CGA CLEAR W/ANT. CC1 PANEL HATCH R JL1 CUS PEDAL PAD UA1 H/DUTY BATTER W60 SPEC ESPRIT P
  TGA TINT W/ANT CD4 PULSE WIPERS JL2 PWR DISK BRKS UM1 AM RADIO W/TA W63 GAGE PKG
  TG. TINT C24 RECESS WIPERS J65 4 D/BRKS(K A) UM2 AM/FM & TAPE W66 FORMULA MODEL
  AK1 COLOR S/BELTS C41 HEATER K05 ENG HEATER UM4 SIG SEEK STER W67 ESPRIT MODEL
  AR9 SPC BUCK SEAT C49 RR DEFOG ELEC K15 VAP RETURN LI UM6 SIG SEEK CASS W68 RED BIRD MOD
  AU3 ELEC DR LOCK C60 AIR CONDITION K19 AIR INJECTION UN3 STERO CASSETT W72 PERF PACKAGE
  A01 TINTED GLASS C95 DOME & READ L K30 CRUISE CONTRO UN8 RADIO - C/BAN W73 YELLOWBIRD
  A31 ELEC WINDOWS D34 VISOR MIRROR K35 CRUISE CONTRO UN9 RDO SUPPRES YR1 CUSTOM FRT SE
  A51 BUCKET SEATS D35 CUSTOM MIRROR K73 70 AMP ALT UP6 AMFM STEREO C YS1 CUST RR SE
  A90 TRK REMOTE LD D53 HOOD APPLIQUE K76 LO AMP ALT UP7 RAD PROVISION YT1 CUST DOOR BUIL
  BS1 INSULATR PACK D55 CONSOLE FRONT K81 63 AMP ALT UP8 RAD PROVI STE YJ8 GOLD ALUM WHEE
  B18 CUSTOM INTERI D58 CONSOLE REAR K97 80 AMP ALT UQ1 H PERF SPEAKE 16P GRAY WHEELS
  B22 DOOR PAD EMB D60 COLOR&TRIM CO LU8 301 4BBL TURB UQ3 PWR BOOSTER A Y02 DLX FRT SEATS
  B37 FRT&RR MATS D64 ILL MIRROR PA L78 V-8 400 4-BBL UR4 GAUGE TURBO B Y03 DLXE RR SEATS
  B77 W/S BLACK MLD D80 SPOILER REAR (other eng. codes omitted) UT1 WARN TONE GEN Y10 DOOR & 1/4 TR
  B80 ROOF DIP MLDG D92 DR. HAND TAPE M21 4-SP C/RAT UX6 DUAL FRT SPEA Y81 LESS HATCH
  B82 (DELETE BODY *** WHT 4 WHL DIS  M38 3-SP CBC AUTO U05 DUAL HORNS Y82 SPECIAL APPEA
  B83 SPEAR MLDG D98 DECAL PKG (other trans codes omitted) U17 I/P GAUGES Y84 SPEC BLACK T/
  B84 BODY SIDE MLD EXP GMO EXPORT NA5 STAND EMISSIO U25 LUG COMP LAMP Y85 SPEC WHITE I/
  MAPLE F41 RR STAB NB1 3-C EMISSION U27 GLOVE BOX LIG Y88 GOLD TRANS-A
  B85 BELT REVL MLDG GM8 2.56 AXLE NB2 CALIF EMISSION U28 ASH TRAY LMP Y89 SPEC SILVER T
  B89 B/LITE BLACK GU1 241 AXLE NK3 FORM STRG WHL U29 COURTESY LIGH Y90 CUSTOM TRIM
  B93 DOOR EDGE GDS GU2 2.73 AXLE RAT NK5 STD STRG WHL U35 ELEC CLOCK Y92 LAMP GROUP
  B96 WHEEL HOUSE M GU4 308 RATIO AXL NM4 EM SYS NON CL U57 STEREO 8-TRACK Y96 FIRM RIDE OPT
  B97 RR WL SPOILER GU5 3.23 AXLE NM5 CAN CERT STD U58 STERO AM/FM ZK1 HOOD INSULATO
    GU6 342 RATIO AXL N10 DUAL EXHAUST U63 AM P/B RADIO ZP2 TRIM OVERRIDE
    G80 POSITRACTION N30 WO GR STRG WHL U69 AM/FM PB RAD Z49 CANDIAN EQUIP
      N33 TILT STRG WHL U75 POWER ANTENNA 5th Column would start
      N65 SPACE SVR SPR U76 W/S ANT & RAD here on a Norwood car
 

BUMPER CHECK
GOODYEAR TIRES MANDATORY

N67 RALLY WHEEL U80 DUAL RR SPKRS 11N WHITE DLX VIN
  N84 DELETE SPARE U83 TRI BAND P/AN 19X BLACK TRIM MI
  N89 TURBO ALUM WH VC1 EXP LBL-CD 24L PT BRT BLUE
  N90 ALUM WHEEL VD4 STEEL BUMP RE 64A BKSKN STRIPES
  GOLD VD6 ALUM BUMP REI EXT PT RED
  N95 SIM WIRE WHLS VJ9 CAL EMISSION FBD TRANS AM SP C
  N98 RALLY WHEEL VK1 DELETE LIC BK 2DR TRANS-AM
  P05 HONEYCOMB WHL VK3 FRT LIC BRKT W67 2DR ESPRIT
  P06 WHL TRIM V02 H/D RAD COOLA ***
  QCY GR70X15 WH LE WS4 TRANS /AM 6KW L F SPRING
  (other tires omitted) WS6 T/AM MARK IV 7KW R F SPRING
  TR9 LAMP GROUP WV5 BRONZE GRAPHI 8PF L R SPRING
  TT5 HALOGEN LAMPS (other colors omitted) 9PF R R SPRING
  T47 TURBO HOOD WW5 DELETE AIR DA ***
  T48 SHAKER HOOD R WW7 FB HOOD EMBLE PA  REAR SHOCK
  T93 T/LAMP BLACK WW8 IP GUAGE/TACH XXX CUSTOMER ORDER
    WX3 R/A SHAKER HD
    WY9 HATCH ROOF HU
    W50 FORMULA PLUS
     
     


 

TGA TINT W/ANT The first code on most build sheets is not sorted in order. It apparently tells what kind of windshield to use. TGA, which stands for 'tinted glass, antenna', is the most common.

