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3821 Number: 3820 From: ram_page97 Date: Thu Oct 23, 2003 6:15 am Subject: Re: [ASC McLaren ] About the Firebird Notchbacks and ASC Firebirds.. ;)
Body:
Re: [ASC McLaren ] About the Firebird Notchbacks and ASC Firebirds.. ;)
Here is another pic of a 'Notchback' look at the last pic on the page...
--- In ascmclaren@yahoogroups.com, "Sandy Block" <cigarsandy@c...> wrote: > Sun Tour was never made! It was a one-off show car. > > By the way, he HAS a 130 AMP. Alt in that 1990 !! All 1989/1990s do > have it! > > S A N D Y > > > > > >
--- In ascmclaren@yahoogroups.com, "Robert" <asc709@y...> wrote: > > I've seen one of these here in El Paso. It was seized by the > Border > > Patrol from a drug dealer and turned into a "promo" car (along with > a > > yellow Saleen SC). Really nice. Has all of the Border Patrol > > graphics and the light bar. I actually like this notch better than > > the regular version, having owned a reg. version. > > > > I have an ASC brochure for a Firebird Suntour. What was this? Has > a > > glass roof! > > > > Thanks, > > Robert > > > > > >
--- In ascmclaren@yahoogroups.com, "SNP Marq" <infosyssec@i...> > wrote: > > > Hi Sandy > > > > > > From what I understand there are only about 120 of these cars > left > > on the road from an original production run supposedly of of > 625. > > > > > > Here is a nice pic of a red 88 Notchback > > > http://www.gtasourcepage.com/ModelFeaturesPics/89RedNotchback.jpg > > > > > > Here is a nice group of pics of a black 88 Notchback > > > http://i.b5z.net/i/u/741720/i/88_nocthback_large.jpg > > > > > > The units were built during 1988 and 1989. The notchback option > was > > actually canceled before the start of production for 1989; a dealer > > bulletin in August 1988 announced its demise, instructing dealers > to > > recall any and all GTA orders with the Notchback code on them. > Still, > > PMD records show that one single car was built for 1989........ > which > > it is suspected is the car pictured in the first photo link I > > provided in this message. > > > > > > Today these GTAs are very rare sights and are highly collectible, > > even though the style really did not catch on during their brief > > production run. These cars were the only GTAs not to use a > variation > > of the rear aero-wing spoiler, since the notchback design changed > the > > layout of the hatch lid. PMD engineers simply installed the > standard > > flat Firebird spoiler instead of the usual aero-wing unit. > > > > > > The key thing to keep in mind about this particular model is that > > it was a GTA Trans Am. > > > > > > Now for the ASC connection ;)..... > > > > > > Yet another interesting side note in the Firebird GTA's history > was > > the production of a small number of GTA convertibles for 1989 by > ASC, > > an aftermarket conversion company we all know and love... > > > > > > Yup.... > > > > > > Here is a pic of an ASC modified red 89 GTA convertible. Note > the > > hard tonneau style > > > > http://www.gtasourcepage.com/ModelFeaturesPics/89GTAConvertible.jpg > > > > > > And here is a pic of an ASC modified white 20th Anniversary > > convertible > > > > http://www.gtasourcepage.com/ModelFeaturesPics/20thTAConvertible.jpg > > > > > > The exact number of ASC GTAs built remains a mystery, but there > > were only 369 Firebird convertibles built that year and only 50 > > examples had the 5.7L TPI engine, which was standard in the GTA. No > > official production data has been verified by ASC but, still, the > > 1989 GTA convertibles remain some of the rarest examples built > during > > the GTA's five-year run. The only 1989 model GTA convertible that > can > > be verified as far as the number actually produced was the 1989 > 20th > > Anniversary Indianapolis Pace Car edition, which was also converted > > by ASC. There were but two examples converted for 1989............. > > > > > > My notchback is the Sandstone taupe color and I have seen a white > > one. So that accounts for at least four colors of notchbacks - > > white, taupe, red and black. > > > > > > The only other thing I can add to the story is this bit of > trivia. > > Apparently the notchback GTA's were originally put into production > > because California and various 'hot