based on the list price written on my title, and this website on the page that shows new car pricing, i found that this is what i have: Conv IROC LO3 - $18945 i guess this is the final proof i need to convince myself i do have an iroc and not a fake (i was just skeptical at first).

aside from it being convertible, i don't know what L03 means, can anyone help me? anything you could tell me about what this means and how its different from the others is much appreciated.

also, on the lower passenger dash (where the passengers knees would be), it says z28 and the next line Tuned Port Injection. Why does it not say iroc, anyone know? Ive seen others that say irocz or something like that.

i don't have access to car fax, so don't know the history, but if its any use, my vin number is 1G1FP31FXKL108212 i dont know if this would tell anything or not.

thanks.

 

i think you have a mixed bag going on.

LO3 is a TBI (Throttle Body Injection) 305ci engine.. found in RS cars, not sure if IROC's ever got an LO3. Z28's came with TPI (Tuned Port Injection) engines in 305 or 350.

do you know the physical difference between what a TPI and TBI looks like? TBI looks like it has a carb sitting on top with a round air cleaner on top of the engine. It actually uses 2 large injectors to spray down into the intake.

TPI looks like a long rectangle, with 4 tubes on each side curving down into the intake.

 

i have the tpi, it says tuned port injection on it, and matches the description you gave. i did also see just now on my rpo codes one says one says option LB9 5.0 tpi. does that disagree with the L03, or is that something different?

 

lets see a pic of your rpo codes

 

LO3 was the base, standard 305 throttle body engine in the IROCs in 1988-1989, and is the same optional V8 that came in RS cars (and '88 Sport Coupes). TPI wasn't standard until 1990. You almost never see an LO3 IROC, but they are out there.

However, LO3 would be denoted in your VIN with an "E" in the eight digit, which you don't have--you have "F", which means your car was born with an LB9 TPI 305.

You need the RPO codes in the center console to determine if it's an IROC or a plain Z28, if the car is an '87. If the car is an '88-'90, you have an IROC based on the "F" in the VIN alone. Depending on year, look for B4Z and/or Z28. IIRC (correct me if I'm wrong), in the '85-'87 cars, when there were both Z28s and IROCs, an IROC would have both Z28 and B4Z on the RPO sticker. From 1988-1990, when they ditched the plain Z28, they just used Z28 on the RPO code to denote an IROC, since an IROC is indeed a Z28 as well by default.

The earlier cars used both to differentiate between Z28s and IROC-Z28s, and in the later years this wasn't necessary since they didn't have both models, so they just put Z28 on the RPO sticker to denote that it was an IROC-Z28 (all IROCs are Z28s, hence IROC-Z).

 

From 85-87 the code to look for is B4Z, from 88-90 it's Z28. Since all 88-90 Z28's were Irocz's, the B4Z code wasn't needed.

 

Thanks Drew, that's what I had at first; couldn't recall offhand which one they went with in the later years. I edited the above post to correct it.

 

Well, your VIN has an F, not an E, so you have a 305 TPI, or the LB9 engine, not the LO3 engine.

 

Or at least, the car came with TPI; the RPO code for that is LB9. The RPO code L03 means the TBI version of the 305.

Titles aren't the most accurate thing in the world. The car IS what it IS, and CAME WITH what it CAME WITH, no matter what the title says. if the title is wrong (sounds like it is) you need to straighten that out with that office in your state, whatever procedure they have for that (every state is different). Or, if it's not causing any trouble, you could just leave it alone.

As stated, the VIN will not identify the IROC pkg as such; except that the only way in that particular year to get that particular engine, was in the IROC, so that's proof that it is. Stickers come and go, and aren't "proof" of anything. If you have the SPID sheet, it will have B4Z on it if it's an IROC; no B4Z, no IROC. No exceptions.