Spotting original glass is very easy. The GM trademark FLO-LITE appears on all original GM glass from this era. Original GM tinted glass is also marked with the GM trademark SOFT-RAY. The main supplier to Norwood and Van Nuys plants was LOF, so that's what practically all late 70's Firebirds have. Back to Top

CGA CLEAR W/ANT. Untinted windshield w/built-in antenna. Back to Top
TG. TINT Tinted Glass with no antenna. This was used on cars with power antenna, or the really rare case of cars without the radio accommodation package. This suggests there might have been a CG. code also. Back to Top
AK1 COLOR S/BELTS or
AK1 DLX BLT & SH HA or
AK1 SILVER 159 BE or
AK1 CARMEN 749 BE or
AK1 CAMEL 629 BEL or
AK1 DOESKIN BELTS or
whatever.
Black seat belts were standard equipment, even with deluxe interior and even when they clashed. We have a build sheet for a Y88 gold special edition with black seat belts. Not a pretty sight. Belts that matched the interior color were an extra cost option ($21 in 1977). Color code numbers, when given, have a 9 tacked on the end.

The belt color was specified in the upper part of the build sheet, but sometimes also it was specified as shown here (Carmen is supposed to be Carmine). This option was standard only on Skybirds, Redbirds, Yellowbirds, TATAs and Indy limited editions. Here's an illustration. Back to Top

AR9 SPC BUCK SEAT Recaro seats used only in 1981 NASCAR limited edition (see Y85). Back to Top
AU3 ELEC DR LOCK or
AU3 PWR DOOR LOCK
Everybody knows what power door locks are. They were actuated by a single switch in the instrument panel on 1970-77 models. The toggle switches on the dash were considered a styling feature. 'Normal' switches were used on the doors in 1978-81. Back to Top
A01 TINTED GLASS I think most people realize that the factory used tinted glass. I have occasionally tried to sell glass to people who didn't; they thought if it didn't have a roll of stuff on it yet it wasn't tinted. Here's an illustration. Tinted glass was included in the "easy order" packages, so it's very common. Back to Top
A31 ELEC WINDOWS Firebird power windows are like any other, except the switch location, on the console, was unusual. Installation of this option is covered on the power windows page. Back to Top
A51 BUCKET SEATS
(Van Nuys)
This code was unnecessary, since no bench seat was available. This was used on Van Nuys cars only. Some of you may have noticed that it's stamped on your Fisher body tag. It's on all of them. Back to Top
A90 TRK REMOTE LD or
A90 PWR DECK LID
Typical GM power trunk lid release. It's actuated by a yellow button in the glove box, which connects by a single wire to a solenoid in the trunk. There's a tech article about installing it at thepontiactransampage.com . Back to Top
BS1 INSULATR PACK Extra sound insulation option that was standard on Esprit. This option is hard to show in pictures, but I attempted to illustrate it on the quietude page. Back to Top
B18 CUSTOM INTERI
(Replaced Y90 in 79)
Deluxe interior included so many features that it is illustrated on a separate deluxe interior page. In 79-81, when B18 was used, the seats and door panels were coded by YR1, YS1, and YT1. Back to Top
B22 DOOR PAD EMBL or
B22 DOOR EMBLEM
B22 appears on cars with power windows. It must refer to the plastic plug with bird emblem that was used on the door panels with power windows. However, limited editions with embroidered door panels also have this code, even though they don't have the plug. Back to Top
B37 FRT&RR MATS These were fairly dull rubber mats with a GM logo on the front two. Back to Top
B77 W/S BLACK MLD Black, powder-coated windshield reveal molding. Cars with B77 will also have black rear window molding, which is B89. The black moldings were used in 1976-78 on special editions only. Here's an illustration. In 1979, all Trans Ams received them. At least some Formulas had them, but I don't know which or when. Back to Top
B80 ROOF DIP MLDG Did you ever wonder why some Firebirds have rain gutters and some don't? Well, it was an option. See the illustration. Back to Top
B82 (DELETE BODY or
B82 (DELETE B EMB or
B82 DELT BDY ORN
This one was tough to figure out, and I've been wrong about it twice. Most of our cars have this code, and there are 4 emblems to pick from. Trans Ams did not have any rocker panel moldings, word emblems, or the Firebird emblem on the trunk. Based on the build sheets I have, it cannot refer to the sail panel bird ornament or the words "Firebird" or "Esprit".  So I assume it deleted the trunk lid emblem. Here's an illustration of what that emblem looks like. Back to Top
B83 SPEAR MLDG This is the rocker panel molding. There are two different kinds: Firebirds got the spear straight from a Camaro, while Esprits had a wide stainless thing that looked like it came off an Oldsmobile. Check out the door options page for an illustration. Back to Top
B84 BODY SIDE MLD
MAPLE, or BLACK or BLUE, or BEIGE, or SILVER
or whatever, or
B84 BLACK BODY M
We see a lot that are pop-riveted on, while others are stick-on. They came in many different colors, which may be coded on the build sheet either on one line as shown or immediately below. They aren't consistent enough to be sure what the factory used. See the illustration. Back to Top
B85 BELT REVL MLDG Big chrome around the top of the doors. See the illustration. Back to Top
B89 B/LITE BLACK or
B89 BLACK BODY M
Same as B77, but on the rear window. Check out the B89 illustration. On some cars this spells out just the same as B84, but of course they're unrelated. Back to Top
B93 DOOR EDGE GDS Stainless steel push-on type. See the illustration Back to Top
B96 WHEEL HOUSE M Not available on Trans Ams (because of the wheel flares). These were standard on Esprit as seen in this illustration. Back to Top
B97 RR WL SPOILER or
B97 F/R WHL SPOIL
Trans Am ground effects. This code was unnecessary, since the build sheet tells in several places what's a Trans Am and what's not. However, it's consistently used on the build sheets I have. See D80 for more on the Trans Am aero package. Back to Top
CC1 PANEL HATCH R or
CC1 HATCH ROOF
WY9 HATCH ROOF HU
CC1 was used for Hurst roofs and Fisher roofs. It's a little strange, since the Hursts weren't installed on the assembly line.  In 1978, when both were being used, the Hurst T-tops were denoted by WY9. Here's an illustration of the Hurst type. Back to Top
CD4 PULSE WIPERS Intermittent wipers came out in 1978. Back to Top
C24 RECESS WIPERS Recessed park on the windshield wipers was originally an option. I only have this code on 1977 build sheets, so maybe that was the last year that had unrecessed parking. Back to Top
C41 HEATER We have five build sheets for cars without A/C. Four have this code and one doesn't. Back to Top
C49 RR DEFOG ELEC On the late 70's cars we get, the rear defrost was a heated rear window. It was controlled by a toggle switch on the instrument panel. See AU3 for more on the toggle switches. Back to Top
C60 AIR CONDITION Mechanical refrigeration: man's greatest achievement. Cars with A/C have 4 extra vents in the dash that weren't on non-A/C cars. Back to Top
C95 DOME & READ L This is the exact same dome lamp, made by the same subcontractor, that was used in all 70's Cadillacs. I have a bad habit of referring to this as the pimp dome lamp. Back to Top
D34 VISOR MIRROR Passenger side vanity mirror without lights. Compare this to D64. Back to Top
D35 CUSTOM MIRROR Almost all Firebirds have this mirror, but it was technically an option on base Firebirds. I've only seen the actual standard mirror once on a Firebird. Here's an illustration of the standard and deluxe mirrors. Back to Top
D53 HOOD APPLIQUE
(Replaced WW7 in 79)
Big hood birds were technically an option. Here's an illustration of the 1977 Special Edition hood bird. Back to Top
D55 CONSOLE FRONT Before 1976, floor shift and the console were optional, even on Trans Ams. After that, you could still technically get a manual transmission without the console. This code was used up to 1979 and dropped in 1980. Back to Top
D58 CONSOLE REAR A cute rear console was offered from 1970-1977.  It's a pretty rare option. Here's an illustration. Back to Top
D60 COLOR&TRIM CO D60, Color and Trim Incompatibility Override, replaced ZP2 in 1980. This code was used on special ordered cars to prevent ugly color schemes from being "corrected" at the factory. Recommended color combinations are shown on the order sheet and in the dealer brochure. I'm not sure how ugly a car could be, even with this code. I have evidence that this code could be on a build sheet even if it's not ugly. I think some owners filled D60 "just to make sure."Back to Top
D64 ILL MILLOR PA Illuminated vanity mirror like that used on Cadillacs.  This is a very rare option, and I do not have an illustration of it installed in a Trans Am. Back to Top
D80 SPOILER REAR Three piece spoiler across the trunk. This had to be coded consistently every year, since many Firebirds were produced without spoilers every year. Check out the D80 illustration.

