Author Topic: Help with Decoding my Cowl Tag  (Read 1648 times)

In Relentless Pursuit

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Help with Decoding my Cowl Tag
« on: November 16, 2021, 11:45:13 AM »
Can someone help me decode my cowl tag
1980 Trans Am / T - Top / 400/ TH 350

T/A Addict

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Re: Help with Decoding my Cowl Tag
« Reply #1 on: November 16, 2021, 01:03:37 PM »
1980 car, 2nd week of October built, black cloth interior, ontario gray paint
all the info you want right here
https://www.78ta.com/Pages/1980.htm
« Last Edit: November 16, 2021, 01:05:25 PM by T/A Addict »
Jeff
2016 Victory Cross Country
TATA '72 455 HO Auto
79 T/A 403 Solar Gold
69 F'Bird P-Touring T/A tribute to be
2010 Challenger R/T  PCP

In Relentless Pursuit

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Re: Help with Decoding my Cowl Tag
« Reply #2 on: November 16, 2021, 01:16:31 PM »
Thanks Jeff !
1980 Trans Am / T - Top / 400/ TH 350

Maxthe222

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Re: Help with Decoding my Cowl Tag
« Reply #3 on: November 16, 2021, 03:26:15 PM »
80 = 1980, 10B = built 2nd week of October, 2FS87 = Firebird model line, L = built at Van Nuys, California, 067166 = body number, 19B = Deluxe hobnail cloth black interior, 84L84U = Ontario Grey paint, W = water based paint, A51 = bucket seats, CC1 = Fisher T-Tops, B = Black interior appointments, 3 = power windows, rest is body sequence number.
1987 T/A GTA L98
1979 T/A Y84 WS6
1979 F/A W72 WS6
1978 T/A L80 WS6
1978 Formula L80 W50
1971 Formula 400 4-Speed

In Relentless Pursuit

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Re: Help with Decoding my Cowl Tag
« Reply #4 on: November 16, 2021, 06:36:46 PM »
Thanks Max! I guess I need the VIV # to find out the original engine size ..The PO had an 400 put in it
1980 Trans Am / T - Top / 400/ TH 350

Re: Help with Decoding my Cowl Tag
« Reply #4 on: November 16, 2021, 06:36:46 PM »

T/A Addict

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Re: Help with Decoding my Cowl Tag
« Reply #5 on: November 17, 2021, 03:30:30 AM »
Yes the VIN will tell you the motor that was stock.
Jeff
2016 Victory Cross Country
TATA '72 455 HO Auto
79 T/A 403 Solar Gold
69 F'Bird P-Touring T/A tribute to be
2010 Challenger R/T  PCP

firebirdparts

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Re: Help with Decoding my Cowl Tag
« Reply #6 on: November 17, 2021, 01:58:39 PM »
T is Turbo ( ha ha)
A v6
S 265
W 301 Pontiac
Others letters are likely Chevy 305 in various non-standard emission tunes

It seems that W in the VIN applied to both the "T/A" 4.9 and the regular 4 barrel 4.9.  The regular 4.9 without electronic spark control was a delete option in the T/A, and you'd think this would have been a very unpopular configuration, but we parted out at least 2, and so I guess dealers ordered some of them, or maybe they had a chip shortage, who knows.
I want to be like Paul Kenny when I grow up
Joe Bays
1977 Y82 4-speed (red interior)
1978 Skybird 350
1978 Redbird 305
1979 Redbird 301 4-speed
1992 Lincoln Mark VII LSC/SE (red)
1970 Datsun Pickup
1953 Chevy pickup (converted 4x4)
1988 T-bird Turbo Coupe

5th T/A

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Re: Help with Decoding my Cowl Tag
« Reply #7 on: November 17, 2021, 03:37:21 PM »
Lots of good information here. Thank You to all who have posted as it allowed me to figure out my build date.

