ws6chicken

Yeah... no blinging chrome rims on my ride at least I knows its rare even though the previous owner butchered it up with mods which I late undid 100% and add the below mods.
But on the main topic its a Firebird Formula WS6 if it has ram air; as been mention a handful of times already.

DVS99TRANS

iTrader: (7)

Hell, I almost bought one (black on black) before I got the 99 TA, but know they exist, shame it had water damage i found out later on. Saved me alot of heart-ache later on, nice cars though. I'm sure they came with the painted stock 16x8 rims that were on the TAs. That's the way most 98+ formulas are.

glocklimited9

iTrader: (3)

mine came stock wit the 17s i think all ws6s had

DVS99TRANS

iTrader: (7)

sorry, I was thinking base formulas. The WS6 option included 17x9s. My bad.

JohnnyBs98WS6Rag

iTrader: (1)

Interesting, I learn something new every day.

speegracer

Thanks for everyone who responded to my post. I'm reasonably certain now that my buddy who is bull headed, is just bull headed and has it wrong.

I never imagined all the specifics that go into the identity of a "true Ram Air" but I NOW HAVE A FAR GREATER UNDERSTANDING of it all! All of you have been great to put your two cents in and I appreciate it. I don't mind being wrong, but when I've got it right, I do hate someone continuing to insist I got it wrong.

To recap, my buddy's has the WS9 no WS6 RPO and no 17" wheels, no WS6 badges etc. My conclusion is the car got a Ram Air Hood and intake and that was that!

couchmechanic

My friend has a 1997 T/A 2-door coupe hard-top with Ram Air and no 17" wheels.
There doesn't seem to be any option code for the Ram Air Package.

'02 WS6

iTrader: (73)

He probably added the hood and intake setup. As mentioned by LS1WS6 on pg 1, WS6 was the code.

Paul Bell

iTrader: (9)

Just plug the vin into http://www.compnine.com/vid.php

why87

No ws6 code=no ws6.

Paul Bell

iTrader: (9)

I'm pretty certain the ram air hood had it's own option code. The WS6 option package included the ram air option.

JohnnyBs98WS6Rag

iTrader: (1)

Nope. You may be thinking of RPO T43 Uplift Spoiler, which was an option for TAs from '94-'97 and on Firehawks in '96-'97. The ram-air hood was part of the WS6 RPO, the hood did NOT come w/ its own RPO, nor was it available from the factory without WS6. By '97, very few TAs were built w/o the spoiler, so in '98 T43 was standard on TA coupes (this change-over may have happened mid-year in '97, possibly explaining the high percentage of TAs w/ T43 in '97).

There is some debate though about the '97 WS6 'verts. Those came w/ the "ram air" hood / induction but the standard TA 16" rims and suspension, some had the WS6 badge, while some claim theirs didn't come w/ the badge, so many don't consider them "true" WS6s. However, the fact is that they contained the RPO WS6, even though the WS6 suspension parts & rims were not included on the 'verts.

Bottom line: a ram-air hood w/ no WS6 RPO is a clone.

Either the wheels were swapped, or your friend's car had the hood added by a previous owner. ALL '96-'02 WS6 coupes had 17" rims from the factory. The only exception was the '97 WS6 'verts mentioned above. Have him check his RPO codes.

1965GP

iTrader: (2)

Good info- my 97 WS6 formula vert still had the chrome 16"s on it when I bought it. The paint seemed all original and there was no WS6 emblem or evidence of one. I figured it had been stolen but thought they did a hell of a job not leaving any residue.

Car has since been painted and I added to WS6 emblem and 17" 94 Firehawk wheels.

Paul Bell

iTrader: (9)

Now that I'm back on the "real" internet and not on the phone only, I've checked around and will agree with Johnny and everybody else here who've said it.

The Ram Air option ONLY came as part of the WS6 package and could not be ordered or had installed from the factory without the WS6 package.

Again, the only way to determine original options is through the VIN and having a dealer parts department print out the options. Most dealers do it for free. Or go to compnine.com....

why87

Interesting. I was under the impression only the 93-94 T/A could be had with the low rise spoiler, and that '94 required the GT package to get the spoiler.

Rob

iTrader: (6)

That would be wrong.

Just checked both my 96 and 97 brochures. 96 WS6 was only available on coupes. 97 WS6 package was only available on coupes.

BUT...

97 Ram Air Performance Package was only available on convertibles. Got everything but the 17" wheels.

Paul Bell

iTrader: (9)

The brochure may have said that but I'll bet if ordered that way, it would've been kicked out or had the WS6 added in when the build order was checked before being put into the assembly sequence at the plant.

I had a friend (he's no longer with us) who worked at a dealership and ordered a 1970 Monte Carlo with the LS6 engine and 4 speed transmission checked on the order sheet. The order was followed to the build day but it came as a LS5 with the TH400. It woulda been that million dollar one of a kind Monte.

And these things happen even today. Two months ago, all websites, brochures and salespeople said a 2013 Mustang GT convertable (non-premium package) could be ordered with the Track Apps option. Now my pal Little Joey is gonna refuse the car he ordered because it don't have it, I found the sticker online for it. Just wait until the car shows up at the dealer in two weeks. I hope that salesman has the day off!

In 1997, there were 3,371 Firebirds built with option WS6. There were 3,371 Firebirds built with option PBT, temporary hood for upfitter delivery. IF any convertibles received the Ram Air option without the WS6 option, the number of cars with option PBT would be greater than the number of cars with the WS6 option.

Rob

iTrader: (6)

I can tell you that when I lived in MD, there was a conv Ram Air car down the street. He bought it new and it only had 16" wheels.

Also, numbers I have for 97 WS6 convertibles is 482 Trans Ams and 42 Formulas.

JohnnyBs98WS6Rag

iTrader: (1)

That is correct. T43 was not available in '93, so all TAs came w/ the low-rise spoiler. In '94, the only TAs that got the spoiler were Y83 (GTs), no Y82 TAs (non-GT) received T43 spoilers in '94.

Just because the '97 brochure did not call a '97 'vert w/ the "Ram Air Performance Package" a "WS6" does not mean that those cars did not have RPO WS6, when in fact they did. I believe to keep the GM lawyers happy, the marketing folks refrained from calling the '97 "Ram Air" verts "WS6"s since they did not receive the full complement of WS6 equipment, however you still needed to check the WS6 RPO box on the order form to get "Ram Air" on a 'vert in '97. There was no other RPO for "Ram Air" on a '97 'vert other than WS6.

youngermcdish

The 1997 Formula Convertibles had a WS6 Ram Air Performance Package option that was a $2,995 option. Listed under that option was the following:

* Ram Air Induction System
* Functional Air Scoops
* 16" chromed aluminum wheels
* P245/50 ZR16 high performance tires
* Dual Oval High Polished exhaust outlets

As mentioned in other posts, there were only 41 convertibles produced in 1997, some had the badges under the rear tail light some did not. I own one of these 41 and my father also owns one. His was built on 1/23/1997 and does not have the badge. Mine was built on 3/25/1997 and does have the badge. I have the window stickers and documentation from Pontiac Historical Services for both cars.