Qest39

Is it common for the Formula to be a Firebird Vin, but with the turbo hood and other Formula options like WS6, LG4, and wrap around spoiler? Also, is 87' the year they still used 700r4's or, the revised 700r4, the 4l60? First post on the board

AmorgetRS

iTrader: (6)

Formulas and Firebird share the same VIN code S. There are a bunch of VIN decoders on the web that incorrectly say the Formula should have the TA/GTA vin of W.

The 4L60 is a renamed 700R4. They started calling it a 4L60 in 91ish as I recall, but the term wasn't really popular until the 4th gens came around. The 700R4 upgrades came earlier and unless you have a really early 87 you should have the revised valvebody.

Qest39

Much appreciated AmorgetRS.

okfoz

The confusion comes that the 4th Gens IIRC the Formula used the W from the Trans Am for the VIN, but the 3rd Gens used the S from the Firebird.

The 4L60 I believe was actually a 1990 changeover, it was the same transmission, just a designation change. Also used for one year in the 1993 4th Gen. the 4L60E indicated that the shift points were controlled Electronically by the PCM from 1994 & UP.

Oddly enough, I think if you went to a junkyard and asked for a 4L60 they might try to get you the 4L60E, it would be easier to say 700R4 as that was used for more years, and more common.

John

thebandit50187

this was helpful. i have an 87 formula too and thought the same thing... but this means my 92 is a firebird when i thought it was a trans am. i knew something was up with it. it has late 80's trans am gfx, hatch, taillights but yet a 91-92 trans am front bumper and is TBI or was. someone has changed about half of the car, i believe the engine has been out because its been painted, has V-belt setup, HEI distributor, no heat contols and is now carbed.

okfoz

IIRC, There were 2 different v-belt systems, the 1982-1984 or 1985 and the 1985 or 1986-1987, The last year for the V-belts was 1987, the serpentine was from 1988-1992 and all the V8s should all be the same AFAIK, the only differences was with or without A/C in which you got the dummy pulley in place of the AC compressor.

Again IIRC The notable difference between the early and late V-belts was the later 85 or 86-87 was it had a wide belt for the alternator, the early cars had a standard V-belt for the alt.

John

thebandit50187

well i'd say the v belt design on my 92 is the 82-84 because my 87 formula and my 87 IROC have a v belt with a wide 6 or more rib belt where the 92 has strictly v belts. it pisses me off that who had it before just frankensteined the F out of this car. Eventually ill put the TBI unit back on it that i got from my cousin from his 91 camaro rs. but ill throw my IROC belt set up on it too.

91rsproject

ok so i have a question about this. I just bought a 89 GTA. The car is all correct with the GTA badges, the wheels, the t-top headliner number system and holder, the dash where it says GTA and the performance suspension, and the 5.7 TPI system. When i look at the vin it has S instead of W. What am i missing, it has everything the GTA came with, event he seats, like i find it hard to believe that someone cloned this car out. The ground effects and front and rear bumper are the TA style with the rear GTA lights. Can someone please help me understand more of why someone would clone a standard GTA and not the 20th turbo car?

scottmoyer

You would need to ask the person that did the cloning why they chose this over the 20th anniversary. Not sure what you expect us to provide, information wise.

JT

iTrader: (1)

Agreed with Scott. None of us here could answer with certainty as to why someone did as you describe. Only the person who did the work can answer your question.

The fact that you have 1G2FS prefix rather than 1G2FW indicates one of the following:
1) VIN tag on car is not correct.
2) Car was originally a base Firebird or Formula with parts swapped.

okfoz

What is the 8th digit? I had a girl friend in OH that her first car was a 1979 Capri 4 cyl turbo. Her father owned a frame shop and would fix up cars on the side. They found all of the ground effects, tail lights, hood, installed a factory sunroof from a 1987 Mustang GT... The only thing that would cue you in that it was a Capri and not a mustang was the fenders. I think they took the interior too... They scoured junkyards for months looking for the pieces and parts. It was a whole lot less expensive to do that than buying a Mustang GT.

The 8th digit will tell you what engine came in it, and might help identifying what the car was originally...

