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Now don't read that title and get pissed please - I mean no disrespect! Just some general questions/observations about the WS6 and why you think or don't think it's that special... specifically the Fourth Gens.
By all accounts, the WS6 got the hood, cooler rims, better exhaust, tighter suspension and the badge.
Again, if we're considering Fourth Gens only, using TA World (which has incomplete data for a couple years), it looks like there were nearly 50,000 WS6s made. However only 2,000 or so were Formulas... the rest were T/As.
Why is it that so many put so much stock in the WS6 when (other than Formula WS6s) they really weren't all that rare? 2002 alone there were about 18,000. My (trying to be) unbiased perspective... WS6s were genuinely pretty rare and hard to come by in the early 90s, but then they really started to take off and get made in quantities even surpassing the L36.
Totally not hating on these! I love them and I'm a Pontiac dude through and through... just trying to decipher how the WS6 across all platforms became such a big deal when other combos are so much rarer. It's become a thing at car shows I attend where anyone with a WS6 gets the people walking around asing "is it really a WS6?" which I don't get. Firehawks I can get behind... even Formulas to a point because they made so few of them year over year. But the WS6... is it just a car culture thing?
Last edited by Underwear; Dec 20, 2021 at 11:12 AM.
As you indicated above, there is nothing (respectively) rare or particularly special about the LS1 WS6 package - there is no appreciable performance difference other than that which is afforded by the 17x9" wheels/275mm tires (the other suspension changes result in a nearly imperceptible difference from an otherwise base V8 car). Keep in mind, I actually bought a WS6 brand new in 2000 so my comparison between it and the base Z28s I've also owned (also from brand new) is from direct personal experience. In fact, the record fastest true stock LS1 F-body is actually held by a '99 Z28 (though one could argue that a late model Firehawk or SS optioned with the dual/dual and Blackwing lid would likely hold the record if run on the same day/same weather/same track, as the Blackwing and dual/dual actually did result in a power improvement over the base pieces - though no similar enhancements were available for the WS6 from the factory).
The main draw to these really seems to come from the hood; it's an over-the-top appearance thing that makes the car seem shockingly bold and look like nothing else on the road - especially when combined with the T/A spoiler and other T/A specific pieces (hence the reason why WS6 Formula just doesn't seem to get as much love, even though it is exponentially more rare.) FWIW, to this day I still regret not getting a WS6 Formula back in 2000 when I bought my T/A version - I probably would have kept it had it been a Formula. As I've gotten older, the T/A styling just doesn't appeal to me as much as Camaro and Formula.
So to answer your question, no, the 4th gen WS6 package really isn't a big deal objectively. It's just a subjective matter of appearance, and the "cool factor" of owning the most outrageous looking version of any 4th gen F-body. In this case, rarity really has no impact either way.
I've had my '01 Trans Am convertible since new and I was never tempted to get the WS6. I actually do NOT prefer the WS6 hood and have always liked the 'smooth' look on the F-body. I would not change my purchase all these years later. So many owners tossed their 'smooth' hoods for aftermarket that the regular Trans Ams are seen less often than ever before. Mine sure is popular at the shows I attend and I rarely get the WS6 question. The only issue now is the 16" rims which I am trying to keep as long as possible. The inside aluminum by the bead of the tire gets oxidized over the many years and you can only repair it so much.
I don't keep anything stock so ws6 isn't a big deal to me. I mean the car needs to be lowered as they sit too high stock , so sway bars should be on the list , who doesn't put headers on one of these cars so exhaust isn't a big deal either. The ws6 is the plus to me bc the smooth hood looks terrible imo but the guy before me prefers the flat hood.
So the hood is about the only thing ws6 brings, and the 17s which i like .
It's along the lines of the true SS cars in the 60s/70s. As the overall car population decreases, and the cloning of the cars increase, the rarity and value increases of the true optioned cars.
Mine sure is popular at the shows I attend and I rarely get the WS6 question.
That is because yours is so exceptionally nice! The condition alone makes it relatively rare and special.
Over the last couple of decades I've used my Z28 exclusively for car shows, and I have watched a transition occur. In the beginning it was generally invisible but, as the years have passed and its condition has not changed, it is now starting to get quite a bit of attention in spite of being a base trim level V8. Folks just notice it for its condition. Many years ago I would occasionally get asked why I hadn't picked an SS for this purpose, but nobody at a show has asked me that in a long time.
Originally Posted by '02 WS6
It's along the lines of the true SS cars in the 60s/70s.
