[Tin Injun Tom]

This is a pretty nice '78 Trans Am, but is the seller confused???
His discription claims he's "owned over 20 of these cars" but when I asked him to specify what the WS4 consists of, he said he had no idea.
I can't see anything on the window sticker that mentions WS4.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...DME:L:RTQ:US:1

Maybe that's just the "Non WS6" option code???

[bryany]

Standard Trans AM, non WS6

[Tin Injun Tom]

10-4 That's kinda what I suspected.

[Dens71TA]

WS4 is the RPO for the Trans Am model. The VIN number will also start with 22887, 2V87 or 2W87 depending on the model year.

WS6 is the RPO code for performance suspension. This option was also available on Firebird Formula models.

[dyingbreed]

I was looking at that car last night while surfing ebay. I'm impressed! Very nice car. I'm not wild about the color, but it's still a prime example of a finely preserved car.

db

[Tin Injun Tom]

Originally Posted by Dens71TA

WS4 is the RPO for the Trans Am model.

Do I take that to mean ALL (78) Trans Ams will have WS4 on the build sheet?
Or do WS6 cars overide the WS4 code?

I'm not real crazy about Chesterfield Brown either, but it don't look bad when the paint is all buffed out like that.

[MalteseFalcon]

All Trans Ams, including those with WS6, are WS4. It just means that its a Trans Am.

[MalteseFalcon]

Originally Posted by Dens71TA

WS6 is the RPO code for performance suspension. This option was also available on Firebird Formula models.

But not in 1978 - it was only available on Trans Ams that year.

[Tin Injun Tom]

Originally Posted by MalteseFalcon

All Trans Ams, including those with WS6, are WS4. It just means that its a Trans Am.

So, the bottom line is; This "rare" WS4 Trans Am is about as rare as an apple in an orchard.

[Razorhorn]

Originally Posted by Tin Injun Tom

So, the bottom line is; This "rare" WS4 Trans Am is about as rare as an apple in an orchid.

What's an orchid got to do with apples?

[Dens71TA]

Originally Posted by Tin Injun Tom

So, the bottom line is; This "rare" WS4 Trans Am is about as rare as an apple in an orchid.

Its as rare as all the other hundreds of thousands of Trans Ams made since 1969! WS4 just means its a Trans Am. Nothing more, nothing less.

[Tin Injun Tom]

Originally Posted by Razorhorn

What's an orchid got to do with apples?

Yeh, I know. I got the spelling corrected now.

["Puddles the Pontiac"]

hey, if anyone wants me to check this car out i'll do it. he had a 4th gen transam for sale earlier this year. i know where he is located. something seemed hinky about him, but i say that about alot of people. let me know.

[piratepowwow]

Hmm, he's got a pontiac 400 with an automatic transmission. The air cleaner appears to be the type that would normally go on a 403, but there doesn't seem to be any alignment issues. I thought all the 400's were put in cars with manual transmissions? According to his build sheet, that's the way the car came.

[thumper78]

Pontiac 400 was available with an automatic up till about April, 1978.

I ordered a TA w/400 and an auto at the end of March. Within 2 weeks of placing the order, they notified me that this combination was no longer available. They offered me an Olds 403 with the auto instead.

I opted for a 400 with the stick instead.

[Tin Injun Tom]

Originally Posted by piratepowwow

I thought all the 400's were put in cars with manual transmissions? According to his build sheet, that's the way the car came.

I thought the 400=4-speed rule only applied to 1979 models. But then, I don't know a whole lot about these 2nd generation T/As anyway.
The VIN code and window sticker both say 400. Did you mean, you contacted the seller, and he revealed it was originally a 4-speed car?

[moonrider1]

I'm not sure if the what the guy said about the 400 coming in a T/A with an automatic up until April of 78 is true. I have a documented 78 Y88 solar gold SE with a Pontiac 400 and a turbo 350 tranny in it with a build date of July 24, 1978 which is pretty late in the model year. I have the original invoice and the build sheet and they both check out. I think the Pontiac 400 that only came with a 4 speed is the W72 prior to 79. In 79 I beleive the rule was that a 403 came with automatic and the 400 came with 4 speed but in 78 you could get the 400 with an automatic unless it was a W72. Can anyone confirm this?

[2manyT/A'S]

At the beginning of the 78 model year (Sept/Oct 77),the base 400 (180 HP) was available with TH 350 auto ONLY & continued that way for the rest of the 78 production run.
The OPTIONAL W72 400 (TA6.6) was available with EITHER TH350 or M21 4speed (actually a Super T-10) UNTIL sometime in March,when the W72 400/TH350 combo was dropped.
SO,if you wanted a W72 400,you got a STICK,& if you wanted an auto,you got the 180 HP 400.

Several sources state production figures for the base 400 engine with 4 speed,but in the past 25 years,I have yet to lay my eyes on one.
If anybody out there has a 78 T/A "build sheet" with M21 & NO W72,I want to see it!

Most Y88 (Gold S/E's) were built around that time (March 78) or later,so a Y88/W72/TH350 should be MUCH lower production than a Y88/ W72/stick. It's arguably the lowest production "desireable" Y88 drivetrain combo.

[2manyT/A'S]

MOONRIDER: That's a SWEET LOOKIN' Y88 car!
Can you give us some details? Original or restored? Mileage?Repaint? How long have you had it?