[68ragtop]

I just realized that my 1979 & 1980 WS6 T/A's both have the frame connectors that go from the back of the front control arms to the frame. My 78 WS6 car does not have them, nor does it have mounting holes for them.
Was this added to the package in 1979, or maybe late in 78?

68RT

[MalteseFalcon]

My '78 WS6 has them. May 1978 build date.

This would be the first I've heard of a 1978 WS6 that didn't have them.

Might you have had a frame change? Sure its a WS6?

[68ragtop]

yes, Its a four owner car & I know the history of it well. Its for sure a WS6 car, I have the build sheet, tire size decal in the door, etc. I don't beleive the car has ever been wrecked in any way. Car was built in March. W72, WS6 Auto trans car.

Weird.

[Dens71TA]

My dad's '78 W72/4-spd WS6 T/A did not come with the lower A-arm supports. Its was built 3rd week of January 1978.

[JBanna]

My 78 WS-6 doesn't have those either, at least not what you are describing...can you post a pic of the 79 or 80 set-up?

[MalteseFalcon]

These:

[Skip Fix]

There are even some other longer braces that go forward also and mount to the crossmember,maybe Camaros. My "plain" 78 didn't have them, but saw another one that did.My 81 has them.

[68ragtop]

So its sounding like possibly the early, or "First" WS6 cars in 78 didn't have the braces. That would be interesting. I know my car has the original frame, so I was thinking my car was a fluke. The car does not have holes for the braces either. maybe the holes & braces showed up some time in the 2nd qtr of 78?

hopefully more 78 owners can add to this with their findings & build date.

[bobzdar]

My '78 has the holes drilled for them...

[TransAm525]

My '78 non-WS6 Trans Am (W72) has them, however it looks like the passenger side brace was removed at some point for exhaust clearance.

[68ragtop]

bobzdar & TranAm525,
do you mind sharing the built date of your cars?

My car was also built when the WS6 was included with the W72 package.
maybe the braces were added at the same time as the two options were seperated?

Could also be one of those supplier issues, & some cars just didn't get them?

[Skip Fix]

Mine's drilled just no braces, May delivery when I picked it up.

[MalteseFalcon]

This is very interesting, but we have to be careful about what we read in to cars having them or not having them 29 years after they were made. They can be easily removed or added, and as mentioned above, can interfere with headers, so there was a reason that some people might have taken them off.

Its different with a documented car, especially one that doesn't even have the holes, but it would be helpful if people post the build date, whether the mounting holes are there, and whether they know enough about the car's history to be sure that the supports were not removed or added at some point.

[JBanna]

Mine was built in Feb of 78, and doesn't have the holes drilled. I have had the car since May of 82, and did not change out the frame or control arms. I wonder if the bars do much?

[Bruce K]

My '79 has them, also t-tops. Any t-top ws6 cars without them?

[68ragtop]

Steve, that is an excelent point. My car is well documented, & I know the history. no holes, no, bars My build date is 1st week in april 78.

Bruce, both my 79 & 80 WS6 cars have them, they are both T-top cars.

[MalteseFalcon]

I don't think T-tops are the factor. Mine has Hurst T-tops now, but it came from the factory as a hard top. They were added later. As I mentioned above, it has the braces.

As far as whether they do anything, I don't know, but Herb Adams recommends them, and anything that stiffens the chassis at a point where it might deflect has to be a good idea.

[JBanna]

I stand corrected: My 78, with a build date of Feb, does have the holes drilled, but there was never any connectors there (unless the shop that installed my first set of headers in 83 removed them, a fact that I cannot verify). There appears to be enough room to install them now, so I will be on the lookout for a pair....

[MalteseFalcon]

So, if we have cars with holes earlier (and some people on TAC posted that their 1977 model year cars had the holes), what would that tell us about the car from April 1978, that has no holes?

Could it be a factory fluke?

I can see how that could happen. The holes are supposed to be in the frame, and would be put there before any assembly, but for some reason, they don't get drilled and tapped on one. Doesn't matter if its not going into a WS6 or Z28 (Z28's had their own bars, later all Camaros seemed to get them). But it arrives on the line where the bars are supposed to be installed and - uh-oh, no holes. Do they pull the subframe off the line, or do they just say, "I guess this one doesn't get the bars"?

[Skip Fix]

Look and see if the lip of the crossmember is drilled also. There is a hole therre for the longer "Camaro" bars. I'm going to look under mine this weekend.

I'm original owner of mine and it's never had them.