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History / OriginalityGot a question about 1982-1992 Camaro or Firebird history? Have a question about original parts, options, RPO codes, when something was available, or how to document your car? Those questions, answers, and much more!
I am pretty new to the 3rd gen line of f-bodies, and I have recently picked up this 1987 Trans Am GTA. When it comes to second gen, I can list of the entire list of factory options and what years they were available, but for the 3rd gen, I am not that familiar with what all the options on the sheets were. Fortunately, it still has the original sticker which I assume to be the equivalent to the build sheet inside the console. Now, as you may note, the car is RHD. It is currently here in Sydney, Australia, and it was converted when the car was brand new by Dartom Motor Industries, which imported 1982-1990 Camaros, Firebirds, and Corvettes new into Australia. Now, I did get the car off a shady character, and it was dumped in an outdoor carpark for the last 5 years, so the quality of the car has drastically deteriorated when contrasted to what it was like 10 years ago. I made contact with the original owner, and he provided photos of the car when it was new and was used as a show car as well as the trophies it has won. He sold the car towards the end of the century in pristine condition with 20,000 miles. I have bought the car currently sitting on 60,000 miles, still in ok condition, but for a $5,000 car it has deteriorated a little bit.
I have tried to piece together all the factory options on the console sticker to what is on the car, but I think some things are not matching up. Primarily, the stereo and steering wheel. I want to ensure that I can get this car back to complete factory OEM specs without the advent of converting back to LHD, as the cost there would just be too high, and as far as RHD conversions go, it is a legitimately decent job. Here in Australia, when these cars were new, they were required to be converted to RHD in order to be registered and driven on Australia roads, some conversions were as bad as "bicycle chain" steering jobs grafted under the dash, dodgy brake links and local Holden Commodore frame swaps. But this car, this car had the entire firewall taken out when new, a new firewall professionally installed, and all the factory components installed back into the car just on the opposite side. Everything is perfectly mirrored, and surprisingly, every single feature works as it should, A/C, cruise control, the steering is decent, it is a comfortable car to drive. You cannot tell the firewall has been replaced whatsoever, and I almost thought the car was factory RHD, however, there has never, ever been any factory RHD firebirds made and delivered to Australia.
What I would like to determine, is what on this car is not correct as far as the RPO sheet goes. Apparently, option UT4 means the car had a digital radio with "steering wheel controls"? I am not sure what controls it is referring too, as this appears to be a stock standard GTA wheel. Please see attached, and let me know what you think is not correct on the car and what factory options may be missing that are there on the sticker. Additionally, if I was to look for an original alternator, what would be the part and date number necessary to get a correct alt?
Looking forward to your feedback and advice!
-Max The car as it is now Cleaning it out First day at home Driver's side Trunk RPO sticker with matching VIN
I am pretty new to the 3rd gen line of f-bodies, and I have recently picked up this 1987 Trans Am GTA. When it comes to second gen, I can list of the entire list of factory options and what years they were available, but for the 3rd gen, I am not that familiar with what all the options on the sheets were. Fortunately, it still has the original sticker which I assume to be the equivalent to the build sheet inside the console. Now, as you may note, the car is RHD. It is currently here in Sydney, Australia, and it was converted when the car was brand new by Dartom Motor Industries, which imported 1982-1990 Camaros, Firebirds, and Corvettes new into Australia. Now, I did get the car off a shady character, and it was dumped in an outdoor carpark for the last 5 years, so the quality of the car has drastically deteriorated when contrasted to what it was like 10 years ago. I made contact with the original owner, and he provided photos of the car when it was new and was used as a show car as well as the trophies it has won. He sold the car towards the end of the century in pristine condition with 20,000 miles. I have bought the car currently sitting on 60,000 miles, still in ok condition, but for a $5,000 car it has deteriorated a little bit.