The main collector draw to most of those true SS cars is the engine, at least in terms of those which actually had an SS-specific engine (especially a big block); the cosmetics of the package are popular, but not the main factor in desirability or value in the current collector market. For example, something like an original COPO car would be considerably more valuable than an original SS (condition being equal) simply because of the engine (and also vastly increased rarity), even though it has none of the "SS" appearance. Of course, none of this applies to the LS1 F-bodies because there was no higher performance engine available beyond the base V8, so you are left with the "highest" performance option being little more than appearance/trim alterations and suspension/handling. If there had been a way to factory option a base Formula or, say, a B4C Camaro with an LS6 engine but no SS or WS6 specific cosmetics, my guess is that it would have been a rare car that most folks wouldn't have bought new but that collectors would now value at the highest level within the 4th gen category.
If there had been a way to factory option a base Formula or, say, a B4C Camaro with an LS6 engine but no SS or WS6 specific cosmetics, my guess is that it would have been a rare car that most folks wouldn't have bought new but that collectors would now value at the highest level within the 4th gen category.
Definitely! Imagine the desirability and price of a low mileage prime example that you just described. Thank you for the compliment too.
Why is it that so many put so much stock in the WS6 when (other than Formula WS6s) they really weren't all that rare? 2002 alone there were about 18,000. My (trying to be) unbiased perspective... WS6s were genuinely pretty rare and hard to come by in the early 90s, but then they really started to take off and get made in quantities even surpassing the L36.
Keep in mind that until '96, few people outside of the Pontiac world even knew a WS6 RPO existed, as until then there were no visual enhancements that came w/ that RPO (it started as a rear disk brake option on the late '70s 2nd gens). When GM/Pontiac decided to include a "Ram Air" hood with the WS6 RPO in '96, the car media started taking notice. In those early years, production was limited more by supply than by demand, and in the later years when production volume increased, WS6s became more common than non-WS6 cars. Also, keep in mind that the suspension on WS6s got watered-down during the '00 MY so there was little separating the WS6s from the non-WS6s from a handling perspective. When I was shopping for a WS6 in '98, there was an 11 month waiting period and you could not find one on a dealer's lot unless you were really lucky (as I was.........the person who originally ordered my car gave up waiting on it and bought something else, recall there were limitations on T56 availability along w/ a plant strike in '98).
So to answer your question, no, the 4th gen WS6 package really isn't a big deal objectively. It's just a subjective matter of appearance, and the "cool factor" of owning the most outrageous looking version of any 4th gen F-body. In this case, rarity really has no impact either way.
Truth!
We all know the subjective/emotional factors are what makes something desirable and the WS6 hood on a T/A pushes that button for a very large number of people.
I've always found the SLP FireHawk or SLP optioned SS Camaro far more special than the WS6...but that's an exception.
If you want the "wide 6 piece" suspension upgrade with the aggressive hood, then get the WS6. If you want a regular TA and want to upgrade as you choose, get the regular TA and save some money.
If you want a truly special WS6...A 1996 to 1999 Firebird Formula WS6 with GM.. RPO 1LE are the cars to look for...They are the rarest of the rare...They were all Special Order with 28 or less (mostly less) produced in any given model year...They are the last of the true factory light weight Stripper cars...
Last edited by two lane blacktop; Feb 19, 2022 at 11:11 AM.
If you want a truly special WS6...A 1996 to 1999 Firebird Formula WS6 with GM.. RPO 1LE are the cars to look for...They are the rarest of the rare...They were all Special Order with 28 or less (mostly less) produced in any given model year...They are the last of the true factory light weight Stripper cars...
Indeed, 1LE 'Birds are very rare:
1993: 3 (not a WS6, although this suspension option existed in '93)
1994: 0
1995: 4 (no WS6 option in '95 that I'm aware of)
1996: 6
1997: 28
1998: 15
1999: 20
(sorry, SLP's "1LE" option on Firehawks doesn't count)
Last edited by JohnnyBs98WS6Rag; Feb 25, 2022 at 06:48 AM.
Firehawks...CompTAs..Hurst/Lingenfelter...LT4s..ETC.. Are second sticker (aftermarket conversion) cars...And are in a completely different category than the Factory RPO WS-6 Formulas/Trans Ams...The only reason that RPO..1LE (required WS6 1996 through 1999) exists and was offered by GM was to homogulate the F-body for racing in the SCCA/IMSA showroom stock classes..And have there own unique Brake/Hardcore Suspension upgrades with there own 1LE specific GM part Numbers...(a fake 1LE would be really easy to spot if you know what to look for) To directly compete and win against the Mustang Cobra R...On the track..