and sunny state' dealers had > > complained that the large expanse of glass on the standard Firebird > > hatchback was making the interiors of the cars into ovens. So GM > > came up with the notchback to satisfy those 'hot state' dealers > with > > a design that did not permit the sun to roast the insides of the > > car. We only have a small heavily tinted window and the rest of > the > > hatch is fiberglass and painted to match the car. Anyhow, from > what > > I gather or understand this notchback presented a problem for a > > number of drivers because it created HUGE blindspots. You have > more > > difficulty seeing out the back and to your rear sides with the > > notchback. Naturally GM only figured this out after a number of > the > > cars had been involved in accidents. Hence the reason why GM > > immediately cancelled the availability of these cars and recalled > any > > still on the car lots and cancelled all orders that were > outstanding > > at that time. > > > > > > > > > Marq > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: Sandy Block > > > To: ascmclaren@yahoogroups.com > > > Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2003 11:26 AM > > > Subject: Re: [ASC McLaren ] Looking for info! 82 'Stang 2 > seater > > convertible! > > > > > > > > > > > > Marq, my best buddy in college had one of those F'Bird > > notchbacks! > > > Cool Car, got lots of looks, but nobody would ever believe that > > it > > > was factory. I never knew how many were made, but we knew very > > very > > > few. Both he & I saw another one, but we were not together. > So > > > together, we saw his and two others. All 3 were Red. Was Red > > > mandatory?? How positive are you about the 120 number???? > > > He kept it after college for several years. When he got a good > > job > > > he traded it in on a Lincoln Mark 7 ~ we never saw it again. > We > > grew > > > up in the same town & went to college in Washington DC. He had > > the > > > F'Bird there, and it went to H as it lived on the street. Was > > broken > > > into a coulple times, paint faded, bumpers chipped, etc, etc. > > Man, > > > you brought back memories on THAT one. > > > > > > > > > > > >
--- In ascmclaren@yahoogroups.com, "SNP Marq" <infosyssec@i...> > > wrote: > > > > Well..... I could be wrong, but for the Mustang family, they > > have > > > always referred to the 'trunk' model of the Fox body Mustangs > > > as 'coupes' and the rear glass models as hatchbody or > hatchback. > > I > > > don't know if this is 'Ford' terminology or just the way it is > > > referred to by the majority of the 'common folk'. > > > > > > > > In the 82 to 91 Firebirds, they always referred to the glass > > backed > > > models as 'hatchbacks'.... but when they put the 'Ferrari' > style > > > hatch instead of the all glass back on to a limited run of > > Firebirds > > > they referred to them as 'notchbacks' ( they only produced > about > > 120 > > > or so of them.... and I got one ;). > > > > > > > > I wonder where that leaves the convertibles, like the TR6 and > > > Spitfire, that could be ordered with a convertible 'hard top' > > that > > > basically turned them into 'hard tops' although it was not > > physically > > > manufactured into the integrity of the body. TR6 hardtops are > > > probably the sexiest TR6's running around on the road ;) > > > > > > > > But they even have such pop on, pop off hardtops for the > > Mercedes > > > which look pretty wicked. So even though they are basically a > > > convertible, once they put on their 'hard top' does that make > > them > > > coupes ? > > > > > > > > When I think of the word 'coupe' I always fall back to the > > Beach > > > Boys and their little ditty about "Little Deuce Coupe'... > > That is > > > probably where I associated a 'hard top' car - with a trunk as > > being > > > a coupe. > > > > > > > > And Ford seemed to have stuck with that in the original 60 / > > 70's > > > Mustangs... where they had 'coupes and they had fastbacks ( > yeah > > yet > > > another 'back' name'.) And it is interesting to see how the > > public > > > has preferred the 'fastback' over the coupes in the early > > generation > > > Mustangs, but in the Fox body generation the taste swung from > > > the 'hatchback' over to the 'coupe' models. > > > > > > > > I