I am looking for some info....I have a base model 1989 Firebird, but it has th WS-6 package on it. I have never seen another one. It looks just like a formula. It has the formula size tires on it with WS-6 center caps and a performace suspension badge on the dash. For all intensive purposes it looks like a formula. Was this a common set up, or something strange?

 

Why do you think it isn't a Formula? In 1989 you couldn't get a base Firebird with the WS6.

 

did u look undr armrestto see if the code was there

 

The only way to get WS6 Firebird would be to buy a Formula, TA or GTA

 

i ran the vin and checked option numbers in the console. no formula numbers. also, the formulas i have seen had formula center caps on the wheels

 

thats what i've been told, but none of the option codes are there for a formula or gta. also, it has the base spoiler, not the wrap around. also, i don't know if it matters from a base to a formula, but it has a e-code 305 tbi engine, and it does not have the upgraded brakes

 

Does it have the ws6 rpo ? Also, is the Vin# on the spid the same as dash Vin#?

 

If you have the RPOs why are you asking this question? The RPO for WS6 is WS6. If it is there, please post a picture of your SPID because it would be a total anomaly. If it doesn't have WS6 then it's just like every other 89 TBI V8 Firebird.

 

The Formula will have the RPO W66 and a Base Firebird will NOT. The formula will also have WS6 and a Base Firebird will NOT.

The Formula was the following
A BASE Firebirds with the following:
- Bulge Hood
- Aero Spoiler
- WS6 which included: (87+)
- - 245/50R-16 Tires & 16x8 Wheels
- - quick steering ratio steering box
- - 36mm front and 24mm rear sway bars.
- - A badge on the passenger side of the dash with "Performance Suspension" which was also on FE1 Trans Am's
- - FE2 Suspension.

John

 

The performance suspension badge is meaningless, cars without WS6 had it. The wheels could have easily been changed. The only way to know for sure what the car is would be by verifying the VIN vs the VIN on the SPID, and checking the SPID as noted above. No WS6 on the SPID, the car did not have it.

 

MadMax Only the FE1 & FE2 (WS6) cars had the Performance Suspension, however a Base Firebird should never have the badge, only the Formula. The TA and GTA obviously would have had the Badge...

I was not clear in my post.

John

 

/the spid and the vin match.the rpo code WS-6 is present. i know it has the package. i went to a chevy dealer today and had them run the vin. they assured me it is not a formula. my question is how common or uncommon it is to have this package on a base model carthe car has 63000 original miles and I have all paperwork since new, so i'm sure all parts on the car are original. it has the 245/50-16 tires on it which is what is called for on the door sticker. it does also have the bulge hood, but i thought that was a v8 thing, not a formula thing

 

Did you check for that?

 

LOL It never gets old.

 

You would have a one of none, so super rare.

The bulge hood is a Formula thing, not a V-8 thing.

Please, post a picture of the SPID sheet with the VIN blacked out. That will answer all questions.

 

this car must be a one of none. if you decode the vin. the 5th digit for a formula or trans-am is W. the base model will have an S. this car has an S.It does have rpo code ws6 and fe2. please tell me what other codes would be relavent

 

Actually, Firebird and Formula share the same 1G2FS VIN prefix while the Trans AM and GTA share the same 1G2FW prefix.

You indicate yours has an S. This means base Firebird or Formula. As OKFOZ pointed out, W66 RPO should be included on the RPO sticker to indicate Formula.

By the way, in 1990, better access to records are available. I did a quick search to see that No base Firebirds came with WS6. There was approximately 6764 WS6 cars in 1990. Approximately 4834 of them was W66 (Formula). Approximately 1447 of them were GTAs. Approximately 483 of them were Trans AMs. Add that all up and you get 6764 with no room for any extra left over to suspect a discrepancy or go on a base Firebird. Granted this is for 1990, but I'm not aware of 1989 being really any different on this WS6 policy.

As you have the RPO sticker, why not post it? People have requested you post the RPO sticker to provide a final answer to see if W66 is present.

 

I don't have a way to post a picture, but i do have all the codes written down.I do not have a code W66.

 

If you have the picture on your computer, email me at jt@thirdgen.org

ThirdGen.org has existed since mid-late 90s and we still have some of the senior members (some posting in this thread) that have seen a lot. It does not appear this is one of those things seen in all those years, so skepticism is high. This is especially true since it's common misinformation that the "Performance Suspension" badge = WS6, which is not true. That's just one of numerous misinformation floating around.

Do you have the RPO sticker or just a print out of the codes? Unless you have the RPO sticker (black/white sticker with the VIN and several 3 digit characters), or unless you got the printout from a GM dealership, you may have some sort of generic listing.

There was a site floating around here that people were using to get option listings when they entered in their VIN (not Compnine.com) and that site was not only found to be inaccurate, but it was not even checking your specific VIN sequence, thus, it could never tell you all the information specific to your vehicle. It was simply going off of the first few VIN prefix.

Since you stated that the "W" VIN was reserved for Trans Am and Formula, when it actually "S" is for Firebird and Formula, I have to wonder where you got some of your information and if that is also where you're getting the information that you don't have a Formula.

Does your VIN actually come up on the following website?
http://www.compnine.com/vid.php

 

Sorry to dig up an old topic, but i have an 85 Firebird SE with the Performance Suspension badge. Yesterday i bought what i thought was an 89 Formula 350 T-Top, but after looking at the VIN, it has an S letter instead of W. However, it has the suspension badge, the raised hood, the stickers on the doors and rear bumper, it even has the sway bars and steering box. But there's no RPO sheet anywhere =/

And the VIN doesn't show up in www.compnine.com

 

So you didn't read any of the above?

