1985 Trans Am Rare Convertable - $3800 (Greenville)

[ktl711]

One of the very few advantages of being an old geezer around here is that I can actually recall some stories about our cars when they were new. Back in the day, I had just joined the Order Fulfillment IT group at GM, and we had to create a way to allow a vehicle to leave the assembly plant for upfitting, then come back in for final finesse and to be counted as Produced, and then relased to the shipping carriers that would deliver them to the dealers. The car that created the problem was the Camaro SS, because the cars had to leave the plant in Ste. Thérèse, Québec, travel to an offsite SLP facility for the work that converted them from "mere" Z28s into true SS cars. Of course, part of what made them an SS was the scooped hood and the induction system, but GM couldn't ship the cars without protection over the engine compartments. So, each SS was shipped to SLP with a regular hood. After a while the hoods accumulated and had to be returned to the plant. What a logistical mess! No wonder GM was anxious to bring that work in-house to the plant!

[81DaytonaPaceCar]

I know ASC did the '01 Trans Am CE Pace Cars.

I think they did the '99 30th Anny Pace Cars as well.

SLP did the 4th gen WS6s and SSs.

Before that, ASC was heavily affiliated with Ford (the ASC/McClaren Mercury Capris from the mid to late '80s) in an official capacity, so I'm not sure exactly how much business they did with GM.

ASC really got involved with GM really from the late '90s on.

They did the Cadillac XLR, the SSR, the G6 'vert...really all of their retractable hardtops, along with standard convertible development in general.

[meissen]

I know ASC did the '01 Trans Am CE Pace Cars.

I think they did the '99 30th Anny Pace Cars as well.

SLP did the 4th gen WS6s and SSs.

Before that, ASC was heavily affiliated with Ford (the ASC/McClaren Mercury Capris from the mid to late '80s) in an official capacity, so I'm not sure exactly how much business they did with GM.

ASC really got involved with GM really from the late '90s on.

They did the Cadillac XLR, the SSR, the G6 'vert...really all of their retractable hardtops, along with standard convertible development in general.

I'm finding information otherwise, Jeff. There's a ton of people on LS1Tech saying they're getting the build information on their WS6s from ASC...
http://ls1tech.com/forums/pontiac-fi...ep-inside.html
http://www.camaroz28.com/forums/gene...-427784/page2/

Looks like SLP only did the LT1 WS6s, the 98+ were ASC.
http://www.gminsidenews.com/forums/f...38/index2.html

[Nocooler]

ASC also did the GNX.

If the aftermarket convertibles were as much as a hack job as the dealer installed t-tops - I'd run far far away.

[Akodo]

I can't swear as to the authenticity of it, but there was a story at ASC about the first Corvette convertible they did. Apparently, the head of ASC pitched the idea to the Chevy brand manager of doing a convertible Vette. The department head laughed, and said a convertible vette would be hideous, and it would never work.
So, undaunted, ASC went out and purchased a brand new vette off the lot, and developed and installed a convertible top for it. After completing it, they drove it to the department heads house, and left it in his driveway with the keys in it. Very shortly, they received the contract.

[ktl711]

ASC did a beautiful convertible off of a 1992+ Eldorado and it was even on the first floor of the Detroit Auto Show, but GM never did bite on that one. Heinz Prechter was quite a Cadillac fan and did a number of special cars on their own -- just like the Corvette story above -- simply to pitch new projects.