Trans Am Information > Trans Am Information
6.6 liter vs 6.6 t/a
SgtRock:
I like the fact that this topic continues, as it demonstrates that the issue is not completely, and never may be solved, to everyone's satisfaction. Here's what I've come across: When it comes to things like decals and front Pontiac emblems, etc., MOST vehicles got was was the "correct" item as per the model and year standards. SOME vehicles got odd mixes straight from the factory because of a variety of reasons (ran out of correct item -- they won't stop the production line for 3 inch sail birds on non-SEs, or, they made a mistake, it happened, etc.), and SOME others got non-correct items because either the dealer or the customer waned them that way. I have a non-SE WS6 1979 Solar Gold T/A with six inch sail birds. Everyone knows that they should be the 3 inch birds. But I am the second owner and the previous owner said they wanted the larger bird because they looked cooler. Ditto for the gold Ponitac emblem up front. So, I am having it repainted, and went with what was on the car when I bought it, not what the "correct" item is. I have the build sheet and I don't see anywhere where it designates what size sail birds were installed or the color of the emblem.
One other thing I found out in my discussions with the old dealer who sold the car and an issue that has been argued here too. And that is the Hurst Dual Gate shifter. Although this was "not" a factory installed option as has been point out here, it WAS a dealer installed option. Dealers in 1979 got a Performace Hurst deal directly from Hurst to sell their shifters on the 1979 403 Olds engines. The dealer installed shifter had a custom Trans Am shifter plate, and the after market ones did not.
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RENOVATIONS:
Really not that unusual for a dealer to install whatever (to a reasonable extent) a customer wants...which naturally makes them dealer-installed items, not factory. The information that has been provided so far is in regards to factory designations.
SgtRock:
I got it. That makes sense. But sometimes even the factory installed non-correct items on cars due to shortages, mistakes, etc. They were building 140,000 or so of these vehicles in 1979. They wouldn't stop production lines because they ran out of Gold 3 inch sail birds, or Red Pontiac emblems. And this might also explain why some Olds engines had T/A 6.6. Just saying.
Burd Turd:
Good drugs back in the 70's too.
flashno1:
I agree with the idea that "things" happen on the assembly line, and yes, I have worked a Pontiac assembly line and I had seen some of those things happen. Anybody care if you got a car delivered with 2 differnt colored fenders or wheels?! LOL And they certainly weren't going to stop a line for decals that could be installed later. Dealers wanted to sell cars, and if it was possible they would make changes the customer desired. There were also changes made during the model run. For Example, someone in high management could just wonder why are we spending money buying 2 different decals and just drop one on a suggestion to lower management. It's only pennies per car, but when you make 10s of thousands of them per year, it adds up to dollars pretty quickly. We must remember that there were 2 assembly plants that made the same models which means that we had 2 different Plant Managers which means we had 2 different philosophies of doing things. We could have the Van Nuys plant putting TA 6.6 on W78s and 6.6 litre on L80s and nothing on the L78a and Norwood putting TA 6.6 on W72s and L78s and 6,6 litre on L80s. I have read documentation that the Pontiac Engine which is the L78 originally and later another engine was developed, which was later identifiled as a W72 were both identified as a L78 engine by Pontiac Motor Division. They are both Pontiac built engines and we were proud of both. My build sheet lists the engine as L78 V-8 400 4-BBL. The shaker is identified as WX3 R/A Shaker HD. There is no designation of liters on the build sheet. The build sheet is the map that they follow to build the car. So that means it was an added as a task somewhere else. We may never know who was responsible for the decals. I guess this TA/Litre thing will never be resolved.
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