 

The LO3 with the price listed above was the base price listings for the cars for each year. The $18945 was the price of a base 1989 IROC-Z with the LO3 engine. Your car is obviously not the base engine and has the LB9 TPI 305. The reason some on here are saying that the "F" code designation means you have an IROC-Z is not because the VIN can tell you if you have a Sport Coupe or IROC-Z, but because that engine was only available in the IROC-Z this specific year.

As an example, you will not see the 8th digit of a VIN in 1987 be an 8 on anything except an IROC-Z, since it was the only model to have the 350. That holds true for 88-90 also. In 1991 and 1992, you will see some RSs with the 8, but those are B4C police/federal use cars.

 

It's amazing how much time we spend cleaning up the messes created by other websites. It seems like it'd be easier to just create an accurate decoding/identification section here.

 

I'm not smart enough!!! Plus with all of this information already posted, a simple search of these forums will provide the answer.

 

If we did that then Scott and myself would be out of a job

John

 

you guys are awesome, and so is this website...

Here are my rpo codes explained according to that download tool from this website. One other interesting thing about my car, i was told by the person i got it from it was a 350/5.7 it has the stickers and "5.7 tpi" emblem in the back. These of course are easily spoofed, however it also has an ASC conversion sticker on the door but it does not say what was converted, and it says 5.7 in some sort of auto paint marker under the hood next to the sticker that says 5.0 tpi. Of course i still won't believe it until i find that dang 5.7 stamp on the block which i have not found yet, i may have to take it to a shop for help.

1989 Conv IROC LO3 - $18945
Vin: 1G1FP31FXKL108212


Z28: MERCHANDISED PKG, SPECIAL PERFORMANCE

LB9: ENGINE, GAS, 8 CYL, 5.0L, TPI, HO
1AY: ???
1SZ: ???
82C: TRIM COMBINATION, CLOTH, MED OK GRAY (C) (91)
1SD: OPTION PACKAGE 04
T96: LAMP, FOG
K34: CRUISE CONTROL, AUTOMATIC, ELECTRONIC
9NL: COMPUTER SELECTED REAR RIGHTHAND SPRING
T93: TAIL & STOP LAMP, SMOKED
J50: BRAKE SYSTEM, POWER
CD4: WIPER SYSTEM WINDSHIELD, PULSE
86A: STRIPE COLOR, ACCENT, TWO TONE RED/GUNMETAL (91)
TT4: HEADLAMPS, HALOGEN, 4
IPC: TRIM- INTERIOR DESIGN
B84: ORNAMENTATION, EXTR MLDG, BODY SIDE
829: SEAT BELT COLOR, MED OK GRAY (91)
W62: ORNAMENTATION, AERO PACKAGE
G80: AXLE POSITRACTION, LIMITED SLIP
B35: COVERING, REAR, FLOOR MATS CARPETED INSERT
821: INTERIOR TRIM, MED OK GRAY (91)
WW8: APPEARANCE PACKAGE(BRIGHT RED), AERO #8
QLC: TIRE ALL, P245/50ZR16/N BL RIPE ST TL HW4
GU2: AXLE REAR, 2. 73 RATIO
B34: COVERING, FRT FLOOR MATS CARPETED INSERT
82C: TRIM COMBINATION, CLOTH, MED OK GRAY (C) (91)
V73: ANTENNA, FIXED
N96: WHEEL, 16 X 8, CAST ALUMINUM
FE2: SUSPENSION SYSTEM, RIDE HANDLING
B18: ORNAMENTATION, INTR, DELUX
81U: PRIMARY COLOR, EXTERIOR, BRIGHT RED (91)
VK3: LICENSE PLATE, FRT MOUNTING PKG
N33: STEERING COLUMN, TILT TYPE
E9Z: SPEEDOMETER KEY (DELETE)
A31: WINDOW, POWER OPERATED, SIDE
81Q: MOLDING COLOR, BRIGHT RED (91)
VAN: ASSEMBLY PLANT, VAN NUYS, CA
NP5: LEATHER WRAPPED, STEERING WHEEL AND SHIFT ****
E72: BODY LENGTH, INCR 18 INCH
A01: WINDOW, TINTED, ALL SHADED, W/S
8NL: SPRING, COMPUTER SELECTED, REAR, RIGHT HAND
UX6: SPEAKER SYSTEM, FRT DUAL
NA5: EMISSION SYSTEM, FEDERAL, TIER 0
E5Z: SPEEDOMETER ADAPTER (DELETE)
AU3: LOCK CONTROL, SIDE DR, ELEC
7ZW: SPRING, COMPUTER SELECTED, FRONT, RIGHT HAND
UX1: RADIO, AM/FM STEREO CASSETTE EQUALIZER
UX1: RADIO, AM/FM STEREO CASSETTE EQUALIZER
MXO: MERCHANDISED, TRANS, AUTO PROVISIONS, 010
088: DECAL, STRIPE, SPORT
AR9: SEAT, FRT BKT, EUROPEAN STYLE, PASS A DRIVER RECL
6ZW: SPRING, COMPUTER SELECTED, FRONT, LEFT HAND
UQ1: RADIO PROVISIONS, FOR STEREO
MD8: TRANSMISSION, AUTO 4 SPD, THM 700 R4
D6E: GEAR, SPEEDO DRIVEN
AM9: SEAT, RR, SPLIT, BACK, FLOG
15P: WHEEL COLOR SILVER METALLIC (91)
UB3: CLUSTER, INST, OIL, COOL TEMP, VOLTS, TRIP ODOM, TACH

