97TransamPace

I recently purchase a 1997 Tans Am California Speedway Pace car, either 1 of 20, or 1 of 40 based on the research I have done.

I would like to know more about this car. Was it build by ASC or SLP?
The car is almost 100% original an in great condition.

I also have a couple of codes I can't decode.

PBT ( I think this was a temporary hood code.
6AB
7AB
8HS
9HS

The VIN Number is 2G2FV22P9V2228610

JohnnyBs98WS6Rag

iTrader: (1)

All LT1 WS6s ('96-'97) were converted by SLP. ASC won the WS6 conversion contract for the LS1s ('98-'02). Unfortunately, SLP wasn't happy about losing the contract to ASC in '98 so they did not keep good records of the build numbers for the '97s.

As far as it being a pace car, most likely it received decals from the track to designate it as such. None of that came on the car from the "factory" (GM's St. Therese plant or SLP's facilities).

I can't help you w/ those RPO codes. I do know that when the LS1 cars were sent to ASC for WS6 conversion that the cars left the St. Therese plant with a temporary (flat) hood and ASC installed the WS6 hood (painted to match). I would not be surprised if a similar arrangement was used for the '96-'97s that went to SLP.

NC01TA

Still a gorgeous car 21 years later.

drewtheall

did you find out more

JohnnyBs98WS6Rag

iTrader: (1)

FWIW, I was able to track down some of the '97 Firebird coupe RPO codes (based on RPO usage information gleaned from CompNine many years ago):

These 4 codes indicates the 4 spring selections for the suspension:
7AB SPRING COMPTR SEL FRT RH SUSP(7AB)
6AB SPRING COMPTR SELECT FRT LH SUSP(6AB)
8HS COMPONENT RR LH COMPUTER SEL SUSP (8HS) SUSP(8HS)
9HS COMPONENT RR RH COMPUTER SEL SUSP (9HS) SUSP(9HS)

Unfortunately PBT is shown as unknown:

PBT Unk.

According to CompNine, 3371 '97 Firebird coupes had this RPO code, which is the same number of cars that also had WS6 & N66, so it appears to be unique to WS6 coupes (the '97 'verts did not use PBT, but they didn't have the 17" N66 wheels either). Checking adjacent years, both the '98 coupes and 'verts used PBT in the same quantities as WS6/N66. The '96 coupes also used PBT in the same quantities as WS6/N66. So my best guess is that PBT has something to do w/ the 17" N66 wheels that are unique to WS6s (excepting the '97 WS6 'verts which came w/ 16" wheels), so.........possibly the "WS6" center caps used in the N66 wheels?? In my alphabetized list of F-body RPO codes, those that start with "P" tend to be related to wheels.

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

Just an FYI on RPO "PBT": this was listed as "Temporary Hood" for my '00 WS6 based on notes I have from a VIS report from back in that era. I also have a GM VIS report for a 2002 Camaro SS that lists PBT as "ID Temporary Hood, Proc Option". This is in agreement with the "ALL 1998-2002 Camaro" book by Robert Casey, which also lists PBT as "Hood, Temporary" for '98-'02 SS cars.

Obviously '97 is a different model year, and it's odd that the WS6 convertibles didn't get this code in that year if it's related to the hood. But in the later years it definitely has to do with the hood.