Does anyone know of any factory paint defects for the third generation trans ams? specifically an 86? i recently have began to think that my supposed original paint is not really original, due to the fact that the "TRANS AM" decal on the front bumper is on the passenger side, instead of the drivers side, where it is supposed to be located. is there any way i can tell if its original paint or not? perhaps just the bumper was repainted due to a collision or something?? helppp!

Some of the 86-88 (IIRC, someone will verify, I hope) California-built cars (11th VIN digit "L" ) had paint quality problems, with the clear and base coats coming off in sheets, similar to a piece of tape. The way to check if the car has been repainted would be to check the RPO sticker (or the body plate on the radiator support if the car has one) for the paint code. If the paint color doesn't match the RPO code color, the car has been repainted. The only other way to check if the car has been repainted is to use a paint thickness gauge, which won't work on the front bumper due to using a magnet. It's also possible that something may have happened to the original emblem in the past and one of the owners put a new one on the wrong side, assuming that both emblems go on the same side of the car instead of opposing corners.

24 yr old car may have been in accident or repainted in the timespan. What is your big concern about the paint being original???

Although it's going to be a little harder to tell since this paint is so old, look for the usual dead giveaways: fisheyes, trash in the paint, different hues on different panels if it was not an all-over paint job. Not sure about F-Bodies, but I know B-Bodies were still using lacquer paint as late as 1985, so I would also check to see if there are microscopic cracks on certain panels and not on others, which would also be a dead giveaway. Overspray on trim or seals would also be obvious signs of a repaint. Bumpers are another story, as they are never the same material as the rest of the car. Paint never seems to adhere or hold up as well on bumpers, which is why they are frequently repainted even if the paint on the rest of the car is very good.

Just remember, factory paint is as close as you can get to perfect (when it's new anyways) -- that means no fisheyes, no trash, and no overspray.