The center piece of this spoiler, which was made by General Tire, is interchangeable with the Camaro spoiler. There is sort of a legend attached to this spoiler, that Chevrolet stole it from Pontiac or vice-versa. The Trans Am was originally viewed as an SCCA Trans Am race car that would be sold to the public for homologation. This was true in 1969 and 1970. There were no rules to say you couldn't have good spoilers. Tom Goad came over from Chevrolet with a lot of experience and data taken from Chevy's race cars. Herb Adams, Paul Lamar, and racer Jerry Titus instrumented some spoiler test cars and tested dozens of configurations. Bill Porter designed the actual spoilers based on their work. The Trans Am spoilers are remembered as styling, but they were designed for real racing, from race track (not wind tunnel) data. The rear spoiler is the most effective piece of the whole package, by far, creating almost 200 pounds of downforce at 100 mph. 

In February 1970 the Trans Am debuted alongside the 1970 Z-28, which was still wearing the weenie 69 Camaro spoiler. As usual, Chevy racing people had asked for better equipment, but cheap-minded corporate management wouldn't let them have it. Chevrolet engineering got their feelings hurt a little bit, realizing that they needed to homologate the Trans Am's spoiler for SCCA Trans Am racing immediately. There was a lot of interdivisional rivalry in those days, and Pontiac wasn't about to reveal their spoilers early to help Chevy win races. John Delorean, who had moved to Chevrolet, helped work out the politics. Pontiac agreed to give up the center section only, as long as Chevrolet would disguise it with some new end caps. Chevrolet didn't get their new end caps in production in time for the 1970 Trans Am season, but they totally fooled the SCCA into thinking they had, and they were allowed to run the spoiler. 

So, just because they made a million of them, don't think it's not a piece of a real race car. Back to Top

D92 DR. HAND TAPE
D92 TAPE D/HAN***
sometimes with
*** WHT 4 WHL DIS
J'ever notice the color-coordinated piece of tape on some Firebird door handles? It's part of the deluxe interior. It is never color-coded, but matched the body color. It's illustrated on the deluxe interior page.

Some cars with a 4-wheel disk emblem on the door handle had a *** code as shown just under D92. The colors I have documented for this are WHT and CHAR. I'm sure there are some more, like gold for one thing. Back to Top

D98 DECAL PKG A large optional stripe.  This looked sort of like a Nike "swoosh" up until 1976, when it just kept going and went right over the roof. Back to Top
EXP GMO EXPORT Mike D. sent me an export build sheet for a 1978 4-speed Van Nuys Trans Am that was sold to a U.S. military person stationed overseas. His car has since been repatriated, and we were not able to determine exactly what features were different. It currently has regular emissions, regular gages, and regular taillights. The car was shipped somewhere in the Pacific via Hawaii.

It so happens I have a build sheet for a nearly identical car which we actually own. Comparing the upper portions of the build sheets, it's apparent the export car had Federal emissions, unleaded fuel pipe, vapor recovery system, and non-metric gages. This could be unique to military export cars, since many of them were brought back. But you have to wonder where the owner was supposed to get gasoline.

