I heard from a friend that in 86 there were 200 GTA prototypes produced in pontiacs canadian plant..can anyone verify that? thanks

 

Are you suggesting that there are actually 1986 GTA's somewhere??? If you are the answer is no. Not maybe, but no for sure. Two hundred canadian spec 1986 GTA's do not exist unless we are sniffing solvents people. Someone is pulling your leg....I hope you never made a bet on this!!LOL

 

Without any proof, I would have to say NO, they don't exist, but remember, GM did that with the RS. The "Camaro RS" was available in 1987 and 1988 in certain areas, and it was successful, so GM made it an actual model in 1989.

 

....okay please enlighten me....which CANADIAN PONTIAC plant were they produced at in 1986???? Is this to mean that the VIN numbers start with a "2" for country of origin and the what will the 11th digit be on th VIN as well??? I know that "L" signifies Van Nuys,CA. and "N" signifies Norwood,Ohio which were the ONLY 2 places a GTA was ever assembled by GM to my knowledge but I am unsure of the letter denoting the Canadian Pontiac Plant in 1986. If you can dig that up I am ALL ears.

 

GM certainly wouldn't retool a plant in Canada to make 200 prototype models of a car that would never be built at the same plant, nor would they export all of the components for assembly to a Canadian plant.

 

There were GTA's produced in Montreal. The first digit of the VIN is "2". My neighbor had one like this.

 

NO 86 production GTA's. I've heard there were 2 produced as prototypes, that's all, and they were U.S. models.

 

iroc22 this is how rumors start. No GTA ever had a VIN that did not start just like 1G2WF. There are no GTA's that start 2G2WF to signify that Canada is the country of origin. NONE. Not one. Not some secret one that someone's uncles exwife who drives the bus route in Glendale who had an affair with a GM executive involved in GTA production states she has seen in person 3 times....NONE in Canada.

 

As long as we're comparing it to the RS cars that were sold in CA in 87, did everybody notice that we all KNOW about the RS cars, right down to the exact production numbers? We'd know about the GTAs if they existed too.

And if somebody can prove that their thirdgen was made in canada, I'll give them my car.

 

:sillylol: Good point!

 

thanks guys, it was just something I heard and wanted to clear up. later

 

I remember comparing my neighbour's VIN to mine at one point and I swore that I saw '2' as the starting digit, cause mine was a '1'. But as of right now until I can find out more, I'll have to say I'm wrong then.

 

iroc22, I know I had attitude in my post(bad day at home) and I appologize for that it was uncalled for. But there were never any GTA's produced in Canada. I just hate to see doubt cast on this issue thats all. For the record there were no GTA's produced that had a VIN starting with a "2".

 

The car i just sold was a GTA prototype made in 86 with cheaper 15" gta rims,ws6 package and gta digital dash with a 305 tpi.

 

hehehe...okay I'll bite. Go ahead and post your documentation from PHS. If you don't have it I can provide you with the toll free number and a direct contact name so the info can be faxed to you immediately. And tell us the story behind the car.

 

that 86 gta prototype doesnt hold a candle to my all aluminum 93 thirdgen that came with 400hp stock. 1 of 1 made.


Nah, just kidding of course. However I do doubt 200 prototypes from Canada were ever made. I assume thegtasourcepage would have had that info by now if indeed it was true.

 

According to both Pontiac and PHS, there were no 1986 "prototype" GTAs built in the US, Canada, or anywhere else.

The GTA RPO code "Y84" was used in 1986 and records show that there were two cars built.... but according to PHS, that code in 1986 denoted the installation of Recaro seats from the factory. So there'd be a rare car for you to uncover....

Much of the '87 GTA's equpiment was available on the Trans Am in '86, but there were no '86 "GTAs".

 

ABOUT the best you would ever find would be a car that was used for Photo purposes for the next years Pontiac brochures, they have to make them BEFORE production starts, so there are some cars that LOOK like the next year, BUT they would not be the real deal.