John

Flat-twin

Is there any way to be sure it's a formula if there are no difference in the VIN ? For instance I have the LO3 and performance suspension with all original decals but I'd like to be sure that it's really a formula (a 1992 in my case).

okfoz

There is no way to tell an L03 Formula from an L03 Firebird by the VIN. However the Formula did come with equipment that the Firebird did not

Items on a Formula NA on Base Firebird
1) Bulge Hood
2) Aero Spoiler
3) 16" Wheels (92 could have been the "Formula" Wheel or the Black Cross lace
4) FE2 (WS6) Suspension (36mm front sway bar & 23 or 24mm rear sway bar)
5) Formula Decals

Flat-twin

Then it should be OK

1986BANDIT

could you please help me with a vin decode,im sorry if im hijacking the thread i just didn't want to start another
one for this.the car appears to be a 1988 gta and the vin is 1G2FW218XJL246440 (WHITE HARDTOP GTA)

JT

iTrader: (1)

Yes. A Z49 (Canada export) GTA with the L98 and digital cluster. Nothing unusual.

11Q MOLDING COLOR,WHITE (11Q)
40U EXTERIOR COLOR,PRIMARY (40U)
52P WHEEL COLOR,GOLD METALLIC (52P)
82D TRIM COMBINATION,CLOTH,MEDIUM DARK GRAY CLOTH TRIM(82D)
82I INTERIOR TRIM,MEDIUM DARK GRAY (82I)
829 SEAT BELT COLOR - MED DK GRAY (829)
AK1 RESTRAINT SYSTEM,FRONT,CENTER,REAR SEAT,FRONT SHOULDER(DELUXE) DELUXE BELTS(AK1)
AM9 SEAT,REAR,FOLDING SPLIT BACK FLDG SPLIT BK R/SEAT(AM9)
AQ9 SEAT,FRONT BUCKET,DRIVER,PASSENGER,RECLINING RECL FRT BKT ST,LUXURY(AQ9)
AU3 LOCK,SIDE DOOR,ELECTRIC ELEC S/D LK(AU3)
A01 WINDOW,TINTED GLASS(ALL WINDOWS) TINTED GLS(A01)
A31 WINDOW,ELECTRIC OPERATED,SIDE ELEC SI WDO(A31)
A90 LOCK,REAR COMPARTMENT LID,REMOTE CONTROL,ELECTRIC RELEASE ELEC REL LID LK(A90)
BC8 ORNAMENTATION,INTERIOR,FRONT DOOR MAP POCKET RH AND LH DR MAP PKT(BC8)
BV3 ORNAMENTATION,INTERIOR,INSTRUMENT PANEL(BLACK) I/P ORNAMENTATION(BV3)
BY4 ORNAMENTATION,INSTRUMENT PANEL MONOGRAM I/P ORNAMENTATION(BY4)
B2L Unk.
B20 ORNAMENTATION,INTERIOR(LUXURY) LUXURY INTR(B20)
B34 COVERING,FLOOR MATS,FRONT,CARPETED INSERT(COLOR COORDINATED) FRT CPT INS FLR MATS(B34)
B35 COVERING,FLOOR MATS,REAR,CARPETED INSERT(COLOR COORDINATED) RR CPT INS FLR MATS(B35)
B84 BLACK BODY SIDE MOLDING BODY SI MLDG(B84)
CD2 INDICATOR,WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID LOW FLUID IND(CD2)
CD4 WIPER SYSTEM,WINDSHIELD,PULSE PULSE WPR(CD4)
C49 DEFOGGER,REAR WINDOW,ELECTRIC ELEC RR WDO DEFG(C49)
C67 AIR CONDITIONER,FRONT,ELECTRONIC CONTROLS A/C FRT ELEC CONT(C67)
C95 LAMP,INTERIOR,ROOF COURTESY AND DUAL READING DM & READING LP(C95)
DG7 MIRROR,OUTSIDE,RH & LH REMOTE CONTROL,ELECTRIC(PAINTED) O/S ELEC R/CON PAINTED MIR(DG7)
D3Y Unk.
D34 MIRROR,INSIDE,SUNSHADE S/S MIR WITHOUT ILLUMINATION(D34)
D42 COVER,REAR COMPARTMENT SECURITY(SHADE) R/CMPT SECURITY SHADE(D42)
D81 SPOILER,REAR,AERO WING RR AERO WING SPLR(D81)