 

here is the spid off my formula 350 the vin matches the spid sticker. evidence of a formula 350 is dual catalytic converters. i think some shipped without duals but im not sure. all formula 350 had 4 wheel disc brakes and automatic transmissions.



no base model shipped with a 5.7 as shown by the l98 and ws6 b2l and fifth vin character is a S which means it was firebird not a gta or transam. you should have a WS6 - PERFORMANCE PACKAGE, SPECIAL and W66 - MERCHANDISED PACKAGE, FORMULA as they go together if your vin is a S in the fifth spot.

you can get up under there and see what size bar you have ws6 have 32 mm front and 21 mm rear sway bars.

no formula 350 were made in 1985

 

What's the question?

 

The question is about how slow i am xD. For some reason i wasn't catching on about all the online decoders being wrong. So, my new 89 is a true Formula 350 then. I was also a little confused about the 85 having the Performance Suspension badge, but i guess that's unrelated.

 

without rpo codes on the spid or a valid options list printed by a dealer the performance badge could be part of a formula package or someone just stuck it on there. no way to tell without getting in there and looking at whats bolted to the car. if its got the wraparound spoiler v8 thicker sway bars bulged hood its probably a formula.

if you know which dealer sold it new and they are still in business they MIGHT have a record of the sale

 

The Performance Suspension badge is not a conclusive indicator of the WS6 suspension. While WS6 included the Performance Suspension badge, so did the suspension option below WS6.

You said you don't have the SPID/RPO sheet but you were talking about two cars so not sure which that applies to. Look for WS6 on the SPID sheet for the WS6 option. In the 1985, you may have both the SPID and a radiator tag with some RPO codes. I can't recall if WS6, if equipped, was noted on the radiator tag or not as the radiator tag did not include all RPO codes like the SPID did.

 

Not being smart here but,why would a Pontiac Firebird have the Performance Suspension Badge if it didn't have the Performance Suspension??Was their another type of performance suspension for these 3rd gen Pontiac's.??

 

There are different levels of suspension options on the Firebird. It is long standing misinformation that the Performance Badge indicates the car has WS6.

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/post...15-post44.html

 

yes, if i remember right but im not 100%, ws5 and ws7 were other packages. some years they werent offered others they were. thats where the confusion comes in.

 

WS7 is WS6 without rear disc brakes. WS6 initially included rear disc brakes.

The other suspension levels were F41, etc.

 

The W & S Confusion comes from the 4th gens. I believe the Formula also used the W from 1993-2002... The Formula from 1987-1992 however used the S in the VIN... People that wrote the VIN decoders often assume too much.

John

 

This perfectly described my 88 firebird formula, so does this mean it did came as a ws6 or just a ws6 'fakie'. It also came with the ws6 wheel caps.

 

As John posted above, all ThirdGen Formulas have WS6 as standard. You have a ThirdGen Formula? If so, you have WS6.

 

Ummmmm.....

Trick question???

My final answer is twofold:

1. Stickers are cheeeeeper than REAL parts.
2. Most buyers would never have the vaguest faintest remotest hint of a whiff of a glimpse of a clue that ... the badge means anywhere between little to nothing.

Cookie now please, that I have dispelled the mystery??

 

No, they figured that one out 3 years ago when this was posted. Cookies went stale yo haha

 

For any given year there was three suspensions.
1) Base FE1
2) Performance F41 (Came standard on Trans AM) Might have been an option on some Firebirds... I know it was an option on the Base Camaro for several years.
3) Performance WS6 (FE2) Came standard on GTA & Formula, optional on Trans Am)

FE2 on the Firebird was not the same as FE2 on the Camaro for any given year until the last few years which they became more similar... The Firebird came with larger sway bars, the Camaro came with the Wonderbar which was NA on the Firebird.

Typically speaking the Camaro had a harsher ride, but both the Firebird and Camaro with the FE2 were comparable in lateral performance.

 

Yes, The early 1989 Formula 350s came w/o dual cats. I had one of them. Mine was later retrofitted w/the dual cats at the dealer. I was also offered, (as I recall), $500 off a new vehicle, or $250 of credit towards accessories, if I didn't want the dual cats installed. The (GM) lawyers were very anxious about this since the '89 brochure boasted that they were all equipped w/dual cats, but were delivered w/o them. This was caused by a delay in (EPA?) certification w/cars equipped w/the 350s.

 

Furthermore from the sticker label, W66 is the RPO for Formula. The L98 or B2L tell me that it has a 350.

Therefore: you have a Formula 350

John

 

I think okfoz gets those cookies.

 

So I guess 1989fireball fell off the earth in January 2011 then. I hope after all that he got his answer.

 

Although a bit stale, Not bad... could use some frosting tho.

 

Formulas have W66 option code, in addition to WS6, which every one had. If your car doesn't have these, it's a clone.

 

WRONG Third gen Formulas didn't have a specific letter to designate it as a Formula. The OTHER generations did though.

Only Formulas and TA's could get the WS6 option. NO base Firebirds got it. PERIOD.

 

Unless he can produce a photo of his option code sticker, I say he doesn't have WS-6 option code and it's a base firebird some previous owner swapped various Formula parts to to fool other drivers.

 

MintWS6FORMULA..
Would you like to share my cookies?