John

 

I saw 2 '86 GTA's sold here in montreal with a high price tag. I phoned them and each time they've said they were prototypes. One was pretty recent. I thought they were full of it. I didn't get into details with the guys at all. Next time if i see one i'm going to dig deeper and ask for more information. There are really weird 3rd gens here in montreal.

 

Not exactly true. All TTA's were 1G5. They started out as 1G2 as noted on the build sheet. It also says "TURBO GTA" at the bottom.

So that would be the exception

 

I'd have to think there was more than one code used to denote the factory installed Recaro's in 86, mainly because I know where at least one is.

 

AS5 was the RPO code for the '85 & '86 Recaro seats with the B20 Luxury Interior and only in the 62D trim.

Y84 would have been for a Special Edition "Trans Am" Package. '85 and '86 didn't have any.

'85 & '86, Recaro seats were available on ALL models...Firebird, SE, and Trans Am.

 

82RECAROTA, thanks for the clarification. All I had to go on was the info I was given by Pontiac and PHS; I'm certainly not an authority on the Recaro T/As of the 3rd Generation.

So the 1986 Y84 RPO with "2" produced is still a mystery.... Pontiac says "no"....

 

Just to throw more fuel on the fire ... there were indeed prototypes built in Canada ... now whether any where GTA's or not, is still a questions.

Often GM would get cars shipping into Canada, and do "whatever" with them, and then crush them.

I base this on the research I am doing for the Players Challenge Series. There were indeed prototype cars used for marketing and testing. There were cars delivered to other companies for retrofiting. And so on.

So certainly there could have been some car fitted with GTA-like options ... really GTA is only a set of options and some cool seats. I'm sure the boys at GM had a few 5.7L cars ... but nothing that ever made it out for sale. And certainly there would be little if any documentation to support it.

Mark.

 

To my knowledge there is nothing on the GTA that you could not get on a Trans AM. I almost bought an 87 Trans AM with everything including the Ultima seats, and the Digital Dash, Overhead console, 350 TPI Auto, the works... The Only difference would be the front fenders, which could be removed and installed with base firebird fenders and drill some holes for the GfX if need be.

Matter of fact, I think you could get everything on a Formula if you wanted, except the Digital dash, HEre is a promotial pic of an 87 Formie with the Ultima seats, you can tell by the shape of the headrests and the shine from the leather.

John

 

the pic...

 

You could get the "Ultimate GTA" seats on a formula? I thought that was a GTA specific part, along with the steering wheel radio controls.

I've never seen a Formie with GTA seats, not even a TransAm with those seats. But there it is, staring me in the face in that picture you posted.

I do know there are documented cases of L98's finding their way into 86 Camaros for testing purposes. The data is on this site too.

 

In 1989, there was no way in heck to get anything other than the base seats on a Formula. Heck, there was only 4 color choices in that year, red, blue, black, white, and two tone any of them.

I tried to order those seats, but could not do it. Perhaps in 1987 they still could be ordered.

Mark.

 

Thats the first I've ever seen of a Formula with those seats, they were always base seats.

 

I have a set of those seats in my 87 Formula, I got them from an 83 trans AM that got them from an 87 car... to be honest, they look good but I think my original base seats were waaaayy more comfortable, the only thing I like better about them is they are leather, and they have the lumbar/bolster support with 6 way power... ,

There was an 87 Formula that was close to a friend of mine that had the seats in it, I do not know if they were original or not tho... I should have looked in the center console, it was for sale, I did not have the time for another project...

I was a new Formula owner at the time, so I did not know what I know now...


John

 

I could see the formula having those seats, heck the ones in mine came from a grand am! yes stock I got the tracks from e-bay so they would bolt down with the correct height. and the 87 formula also had the same door panels as the gta.

 

The door panels came with the Deluxe interior, you could get them on ANY firebird in 87...

