My 86 Trans Am "restoration"

[ffvetteman]

I put resoration in quotes because I'm not really restoring the car as I am just fixing it up.

***Edit******
I also wanted to add a little history of the car.. I bought it right after gradutation in 1993. It was my first cool car and I was excited. I bought it off a good friend of mine. I drove it all the time during the summer cruising Hy 100 etc. I did store it winters. I drove it up to about 190k miles before I put in a 140mph dash cluster. Now the car has roughly 205-210k miles. Then the problems started. Altenators, starters, overheating, and transmissions galore. I put more than 5 alts, 7 transmissions and a bunch of batteries and 2 engines. Blew the radiator twice. This was all in the first 5 years. Then about 7 years ago I got hit by a punk who ran a red light. Cough me at 40mph in the rear passenger side tire and caved in the rear quater. With some battling with his insurance company, they ended up fixing it and I paid the body shop extra to repaint it. I bought my first Vette 4 years later and due to all the problems with the T/A, I slowly stopped driving it. About 3-4 years ago , I pretty much stopped driving it all together due to the problems. I could not bring myself to sell it, so I just hung on to it for when I decise to fix it up. So last year it started.

It all started because I wanted to put in a TBI motor and get rid of the carb 305. I bought a 89 Rs Camaro as the donor car. I took out the engine, trans, every wire in the wiring harness, fuel tank, a lot of the screws and bolts from the interior, and the T-tops just to have a spare set.

I thought the Camaro was a 305 TBI with 120k miles, but to my suprise, I opened the engine and discovered it was a 350 4 bolt that appears to be freshly rebuilt. The valves were still shiny, no gunk anywhere, and there was still crosshatching on the cylinders. Bonus!!

So I started buy taking the engine out of my T/A and cleaned up the engine compartment for a paint job.

Here it was before:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ffvetteman/My%20Trans%20Am/100_1458.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ffvetteman/My%20Trans%20Am/100_1459.jpg



So i degreased it,sanded it down and got some color matching paint from Milwaukee paint and painted it up:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ffvetteman/My%20Trans%20Am/100_1482.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ffvetteman/My%20Trans%20Am/100_1480.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ffvetteman/My%20Trans%20Am/100_1485.jpg

[ffvetteman]

During this I found the floor pan was rusted out on the drivers side from the inside out. This is why you should make sure there is no holes in your carpet. It rusted from the inside because the underside was not nearly as bad as the inside. I was not happy to see this, but on the same note, this was the only area on the car that had any rust.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ffvetteman/My%20Trans%20Am/100_1491.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ffvetteman/My%20Trans%20Am/100_1492.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ffvetteman/My%20Trans%20Am/100_1493.jpg

Underside:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ffvetteman/My%20Trans%20Am/100_1496.jpg

And the cancer did work its way toward the outside a bit, under the front fender.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ffvetteman/My%20Trans%20Am/100_1498.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ffvetteman/My%20Trans%20Am/100_1490.jpg

[ffvetteman]

Good thing is that the rocker is in mint condition behind that are. Even with the groung effects, there was no rust. Again Bonus.

So the cutting began. Had to drill out the spot welds on the floor pan where it attaches to the subframe and cut out all the rusted area. Also part of the inner rocker in the front area was no good so that got cut out.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ffvetteman/My%20Trans%20Am/100_1644.jpg

Also the outer area behind the fender was gone and was cut out.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ffvetteman/My%20Trans%20Am/100_1647.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ffvetteman/My%20Trans%20Am/100_1646.jpg

First I started to fabricate the inner rocker section. I knew this was going to be impossible to find, so I made my own.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ffvetteman/My%20Trans%20Am/100_1650.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ffvetteman/My%20Trans%20Am/100_1656.jpg

[ffvetteman]

To be continued later, gotta go.

[USMARINE1108]

That's one hell of a project! Sounds like a lot of fun, especialy since you have history with the car.

[Yooformula]

Cool pictures. I am very curious to see the outcome of the rebuild.

[ffvetteman]

Im hoping to have the car done this year, hopefully in the next month or 2. Im messing witht he wiring now and that is a story in itself, and I will get into that when I get there with the pics.

Im going anal on it so everything must look as it did from the factory. All correct hookups etc. i want it to look as perfect as possible

[hrsp]

thats awesome..wish i ahd the knowhow to do stuff like that..cant wait to see it done!!

[Heat Seeker WS6]

You're doing one heck of a job on that TA!
Seeing most of the various stages on this 'restore' firsthand I can honestly say JP is doing one b1tch'n job on this project. Your attention to detail and self resourcefulness is incredible as always- never ever any compromises. Since first seeing this one back in 93 (ah yes the good 'ol days!! ...and Yoosof is right about this car having history) I've always wanted one for myself. It's going to be very cool to see this car when it hits the streets again.
JP's driveway is a sacred place where cars that should be put down come back to life.:headbang :headbang Speaking of which- the 4th pic down has an old frimiliar face in it!

[97z2801ss]

damn jp cant wait to see that finished

[BadAzzGTA89]

Looking really good!
I was thinking of doing my engine bay in the same color it would just POP:thumbsup

[Poncho]

thirdgens -- the best gen.... not the fastest, prolly the slowest, but something about their look is timeless.

[PonyKiller87]

.... not the fastest, prolly the slowest

Hey speak for your own car thier. There are plenty of Third Gens out there that can hold thier own with the new stuff. You just need to start with the right parts.... L98


ffvetteman - great job on the rebuild I can understand the whole not wanting to let your first cool car die.

[ffvetteman]

Alright got a little time here so I will post a bit more on the car.