F41 RR STAB
(Van Nuys)
Rear anti-sway bar used on Formula and Trans Am. This code was used on Van Nuys cars only. Back to Top
GM8 2.56 AXLE
GU1 241 AXLE
GU2 2.73 AXLE RAT
GU4 308 RATIO AXL
GU5 3.23 AXLE
GU6 342 RATIO AXL
These are self-explanatory. We might hazard a guess here that GU3 would be 2.93. Back to Top
G80 POSITRACTION Clutch-type anti-spin differentials were standard on all Trans Ams. Back to Top
JL1 CUS PEDAL PAD Bright metal trim on your gas and brake pedals. It was included in the deluxe interior, but also available separately. The pedal pad is the same, and the bright ring is an add-on. Back to Top
JL2 PWR DISK BRKS Power disk brakes. Pretty self-explanatory. Back to Top
J65 4 D/BRKS(K A) or
J65 4WHL DISC BRA or
J65 DISC BRAKES 4
4-wheel disc brakes became available in 1979. These were part of the WS6 package, but were also available separately. My observation has been that all Turbo Trans Ams were made with 4 wheel disk whether they had WS6 or not. Back to Top
K05 ENG HEATER
K05 ENG BLK HTR
This is a typical engine block heater for cold climates.  It loosely resembles a water heater element built into a freeze plug. Back to Top
K15 VAP RETURN LI or
K15 FUEL RETURN
This seems to refer to two steel lines from the engine compartment back to the gas tank. Pontiac and 403-powered cars seem to have this on their build sheets. I guess Chevy and Buick V-6 powered Firebirds were built without the vapor recovery system. Canadian cars had this code also. Back to Top
K19 AIR INJECTION Engine-driven pump that forces air into the catalytic converter. This is very common today on 2-stage converters. It was never used on the big Pontiac engines. Back to Top
K30 CRUISE CONTRO
K35 CRUISE CONTRO
I hope everybody knows what this is. Mechanical speed controls in the 70's used flyweights like a steam engine. The governor was mounted on the firewall and driven by the speedometer cable. Back to Top
K73 70 AMP ALT
K76 LO AMP ALT
K76 61 AMP GEN
K81 63 AMP ALT
K97 80 AMP ALT
K97 is the 1976 heavy-duty alternator. "K76 low amp" seems comical. It's a heavy duty alternator with 61 amps instead of 63, and was used on the Chevy small blocks. The 63 amp was usually the heavy duty alternator for most engines. It could be an option or could be automatically specified based on electrical equipment. The 70 amp started showing up in 1979. I only have three build sheets with the 70 amp, so I can't be exactly sure what equipment kicked in the upgrade. Back to Top
LU8 301 4BBL TURB
L27 301 V-8 2 BBL
L37 V8 301 4BBL
L75 V-8 455 4-BBL
L78 V-8 400 4-BBL
L80 V-8 403 4-BBL
LG3 V8 305 2BBL
LM1 350 V-8 4-BBL
LD5 V6 231 2BBL
These are all of the engine codes we have on build sheets, but of course there are others. Note that W72 is not an engine code, and cars with W72 have the L78 engine code. Back to Top
MV9 AUTO TRANS
MX2 MX1 THM350C
M33 3SPD AUTOMAT
M38 3-SP CBC AUTO
These are all Turbo-Hydramatic 350 codes. M38 was the traditional TH350 code from day one until 1977. After that the 350 went through several evolutionary changes. In the 'Firebird Decoding Guide' Tom DeMauro reported that 1980 301-powered Trans Ams may have had a special transmission with a low first gear, and also used a lockup torque converter. He's right about the torque converter, which lends support to the idea of 'customized' gear ratios. By 1981, all GM cars were using computer engine controls and a lockup torque converter. Back to Top
M21 4-SP C/RAT HU or
M21 4-SP CL RATIO
If you're lucky, you'll have M21 instead of the lame codes given above. Most people call the close-ratio big Muncie transmission M21, but it's just an RPO code. (Then again, so is Z28) Our cars actually have Borg-Warner Super T-10's in them. Back to Top
NA5 STAND EMISSIO Standard Emissions probably means 'not California' (see NB2 below). Back to Top
NB1 3-C EMISSION This stands for 'Computer Command Control' and refers to digital engine controls. All 1981 GM cars had this. Back to Top
NB2 CALIF EMISSION Mike Moore was nice enough to send me a build sheet with 1979 California Emissions, which shows up like this and also VJ9. Back to Top
NK3 FORM STRG WHL Brian calls this the 'most beautiful steering wheel ever put in a production car'. Pontiac called it the 'Formula Steering Wheel'. We are attempting to collect all the colors ever made as shown on the steering wheel page. Back to Top
NK5 STD STRG WHL The base Firebird steering wheel wasn't much to look at, but at least it was color coordinated. Here's an illustration. It wasn't used on any model above the base Firebird. Back to Top
NM4 EM SYS NON CL
NM5 CAN CERT STD
I downloaded a Canadian build sheet from the internet, and it had these two codes along with Z49. If I read these wrong and you have better info please let me know. NON CL has to be an abbreviation for non-catalyst, showing that this particular car did not have a catalytic converter. NM5 is telling us it gets emission equipment (on the engine) certified for use in Canada. This is instead of NA5 standard (49 state) emissions or NB2 (California) Back to Top
N10 DUAL EXHAUST I got this code from our Turbo and Turbo Formula build sheets. As you can probably imagine, they had one turbo, so they didn't have dual exhaust. The exhaust split right behind the catalytic converter and had dual mufflers. It doesn't appear on published option lists, so I guess it just came with certain motors. This exhaust came out in 1978 on cars with W72, but I can't find an example of the code except on turbos. Back to Top
N30 DLX STRG WHL
N30 WO GR STRG WHL
The Deluxe "cushion" steering wheel was standard on Esprit and Formula. WO GR appears to stand for "wood grain", which surrounds the padded area. Here's an illustration. Back to Top
N33 TILT STRG WHL Tilt steering column. Back to Top
N65 SPACE SVR SPR Collapsed tire that blows up like a balloon. Appears to be quite dangerous. Back to Top
N67 RALLY WHEEL This code reads the same as N98, but it's not.  It refers to body colored Rally II wheels. These were available on any Pontiac in any color, and I suppose the white ones were the most popular. Check out these yellow ones in the N67 illustration.

Weird File: 1977 Bandit Trans Ams ordered with this code were equipped with contrasting gold Rally II wheels. Only one of these has ever been documented by the Bandit Trans Am club, but more will come out of the woodwork. Back to Top

N84 DELETE SPARE This is really the only logical choice, isn't it?  The space saver looks too dangerous to use, but a real spare won't fit in the trunk.  I found two (Norwood, 1977) examples of this code and they have both N84 and N65 on the build sheet. Back to Top
N89 TURBO ALUM WH 15 x 8 disk wheel used on TATA and Turbo Trans Ams with WS6. In 1981, this wheel shrunk to 15 x 7.5 Back to Top
N90 ALUM WHEEL
GRAY or SILVER or GOLD
(Replaced YJ8 in 79)
What Pontiac and most people called 'snowflake' wheels. Check out the N90 illustration. These were used on most of the Special Edition Trans Ams. The color may be spelled out under the code or more commonly in the color table. Snowflakes were available on all Firebirds (in fact, all Pontiacs). The code is the same regardless of color, whether you've got WS6 or a prissy Redbird with FR78's.

