1989 GTA

Hmm...

 

Because the database is missing a few invoices.

 

Bummer

 

All Compnine did was take the invoice database that any GM dealer has access to, and then organized the data to determine how many invoices have the same options. Of course GM didn't put all the invoices in the system, and didn't start putting them in until about 1989. So there are a lot of incomplete numbers, and at times the results Compnine returns are really far off. Before it was a pay to play service, it was really easy to generate some blatantly false results, and nearly every VIN that was run came back as "1 of XX", where XX=<10 units. In other words, there aren't many exactly identical thirdgens.

Long story short, it's useful to help decode a car's options. Especially if the SPID is missing. The rest of the "1 of 5" nonsense is just for entertainment value. Take it with a pinch of salt, verify with multiple other sources (published books are good), and it's all good.

 

Good point, and I appreciate the explanation. I am good with the ASC GTA I have, and it's got some pretty neat options. Options like,

• B2L
• JG1
• L98
• NP5
• N10
• N64
• U1A
• Y84

 

Wasn't there a time when you could get a print out of the SPID for older cars from the dealership? Over the years I've seen a few older ThirdGens where the owner had a dot-matrix print out of RPO codes, with other order information, so it must have gotten stored somewhere?

I often wondered if the missing pre-1990 data was a matter of the records getting lost, deleted, destroyed or perhaps a migration plan was how 1990 and on got recorded.

 

Not that I've ever seen. Just 89-up. Even then, I don't remember the dealerships having any info until the early 2000's.

Considering that GM started sticking SPIDs in 84, it's not too hard to believe that it took them a few years to figure out that printing "DO NOT REMOVE" on them didn't work, and that a local database was a good idea.

Aside from the SPID, the last resort has always been to hope for a build sheet, or a body id tag on early thirdgens. Or PHS for Pontiacs. GM's historical archives also supplied invoice info, but I never got around to sending off for one of their packets.

 

Before Compnine became a pay for use service, you could select the individual options to get a better "1 of xx" number. There are specific codes that designated the shift or something that really meant nothing that caused it to generate the 1 of 3 type answers. When we could select the specific major options, we were able to get a better picture of how many identical cars were produced.

I think I narrowed my 2006 Silverado Z71 down to 1 of 8 produced, or something like that. Really? A Silverado??

 

Before the internet, I went to Steve Smith Pontiac and met with the parts man at the counter. Gave the SPI alpha-numerics and we went line by line documenting the codes. This was probably 1991/92.

Then, in 1993, I got the SPI book, and things got easier.

 

You can still do that but just like with the Marti report on Ford, who cares if you have the only (1 of 1) Martinique Blue with Black vinyl top 290 Torino that was equipped with the rear speaker, tissue dispenser and lighted cigarette lighter with a green deluxe vinyl interior? It's pointless.

Production number comparisons have traditionally been limited to body style (coupe, hardtop or convertible) and driveline with notable exceptions for major options such as TA or Judge. That's where the 1 of numbers should end.

JMHO

 

Looking at a Trans Am GTA currently. Used a few of the free VIN look up sites and it has the GTA in the title of some of them. It has the W for the Trans Am and appears to be a clean car.

Unfortunately the RPO code sheet has been removed. Have the VIN so attempted to use http://www.compnine.com/vid.php to get the build sheet but it says there's an error with the VIN. I verified the windshield VIN matches the door jam VIN.

Did find a nice detailed article on how to identify a GTA here: http://www.gtasourcepage.com/newauthentication.html
I went through the pictures and it appears to have the correct visual identifiers.

Does anyone have a way to find the RPO codes from a VIN?

 

I think at that point, buying a copy/reprint of invoice is the only way. PHS is the source for that.

 

I remember back in the mid to late ninety's I worked at a Chevy dealer and we could do what I think was called a VIS,it would show the vehicle options.The way that was done was by Satelite and it was called Techline (if I recall correctly).We had to use this to reflash and reprogram PCM's back then.I also remember when the first Tech 2 came to the shop,that was back in 96.

 

VIS still is used today. Might be worth a shot.