Just bought a formula WS6, have a few ?'s
08-01-2009, 04:33 PM
#1
Just bought a formula WS6, have a few ?'s well i just picked up a third gen for $1,000 bucks. its in great shape, 92, white, 5-speed, and the interior is in great shape. it says formula down the sides, and has the hood, ws6 wheels, and a "performance suspension" badge on the dash. how would i tell its a real ws6 formula? also the previous owner said he put a 350 in it (yes i know im gonna have to do something about the weak transmissions in these things, any suggestions?) but i cant tell the difference in the 305 tpi and the 350 tpi. the engine block is painted orange, so i know its been out of the car, and the entire engine bay looks cleaner than my 02 ss. (for now, i gotta clean it!) ill post some pics and some of the rebuild im doing on it because he felt like lying when i asked him if it was leaking coolant in the oil. hopefully the piston seals are fine!
Last edited by foreverzero; 08-09-2009 at 09:48 AM.
so my question is this, how can i tell what it really is? is there a casting on the block? is there a way to tell if its a real ws6?
08-02-2009, 09:15 PM
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Almost all 3rd gen Formulas were WS6 suspension cars if they had TPI. If the 8th letter of the VIN is an F or 8 then that's an easy way to tell it's a TPI car hence a WS6 car. Or you could verify it for 100% by opening the glove box and looking at the RPO sticker in there for RPO WS6.
To tell if it's a 350 block you gotta run the numbers.
To tell if it's a 350 block you gotta run the numbers.
08-03-2009, 07:15 AM
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yeah, all formulas were WS6. and FYI, there is no glove box on 3rd gens. maybe inside the console lid, or look for the door sticker.
that sounds like a very nice find, it would make a great driver/autoxer/road racer. hardtops are hard to find, especially with sticks. 91-92 are the best years, with welded seams instead of epoxy. if it was originally a stick, it should already have the world class T5, which could take a little bit more torque then an older T5. i think it was rated at 300-320ish, while the 350 itself was rated at most 340 flywheel torque. as long as you dont drag race it or beat the hell out of it, just regular driving wont kill the trans.
itll probably be impossible to see, but the size of the block should be cast into the very rear of it, right where the trans bolts to the flywheel area. its on the top, so i doubt youll ever see it while its still in the car. check out thirdgen.org for more info.
that sounds like a very nice find, it would make a great driver/autoxer/road racer. hardtops are hard to find, especially with sticks. 91-92 are the best years, with welded seams instead of epoxy. if it was originally a stick, it should already have the world class T5, which could take a little bit more torque then an older T5. i think it was rated at 300-320ish, while the 350 itself was rated at most 340 flywheel torque. as long as you dont drag race it or beat the hell out of it, just regular driving wont kill the trans.
itll probably be impossible to see, but the size of the block should be cast into the very rear of it, right where the trans bolts to the flywheel area. its on the top, so i doubt youll ever see it while its still in the car. check out thirdgen.org for more info.