must have been couped up in my office too long to babble so > > long > > > on this subject > > > > > > > > Marq > > > > > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > From: ecstacycustomz > > > > To: ascmclaren@yahoogroups.com > > > > Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2003 10:06 AM > > > > Subject: Re: [ASC McLaren ] Looking for info! 82 'Stang 2 > > seater > > > convertible! > > > > > > > > > > > > there have been many a hardtop convertible. ford fairlane > > had a > > > > retractable hardtop convertible, cadillac alante has a > > removable > > > > hardtop(and a rag, just in case), so do the older benz's, > and > > t- > > > > birds. im sure there are many more, these are just the > ones > > > fresh > > > > in my mind. > > > > i always thought coupe meant 2 seater, and hardtop usually > > meant > > > no > > > > pillar(and easily broken into). my 76 deville is a 4dr > > hardtop. > > > > > > > > jdawg > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
--- In ascmclaren@yahoogroups.com, "negusm" <negusm@y...> > > wrote: > > > > > I doubt it. The end result is what defines what the car > is > > > called. > > > > > > > > > > Even though all early Fox bodied Mustang verts started > life > > as > > > > > coupes, you don't call them coupes now. They are called > > > > > convertibles. Can you call them "convertible coupes"? > > Maybe. > > > > > > > > > > Now whether a vert can be called a "hardtop vert", I > don't > > > know. > > > > > Looking on the web, it appears there was a "hardtop > > > convertible" > > > > back > > > > > in the 50's. It appears to be a car that looks like a > > > convertible > > > > > but the top won't retract. > > > > > > > > > > http://ca.geocities.com/rfhowells/nhpfiles/hardtops.htm > > > > > > > > > > The only nit I had was when people refer to hatchbacks > and > > the > > > > like > > > > > as hardtops. > > > > > > > > > > -Mike > > > > > > > > > >
--- In ascmclaren@yahoogroups.com, "fourspeed38852" > > > > > <fourspeed38852@y...> wrote: > > > > > > OK, what about this -- what if the vert started life as > a > > 2 > > > door > > > > > > hardtop? Would it count then? > > > > > >
--- In ascmclaren@yahoogroups.com, "negusm" > <negusm@y...> > > > wrote: > > > > > > > Arghhh...I think I meant to say that a > > > convertible "doesn't" > > > > > > > count....but to be honest I don't know if a vert can > be > > a > > > > hardtop > > > > > > or > > > > > > > not. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -Mike > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
--- In ascmclaren@yahoogroups.com, "negusm" > > <negusm@y...> > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > The definition of a 2 door hardtop: > > > > > > > > A "hardtop" is a vehicle that does not have the "B" > > > pillars, > > > > > > which > > > > > > > > are the pillars normally behind the front doors > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > A convertible counts even though a convertible > > doesn't > > > have > > > > the > > > > > > > > posts. Hardtop usually refers to a coupe. I have > > never > > > > heard > > > > > it > > > > > > > > used for a convertible. However, I think it can be > > > applied > > > > to > > > > > a > > > > > > 4 > > > > > > > > door sedan... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > http://home.wanadoo.nl/shaul/cf/cf70/cf70b.htm > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > The way it bugs me is when people refer to any car > > with a > > > > metal > > > > > > > roof > > > > > > > > as a hardtop. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -Mike > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
--- In ascmclaren@yahoogroups.com, "fourspeed38852" > > > > > > > > <fourspeed38852@y...> wrote: > > > > > > > > > OK, just what is a 2 door hardtop? Can a > > convertible > > > be > > > > > > > > a "hardtop"? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- In ascmclaren@yahoogroups.com, "negusm" > > > <negusm@y...> > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > The misuse of "hardtop" bugs me to no end. > Just > > > because > > > > > > > > its "hard" > > > > > > > > > > doesn't make it a hardtop. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -Mike > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >