Mongoose

iTrader: (2)

Shows mine is 1 of 18 with the exact same RPO codes.

scottmoyer

I ran a few cars from eBay and they were all marked RS on the heading, but they also showed the Z28 option code. In reality, the 1988 on up cars could all be listed as Sport Coupe or RS with the Z28 RPO code.

yo soy el warg

I also tried my 1992 RS Camaro. It came up as an RS and every RPO was correct. I then tried a 1991 Z28 and it came up as an RS in the title description. But the RPO list had Z28 as an option. Every RPO on the car was listed correctly.

okfoz

I believe what is there is correct, unfortunately not all of it is there... I must have done 50 searches, and they all came back as what I knew them to be, I scoured ebay, autotrader & such for VINS, and from the sellers descriptions it appears to be correct.

John

compnine

Hey guys, glad you found the decoder and are having a little fun with it.

Seems there's a bit of confusion about the rarity section. A bit of text explaining it was added, but it seems people might be skipping over it. That section is based on an EXACT match of ALL of your options, even stuff that isn't really an option, like where it was built. You really have to look at the list to see why it would come back rare. When you get down to asking how many came out of the Van Nuys facility with chrome lug nuts and a tape deck it becomes pretty apparent why there's only a few of them.

No sensible owner will try to sell their car based on it being rare with every option listed. If someone tries to sell you a car that's 'rare' because it was the only one built with a blue interior, bike rack, and production week 23, you should probably walk away.

You can use the rpocheck page to see how rare it is based on only select RPO codes. We also just finished building that ability into the decoder page - check back later today.

The Camaro will usually come back an RS, don't take it to mean much.

The Firebird listings are short by quite a bit. There just isn't much info out there on them. However, there are lots of other cars where we have the entire production run in the DB. We're also about to do a huge update of another 30 million+, maybe there are a few more in it.

Hope it answers a few questions and if you have any others just let me know.

Black_Knight

It just seemed like any of us with Firebirds made before 1991 or so didn't have much luck with the VIN search. I was hoping to see my RPO codes come back off the VIN because I've had three third gens, and I have never had RPO stickers in any of them. It would be neat to see what the cars came with originally given that two of the three cars I've owned had at least three owners. There is no telling what each person did with the car as it got older. Given the age of these cars many people end up replacing some worn or broken parts with items from junk yard cars or whatever and as a result it's tough to tell what the cars were actually like when they were new.

Drew

iTrader: (58)

Look at about any thirdgen on ebay and that's exactly what you'll see.

I'm curious how specific the rarity equation gets... Is it including the date in the formula it uses to determine rarity?

Drew

iTrader: (58)

That thought crossed my mind as well, but since the contact info isn't Canadian I didn't have any real reason to believe that is the case.

Stephen

iTrader: (12)

Actually....The Firebird info is out there, you just apparently don't have it.

Pontiac Historical Services has it, just not for free.

compnine

Black_Knight - Yeah I'm sorry that for now the Firebird listings are very limited. I have a lot of the vin numbers but very few of the RPO codes. Hopefully we can expand that soon.




Hah! Well I'm sorry if the site is contributing to the insanity. It's not up there to get people to raise their asking price, it's just neat to find how few cars rolled out EXACTLY like yours. If we have enough of the cars produced, and you remove garbage RPO codes, it's actually quite accurate.

It takes the year, model, and ALL of the RPO codes. Date doesn't usually play a part unless one of the codes is the production week. There's no way for the system to automatically pull out those useless codes, but you can do it manually and resubmit it. We just opened that ability so if you recheck your VIN it will probably be the cached version. Send me or post your VIN and I'll clear the cache so you can check it out.


Nope, not Canadian or specific to it. It just so happens that lots of the Canadian cars have all of their info in the DB.

compnine

It looks like they don't have a database of it, but either order or have a copy of the original paperwork. Not at all useful for our needs, or for use online, but it's neat to see someone at least picking up the slack.

okfoz

For the F-cars a Canadian spec car had the Z49 "Export" RPO. When I did a search on the RPO search I found that all of the Camaros and Firebirds from 1982-1989 had the Z49 RPO...

I just wonder if some of the information may be out there, possibly in an older publication... It would really be great if we could get more VINS & RPOS for Firebirds...

Thanks for your effort.

John

C-Titan

iTrader: (2)

Oooohhhh.... Well, Ya learn somthin' new everyday... haha

Stratocaster25

I'm glad to hear I wasn't the only one. I put my VIN in and it said my Z28 was an RS as well. Kinda scared me for a second. It does have Z28 listed in the RPO codes though.

Iroctopless

Here's my results for my Canadian IrocZ convertible . . .