Wierd File: 10th anniversay Trans Ams have code N90 although they had Turbo wheels. I guess the Turbo wheels weren't assigned N89 until later. Back to Top

N95 SIM WIRE WHLS This hubcap was a common, and commonly hated, feature of Esprits. Today, it's almost a miracle to find a car still wearing these hubcaps. Back to Top
N98 RALLY WHEEL Steel Rally II wheel. The normal color was charcoal with silver spokes. Check out the N98 illustration. Back to Top
P05 HONEYCOMB WHL Heavy polycast wheels used from 1972 to 1976.  The designer intended them to be executed in aluminum. Bummer. Back to Top
P06 WHL TRIM Rally II trim rings. Rally II wheels were available without the trim rings through much of their history, and this was a separate option. Check out the P06 illustration. Back to Top
QBW FR78X15 WH W/
QBX GR70X15 BSW
QCY GR70X15 WH LE
QGR 2.25X15 WH LE
QKN FR78X15 FG WW
Tire Options. QBW and QKN are the whitewalls on the Skybird and Redbird. QBX is standard on Trans Am.  QCY and QGR were pay-extra options that got you raised white letters. Back to Top
TR9 LAMP GROUP
(Replaced Y92 in 79)
This included floor courtesy lamps, glove compartment lamp, and trunk lamp. In 1981 a warning tone generator was added. These were all coded separately on the build sheet, but were not available separately. Again, seems like one would have been enough. Don't confuse this option with the fancy dome lamp (C95). They're separate options. Back to Top
TT5 HALOGEN LAMPS Halogen headlamps were used on the 10th Anniversary Trans Am. This allowed Pontiac to add a unique feature to the TATA with no development work whatsoever. They were available on "regular" Trans Ams as an option beginning in 1979. Back to Top
T47 TURBO HOOD Turbo Trans Ams and Formulas required a special hood to clear the high-mounted carburetor. Some cars had turbo boost indicator lights on this hood, which are coded separately as UR4. Back to Top
T48 SHAKER HOOD R
(Replaced WX3 in 79)
I hope everybody knows what this is. The shaker is an essential part of a Trans Am's appearance. Here's an illustration. This hood doesn't keep the rain off, and it's been the death of a lot of engines. Check out the shaker page for more info. 

Aerodynamic experiments on the Trans Am body actually led to the design of the formula hood, with the inlets sticking up out of the boundary layer. It wasn't used on Trans Ams, because Pontiac was working on a carb setup for SCCA racing that wouldn't fit under the hood, so they wanted to homologate a hood with a hole in it. As we say in engineering, "it seemed like a good idea at the time". See D80 for more history on the Trans Am aero package.Back to Top

T93 T/LAMP BLACK
(beginning 1978)
This refers to Black Taillights on a Trans Am. All Trans Ams received smoked taillight covers from 1979 to 1981. In 1978, black painted taillights and a black tail panel was offered as an option. This was a styling transition move to get ready for the black Trans Am taillights coming out in 1979. I believe that all 1978 Y88 cars received T93. Check out the 1978 T93 illustration. Back to Top
UA1 H/DUTY BATTER Just how heavy duty was it? I don't know. Back to Top
UM1 AM RADIO W/TA
UM2 AM/FM & TAPE or
UM2 STERO WITH TA
These are pushbutton radios with 8-track built in. Back to Top
UM4 SIG SEEK STER Stereo with electronic tuning and display (probably LED, given the times). UM4 was a unique feature of the TATA when it came out, and became available on other cars later. Back to Top
UM6 SIG SEEK CASS Another digitally tuned stereo. UM6 was standard on the Y85, and cost $555 20 years ago on other models! UM6 included 4 higher performance speakers (see UQ1). Back to Top
UN3 AMFM ST CASSE This is a regular pushbutton radio with cassette deck, which came out in 1978. Back to Top
UN8 RADIO - C/BAN I have one example of this code, on a 1977 Trans Am.  The 1977 CB Radio was a separate unit mounted in the console.  It was only offered in 1977.
UN9 RDO SUPPRES or
UN9 RADIO SUPR. G
UN9 was a pay-extra option called the "radio accommodation package". This came free with a radio, but was a pay-extra option if you didn't get a radio. From the abbreviation, UN9 on build sheets refers to the noise suppression capacitors on your alternator, fusebox, and blower motor.

For invoice purposes, UN9 included the windshield antenna (U76). The antenna is always coded separately on build sheets. After 1979, you could also opt for a power antenna (U75) for extra money.  Back to Top

UP6 AMFM STEREO C AM/FM stereo radio with 40-channel CB that became available in 1979. According to the option list, UP6 included U83. $574 dollars in 1979! So this means 1978 was the only year for the AM/FM/40-channel CB (UP5) with windshield antenna.Back to Top
UP7 RAD PROVISION This is not on published option lists, but I suspect it refers to a single rear speaker used with a mono radio beginning in 1979. I have only one example of it, on a 1979 Norwood car with an AM/FM mono radio. Back to Top
UP8 RAD PROVI STE This one is hard to explain. It refers to 2 rear speakers, which first became available in 1979. In 1979 Norwood Cars were coded UP8, while Van Nuys cars were coded U80 for the exact same option. 

I don't have an example of UP8 after 1979, but according to published option lists, when dual front speakers came out in 1980, UP8 became the RPO for a 4-speaker setup with a mono radio. Back to Top

UQ1 H PERF SPEAKE Optional "Dual Range" rear speakers available in 1980 and 1981. This came standard with the three digitally tuned radios, and I think also with UQ3 Power Booster in 1981. My build sheets with UQ1 do not list UQ3 or UP8, but the Van Nuys ones do list U80. This option was available with any of the radios. Back to Top
UQ3 PWR BOOSTER A This refers to a separate stereo amplifier. It came out on the 1980 Indy pace cars, to make them more special. It was switched on and off. In 1981, it became a regular production option, and there was no switch. Back to Top
UR4 GAUGE TURBO B This refers to those 3 lights on the hood. Nobody knows when they came out or how widely available they were in 1980. I believe that all Indy pace cars got them, and everybody else had to fight over what was left. Back to Top
UT1 WARN TONE GEN In 1981, an optional tone generator was used to replace the separate key and seat belt buzzers. This was part of the TR9 interior lamp group.   Back to Top
UX6 DUAL FRT SPEA Replaces the single front speaker with two 3" speakers. This option came out in 1980. Back to Top
U05 DUAL HORNS
(Van Nuys)
As far as I know, all Firebirds have dual horns. Back to Top
U17 I/P GAUGES
(Replaced WW8 in 79)
This is the Trans Am gauges with clock in the tach. It was optional on lower Firebird models. Back to Top
U25 LUG COMP LAMP
U27 GLOVE BOX LIG
U29 COURTESY LIGH
The three components of the Lamp Group. These codes are always used, in addition to the group code. As if that wasn't enough, slot 74 on the top of the build sheet usually says LGHT NO or LGHT YES. They just couldn't get enough of coding this option. Back to Top
U28 ASH TRAY LMP This is standard equipment and didn't need to be on the build sheet. It's a fiber optic cable that bleeds a little bit of light from the speedometer to the ash tray. Back to Top
U35 ELEC CLOCK or
U35 IP ELEC CLOCK
U35 is an optional clock that could be added to the basic instrument panel (with idiot lights). Joe's Skybird has this option. Oddly, the code shows up on all our Van Nuys cars with rally gages. This code was useless on these cars, because the rally gages included a clock which could not be deleted. This is particularly ridiculous on the Trans Am where the clock was inside the tach. Back to Top
U57 STEREO 8-TRACK Old style separate 8-track in the console. Firebirds used the 1960's 8-track up to 1977, but all other GM cars abandoned it years earlier. Back to Top
U58 STERO AM/FM This is a pushbutton radio. In those days there was no stereo AM. They just had stereo FM and mono AM. Back to Top
U63 AM P/B RADIO Just what it says, a pushbutton AM mono radio Back to Top
U69 AM/FM PB RAD This is the AM/FM mono radio. Back to Top
U75 POWER ANTENNA This option came out on the 10th anniversary Trans Am, to make it more "special". It was also available on other Firebirds later. Back to Top
U76 W/S ANT & RAD This is that wire between the windshield glass layers that serves as an antenna. Reception isn't too good with this antenna. Back to Top
U80 REAR SPEAKER or
U80 DUAL RR SPKRS
Originally referred to 1 back speaker, which was included with stereos and optional with a mono radio until 1978. On the examples I have, which are all stereos, Norwood cars do not have the code, but Van Nuys cars do. U80 would almost surely appear on a Norwood build sheet with mono radio and extra-cost back speaker. See also UP7, which adds even more confusion.

