i think that my car is a ws6 car but im not 100% beacuse there is no RPO code. how do i obtain a new or find out if it is without one

 

GM Media Archives. For $50, they'll send you the factory invoice which lists most of your RPO codes.

 

Since you have a trans am you can also contact pontiac historical services for a copy of the dealer invoice that has most of the rpo codes.I think they have them for up to 86, I ordered one for my 84 t/a and it had all the important ones.

 

I just looked at GM Media Archives because i had never seen their site before and they have pontiac invoices starting at 1987 and up so for your 86 you would have to go through PHS if you want to purchase an invoice.

 

Check and see if you have 4 wheel Disk brakes,16"wheels,if you do,you most likely have the WS6 package.You may also have a badge on the dash "Performance Suspension".
And you may have these wheels,

 

The rear disc brakes is not a tell tale sign. My car is an 87 Ws6 and I have drums in the rear. Also from what I have read many times on here-non WS6 cars also had the badge on the dash.

 

He has a 86 TA,all WS6 packages for 86 had the four wheel disk brakes and the badge.

 

Well that sucks for me-Wish I had the rear disc brakes stock.

 

alright i might have to check the phs then. but heres my car!
it has the performance suspension, 16" rims and 4 wheel disc brakes

 

That'd be a WS6 then

 

awesome!=]

 

That's It
I see you have the Carmine Interior.have any pics!!!

 

That's true, but does having four wheel disk brakes and the badge mean WS6 is certain?

We know the Performance Suspension dash badge came on non-WS6 cars so that's not a good indicator to use.

My book shows that four wheel disk brakes (J65) was optional but required limited slip (G80) but it doesn't state it required WS6.

So while WS6 included the four wheel disk brakes in 1986, I'm not sure if it's backwards compatible to mean four wheel disk brakes concludes a WS6 car?

It does appear to be a WS6 car on the surface, with the added fact the car has the PW7 wheels.

 

I have the same problem, but I have the wheels like in post 5 and the Performance Suspension on the dash. But I have rear drums and and a open carrier diff, well actually a posi shot to hell and back haha, so does that mean I have WS6?

 

If I remember correctly the PW7 GTA style wheel option on an 86 required the WS6 option, however rear disc brakes did not necessarily mean it is a WS6. From everything you have described, I have minimal doubt that your car is a WS6. Dealers could pick and piece different options, however it made more sense and costs less to order packages that included many common options. Wheels can be changed though... PHS documentation should answer all of your questions. I ordered a packet for my 86 an they provided a mountain of info. I double checked everything PHS sent me to to the items that came with the car, the original window sticker, RPO, the original build sheet. The PHS info was a perfect fit. I have a 1986 dealer product manual. I will check it and see if it mentions what items required the WS6 package or not.

 

Alright cool! Thanks, Mines an 88 but it should be the same. If it isn't the WS6, I'll probably just start combining a WS6/1LE suspension.

 

I only used the badge as a clue,I don't know if 86 TAs that didn't have the WS6 Package have the badge,not sure.Here's a piece of GM Sales Literature I have about the 86 TA



I hope this helps.

 

Sorry, I must have missread the original post. Each year is different.

 

The Performance Suspension badge is used on cars without WS6 up through 1992. It indicates the optional suspension over base but that's not WS6 as WS6 is a higher suspension package above what triggered the badge.

I understand that WS6 includes the four wheel disc brakes as your document shows and as my information also confirms.

But what I'm not sure is if four wheel disc brakes = WS6.

Basically, it appears you could order four wheel disc brakes as an option as long as you also got the G80 option. Thus I'm not sure you can use four wheel disc brakes as an indicator of WS6.

However, that all said, I do agree that it looks more likely that the car in question has WS6 due to the options - especially the PW7 wheels as that shows as being required on WS6. Unless parts had been swapped.

 

1988's WS6 package didn't include rear disc brakes. So you can have a WS6 equipped car with drum brakes.

 

What about measuring the thickness of the front sway bar? Is that a dependable indicatior of a WS6 or not? Either way, it sounds like a nicely optioned car.

 

I have 36/24 sway bars also. My rear end was a limited slip at one point haha. And I have the 16x8 aluminum Trans Am wheels with 245/50r16 tires

 

Just a thought, my 89 WS6 has drums. It's a Formula though, I'm not sure how they varied through the TA/Formula models.

 

On my 92 it had ws6 on the center caps of the rims.It is a confirmed ws6 car and I don't know if that is year specific to mine or not, but I would like to know.

 

The first time Pontiac used drum brakes on cars with all other parts being equal to a WS6 was on the late mid-late production 82's and the 83's. They ran short of rear disc brake parts, substituted rear drums, and called it a WS7. My 82 is a documented WS7. The 82-83 WS7 is a WS6 with rear aluminum drum brakes.

I checked the 86 Pontiac Product Manual, and some of the documentation from my own 86WS6. 86 models with the WS6 package came with the 9 bolt Borg Warner limited slip diff as part of the packege. The N96 16 inch wheel was part of the WS6 package through early in the production year. The the PW7 Cross Lace (GTA style) wheels were made avalable in the late production 86 models, but is not listed in the Product Manual. It does not define rear disc brakes as an indicator of the WS6 package. According to the product manual 16 inch wheels are a part of the WS6 package. My car build date July 86 lists the PW7 RPO code (GTA wheel) on the RPO decal.


Is it possible that the later model rear drum brake equiped cars are a similiar variation of the eariler 82-83 WS6/WS7 packages?

Charles

 

Your car looks exactly like my 86WS6, except color of course. Someone has changed the spoiler and oas you know your radio antenna is aftermarket. The high mounted third brake light was unique to the 86 model only.