Never knew it was actually an RS!!!! Must be REALLY rare with the RPO Z28!

H8TRAFIC

My RS is listed as 1 of 1. I find it hard to believe that GM only built 1 white hardtop V6 with flame red interior & option package #3. When my car was new I would pass myself all the time! I agree there is a flaw with this decoder.

tavert91

iTrader: (1)

This is a fascinating site but I believe all of us are a little skeptical about the source of the information. While it appears to be extremely accurate and certainly convenient, there are some curiousities that are hard to explain. Thank you for finding it and making us aware of it.

When I ran my VIN, most of the option information came back as I suspected. However, the build date caused me to scratch my head. I have a 91 TA Convertible with an ASC sticker showing it was completed by ASC in March 1991. That would be in sync with the build date supplied by this site of Feb 1991 but my car also has an emission sticker on the radiator shroud dated Sept 1990.

So, either I believe that the car was completed before Sept 1990, used for emission testing and then "officially" built in Feb 1991 before going to ASC or the build date from this site is not correct. The emission sticker I have identifies the car as "EP3" along with the date. Both are handwritten in appropriate blanks on the sticker.

I have never been able to identify this sticker via other members and it is accompanied by another sticker on the bottom side of the hood (by the latch catch) that identifies the car as a "CPC Test and Development" vehicle.

If anyone has similar labels or has any info on their origin, I would like to hear from you.

****

compnine

They probably didn't just build yours. Please re-read either my post above, or the text just below your rarity info for an explanation.

Sounds like your car has an interesting history. The date provided is what GM has on file for your car. We don't make it up, but I'm not sure when it's officially considered "built." I would suppose the build date is when it actually rolled off their lot and yours might have sat in a staging area for a while before going out. Just a guess though.

C-Titan

iTrader: (2)

::Removed::

Due to my own stupidity... haha

Guy In A 90 RS

Here's what I got when I punched in my VIN:

There are 3 1990 CAMARO RS 2 DR vehicles (0.009%) matching your exact options list. There are 3 (0.009%) with at least as many options.

I guess all of our cars are rare!!! However it did get all my options right. Though it didn't have a build date. . .If I remember the faded sticker on the door, it read Sept. 89'.

Pretty neat site. Bookmarked it.

Iroctopless

For mine, while the site didn't have the build date my car, my GM decal is dated as Sept/88 and ASC Oct/88. Back to back months.

Stephen

iTrader: (12)

Let's not beat up on Compnine. They have what info they do have, just not much of it for F-bodies. Less info for the Firebirds than for Camaros.

According to the decoder, there weren't even ANY L98 nor Y84 built in 1987. Which is obviously wrong, since I have one, with both codes, sitting in my car port.

Iroctopless

Despite a few glitches, I think it's a cool site and I like the goal of what it's trying to achieve. As time goes by and as things get tweeked, it'll be pretty cool. No one else, to this extent, has even tried to do what it's doing.

compnine

I'm a little shocked at the hostility for simply not having every car made in the DB, but I appreciate the enthusiasm. It's being constantly updated and tweaked, hence the "Beta" burst that I suppose most of you aren't seeing. Heck, just last night it was updated to include 2010 models.

We didn't get the build date from the back of a van under a bridge in the shady part of town, it traces its heritage back to GM directly. I'm not trying to force the information on you so if the information seems off, we're both raising our eyebrows at it.

That said, sure, I bet there are thousands of cars that sat in a staging area for much longer than two months. It may be that the build date I have means a different thing than the build date you have. Really not sure, but again, because I didn't make up the data I'm on your side with it and just as confused, but I guarantee there's a reasonable answer we both just don't know yet. A little cliche but "You're barking up the wrong tree."

One possible answer is that GM is taxed differently based on when the car is actually ready to sell. Once it's considered built-for-sale they're probably taxed on the value of the assembled pieces, instead of just a box of parts. If that's the case I imagine they would keep records of two build dates. One when the pieces were bolted together, and another when it's actually ready to sell. Those two won't necessarily be the same.

Just a guess but if anyone finds out be sure to let me know too.

tavert91

iTrader: (1)

Compnine - I appreciate your reply and thank you for helping organize and provide access to this information. It makes research easier and, I suspect, the content will continue to be scrutinized and improved as time goes on. Your perception about tax differences is probably correct. There is a significant advantage to holding "work in process" instead of "finished goods" in a company's inventory from a tax perspective.

Sitting in a staging area would help explain how the car has a sticker applied and dated Sep 1990 while the official GM build date is Feb 1991. However, I wouldn't think they would apply a label specifically giving the car a date and identifying vehicle number (different than the VIN) unless they used it somehow between the 2 dates.