I have tried to piece together all the factory options on the console sticker to what is on the car, but I think some things are not matching up. Primarily, the stereo and steering wheel. I want to ensure that I can get this car back to complete factory OEM specs without the advent of converting back to LHD, as the cost there would just be too high, and as far as RHD conversions go, it is a legitimately decent job. Here in Australia, when these cars were new, they were required to be converted to RHD in order to be registered and driven on Australia roads, some conversions were as bad as "bicycle chain" steering jobs grafted under the dash, dodgy brake links and local Holden Commodore frame swaps. But this car, this car had the entire firewall taken out when new, a new firewall professionally installed, and all the factory components installed back into the car just on the opposite side. Everything is perfectly mirrored, and surprisingly, every single feature works as it should, A/C, cruise control, the steering is decent, it is a comfortable car to drive. You cannot tell the firewall has been replaced whatsoever, and I almost thought the car was factory RHD, however, there has never, ever been any factory RHD firebirds made and delivered to Australia.
What I would like to determine, is what on this car is not correct as far as the RPO sheet goes. Apparently, option UT4 means the car had a digital radio with "steering wheel controls"? I am not sure what controls it is referring too, as this appears to be a stock standard GTA wheel. Please see attached, and let me know what you think is not correct on the car and what factory options may be missing that are there on the sticker. Additionally, if I was to look for an original alternator, what would be the part and date number necessary to get a correct alt?
Looking forward to your feedback and advice!
-Max
The car as it is now
Cleaning it out
First day at home
Driver's side
Trunk
RPO sticker with matching VIN
Steering wheel controls were not available in 1987 but became standard in 1988. Your steering wheel is correct for the 1987 model year. This is the UT4 radio for the 1987 GTA:
Nice!
I wrote an RPO decoder quite a while back that draws off several different lists, apparently GM's RPO codes change periodically.
Anyways, maybe it will give you some answers, maybe not.
Note: it doesn't display correctly on a phone, but will still work. Http://www.mbmania.com/rpo
Cool car! Boy that looks strange with the dash reversed!!! I'd be completely lost in the driver's seat lol.
In your first picture, it says that is the way the car is today. I wondered if you knew that your front wheels were on the back, and your back wheels were on the front? The deeper dish wheels are the front wheels, and all the wheels are stamped "front only" and "rear only"
Cool car! Boy that looks strange with the dash reversed!!! I'd be completely lost in the driver's seat lol.
In your first picture, it says that is the way the car is today. I wondered if you knew that your front wheels were on the back, and your back wheels were on the front? The deeper dish wheels are the front wheels, and all the wheels are stamped "front only" and "rear only"
No I really did not!!! The previous owner really took bad care of the car and took the car to the cheapest tyre and service places he could, that would explain the rubbing on the front of the subframe! Thanks for the tip I will have that rectified ASAP!
No I really did not!!! The previous owner really took bad care of the car and took the car to the cheapest tyre and service places he could, that would explain the rubbing on the front of the subframe! Thanks for the tip I will have that rectified ASAP!
Not a problem! It's actually a pretty common thing to see...people that are unfamiliar with these cars seem to automatically assume that the deeper dish wheels go on the rear. When the right wheels are on all 4 corners, they will track perfectly
I haven't stopped looking at your dash picture. Man, that is really cool how it is mirrored, and looks totally factory!
I always thought the handling was like, a little off?
It is very strange too as all my other T/A's are LHD, also, the footwell is still kinda cramped, you don't get the left footrest like on the driver's side, so still getting the hang of it! What were the dash surrounds made of on regular T/A's?
The dash surrounds are plastic. What is that one made of?
I have driven a GTA with the wheels switched around like yours (my brother's 87 GTA was that way when he bought it, too) and it actually makes a HUGE difference when they are in their right location. It will feel like a completely different car.
Years ago I had someone from Australia email me pictures of his 1988 GTA Notchback for my GTA Notchback website. Here's one picture of his dash:
I got to admit knowing nothing about the LH to RH conversion. I guess I'm surprised how well they look, atleast in the pictures, if the interior parts were fabricated?
Hey JT I don't think the pic or link loaded for me?
What's crazy about this conversion is the working A/C, they went to the effort to mirror the ductwork as well, so you have full cabin coverage, on most RHD conversions, the A/C is written off as too hard, or in some cases, really poorly done where the steering column goes straight through the ductwork and plumbing. There are some really bad unsafe conversions, and some that are very well refined.
Would anyone happen to know where I could find a 1987 UT4 radio and surround?
Welcome,That is a nice Trans Am.