Charles

 

This is my 86WS6. The car is in as built condition with two exceptions. The center caps on the wheels are from an 88 Formy. My original caps look like yours, but I like the way the Formula caps look on my car. The other not stock item is the strip dividing the silver and the blue. It is aftermarket, and was installed at the bodyshop in error. Note the spoiler and high mounted brake light.



My opinion is that your car is most likly a WS6

Charles

 

On my sales booklet it list rear drum and front disk brakes as standard equip.on all 3 Fire Bird models,but it also list the four wheel disk brakes as an option for them.
Also, mine came with the N96 wheels but I changed them to the PW7 when I found out that they were included as a stock wheel for 86,my car was born 2/86 so the 96 was the norm for the WS6 package.

 

Charles,your car looks beautiful,it's so nice to see more unmolested 86 TAs.

 

This is an interesting site on the 86 TA.
http://www.goingfaster.com/1986TA/86recarospecs.html

 

Thats AWESOME!! They got one for an 88 by chance?

 

mantaguy, I was thinking the same thing about your white 86. Beautiful!

 

Good site for specs. Thanks Mantaguy!

To the original poster, I still think that your car is a WS6. Either that, or someone has made a huge effort to make it look like one. Pontiac Historical Services can document your car, and verify your questions 100%. I just got the reproduction window stickers for my 82WS7 today in the mail. They sent the build sheets last week. I compared the reproductions to the original window sitcker and they are an exact match. Several years ago I ordered the package from them for the 86WS6, and it was an exact match also. Both of my cars are survivors. The 82 has 24,300 actual miles on it, and the 86 has 29,800 actual miles on it. I have the advantage of knowing the both of original owners, and getting all of the records on both cars from day one. Everything from the original buyer's agreements, oil change reciepts, and repair invoices. Still it is nice to have PHS as a resource. With a car with some unknown history, PHS documentaion can be a life saver. Maybe at some point they will offer a reproduction RPO sticker?

Charles

 

Yes I believe my car has a Borg Warner rear end.

 

Of course I do!

 

Yeah I changed the spoiler. I like look better with this one and it is a hell of a lot more durable. The wrap arounds warp and crack and just don't look good as time goes on. With everything being said I'm pretty sure it's a ws6 just wish I had that damn RPO sticker!

 

That's a good looking 86! It looks like a keeper.

I can copy the RPO from my 86 and forward it to you, if it will help you id the options on your car. I think that other than color, our two cars are pretty close. If you get your paperwork from PHS, you may be able to figure out what RPO codes are supposed to be on your missing decal.

I started to swap out my spoiler for the eariler style wing also, but then got into that all original show thing, and it has to stay as close to OE as possible. That big black rubber spoiler is fuggly, but it is the way the car came from the factory. My spoiler is the original one, and although it has a couple of small bubbles on it, it has not changed in condition in 10 years, so I am going to leave it as long as it lasts. I have looked for an original one in better condition for sale, and have not found one.

I have a new fiberglass aftermarket replacement spoiler that came from Hawk's Thirdgen, however those things have to be massaged to fit properly, and I don't have the tools, time, or expertise to do the job correctly. Our local body shop says that he can make it fit and look like the original rubber one, however we will cross that bridge when we have to.

Charles

 

I you have no plans on selling your TA in the near future,it would serve you better to know exactly what your TA has or not has for that matter to invest in the PHS information package,it is a good investment.Buy the way we have twin interiors.

This is the web site to obtain your PHS package
http://phs-online.com/order.htm

 

Oh yes it's a keeper! This ones going to the grave with me. Yeah that would be great if you could forward the RPO!

 

Looks good! I don't see to many carmine interiors especially ones as good as ours

 

PM your address to me. I will make you a copy of the window sticker, RPO, build sheet, and mail them to you. I am going to blank out the last digits of the Vin, (the identifying info for my car), but leave the first part of the vin that designates the model, engine, and general configuration of the car. The window sticker will help to you to id the RPO codes. There may be differences in how the two cars are equiped. It will by no means be a templete. However with this one and others posted on this site and other site you should be able to sort out most of your car's equipment. If you order a build sheet and window sticker from PHS, you should be able to validate all of your RPO codes. It will be possible to recreate an accurate RPO list for your car.

The older thirdgens did not come with an RPO sticker, like my 82. One has to rely on the build sheet and window sticker to decode their car.

Charles

 

Mantaguy, your 86 is pristine! I love that color combonation! That Carmine has to be one of the best interior colors.

I have never been crazy about the light grey interior like mine has. My car would look so much better with a blue or dark grey interior.

Charles

 

Thanks guys,It took a couple years to bring it back to life,I am the original owner and thought,well,the car has been in my family all these yrs it needed to be restored.

 

WS6 from 1982-1986 had the rear disc brakes as part of the package. The rear disc brakes were available as a separate option, so just that does not mean you have WS6... Nor does the little Performance suspension badge mean WS6 as that badge came on all Trans Am's from 1986 + for sure... The badge came on all cars with the FE2 and the F41 suspensions. WS7 (NA in 1985 & 1986) was the same as WS6 but with rear drum brakes instead of disc brakes

From 1987 - 1992 WS7 was gone, WS6 no longer included rear disc brakes in the package. Other factors triggered the disc brakes, and they were available on certain engine & transmission combinations...

 

I have the all Carmine-meaning no gray on the seat, but mine needs some work-it's not trashed, but not perfect. I know we are talking about 86's here, but my 87 WS6 has the PW7 wheels, posi rear, but drum rear brakes. Funny how the differant years had differant options.

 

The bean counters have a lot to do with which options are offered with each package at any given time. Minimal product investment + maximum projected sales = maximum projected profits. Too bad gear heads did not have more control building our thidgens like they did at PMD in the 60's.

 

that interior would be perfect around here... GO Bucks!