Just saw this in our local Craigslist and thought I'd share it, simply because it's so interesting. (If this is not allowed, feel free to delete the post)

I'm not advertising for the car, just posting the link so you can read about this piece history before it's sold and the link is taken down.

Brief overview: Supposedly, the car is 1 of 3 "test" cars made in 1986 by American Sunroof ASC as a demo of what their 1987 conversions would look like. It's currently for sale and the dealership has a bunch of info about it (including past owners and original dealership).
I knew that the first year convertibles were made in the 80s, they were different looking than the rest, but this is a cool piece of history.

https://grandrapids.craigslist.org/ctd/6022789095.html

 

Interesting that it has a 140 mph speedo

 

my a$$. ASC didn't just roll off a log and start converting f-bodies in 1987. Further, Pontiac didn't "officially" do a Firebird convertible until half way through 1991 model year production. That didn't prevent cars being converted by dealers or owners. On GM paper it's a car that shouldn't exist, but ASC converted Firebirds before GM started advertising it.

 

Because it's a convertible? Seems it would be more unusual if it didn't. I've never bothered to look into it, but all the 86 LB9 Trans Ams I can remember have the 140mph cluster. I've just figured it's normal.

 

More so because its a 305 auto but I guess that was the top dog motor in 86?

 

Yep. I'm thinking in 86 you either got the idiot light cluster and mechanical 85mph speedometer, or the 140mph. At least those are what I had in my three 86 birds. I suppose the digital clust was around then too... The 120mph cluster didn't come around until later IIRC.

 

Just quoting what the ad says. They claim that they researched it and cannot find any other 86 'verts besides the 3 they mention in the ad. It really is not that uncommon for a company to put together some samples for car manufaturers. It is usually for marketing, not to see if they could do one.

What seems strange to me is that it supposedly was bought from a dealership. I really don't see any extremely limited conversions being sold to the general public. Either someone knew someone else to get it brought in, or there's more to the story than they found.

 

They're spinning yarns to explain how it's an 86 ASC convertible. But it doesn't really need to be explained, ASC converted Camaros and Firebirds in 1986. Didn't really need to know anyone aside from the sales guy at the dealership that knew for XXXX dollars a new Trans Am could be sent to ASC to be turned into a convertible.

It's no different than selling a customer undercoating, or pin stripes, or tinted windows.

The "1 of 3" "design exercise" is highly dubious. There have been enough 86 ASC conversions on this site to know ASC was producing them. Further, ASC kept track of what they built except for 1986, so where did they find that they produced three?

It's a neat car, there's no reason to claim it's one of three or some bizarre prototype, the car stands on it's own without a big fish story.