D9B SENSOR (D9B)
E5Z ADAPTER - SPEEDO - DELETE
E9Z KEY - SPEEDO - DELETE
FE2 SUSPENSION SYSTEM,RIDE AND HANDLING RIDE & HANDLING SUSP(FE2)
GW6 AXLE,REAR,3.27 RATIO 3.27R(GW6)
G80 AXLE,REAR,POSITRACTION,LIMITED SLIP POSITRACTION L/SLIP R/AXL(G80)
JG1 SHAFT,PROPELLER(ALUMINUM) AL PROP SHF(JG1)
J65 BRAKE SYSTEM,POWER,FRONT AND REAR DISC 4-WHL DISC BRK(J65)
KC4 COOLING SYSTEM,ENGINE OIL ENG OIL CLG(KC4)
K05 HEATER,ENGINE BLOCK ENG BLK HTR(K05)
K34 CRUISE CONTROL,AUTOMATIC,ELECTRONIC CRCONT(K34)
K68 GENERATOR,105 AMPERE 105 AMP(K68)
L98 ENGINE, 5.7L, (5.7-8) 350 CID, V8, TPI 5.7-8(L98)
MD8 TRANSMISSION,AUTOMATIC 4-SPEED(THM700R4/4L60) 4-SPD A/TRANS(MD8)
MX0 TRANSMISSION,AUTOMATIC,OVERDRIVE(MERCHANDISING OPTION) A/TRANS PROVISIONS(MX0)
NA5 EMISSION SYSTEM,FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS FEDERAL EMIS(NA5)
NK4 STEERING WHEEL,SPORT,LEATHER SPORT WHL(NK4)
N33 STEERING COLUMN,TILT TYPE TILT STRG COL(N33)
N64 WHEEL AND TIRE,SPACE SAVER SPARE(ALUMINUM) AL SPACE SAVER SPA(N64)
PB4 LOCK KIT,ALUMINUM WHEEL AL WHL LOCK KIT(PB4)
PW7 WHEEL,16X8,STYLED DIAMOND HONEYCOMB SPOKE,WITH TRANS AM INSIGNIA IN CENTER CAP(BLACK)(ALUMINUM) STYLED AL WHL(PW7)
QDZ TIRE,ALL P245/50VR16/N BL R/PE ST TL HW4 TIRE(QDZ)
TR9 LAMP GROUP,COURTESY LP GRP(TR9)
T93 LAMP,TAIL AND STOP(SPECIAL) SPECIAL TAIL & S/LP(T93)
T96 LAMP,FRONT FOG FRT FOG LP(T96)
UA6 THEFT DETERRENT SYSTEM ANTI-THEFT(UA6)
UF6 LAMP,INTERIOR,CONSOLE & COURTESY INTR CNSL & CTSY LP(UF6)
UK3 ELECTRONIC SYSTEM,ACCESSORY CONTROL ELEK ACSRY CONT SYS(UK3)
UQ1 RADIO,PROVISIONS FOR STEREO STEREO RDO PR0VISIONS(UQ1)
UT1 BUZZER,TONE GENERATOR WARNING TONE GEN WRNG BUZZER(UT1)
UT4 RADIO,AM&FM STEREO,CASSETTE,EQUALIZER,INCLUDES CLOCK STEREO CASSETTE/EQLZR(UT4)
UW1 DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM DIAGN SYS(UW1)
U25 LAMP,INTERIOR,REAR COMPARTMENT COURTESY RR COMPT CTSY LP(U25)
U29 LAMP,INTERIOR,INSTRUMENT PANEL,COURTESY I/P CTSY LP(U29)
U52 CLUSTER,INSTRUMENT(ELECTRONIC) ELEK GA CSTR(U52)
U66 SPEAKER SYSTEM,4,DUAL FRONT DASH MOUNTED,DUAL EXTENDED RANGE PACKAGE SHELF/QUARTER 4 SPKR SYS(U66)
U75 ANTENNA,POWER(CHROME) PWR ANT(U75)
VAN Unk.
VK3 LICENSE PLATE,FRONT MOUNTING PACKAGE FRT LIC PLT MTG PKG(VK3)
V73 Unk.
WS4 TRANS AM OPTION TRANS AM(WS4)
WS6 PERFORMANCE PACKAGE,SPECIAL(MERCHANDISING OPTION) SPECIAL PERFORMANCE PKG(WS6)
WW1 AERO PACKAGE(WHITE) AERO PKG(WW1)
W62 AERO PACKAGE AERO PKG(W62)
X05 Unk.
YS1 SEAT,REAR(CUSTOM) CUSTOM RR ST(YS1)
YT1 FLEET PROGRAM - FALL/WINTER/SPRING REPURCHASE
Y84 TRANS AM GTA OPTION(MERCHANDISING OPTION) TRANS AM GTA(Y84)
ZF9 Unk.
Z31 IDENTIFICATION - PRICE SHEET ADVANCE
Z49 MANDATORY CANADIAN BASE EQUIPMENT MODIFICATIONS(CANADIAN) CANADIAN(Z49)

Don't put a lot into the exact definitions as they come from Compnine and are not always specific to the application. The key is the RPO codes.