Hi, I'm in England and i am going to look at an 88 Trans Am GTA. I have 2 questions.
Do all GTA's have the WS6 option? If not, and you cant find a code on the car to tell you or not, How do you find out? What do you need to look for?
In a 1988 Trans Am GTA, Where should the RPO Codes, or Service Parts Identification sticker me placed?

Thanks in advance
Greg

 

Yes, all GTAs had the WS6 package. The SPID (RPO tag) will be on the underside of the center console lid.

 

Thank you sir, You are becoming my hero. This car also has a 5.7 V8 TPI engine. I have been told this came out of the Vette. Do you know if this is true, or is someone blowing smoke up my a**?

 

A lot of people refer to the 5.7 L98 as the Corvette engine. It is incorrect because the Corvette's L98 had different heads and other features. So in all reality, it is not the Corvette engine. However, the Corvette used the L98 first and then the Fbody's. In the Firebird lineup, the engine should more accurately be called the IROC-Zs 350!!

 

Is the L98 tpi motor easy to modify?
what would you suggest doing to it so see another 100 horse power?

 

is there anything on an 88 Trans Am GTA that i should look out for that is a specific problem with those cars? Its done 122000 miles, and i've already been told its had a front ender, cos it was maroon, and its now black and it has the worlds worst hood on it with 2 damn great big air intakes. looks like a 4th gen ram air set up. I'm gonna change that out for a stock GTA hood.....

 

Easy to modify? As far as another 100hp, get ready to do a lot of expensive mods, change the personality of the engine completely, or run a power adder. TPI cars don't respond well to modifications. The L98 is basically a 300hp V8 to begin with, but with restrictive exhaust and intake, both of which are expensive to correct. If you want to go fast, TPI isn't the easiest or cheapest way to do it.

 

So with a sensable cam, better heads, may be a bigger intake or throttle body and a flow master exhaust, do you think that would be a good start to wake the old thing up?
I've had Flowmasters on Mopars before, but never on a Firebird. what would be a good system to give it a nice deep burble?

 

The camshaft is a roller cam, so it's a bit more expensive then the typical flat tappet. Better heads would flow better, but again to get a better head then the stock iron L98 head you have to go aftermarket ($$$). Increasing the size of the throttle body does zero on a TPI car because it's not the restriction in the intake. The stock exhaust is mandrel bent, and just shy of 3" into a crossflow muffler with dual 2.25" exhaust pipes. An aftermarket cat-back will make it sound stronger, but the actual performance increase is minimal.

The point of all this is that L98 thirdgens are pretty well maximized for the job they were intended to do. They make LOTS of torque from idle to about 4,500rpm. It makes for a car that's a lot of fun around town, but also they run out of steam above 4,500rpm. So to increase the HP, a person has to shift that performance higher in the RPM band. A more radical cam, higher flowing heads, headers, exhaust, all try to do that. However, the TPI is tuned to make torque at lower RPM at the expense of high RPM flow. So you pretty much have to dump the TPI to accommodate the new modifications. Otherwise it's the banana in the tailpipe keeping you from getting the performance you've bought.

Keeping the car fuel injected, and increasing power, usually means something like the Stealth Ram. If you want to keep the TPI, look into a power adder (nitrous, turbo, supercharger). You can check out the TPI board and see a bunch of people who have tried to make TPI cars faster, most don't get very far before dumping TPI or modifying to the point that it's not really TPI anymore.

 

Hey, Thanks for all that Drew. I have owned Trans Am's and Camaro's in the past but never a GTA, so all these little bits of information, and very usefull. I appreciate you taking the time to message me. If i get the car in the morning, i'll see about posting some photo's somewhere, somehow.....

 

About how much more power can you get out of one before the changes get radical? 20 hp? 50hp?

Awesome post, btw.

 

Bolt-ons can be expected to gain about 50hp at the crank on average. Some have gained more, some less. A proper ECM calibration will definitely provide a big boost to the gains made by full bolt-ons.

 

Here is what seems to be like a silly question, but remember, i've never had a GTA Trans Am before.
How do you tell if its a real GTA, and not just a black 1988 Trans Am with GTA badges on it?
Its T-9 hours till i go look at this thing with cash in my pocket, and i really need to know what i'm looking at.
Thank you to everyone on here for your help and knowledge.....

 

http://www.gtasourcepage.com/newauthentication.html

 

GTA source page will give you all the answers, but since you are in a hurry, the quick way is:

Match the VIN on the SPID sticker (under the centre console lid) with the VIN on the dash. If they're a match, and the SPID sticker has RPO code Y84 - it's a real GTA.

 

I bought it. It is AWESOME. I want to take it back to stock. Its got a nasty ram air hood on it which doesnt fit right so i'm gonna replace that. It also burnes a bit of oil, but not a lot, and i dont know if my digital dash is playing up or if there is a problem with either a temp sensor, thermostat or an air lock but the temp gauge goes upto 3/4's before the fan cuts in. It doesnt over heat but its a butt clenching moment waiting for the fans to wake up.

 

Put a lower temp fan switch in it. The stock switch doesn't turn the fan on until 238F (I think), but the one I put in turns it on around 205F. It's been a couple of years so I don't remember the part #, but I think it was used in the Corvette.

 

Thank you for that. Is it a GM part, or an aftermarket switch that i would get from somewhere like Year One or Classic Industries?

 

picss?

 

Pics are on the way, i promise. I havent even owned it 24 hours yet. Ok may be just over 24 hours but its England so its dark and cold already. I'll give it a clean and shoot some tomorrow and post them up. Apart from the stupid hood on it, Its beautiful!!!!!