I was just looking up RHD 3rd gens the other day.I think yours looks great,it must have been very expensive when it was converted because it looks like it came from the factory that way.
Hey JT I don't think the pic or link loaded for me?
What's crazy about this conversion is the working A/C, they went to the effort to mirror the ductwork as well, so you have full cabin coverage, on most RHD conversions, the A/C is written off as too hard, or in some cases, really poorly done where the steering column goes straight through the ductwork and plumbing. There are some really bad unsafe conversions, and some that are very well refined.
Would anyone happen to know where I could find a 1987 UT4 radio and surround?
@Maxthe222 I re-uploaded the picture so it should work now. I had it hotlinked from my server, which is non-https, and some browsers block non-https content on an https site. So uploading it directly to our ThirdGen server resolves that.
The surround is not specific to the UT4 but note you will need one for the non-digital cluster. The digital cluster also had an electronic climate controller that was sized different than the climate controller found on the non-digital cluster ThirdGens. There's also some that have Performance Sound badge if the vehicle had the subwoofer option.
I'm not familiar with Australia to know if the UT4 was different from the USA UT4 due to frequency differences. For example, there is European radios installed for those that were exported to countries with different frequencies.
I've been looking at how much the car must have cost new, sticker price with options I estimate to be around $20,000 USD, factor in shipping and taxes which would have been around another $5k, and the conversion which could have been around $10k, all up it could have been a $40,000 car here, and that's in 1987 $!
Also, kudos to the guy who made that RPO website, it actually works very well, I am most impressed!
That '88 notchback looks very similar to mine in terms of interior, I wonder if that was also sold at Dartom Motor Industries as well?
I have seen the digital instrument cluster, very cool, I hear they don't work well but I wish mine may have been equipped with that option, I love the look! As for the export radio, I don't really have an evidence to suggest this was an export car, it may have just been picked up off a showroom floor and brought here, I did have photos of the car new on a showroom, but I don't know if that was here or in the US.
For a lot of Pontiacs, you can order PHS documents which show the original dealership order information as well as other details, but I heard they only go up to 1986, is there a way to get that kind of information for a 1987 GTA?
Some updates on the car as I am working on it, i've thrown the radio that was in it as well as the immobilizer as it was all cheap junk, and have put a double din Poineer touch screen unit in the car until I find a nice original radio and surround, as this surround was a bit damaged. I've come to discover the radiator has a pretty bad crack, and haven't found anyone who can repair it, so I may need to purchase another replacement unit from RockAuto, they are very good when it comes to cost delivered at your door in Australia, in most cases faster than people who physically have stock here! Fingers crossed it won't have to come to that, and I will be able to find someone who can repair this one, however unlikely.
I've been looking at how much the car must have cost new, sticker price with options I estimate to be around $20,000 USD, factor in shipping and taxes which would have been around another $5k, and the conversion which could have been around $10k, all up it could have been a $40,000 car here, and that's in 1987 $!
Also, kudos to the guy who made that RPO website, it actually works very well, I am most impressed!
That '88 notchback looks very similar to mine in terms of interior, I wonder if that was also sold at Dartom Motor Industries as well?
I have seen the digital instrument cluster, very cool, I hear they don't work well but I wish mine may have been equipped with that option, I love the look! As for the export radio, I don't really have an evidence to suggest this was an export car, it may have just been picked up off a showroom floor and brought here, I did have photos of the car new on a showroom, but I don't know if that was here or in the US.
For a lot of Pontiacs, you can order PHS documents which show the original dealership order information as well as other details, but I heard they only go up to 1986, is there a way to get that kind of information for a 1987 GTA?
Some updates on the car as I am working on it, i've thrown the radio that was in it as well as the immobilizer as it was all cheap junk, and have put a double din Poineer touch screen unit in the car until I find a nice original radio and surround, as this surround was a bit damaged. I've come to discover the radiator has a pretty bad crack, and haven't found anyone who can repair it, so I may need to purchase another replacement unit from RockAuto, they are very good when it comes to cost delivered at your door in Australia, in most cases faster than people who physically have stock here! Fingers crossed it won't have to come to that, and I will be able to find someone who can repair this one, however unlikely.