Don't get me wrong..I agree that the Firehawks and the other SLP cars are highly desirable and have a really strong following...But it's apple's and oranges when comparing them with RPO WS-6 cars...
My Factory stock Formula WS6..RPO..1LE (unmodified) will more than hold it's own against any unmodified Firehawk on a road course...
Last edited by two lane blacktop; Feb 25, 2022 at 05:34 PM.
Those 1LE springs were only 20% or so stiffer than base V8 springs. The Koni shocks are pretty trick pieces. The 1LE springs were available on 98- mid 2000 WS6 cars.
Firehawks...CompTAs..Hurst/Lingenfelter...LT4s..ETC.. Are second sticker (aftermarket conversion) cars...And are in a completely different category than the Factory RPO WS-6 Formulas/Trans Ams...The only reason that RPO..1LE (required WS6 1996 through 1999) exists and was offered by GM was to homogulate the F-body for racing in the SCCA/IMSA showroom stock classes..And have there own unique Brake/Hardcore Suspension upgrades with there own 1LE specific GM part Numbers...(a fake 1LE would be really easy to spot if you know what to look for) To directly compete and win against the Mustang Cobra R...On the track..
Don't get me wrong..I agree that the Firehawks and the other SLP cars are highly desirable and have a really strong following...But it's apple's and oranges when comparing them with RPO WS-6 cars...
I disagree regarding the Firehawk, at least during the LS1 years. These, too, had a GM RPO (WU6) even though the conversion was completed by SLP (just like RPO WU8 "SS" cars). The base content wasn't completely "second sticker" as it was designated by GM RPO WU6. I don't know if this was the same in the LT1 era, but it was certainly the case for LS1 Firehawks. In fact, this is also true for WS6 cars that were outsourced to SLP (and later ASC) for base conversion; they left the factory with a designated RPO for the package but were completed in a non-GM plant. I bought a WS6 car brand new, it had "WS6" on the SPID and the base package content listed right on the GM window sticker even though the conversion was completed by ASC.
I do understand that optional content (above and beyond base RPO content) offered through an outsourced supplier is a bit different, even though such content *did* have a GM designated RPO in the later years of 4th gens (Y2Y). But Y2Y was not specific to any one option, so that's yet another point of conversation.
I think the main differences between the WS6 and Firehawk were the different hoods, shock options, Blackwing lid, different exhaust and a numbered badge.
The thing that I find amusing is that people seem to want a build number or a build sheet. The options on 4th gens are on the driver's door. The majority of these cars were very similar with the exceptions of interior color, radio choice, 12 cd disc changer and the Hurst shifter. These aren't 60's muscle cars where the build sheet verifies the engine and wide variety of trim options that differentiate a base car from a super rare car.
It is probably easier to find WS6's in good running condition than a Trans Am. And in a way it makes the Trans Am harder to find.
They all turn my head these days, they aren't like C5 Corvettes that are still covered in an old man's garage only to come out when it's sunny and 70.
I agree on all counts. I rarely see 4th gens either, but any time I do they always catch my eye regardless of trim level or V6/V8 (even the not-so-nice ones, as all are pretty rare to see in my area these days).
When I do see a really nice one it's usually at a show or cruise night, and they are almost always a WS6, SS or Firehawk. Stuff like base Formulas and Z28s tended to live much harder lives, not really preserved by many folks, so those that have survived are mostly fair or poor condition now at 20+ years old.
But the WS6 cars seem to be the most sought after, and might end up being the most common remaining 4th gens as they pass from collector to collector while the lesser trim level cars keep getting "used up".
^^^ Mine is getting used up too, but kind of like Chinese water torture at 4,000 miles each year. If we didn't take so many road trips in it my average would be closer to half, but it's too much fun on these treks. From Cape Cod to AZ to FL, it's been a blast. Many on each trip. On our recent January 2022 trip to FL, a young woman flagged us down to take a photo so she could show her Dad, as this T/A was a car he used to own. I certainly felt my age. My wife and I will also always remember one lady on Martha's Vineyard thinking the T/A was new. This was just a few years ago. I imagine they don't see many Trans Ams on the island.
East Chop on Martha's Vineyard Cool Springs near Oatman AZ Marathon in FL Keys
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Is WS6 That Big of a Deal? 
The condition alone makes it relatively rare and special.