I bought this car in Jan 1992 as a Pontiac Owned "Program" car under full factory warranty with 8000 miles on it from an Atlanta dealer that purchased it from Pontiac Auction Sales, Detroit. The underhood stickers I mentioned both state that they were supposed to be removed prior to selling the car to the public and ID the car as "CPC-E3".

What I suspect, but cannot prove, is that the car was built in mid to late 1990, used for testing of some type (possibly emissions for Canada) between then and Feb 1991 by either Pontiac or Pontiac Canada at the Van Nuys Plant, and finally completed as a convertible by ASC in Mar 1991. Between then and the Dec 1991 original invoice date to the dealer, it was probably owned/run/held by Pontiac and never publically titled.

I have no way of determining whether the 8000 miles came before or after the ASC conversion. The only other "strange" piece to the puzzle is it carries an RPO code R6E (Emiss Test Divert / Ext Due Date) on the invoice but not the SPID.

Thanks for your interest. Maybe I will uncover something else that will help me understand this better. I have not heard from anyone else having these unique stickers under the hood. If they were not there, I probably would be going merrily down the road with the top down!

Drew

iTrader: (58)

Definitely let the enthusiasm and interest tell the story. What comes across as hostility really isn't intended. I look at the page and I think there's a ton of good info there. I take some of it with a grain of salt, with the knowledge that it's not complete. It's entertaining and somewhat educational, and as long as people don't misunderstand and misinterpret what it's telling them, I think it's fine. Some people will get the wrong idea from it, but then those people are hopefully in the minority.

Thanks for the web page!

scottmoyer

Compnine, welcome to TGO. Sorry if some seem critical, but it's what we do!! The tool is cool and I hope everyone understands the data is incomplete as not all vehicles are in the DB. I'm still waiting for 1987 Camaros, but the info you guys have is already really awesome. Thanks for joining the site and elaborating for us. You should check a post I made about ebay auctions. One of the two cars I loked at was a 1991 with a questionable build. The owner states it has certain options, but your site states differently. I would really like to see the owners RPO list and compare. I'm waiting for it to be posted and have the same options as your site states. To me, that would be all I need for confirmation to the accuracy of the individual builds.

C-Titan

iTrader: (2)

Compnine - I am trully sorry for mis-representing your site in my previous post... I was looking over my car today and read the build sticker on the DS door; it stated the exact build date that your website produced... I suppose my car did sit in some sort of staging area for a while... Now I have a piece of paper that says GM took 2 months on my interior haha...

My sincere apologies again and for bringing such an amazing resourceful site to our third-gen community!!!

GeneralLC

Very useful site. It had all the RPO codes for my car.

Oddly enough I noticed that my Camaro apparently has a tilt steering wheel, but I never noticed. It also apparently has a power antenna but at the same time has the code for a fixed antenna.

brdofpry85ta

iTrader: (1)

FAIL!!!!my car wasn't listed.....

Twin_Turbo

iTrader: (25)

My 88 comes up as a 1 off but I'd like to know if someone has the export numbers for 88

Mine is a canadian export hardtop lb9 5 speed with the g92 perf axle, j65 brakes and AC delete, only options are hatch release, power windows, rear defogger and map light dome. The car doesn't even have the side trim moldings

okfoz

The only data prior to 1990 listed on compnine is the Export data for Firebirds and camaros...

John

Twin_Turbo

iTrader: (25)

But only Canada export, my 87 is an original UK export car an it doesn't come up either.

okfoz

Correct, as all of the cars have the RPO Z49, which is the Canadian export RPO, or at least one of them...

John

Aaron91RS

iTrader: (2)

So for years people posting in this very thread have told us it's impossible to know how many specific optioned 3rdgen's were made. If they never could find this information where did and how did you get it?
And what happens when, like so many websites out there, in 10 years if your site just doesn't exist anymore? Everything going to be lost again?

okfoz

Unfortunately, with the exception of 1990... That is still the case, not all of the information is there... matter of fact, not all of the Canadian cars are there either. I have the VIN, actually I have a pic of the SPID sheet showing a 1987 Y84, CC1, L98 car... The VIN is not in the database, I know of a second car such equipped that went to canada as well, If you do a search on Y84 cars from 1987 thru 1989, Matter of fact, There are no Trans Am WS4, Y84 RPO's listed for 1982-1989 that I can find. There are NO L98 cars listed for 1987 Firebirds...

I really suspect that they were wiped clean for a reason... I am starting to think that some cars that should not have been made, were made, IE L98,CC1,Y84 cars and they had to wipe them clean of any record...