Dual rear speakers came out in 1979, and were coded UP8 on Norwood cars, but U80 on Van Nuys cars for the exact same option. According to published option lists and order forms in my possession, U80 continued to be the code for a single rear speaker through 1981, as an extra-cost option with mono radios. Understanding an RPO on the order form doesn't necessarily tell us how it appears on build sheets. Back to Top

U83 TRI BAND P/AN The power antenna with CB-radio coil hanging on it became available in 1979. This was a separate option but it was also included if you bought the factory CB. These used to be a common sight on late 70's Eldorados, and Joe had one on his 79 Toronado. The Toronado is illustrated on the hoghead garage page but the pictures don't show the antenna very well. Back to Top
VC1 EXP LBL-CD This is another code from the single export car that I have. I don't have any way to know specifically what this is for. See discussion under EXP. Back to Top
VD4 STEEL BUMP RE
VD6 ALUM BUMP REI
This must be abbreviated from "bumper reinforcement". I don't know what dictates the selection. This is on the 1981 build sheets I have.
VJ9 CAL EMISSION
VJ9 EXH EMISS LVL
Mike Moore was nice enough to send me a build sheet with 1979 California Emissions, which shows up like this and also NB2. Back to Top
VK1 DELETE LIC BK
VK3 FRT LIC BRKT
Front tag bracket was a free option. If you don't have either code I'm not sure what you're supposed to do! Joe's first Y82 has this delete option. Back to Top
V02 H/D RAD COOLA The heavy-duty cooling features a 4-row radiator and a different fan clutch. If you ordered the trailer tow package, you got V02 plus Y96 Firm Ride. Back to Top
WS4 TRANS /AM This just tells you it's a Trans Am, although you can always tell from the VIN. WS4 is frequently stamped on the cowl trim tag. Back to Top
WS6 T/AM MARK IV This is another legendary option. You gotta love the engineering-inspired title: Trans Am Mark IV. WS6 was, and is to this day, a way of ordering a Trans Am with a little extra performance. This option grew out of Herb Adams's road-racing Trans Am modifications. In 1978, when it was introduced, WS6 included a bigger rear swaybar, improved bushings, wider wheels, stiffer springs and shocks, a special steering box, and a brace on the subframe. Check out the WS6 illustration. In 1979 4-wheel disk brakes were added to the package. There is some very detailed information on WS6 at http://hometown.aol.com/nascarta1/WS6info.html. Back to Top
WV5 BRONZE GRAPHI
WV6 GOLD GRAPHICS
WV7 CHARCOAL GRAP
WV8 BLUE GRAPHICS
WV9 RED GRAPHIC
In 1980, they began coding bird colors using separate RPO codes. Back to Top
WW5 DELETE AIR DA This was an abbreviation for "Delete Air Dam." According to a Pontiac historian, a front air dam shortage occured at Norwood during early 1979 model production. Beginning around 10/10/78, the center air dam was deleted on all Trans Ams with the exception of the black and gold Y84 cars, which needed to be on the car to be striped. The shortage ended around Nov 1 1978. Pontiac shipped pre-painted air dams approx mid-Nov to the dealers involved who recieved cars without the air dams.
WW7 FB HOOD EMBLE Technically, the hood bird was an option. Here's an illustration of the 1977 Special Edition hood bird. This code was replaced by D53 in 1979. Back to Top
WW8 IP GUAGE/TACH This is the Trans Am gauges with clock in the tach. It was optional on lower Firebird models. Replaced by U17 in 1979. Back to Top
WX3 R/A SHAKER HD I hope everybody knows what this is. The shaker is an essential part of a Trans Am's appearance. Here's an illustration for the truly uninitiated. This hood doesn't keep the rain off, and it's been the death of a lot of engines. This code was replaced by T48 in 1979. Check out the shaker page for more info. 

Aerodynamic experiments on the Trans Am body actually led to the design of the formula hood, with the inlets sticking up out of the boundary layer. It wasn't used on Trans Ams, because Pontiac was working on a carb setup for SCCA racing that wouldn't fit under the hood, so they wanted to homologate a hood with a hole in it. As we say in engineering, "it seemed like a good idea at the time". See D80 for more history on the Trans Am aero package. Back to Top

WY9 HATCH ROOF HU Hurst-installed T-tops were coded with WY9 in 1978 to distinguish them from Fisher T-tops built on the assembly line.  See CC1. Back to Top
W50 FORMULA PLUS
W50 SPEC APPEAR
W50 SPEC APPEAR G
An appearance package for Formulas that came out in 1976. It featured black accent color on the lower body and tail panel, black grilles, black scoops in the hood, multicolored accent striping, and large "Formula" lettering on the lower part of the doors. Here's the ad that launched W50.

Eventually other accent colors were used, including gold with the S/E grilles and gold hood scoops. Beginning in 1979, all Formulas received a less complicated two-tone paint scheme, but the rest of W50 remained optional. Back to Top

W60 SPEC ESPRIT P Skybird appearance package for Esprit in 77 and 78 that featured blue paint, blue wheels, blue interior, totally blue grilles, blue accent paint like the Formula appearance package AND blue pinstripes. The Skybird also had the first color-coordinated formula steering wheel ever used. As you can imagine, these cars have tons of visual impact.  They combine the features of the other appearance packages, but with very feminine decals. These are unique and beautiful cars, but have no collector following. I guess if women collected cars they'd be more popular. Our Ladybird page tells the whole story of the Esprit special editions.