I'm not knowledgeable on exported cars and the regulations/rules, but some of these cars that were built to be exported did come with different options (and sometimes different option availability) to comply with the regulations or differences of the importing country. Again, the radio was one of those that could differ depending on the intended country the car was ordered for. Sometimes different taillights or paddle mirrors ("break-away" style) were required to comply with the importing country and those were available on the car and came with their own RPO code. A quick scan and I don't see any of those export RPO codes on yours.
... A quick scan and I don't see any of those export RPO codes on yours.
Excellent, cheaper than PHS too! I'll be sure to send that off in a few days!
I noted that as well, I don't see any export codes on this sheet, which is what has lead me to believe it wasn't an "Australian Delivered" T/A, but sold at a standard American dealership that someone had imported into Australia when the car was new. I'm not sure what the export code would be, as I know for actual Australian delivered firebirds, the car was completely unchanged. I don't know if they were actually labelled as export vehicles, for Japan, Canada and I assume Europe, they are guaranteed and I have seen documented proof, but I have never seen an Australian export invoice. No amber indicators, no Australian compliance seat belts, the car just came as is, and it was the responsibility of the dealer to make the vehicle conform.
There is actually a surprisingly large amount of them here, firebirds in generally have always been popular due to their similarities with Holden platforms, but lately they have exploded and are seen everywhere to the point where it is not uncommon to see them in junkyards getting parted out! There were 3 3rd gen T/A's in one junkyard getting parted out, still don't know what became of them! But, most firebirds imported into aus were butchered when converted to RHD by sloppy engineers, and often esprits/base models were turned into T/A clones, so T/A parts are in high demand, and real T/A's are even higher!
Where are you in Sydney ? I'd love to meet up, I'm also in Sydney with an 88 trans am, also converted by dartom, I'm going to go back and read all the posts here but thought I'd just jump ahead and introduce myself lol. Never met any other 3rd gen owners 😄😄
Where are you in Sydney ? I'd love to meet up, I'm also in Sydney with an 88 trans am, also converted by dartom, I'm going to go back and read all the posts here but thought I'd just jump ahead and introduce myself lol. Never met any other 3rd gen owners 😄😄
No kiddin'? I'm out at the Concord/Five Dock area, funnily enough I knew a lot more 3rd gen owners even before I just randomly came across this car! Did you get yours from Dartom?
No kiddin'? I'm out at the Concord/Five Dock area, funnily enough I knew a lot more 3rd gen owners even before I just randomly came across this car! Did you get yours from Dartom?
Would be cool to catch up! I'm on the beaches, mona vale. How do you feel about heading up to st ives showground next Sunday morning for a cars and coffee type show?
I didn't buy mine from dartom, the previous owner may have, but I don't know about its history before that. Came with a little car manual type booklet from dartom.
Ugh, they changed it, they had planned to have it every 2nd Sunday in st ives but I just checked the Facebook page and it has changed, and I won't even be in town on that weekend 😭😭😭
but here's a link to the club, and the new date is 21st March. But let me know if you're free anfree to to catch up at anytime before then!
In relation to the RPO codes, someone sent me this great resource which is exactly what I was after, looks to cover all the RPO codes for the 1987 model year!
A few updates on the car, it's needed a lot of mechanical work, and the exhaust is in pretty bad shape too but all small stuff that can be fixed. Transmission mount was completely destroyed, but that was an easy fix. I can't believe how cheap stuff is from RockAuto even shipped across the planet to Australia! A transmission mount is $3AUD!! $3 AUD! A chocolate bar costs that here. A regular transmission mount is like $40 for any other car. I also ran the GM Media Archives and got this (What I'm used to calling PHS) order invoice! Not bad on the options, but definitely missing heaps of them. Does anyone have a 1987 Dealership order sheet so I can check off boxes to see what was missing?
I'm also still looking for a UT4 radio, I was distraught to find the previous owner had the junk aftermarket radio put in only 6 months ago, and the UT4 was thrown in the bin!!!! If only I got to it sooner...
Does anyone recommend any whitewalled tyres suitable to factory specs for a GTA? I'm starting to see blisters in these tyres
Last edited by Maxthe222; Mar 19, 2021 at 09:31 PM.