Drew

iTrader: (58)

I doubt there is any conspiracy in play. Why would anyone need to cover their tracks? Nothing on compnine.com is new info. It's just the first time anyone with motivation has had access to some of the numbers and they've setup a program to search the database and calculate a figure. It's still nothing more then entertainment since the database is not even close to being complete.

okfoz

Ok ok, its not a conspiracy... I like to get carried away...

Upon further research it appears that what is currently up is only Canadian cars for model years prior to 1990, do just about any search in the RPO section for any MY prior to 1990 and you find that all of the cars have Z49 (Canada Export) RPO.... I did about 15 searches on random cars and it all came back the same number of cars in database compared to the same number of cars with Z49...

Interestingly the data is still not 100% there even for the Canadian bound cars...

CDN_87IROC

I ran my '87 Camaro vin (Canada build) and it is dead on.

Drew

iTrader: (58)

The standard has always been that the GM computer (for whatever reason) seems to contain more information on Canadian export cars. It's always seemed that owners of Canadian export cars have had better luck retrieving RPOs from the VIN numbers at dealerships. I would assume that Compnine has access to that database and is using it to compile this information.

It makes you wonder why this database is so incomplete. Not that Compnine dropped the ball, but rather GM dropped the ball by not keeping closer records. The information existed at one time, assuming it hasn't been lost forever, at some point the missing information might surface. But it sounds like that'll probably happen right after one of the 50 1986 L98/B4Z cars appears with complete documentation.

okfoz

I know that the information IS on paper, PHS-online has it. That information was taken from a Computer and printed out.... 500,000 pages for 3rd gen firebirds... What I actually believe is the information from PHS is actually inaccurate as well... Look at Frankieriders page gtasourcepage.com

Here are Y84 some numbers for 1992
226 Y84 - GTAsourcepage.com
354 Y84 - Compnine
24 Y84,Z49 - Compnine

I have no doubt that Frankie got his information from PHS, I know from talking to Jim Mattison that in fact Frankie got it from him. Compnine actually raises more questions than answers them IMHO.

John

JT

iTrader: (1)

One thing to keep in mind, is that Frankie had mentioned that his figures do not include exports. This is why, for example, he has 624 1988 GTA Notchbacks while Pontiac letters stated there was 718. The difference was exports, and even a recently surfaced letter from Pontiac plainly stated as such by breaking it down in the letter (94 exported to Canada with 624 in the US).

I see you noted how many were Canadian exports in your example, so you are most likely aware of this and that does not make up the difference. I just thought I'd point out the above.

okfoz

I now remember a conversation about that in the past...

John

Paigesdad

I ran the VIN of my 1987 Canadian export GTA and it too is not in the database.

okfoz

Actually, I mistsated, there were no L98,CC1 Formulas listed... And there are no Y84, or WS4 cars listed... I could not find any WS6 cars prior to 1987 either...

john

Stephen

iTrader: (12)

A few weeks ago, I asked about my not only my 87 VIN being being there, but the lacj of Y84...L98...throughout several years.....

"Cars aren't added individually so there's no specific models that get/need more work than another. Last I saw we have something like 900,000 early Camaros and only 300,000 Firebirds. Hate to say it but Firebird owners especially are left in the cold. Maybe we'll luck out and stumble across more."

Since then......
"Last night another 6 million cars were added and we're over 111 million total, but that's not everything and I don't imagine we ever will have every car."

Remember....They all dealing ALL GM brands so there are like likely almost a BILLION VINs total. The older the VIN we're looking for (like my 87, which isn't exactly "old") the worst the GM records record of it & the likelyhood of that VIN never being added, because of the poor records.

Big thanks goes out to Compnine for giving us access to what they have.

duct-tape

No luck either finding my 82 firebird or 84 Z-28 in the database. But the daily drivers showed up (93 Cutlass and 05 Silverado).

Coolhandcoop

I just went to that website and it pulled up my car, but not really sure what I was looking at, but it said there was 5 with (0.247%) not sure if thats good or not

GTA Jim

My 1990 GTA is a Canadian model.. It was built Sept 19th, 1989 and sold in November of 1989.

It has all the correct RPO info.. (And says there are only 4 cars with the same options).

The chart showed 4 RPO codes that don't appear on my SPID sticker.. They are all marked 'unknown'. 6ZX 7ZX 8NL and 9NL .. A little more digging on other sites shows they are for the springs.

Cool site

Black_Knight

Passing a car that looks like yours from the outside and passing a truly identical car on the street are two very different things. I have seen many similar cars at a glance only to find out that they are quite different when examined carefully.