Pontiac wanted to name it "Bluebird" but couldn't get permission from the school bus company. Later it was replaced by the Redbird described below. Joe owns a Skybird which has its own page in the Hoghead garage. W60 is often stamped on the cowl tag. Back to Top

W63 GAGE PKG Rally gages with the big clock. This was optional in all Firebird models except the Trans Am, which had WW8 (rally gages, clock, and tach) standard. Formulas didn't get gages as standard equipment until 1979.Back to Top
W66 FORMULA MODEL
W66 FORMULA PKG
This just says it's a Formula, 3rd model up in the Firebird lineup. W66 is often stamped on the cowl tag. Formulas made the Trans Am performance equipment available without all the aerodynamics. Formula styling featured twin hood scoops. The W50 Formula illustration gives you an idea what a 1976 Formula looks like with the optional appearance package. Back to Top
W67 ESPRIT MODEL or
W67 2DR ESPRIT
This just says it's an Esprit, 2nd model up in the Firebird lineup. W67 is often stamped on the cowl tag. I always say it was a Firebird made for a girl, although Jim Rockford did always drive one on TV. Esprits featured deluxe interior, deluxe sound insulation, and all the optional bright moldings as standard equipment. The standard engine was usually a step above the base Firebird engine. The Skybird (above) and Redbird (below) show what an Esprit looked like with the special appearance package. Back to Top
W68 RED BIRD MOD Redbird appearance package for Esprit in 78 and 79 that featured two-tone red paint, red wheels, red interior, and gold pinstripes and trim. This is a red version of the Skybird (see above) but with the added feature of gold trim items used on the Trans Am Special Editions. W68 is often stamped on the cowl tag. In 1980 they switched to yellow. Of the three girly appearance packages, the Redbird is the prettiest.

If you've never seen one, here's a gorgeous example. For a more in-depth look, our Ladybird page tells the whole story of the Esprit special editions. Also, Joe's 4-speed Redbird can be found in Hoghead garage. Back to Top

W72 PERF PACKAGE or
W72 PERFORMANCE P or
W72 PERFORM PKG
This option came out in 1977 to help people who were grieving the loss of the 455. With continued refinement it became sort of a legendary late 70's Trans Am feature, and was temporarily combined with WS6 and absolutely required on 1977-79 400 4-speed Trans Ams. W72 engines gained a little extra horsepower through higher compression and a different cam. W72 is not an engine code, and cars with W72 engines will have the L78 engine code.  This causes a lot of confusion when looking at build sheets.

In 1978 the exhaust was also revised. Horsepower was rated at 200 in 1977 and 220 in 1978-79. In 1977-78, The factory ratchet shifters were fitted only to W72 automatic cars, which also received 3.23 axles.

I highly recommend John Witzke's article on W72, which is posted on the internet here at 78ta.com.

W72 Trivia:  All the Pontiac 400's built in 1978 and saved for 1979 were W72's. I have seen several 1978 W72 Trans Ams with huge delays between engine and body manufacture (Brian's is an example). It goes without saying that this is the case on the 1979's, but I'm not sure why it happened in 1978. Back to Top

W73 YELLOWBIRD Yellow Bird appearance package for Esprit in 80 and 81 that featured two-tone yellow paint, yellow wheels, tan interior, and gold pinstripes and trim. This is a related to the Skybird and Redbird (see above). These are quite rare, and if you've never seen one, check out our Ladybird page. Back to Top
YR1 CUSTOM FRT SE and
YS1 CUST RR SE or you could have
YR1 YS1 CUST SEAT (on one line)
plus, for the doors, you need 
YT1 DOOR & 1/4 TR or
YT1 CUST DOOR BUIL
These codes replaced Y02-Y10 (below) in 1979. At that time, the master code for deluxe interior became B18. It seems like the master code would have been enough. These codes are illustrated on the deluxe interior page.

These codes don't differentiate between deluxe vinyl and cloth seats, and they don't tell what color to use, so they're not really very useful. Color info was in the color table. Back to Top

YJ8 GOLD ALUM WHEE or
YJ8 ALUMINUM WHEE, with
55P GOLD ALUM WHEE or
16P GREY ALUM WHEE or
16P GRAY WHEELS or
21P BLUE ALUM WHE or whatever
(replaced by N90 in 1979)
What Pontiac and most people call 'snowflake' wheels. The color may be spelled out as shown here or immediately below. These were used on all but a tiny number of Special Edition Trans Ams in 1977 and 1978, but they were available on all Firebirds (and in fact, all Pontiacs). The code is the same for all colors and wheel widths. Check out the YJ8 illustration. Back to Top
Special Editions Y-81 through Y-89 see below
Y02 DLX FRT SEATS
Y03 DLXE RR SEATS
Y10 DOOR & 1/4 TR
Y90 CUSTOM TRIM
(Replaced by B18 in 1979)
Y90 is the master code for deluxe interior, and would have been enough on the sheet. The first three codes tell you to put deluxe seats and door panels on.

Deluxe Interior has so many features it is documented on a separate deluxe interior page.

These codes don't tell you what color to use, though. That's in the color table. Back to Top

Y92 LAMP GROUP
(Replaced by TR9 in 1979)
This included floor courtesy lamps, glove compartment lamp, and trunk lamp. These were all coded separately on the build sheet, but were not available separately. Again, seems like one would have been enough. Back to Top
Y96 FIRM RIDE OPT All Pontiacs used to have a "firm ride" suspension option in the olden days. What you got was the stiffer springs from the trailer tow package, and on some cars you might get a bigger sway bar. Since stiff springs don't cost any more than soft springs, this didn't really cost much. In 1977, Y96 cost just $11.

Now, you may be thinking, "This looks like the poor man's WS6, but you could get it in the 1960's, and almost for free." You'd be right about that. You may also think everybody would have ordered it. There, you'd be wrong. It is almost unheard of to find Y96 on an early Trans Am. Larry Fritzen was nice enough to send me a build sheet from his ultra-rare firm-riding 77 Special Edition. I have attempted to illustrate Y96 here.

If you check your option lists, you'll see that the Trailer package consisted of Y96 plus V02 Heavy Duty Radiator.

