aquired an 88 trans am GTA with 112K for $3000. it has the 5L TPI motor and an auto transmission, four wheels discs, blah blah standard equipment.
heres my trouble though. there is no RPO sheet in the glove box. i just looked at some authentication tips from the GTAsource website. and guess what? my emblems are in the wrong place, well, the fender and sail panel emblems. the car was painted about 2 years ago, so im thinking maybe it was just a mistake on the painters behalf? it has all the gta features though, correct seats, the brakes, the steering wheel, and gta 16" wheels.
is there a way i can find out if its a real GTA? that site has me worried that i bought a fake.

Xophertony

buy a kit from PHS. that is how i found out my GTA was legit.

it was missing many GTA components... but it had enough to justify the price.

good luck.

Mr. TurboTA

Yep,
Pay PHS for the copy of the invoice.
It will tell you if it's a true GTA.

George

purpleZ-28

i heard that if you go through GM directly they can send you the same stuff for free. is this true?

305q_ta86

iTrader: (1)

If it's got all teh GTA stuff on it, who cares?


Either some greasy guy in the factory put it all on or a greasy guy in a driveway did. Either way, it's all there.

1989GTABlown632

You can run a carfax report also

purpleZ-28

would that tell me if it was a real gta though?

1989GTABlown632

I ran it on mine when I got it. It told me it was a GTA plus it will give you all the info about the cars history. Ive bought many cars over time and I always run one before I buy a car. I think theres someone on here who can run one for you but you would need to ask.

Klortho

Does it have the air extractors on the front fenders? Is the bird in the center of the taillights gold? Does it have the GTA map pocket? Does it have the gold Pontiac (alot don't put this back on if the headlight trim has been replaced) I would say that the emblems were just put on wrong after the car was painted.

Carfax won't tell you if the car is a GTA or not, the only true way is go through PHS and get the packet from them.

Xophertony

yes, it is true that GM can give you some of this info for free, HOWEVER, for us bird guys it is not as easy as that. PHS was suposed to get copies from GM when they started up, but in many cases GM gave them the originals. so MOST thirdgen firbirds will not have info with GM, only PHS. a few years ago when jennifer knightly ( i think that was her name) was still with GMs historical division she could get a copy of the invoices from PHS, but GM does not do that anymore.

to give it a shot and see if the general still has your info you can call this number: 905-440-7689. that is for the general motors "vintage dept". or you can call any GM switchboard and they can direct you,

more then likley you will be disapointed and must pay PHS the 40$. but the camaro crowd is lucky, they get it for free.

305q_ta86 if you had a GTA you would understand joking, but for the "purist" it does matter. i did get a little more strut in my walk once i had a confirmed GTA, but if i had found out it was fake it would not have affected my love for my Trans Am, but i would have removed the badging out of principal.

purpleZ-28

cool, i will tottally call that number first, cuz i wanna see if i can save me some cash bucks.
and yeah, i like the idea of having pontiacs "flag ship" model. its deffinetlly put a smile on my face.
----------
air extractors on the front fenders? you mean the air scoops? no, it doesnt have air scoops behind the wheels. the bird is gold. it has the gta map pocket. it has the gold headlight letters. i looked again and it is only the fender tags that are out of place, but when i was looking at that site i got hella nervous.

Mr. TurboTA

Ha! Air scoop would be on the hood, while the air extractors are on the fenders.
If you ever walk up to the Trans Am after it has been running, and put your hand next to the fender openings (air extractors), you will feel hot air coming out. Hence, air extractors!
Don't worry, we'll teach you Camaros guys.
Late second gen Z-28s got them too.

George

purpleZ-28

uh, i think you mean the little openings in the fender behind the wheel well right? well, as far as i know, no GTA ever had them. here, ill post a pic...

V6sucker

I was smoking crack, mine does not... I coulda swore it did... all black you kinda see stuff that is not there...
----------
Not all scoops are on hoods...
Just being nitpicky...

purpleZ-28

[QUOTE=V6sucker]Uh mine does.
And I know it is a GTA and a WS6 model as well...QUOTE]
really? i thought that they didnt have them.

so do you think it is worth shelling out the money for a pontiac document? it deffinetlly has all the correct parts, but i just want to make sure.

aaron7

iTrader: (7)

If you want to make sure, then yes. Go for it.

irocalot

Don't the electronic parts catalogs in all the gm dealers pull all the rpo codes if you input the vin? I know they do for newer cars....

Might be as simple and cheap as asking the dealer's parts guy to hit "print"..

purpleZ-28

so your saying take my vin to a dealership?

irocalot

Yes, stop in and ask the parts guy if he can input your vin into his parts catalog. All GM dealers are required to have an electronic parts catalog, and at least for the newer cars, that catalog will pull up all the options on the car so the dealer can order the correct parts. They can only go back a certain number of years, and I've been out of the business for a while, but like I said, it's worth a try, and it shouldn't cost you anything but a few minutes of your time....

purpleZ-28

thats awesome, im going to try that first. if no luck, then ill get the PHS packet

subliminal

iTrader: (1)

Sorry to burst your bubble v6sucker but no GTAs came with the fender vents, if you dont believe me check out the gta source page and be wise. What may of happened though is someone replaced the fenders and did not use the right ones.

Klortho

Not on factory GTA's. They have solid front fenders.

purpleZ-28

thats what i thought

Gunner823

iTrader: (2)

My guess is your car was simply repainted, and the fender badges are a little off. Everything else about the car is what it should be, I'd say you don't have much to worry about.

V6sucker

I corrected my statement... I just thought it did... it was in the garage, and the car is black. I have only owned it for like 3 weeks...
----------
AGAIN I corrected myself. Mine are solid...
I just thought they did for some reason...
I need to lay off the crack pipe I know...
----------
Actually I need new fronts anyway (mine ARE SOLID) but replace them with the vented ones just to get some more underhood heat out...

I have the Y84 RPO on the back sticker... it has gold birds... I just think the drivers headlight may have been replaced as it was not gold lettered (to my recollection anyway) but i just replaced it again so I do not think it matters anyway with everything else on the car screaming GTA, I am a frakin GTA...
But yes 4 wheel disk, "performance syspension" badge on dash, GTA double pocket, WS6 center caps, seriously big a$$ front and rear anti sway bars, 350 TPI (but I got that 383 in now) power everything (including lumbar) and cruise...

purpleZ-28

they also came with 305's correct?

AmorgetRS

iTrader: (6)

Yes, you could get a 305 TPI in a GTA, however the 350 TPI was standard.

purpleZ-28

so it was like a price reduction option then right? because from what im told i have the 305. but then again, i have no way to verify that, because i have no rpo sheet. when i call the dealer tomarrow ill find out (hopefully!)

purpleZ-28

GOOD NEWS!
i got my vin number and checked it out on carfax, and it stated right away that my car is infact a real GTA!
but also some bad news (or good who knows?) it has 10 reports on it. should i drop $25 to find out?

also, haha i just re-read my post, DUH! yes it is a 305, got that from the vin number.

Klortho

Carfax does not know if it is a GTA or not, it just goes by the VIN number and probably says both Trans Am and GTA. Best thing to do is call the dealer who will know exactly what it is.

purpleZ-28

just go and rain on my parade wont ya! j/k
i will call the dealer today just to double check.