My 1980 TA came with the standard 301 4BBL. I do have a credit of $180.00 on the window sticker where it says L37 4.9, instead of L37 + W72 noted on the left side of the sticker. I seem to recall the higher output 301 was 170 HP instead of 150 and it included a dual muffler system and 3.08 axel ratio opposed to a 2.41. I and probably most would have gladly paid the extra $180.00.
« Last Edit: November 17, 2021, 07:28:30 PM by 5th T/A »
1980 T/A with a Pontiac 461

Gone but not forgotten;
1973 T/A 455
1975 T/A 400
1978 T/A W72
1982 T/A cross fire injected

Two wheel toys;
2014 Harley Ultra Classic Limited
2013 Honda CB1100
2010 Yamaha Vmax
1982 Yamaha Seca 750

firebirdparts

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Re: Help with Decoding my Cowl Tag
« Reply #8 on: November 17, 2021, 05:21:51 PM »
According to Thomas Demauro, the hp was 140 vs 155.  That axle ratio especially would make a big difference.
I want to be like Paul Kenny when I grow up
Joe Bays
1977 Y82 4-speed (red interior)
1978 Skybird 350
1978 Redbird 305
1979 Redbird 301 4-speed
1992 Lincoln Mark VII LSC/SE (red)
1970 Datsun Pickup
1953 Chevy pickup (converted 4x4)
1988 T-bird Turbo Coupe

5th T/A

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Re: Help with Decoding my Cowl Tag
« Reply #9 on: November 17, 2021, 07:26:39 PM »
Firebirdparts,

I did some digging and found this on page 195 of Rocky Rotella's Firebird & trans Am guide.

The W72 was a 1980 only option, the screenshot below shows the differences. Horsepower was 170 at 4,400 RPM. Pontiac changed the first gear ratio slightly on the Turbo 350 from 2.52:1 to 2.74:1, hard to believe it would make much of a difference. I am not sure of the 3.08 axel ratio, I might have read it somewhere else or got my facts confused. Regardless there were a lot of changes to the W72 engine package. On page 204 of the same publication Rocky mentions the W72 was dropped for 1981 and the L37 4.9 liter E/C became the standard engine for Trans Am rated at 155 HP at 4,000 RPM.

Document_2021-11-17_184447 by Lawrence Alexander, on Flickr

1980 T/A with a Pontiac 461

Gone but not forgotten;
1973 T/A 455
1975 T/A 400
1978 T/A W72
1982 T/A cross fire injected

Two wheel toys;
2014 Harley Ultra Classic Limited
2013 Honda CB1100
2010 Yamaha Vmax
1982 Yamaha Seca 750

another10th

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Re: Help with Decoding my Cowl Tag
« Reply #10 on: November 17, 2021, 07:38:31 PM »
Many, many years ago, when I first met my wife, we both had '79 Trans Ams. Both were 301/4 speed t-top cars. How weird was that?
JEFF

'79 TATA
'02 CETA #436

firebirdparts

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Re: Help with Decoding my Cowl Tag
« Reply #11 on: November 18, 2021, 12:46:32 PM »
That is pretty weird.

BTW, I do have a 1980 dealer manual with the 1980 car distribution bulletins in it.  (In fact I xeroxed it all and sent it to Rocky when he was working on his book).  The dealer manual does show the 2.41 / 3.08 axle ratio specific to those two engines and so that does match up with what I found parting out cars, FWIW.  So that seems right.  Some of those 1980 TH350's had lockup torque converters too.  I don't know if that was exactly a W72 feature, but I have seen them in the wild.  The shop manual covers them, but it's not clear on availability.  It was available on "several" applications.
« Last Edit: November 18, 2021, 12:49:00 PM by firebirdparts »
I want to be like Paul Kenny when I grow up
Joe Bays
1977 Y82 4-speed (red interior)
1978 Skybird 350
1978 Redbird 305
1979 Redbird 301 4-speed
1992 Lincoln Mark VII LSC/SE (red)
1970 Datsun Pickup
1953 Chevy pickup (converted 4x4)
1988 T-bird Turbo Coupe

Re: Help with Decoding my Cowl Tag
« Reply #11 on: November 18, 2021, 12:46:32 PM »
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