ZK1 HOOD INSULATO or
ZK1 HOOD INSLATOR
This code appears on our 1981 Van Nuys Turbo and our 1978 Base Firebird. These cars had very different hood insulation but use the same code to denote it. Turbo Trans Ams had heavy hood insulation and a radiation shield attached to the hood. This was intended to protect the hood paint and decals. The exhaust pipes to and from the turbo throw off a lot of heat. Back to Top
ZP2 TRIM OVERRIDE This code was used on special ordered cars to prevent ugly color selections from being "corrected" at the factory. It was replaced by D60 in 1980. Recommended color combinations are shown on the order sheet and in the dealer brochure. I'm not sure how ugly a car could be, even with this code. I have evidence that this code could be on a build sheet even if it's not ugly. I think some owners filled ZP2 "just to make sure."

My 1977 order sheet shows that white snowflake wheels were allowed only on white or Bahia green cars. Has anybody seen a white snowflake wheel? And what's a Bahia? Back to Top

Z49 CANDIAN EQUIP I downloaded a Canadian build sheet off the internet, and it's the only one I have. I has only two Canada-specific codes, and the other one, NM5, has to do with emissions. So this one could cover anything else, like the kilometer speedometer. It does not have a unique rally gauge code.

It's kind of fun to see what all is misspelled on build sheets. Apparently even sovereign nations aren't immune. Back to Top

FBD TRANS AM SP C or
FBD ESPRIT SPT CP or
2DR TRANS-AM or
W67 2DR ESPRIT
This code falls between the colors and the springs, only on Norwood cars. It's not very exciting, but appears to refer to the type of body coming down the line (remember there were Camaros there too). I believe SP C is an abbreviation for "Sport Coupe" which was how Fisher referred to the particular F-body body style. The FBD (firebird) code was replaced with 2DR codes in 1979, again only used on Norwood cars. Back to Top
XXX CUSTOMER ORDER Some build sheets contain this code, always listed last after the colors and springs.  It must mean that the car was specially ordered, but I have no way to tell. Back to Top

Trans Am Special Editions and Limited Editions

Y81 LESS HATCH Black special editions (see Y82) were built without T-tops in most years. These were called Y81's in 1976-77. I think this was only a valid factory RPO in 1977, because the 1976 Y81's were an unplanned result of problems at Hurst. 1977 Y81's are quite rare. I only have one example build sheet (thanks to Fred Schramm), and it has both Y82 and Y81 codes. The 1976 cars don't, obviously, because it was an "unplanned feature". Back to Top See also Hoghead's Bandit Trans Am Page
Y82 SPECIAL APPEA This was an appearance package with gold emblems, wheels, and pinstriping on a black car with Hurst T-tops, built from 1976-78. The 1977 Y82 became famous as Burt Reynolds' car in "Smokey and the Bandit", and today most people still call these "Bandit Trans Ams." Here's an illustration. The Special Edition was briefly available without T-tops (see Y81). Y82 was renamed Y84 on some 1978 cars and all black special editions in 1979-81. Back to Top See also Hoghead's Bandit Trans Am Page
Y84 SPEC BLACK T/ or
Y84 BLK SPC EDIT
Y84 replaced code Y82 on some 1978 black special editions and all of them in 1979-81. Many of these cars have Y84 stamped on the cowl tag, and I believe they all had T-tops in 1978. Y84's were available without T-tops in 1979, 1980 and 1981, and those cars are rare today. Thanks to Mike Farrell for providing me a copy of the build sheet from his 1979 non-T-top 4-speed Y-84. His car has the Y84 code. Published production records state that all the 79's had t-tops, but these records are well known to be wrong. I'm not sure about the 1978's. I could say they didn't make any, but who knows? Maybe one will turn up. Back to Top See also Hoghead's Bandit Trans Am Page
Y85 SPEC WHITE I/
or
Y85 SPEC EDIT T/A
White limited edition pace car replicas built in 1980 and 1981. These are all Turbo Trans Ams loaded with options. The 1981 NASCAR edition has a note on the build sheet that says "GOODYEAR TIRES MANDATORY". Back to Top
Y88 GOLD TRANS-A or
Y88 SPC ED T/A GL
Gold special edition built only in 1978. This was like a Y82 with the colors reversed. Check out the Y88 illustration. Back to Top See also Hoghead's Bandit Trans Am Page
Y89 SPEC SILVER T Silver limited edition 10th anniversary Trans Am built in 1979. This car was required to be loaded with options, and several unique items were standard on this car.  This pattern continued on the Y85 cars. Back to Top

 

Color Codes

At the end of a build sheet, there is a string of color codes, like 19L, 74X, and 55P. These are described on the colors page

Spring and Shock Codes

After the color table there was a spring and shock table on Norwood build sheets only through 1979. This was redundant, because the springs and shocks were also coded in the top part of the build sheet. The springs were selected based on the weight of the car. The parts manuals show the weight tables used, so it's possible, using the parts books, to figure out what springs any car is supposed to have. The left and right rear shocks are coded separately, but I have not found a car with 2 different rear shock codes.Back to Top

Big RPO Codes

At the bottom of the left-hand column of RPO codes there is often a big RPO code like the big Y82 shown above (ASCII art?). The dots don't appear after 1977. Most build sheets have a big code, but some don't. I have secured examples of big codes WS4, W50, W68, WY9, Y81, Y82, Y84, Y85, Y88, Y89, a big W for WS6 and a big T for Turbo. Some cars have a big EET which may stand for emissions testing (there's a note about a "pump" right next to it). There are a examples of these on the mystery number page. After 1980, there were also big color codes at the bottom of the right hand column of RPO codes. Back to Top

Mystery Number

On the bottom of some build sheets, there is a hand-written number on the right hand side. 90% of them are 4 digits, and none 5 digits, so it appears that they ranged from 1-9999. This was a sequential number, one higher than the car in front of it, used to keep the cars and build sheets sorted out on the line. Larry Fritzen provided me the evidence here. John Limes told me the number on his buildsheet was also chalked on his firewall. I'm still looking for one.

If you worked at Norwood in the 70's please contact me and tell me about it! Back to Top

Goodyear Tires Mandatory, and other notes

A few build sheets have a note in this area about some special requirement. The most common of these is "Goodyear Tires Mandatory" which appears on 1981 NASCAR Pace Cars. I would assume that this was because Goodyear was official tire of NASCAR and the sole supplier.

Over on the mystery number page, You can see a Camaro sold in a suburb of Akron which has "Akron Tires Required." This is the only local content note of any kind I have.

I also have a famous one in the collection that says "Bumper Check". It's the combination Y82/Fire Am that won Editor's Choice at the 2006 T/A Nats, and appeared on the cover of HPP in March 2007. I have no idea what "Bumper Check" means, but I fear it might mean the car was rolled into a brick wall at 5 mph. That's pure speculation, though. Government bumper standards required cars to be designed for that. Back to Top