 

Do all Trans Am GTA's kind of jump and skip a bit during normal road driving when going down a bumpy road? Kind of like there is no suspension or the bushes are all poly bushes instead of rubber ones and there is little or no give in the suspension? or is it just mine???

 

http://www.rodneydickman.com/retail.html under electrical

 

In stock form and ideal conditions, the fans won't come on until somewhere around 230*. While the car is moving the air dam under the front end directs air up through the radiator. The only time the fan should come on is if the car is sitting idling for a length of time.

Live axle cars tend to jump a bit if you hit a bump while going around a corner. Many people don't realize when the shocks and struts are dead because thirdgen springs are so stiff they usually don't bounce. However fresh shocks and struts control the stiff springs resulting in a better ride. If you can't be sure they've been changed recently, plan on it.

 

Worn shocks are likely. But even with new shocks, WS6 suspension with 50 series tires and modified strut suspension will feel darty and will wander in comparison to any modern car.

 

Regarding the fans, the digital guage will be WAY up there before it comes on.

The best compromise for a fan switch is Standard Motor Products part # TS85, or BWD part # TFS4. Not sure of those brands are available in the U.K. It will come on at 211* f. You don't want it to come on at a much lower temp than that or else it will continue to run uneccessarily while the car is in motion.

 

Had to search my posts back to '08 to find it.

Its AC Delco part # D1855B. It turns the fan on at 215F instead of 238F.

 

Thank you very much for that. That is something i'll try and take care of this week.
with regards to stereo and speakers, it has the original stereo tape in there. its the didital all push button model with the 5 graphic equaliser buttons. Is there any way of putting an ipod or usb thing in there using the factory stereo, because i love the originality of it and dont want to change it out, but at the same time i want to listed to my country music. Also. how easy is it to get to the speakers behind the trim in the rear panels and on the dash to replace those with more modern speakers???

 

Hypertech and Jet both make fan switches that come on at legitimately cooler temps. There's been some discussion that the stock replacement style switches really don't come on enough lower to worry about. Might want to read up on the cooling board.

As far as stereo and speakers, probably need to dig around the audio board a little. The rear speakers are easy enough, just remove the coat hanger, slide the padded sail panel cover up, and you'll see the speakers. The front are a little more difficult, 4 screws across the defrost vent, and 6 across the bottom of the dash pad and it'll slide out. The problem with the front is the drivers side of the Firebird dash is cramped. There's about a 2" opening between the gauge cluster and the dash venting to clear the magnet on the speaker. Anything larger then stock requires either cutting, or some careful clearancing. Some 3" replacements will fit with some work, but forget most aftermarket components.

 

Thanks again Drew. I'm not only new to GTA's but this is the first ever forum i've been on in 10 years of being on line. I have to say that you guys and girls on here are god sends. I'm trying to put a pic of my new weapon up but i have no idea how. I'll master it and have at least 1 photo of it on before i log off tonight.....

 

I'VE PUT SOME PHOTO'S OF MY CAR IN THE PHOTO GALLERY. MY INTENTION IS TO PUT IT BACK TO BONE STOCK, MAKE IT REALLY NICE AT THE SAME TIME, AND SIT ON IT. ITS GONNA BE A SUNNY DAY CAR ONLY BECAUSE I PREDICT IN YEARS TO COME, ITS GONNA BE A REAL VALUABLE CLASSIC.

 

It looks like a nice clean car. Too bad about the hood. For some reason people really seem to like that 98-up Ram Air style hood, but I'm with you, it's absolutely hideous and doesn't match the lines of the car at all. Over here it'd probably be pretty easy to find someone who'd trade their stock hood for that monstrosity. Get that swapped back to a stock hood and it'd look a lot better.

 

Thanks Drew. It looks great until you get real close. It used to be maroon and it was hit in the front while it still lived in Virginia. It was then i'm assuming the thing was painted black and the STUPID hood was put on it. The engine bay is still maroon and the battery tray has rusted out. so has the join between the tray and the shock tower behind the battery tray. I was under it yesterday and i pulled the plastic inner front fender back on the passenger side frint and noticed a big rust hole on the inner fender just above the chassis rail.
I'm not sure if from when it was hit, the suspension geometry is quite right because i backed up in it yesterday on full lock and it fealt like the front passenger wheel was kind of skipping in stead of just turning. It was kind of jumping. I dont know how to explain it. As i said before, i've never had a car with WS6 suspension so i dont really know how it should drive.
I want to put it back to stock and in time fully restore it and just keep it nice.
It'll be worth it brother.....
T tops leak as well, but just how many t tops dont leak???

 

I'll take your advice re the suspension in one of your messages, and at some point change all the shocks, springs and bushes, in the hope that will make it ride and more importanty, handle a bit better.
Would you go stock on that, or up grade it with something like may be a Koni set up?
I'm not really after making it any lower, just ride and handle a bit better?

 

With WS6 suspension in a third gen, the tires will skip when you have the wheels turned in reverse. It's steering geometry and that's the way it is.

If your shocks are shot, there are lots of choices. Koni is very good, but those things cost a ton of dough that would be better spent elsewhere IMO. Regular replacement Delco or KYB would be a better choice.

 

Avoid cheap Monroes and Gabriels from the corner auto parts store. You'll need a higher quality shock/strut to control the stiff springs. KYB have an OK reputation, but it'd be better to use Bilsteins if you can stomach the price tag. An ACDelco replacement might be ok, but it's hard to say who exactly is manufacturing them and if they match the original specifications or if they're just a generic one size fits all replacement.