So I had to fabricate the inner rocker section that was rotted away. I did notice when I cut the inner rocker out, that the inside of the rocker was alsom mint. I was very happy that that was not rusted at all. So I got the fabrication done and welded it in place.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ffvetteman/My%20Trans%20Am/100_1656.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ffvetteman/My%20Trans%20Am/100_1657.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ffvetteman/My%20Trans%20Am/100_1658.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ffvetteman/My%20Trans%20Am/100_1655.jpg

Gotta down load more pics, BRB.

[wikked]

damn, how long did it take to sand down that bay? :stare

[ffvetteman]

I knew I wasnt going to be able to fabricate that as one piece, so I decided to make that one piece out of 3 piece and this is what I ended up with.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ffvetteman/My%20Trans%20Am/100_2209.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ffvetteman/My%20Trans%20Am/100_2208.jpg

And here is what it looked like on the car before I welded it into place.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ffvetteman/My%20Trans%20Am/100_2205.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ffvetteman/My%20Trans%20Am/100_2204.jpg

And here it is welded into place prior to doing the finish grinding on it.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ffvetteman/My%20Trans%20Am/100_2254.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ffvetteman/My%20Trans%20Am/100_2256.jpg

Add a little bondo into the mix

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ffvetteman/My%20Trans%20Am/100_2257.jpg

Sand and prime

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ffvetteman/My%20Trans%20Am/100_2266.jpg

[ffvetteman]

Now you'll notice, I still have a giant hole in the floor. I did not want to Flintstone the car, so it was time for a floor pan.

I tried to use the section I cut out by cutting out all the rust and making patches for them spots. It didnt work. It looked like hell and was all warped up. My friend saw a ad in the paper from a guy who was selling all kinds of F-body parts. A quick call to him and I discovered he had a whole drivers side floor pan cut out of a Camaro, green none the less. Now I forgot to take pictures of that, but it was a nice clean piece for the most part. Only problem was that it was cut at the rocker. The floor pan should have a 90deg bend and meet up with the rocker. So my fabrication skills needed to be put to the test again. I had sucess again and made a piece that I welded to the floor pan that bends 90deg and meets the rocker. I cut the new floor pan to match my hole and spent hours grinding and cutting to make it a perfect match.

Again I forgot to get pics of the floor pan after fabrication, before putting it in the car, but here it is in the car after grinding and primer.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ffvetteman/My%20Trans%20Am/100_2201.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ffvetteman/My%20Trans%20Am/100_2202.jpg

And underneath the car.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ffvetteman/My%20Trans%20Am/100_2211.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ffvetteman/My%20Trans%20Am/100_2212.jpg

[ffvetteman]

Again add some bondo

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ffvetteman/My%20Trans%20Am/100_2258.jpg

Sand and add the final gray primer

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ffvetteman/My%20Trans%20Am/100_2260.jpg

Now the rear floor pan in front of the rear seat ont he drivers side was not perfect either. It was very solid, but had a bunch of pinholes from the rust. I used a wire wheel and got all of the rust off. I was up in the air about cutting this section out too and replacing it, but after a lot of time thinking, I decided not to because it was very solid. What I decided to do was to add fiberglass to the floor to re-inforce it. I put making tape on the bottom of the floor pan under each pinhole. This was so the resin would not drip right through leaving the holes. From the inside I laid down the resin and started to add a layer of fiberglass sheets. Let it dry and now it was solid as can be. I forgot to download close up pics, but if anyone wants to see them let me know I will download them. I only got one after primer.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ffvetteman/My%20Trans%20Am/100_2261.jpg


So another run to the paint store for more color matched silver and we end up with this .

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ffvetteman/My%20Trans%20Am/100_2268.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ffvetteman/My%20Trans%20Am/100_2269.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ffvetteman/My%20Trans%20Am/100_2270.jpg

Yay!! now the metal work is done. Did the final paint on the outside and now its time to reassemble!!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ffvetteman/My%20Trans%20Am/100_2271.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ffvetteman/My%20Trans%20Am/100_2272.jpg

[ffvetteman]

And here she is partly naked

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ffvetteman/My%20Trans%20Am/100_2213.jpg

[Prince Valiant]

You'll keep the thunderchicken decal right?

[ffvetteman]

Oh hell yes.

The car is not getting repainted. I had it painted many years ago after the accident and it been under a cover most of the time since then, so the paint is still in great shape. It just needed a new driver train and some rust repair. I did not know about the rust Until I started to dig into it to replace the wiring and the drive train.

I am glad I found it now though.

[Poncho]

if I ever keep and fix my TA, it will be completely badgeless except for the screaming chicken on the b-pillars.

BTW, all this work looks great, and it's definately an inspiration to save my bird.

[STKMACH]

Great thread..... On this project I am sure some will learn alot from you,

thanks for taking the time to show everyone your skill's and step by step

progress. Mad Props to you JP and rep well deserved + 1 :thumbsup

[83ZL69]

Hey that's some great work there! I know what you're going through...I have a '83Z HO car I've been tinkering with for a few years. I had floorboard issues in the same areas. I ended up getting some "patch panels" from a 91 RS in the boneyard cut out, and I epoxied and pop riveted them over the bad parts- not nearly as nice as what you're doing, but it works nice..

I still have rust in the inner/lower fender area, but not quite as bad as your pics....but I now own a MIG and you've inspired me. Please post pics of the progress!! Good stuff! :thumbsup

[GTSLOW]

Its really cool to see the progress pics like this. Thanks for taking the time to stop take pics and then upload them. :thumbsup

+1 for you

[BadAzzGTA89]

See the 3rd gen can be a good topic:thumbsup