034: MIRROR, VISOR VANITY
AG9: ADJUSTER, SEAT, POWER, 6 WAY
UA1: BATTERY, HEAVY DUTY
K68: GENERATOR, 1 05 AMP
DG7: MIRROR 01S, LH & RH, REM CONT, ELEC, PAINTED
AC3: ADJUSTER, FRT ST, POWER, 6 WAY, BKT, DRIVER

 

ASC did the convertible conversions for GM. The car is not a 350 unless the original engine was replaced. The car has every available option that was part of a package (1SD), factory convertible (VIN 3 as 6th digit), etc. Sounds like a well optioned car. Too bad is has the 2.73 gears and auto trans.

 

I finally found the code on the side of the block, 627 which tells me its a 305 based on my research.

 

I would say more importantly does the car have TPI or TBI, I didn't see if you ever determined that, I would be pretty leary on that price if it had a TBI motor when it came from the factory with a TPI, yes in either case it's a 305 but I would be most concerned about the injection system.

 

I think one of the things that I am confused about, is it appears that he is taking an Ad which states LO3, but his car is indeed an LB9. Usually it goes the other way.

Here is what I see happening, the line he is getting is "Conv IROC LO3 - $18945" which is an indicator of the base car when new. His car obviously has the LB9.

His car should have the TPI on the engine. As his RPO codes indicate that it should... I think it would be insane to remove a TPI and install a TBI, more commonly someone might take a TPI and install a 4BBL...

John

 

A picture of the engine would help. But if I read correctly he identified it as a TPI motor visually.

 

It sounds to me like he entered his VIN into one of the decoder websites, and under the results it listed the original sticker prices for similar cars. The website wasn't showing what his actual car sold for, but was showing what a convertible Iroc with an L03 sold for.

 

Nope. He states in his first post that he saw on this site John's price of cars new. We know that the list was made up of the "base" price of each car listed. So he saw the list state the base price for the convertible IROC with the L03 and wanted to know what the L03 was.

 

Ok I guess I wasn't completely reading things I was under the impression that he saw this as a classified ad on a car which probably had very few miles on it so that's why I was saying that the most important thing would be finding out if the car had TPI right now. Now it makes sense to me because none of it made sense at all before.

 

you can go back and tell him it never had a 5.7
because the 8th digit in the VIN is an F ...NoT an 8