John

 

that's the point

 

OK,the car i just sold wasnt a GTA, it was an 86 Trans Am w/digital dash exactly like in a GTA along w/ those cheaper 15" gold gta rims,ws6 package and a 305 TPI and power everything. I mean to me i considered it a GTA prototype cause it was right before the GTA's came out and it had so many similar features.But it was a real nice car and im upset i sold it.

 

my 89 formula has the Leather GTA seats
I bought it off the original owner..

 

I thought after 87 the GTA had exclusive options that couldnt be ordered for formulas or regular T/A's? What Im seeing here is that the options could be ordered for the regular T/A's and the Formula (which is supposed to be a stripped down performance only package).

The ultima seats, the steering wheel radio controls, the "GTA" door panels, etc etc.

Whats the point of having a separate model labeled the "GTA" when you could option out a T/A with the same stuff and just get badging to specify that its a Luxury T/A?

Ive read elsewhere that the suspension setups were different in GTA's vs T/As or Formulas.

Going by what off what ofkoz states, you could order a Formula with every GTA option besides a digi dash thus making it appear to be a GTA but its still a Formula?? wouldnt ordering it this way delete anything that made it a Formula and actually make it a GTA?



Some clarification on this issue should be in order....

 

Actually, I thought it was the opposite. That from 87-90 you couldn't order ALL of the GTA options on any other model but by 91/92 you were able to order all of the GTA options on, for example, a Trans Am.

What sense does that make? It would still be a Formula with GTA options. Ordering options doesn't just chance the model type...

 

I do think the radio controls in 88 & 89 were GTA specific, not saying that as a fact, but I have never seen a T/A or a Formula with that option
The GTA was monocolor, the T/A was available from 87-90 with the lower accent, maybe someone wanted a paint scheme, other than a single color. The Formula WAS NEVER availble with ground effects, bar none, not a single one out there period, so even tho the options were there its like saying why would anyone buy a Camaro with all the options when you could buy a GTA??? Because people like the look of a T/A or a Formula over a GTA, I know I would not trade my Formula for a similar equiped GTA..
The Formula and GTA Got the same Suspension "WS6", there was not a difference between them... The trans Am could be ordered with the WS6, BUT it was not standard.

Like 92 GTA stated, Just because you order options does not change the body. From 87-90 to be specific, the Trans AM also got the fender vents, the GTA was not availbe with them and the T/A was not availble without them, the Formula never got Ground effects from the factory, only in 89+ were the ground effects availbel on the BASE firebird, but not availble on the Formula...

I hope that clears it up... There were distinct differences between the models...

As for Tony's car, his is the Third Formula that I have ever seen with the "Ultima seats" that I believe to be "Factory"... Please keep in mind his car is also a factory T-top/350 car so he has something that is really unusual... I have seen more Firehawks than I have seen cars with his combo... (Formula/Ultima seats/350/t-tops)

BTW, if you ever want to race Tony for Money... Just hand him $20 and drive away.

John

 

One more thing to bake your noodle, Why would anyone take a GTA and strip it down when you could get a T/A? They are out there..

What is the difference between that and loading out a Formula or T/A?

John

 

Paint. I never really liked the two tone on the TA or Z28 for that matter. The IROC and GTA just looked better in one color. IMHO

 

There is a 1989 Trans Am down the road from here that is sitting in a barn side shed going away to nothing (dirty, banged up, goats broke one of the T-tops out, etc.) that does have the radio controls, the black GTA Ultima seats, and also has the 5.7L TPI V8, WS6, etc.... fully loaded out T/A. The guy bought it while in the military and will not part with it.... I've asked before.

It's the only Trans Am I've ever seen with the radio controls on the wheel and the GTA seats.... but the radio wheel controls became optional on the GTA and the T/A in late '87, according to the order sheets.

 

I think you hit the nail on the head there, this is what made GTA's stand out from normal TA's. the monocolor paint jobs were the best!

Thanks for the clarification guys...