What did the PO do to my air dam?
#1
What did the PO do to my air dam?
hey guys, so I've replaced everything cooling related and decided to look at the air dam when I discovered that the PO used wood screws to screw on an air dam that doesn't seem to be the right one for my car. My question is did he screw it onto the old one or does the part that it's screwed onto connect the air dam to the rad support?
Notice the wood screws going through that top piece holding the air dam on
wood screws
a back shot of it
Notice the wood screws going through that top piece holding the air dam on
wood screws
a back shot of it
#3
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Car: 86 Camaro
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Re: What did the PO do to my air dam?
i used to have an air dam under my car made out of lawn edging held to the car with self tapping screws... it worked for it's intended purpose of keeping air from getting under the car, but i took it off because it made jacking the front of the car off the ground a pain in the ***.. i don't think it either helped or hurt the cooling on my car, since i made an airbox to feed the radiator from the grille out of coroplast, but i guess it might have helped a little by helping to create a low pressure area in the engine compartment...
sorry if none of this was helpful to you in any way...
sorry if none of this was helpful to you in any way...
#4
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Car: 1 Owner 1986 TA with a WS6 package
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Re: What did the PO do to my air dam?
86 used a one pc.air deflector like this http://www.hawksthirdgenparts.com/de...wer-deflector/
But you also need this http://www.hawksthirdgenparts.com/de...air-deflector/ to attach it to
But you also need this http://www.hawksthirdgenparts.com/de...air-deflector/ to attach it to
#5
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Re: What did the PO do to my air dam?
My 89 has the exact same style air dam as the one Tyler shows in his opening post . Looks like someone parked too close to a parking space's bumpstop and broke it ?
Sheet rock screws .... The mark of a real sheet head . Good thing Tyler saved the car from whomever it was that needs their screwdriver privileges revoked !
Mantaguy's suggestion is great , maybe Hawks or someone like that might have an unbroken used one for sale ?
Sheet rock screws .... The mark of a real sheet head . Good thing Tyler saved the car from whomever it was that needs their screwdriver privileges revoked !
Mantaguy's suggestion is great , maybe Hawks or someone like that might have an unbroken used one for sale ?
#6
Re: What did the PO do to my air dam?
86 used a one pc.air deflector like this http://www.hawksthirdgenparts.com/de...wer-deflector/
But you also need this http://www.hawksthirdgenparts.com/de...air-deflector/ to attach it to
But you also need this http://www.hawksthirdgenparts.com/de...air-deflector/ to attach it to
#7
Re: What did the PO do to my air dam?
My 89 has the exact same style air dam as the one Tyler shows in his opening post . Looks like someone parked too close to a parking space's bumpstop and broke it ?
Sheet rock screws .... The mark of a real sheet head . Good thing Tyler saved the car from whomever it was that needs their screwdriver privileges revoked !
Mantaguy's suggestion is great , maybe Hawks or someone like that might have an unbroken used one for sale ?
Sheet rock screws .... The mark of a real sheet head . Good thing Tyler saved the car from whomever it was that needs their screwdriver privileges revoked !
Mantaguy's suggestion is great , maybe Hawks or someone like that might have an unbroken used one for sale ?
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#8
Re: What did the PO do to my air dam?
i used to have an air dam under my car made out of lawn edging held to the car with self tapping screws... it worked for it's intended purpose of keeping air from getting under the car, but i took it off because it made jacking the front of the car off the ground a pain in the ***.. i don't think it either helped or hurt the cooling on my car, since i made an airbox to feed the radiator from the grille out of coroplast, but i guess it might have helped a little by helping to create a low pressure area in the engine compartment...
sorry if none of this was helpful to you in any way...
sorry if none of this was helpful to you in any way...
#9
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Re: What did the PO do to my air dam?
Yea Man , it really is wild the things you find when "not mechanically minded" folks attempt to repair something . I spent a lifetime as a mechanic and I can tell you for fact the damage people do to machines during attempted repairs are often worse than the thing that was broken in the first place . In a way , you got lucky , he could have run one of them screws through the bottom of the radiator , which I have seen done . Another is the mistake of mounting an Amp in the trunk and poking the gas tank with the screws , seen that one a couple of times too .
#10
Re: What did the PO do to my air dam?
86 used a one pc.air deflector like this http://www.hawksthirdgenparts.com/de...wer-deflector/
But you also need this http://www.hawksthirdgenparts.com/de...air-deflector/ to attach it to
But you also need this http://www.hawksthirdgenparts.com/de...air-deflector/ to attach it to
http://m.ebay.com/itm/85-89-Firebird-Formula-lower-air-deflectors-dam-splash-shield-set-of-3-/201375188106?nav=SEARCH
#11
Re: What did the PO do to my air dam?
Yea Man , it really is wild the things you find when "not mechanically minded" folks attempt to repair something . I spent a lifetime as a mechanic and I can tell you for fact the damage people do to machines during attempted repairs are often worse than the thing that was broken in the first place . In a way , you got lucky , he could have run one of them screws through the bottom of the radiator , which I have seen done . Another is the mistake of mounting an Amp in the trunk and poking the gas tank with the screws , seen that one a couple of times too .
#12
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Re: What did the PO do to my air dam?
I'm fairly sure that GM superseded the one piece wrap around airdam with a 3pc assembly.
http://www.classicindustries.com/pro...rts/g5873.html is the style GM dealers sold as a replacement for 85-90 Trans Ams in recent years. It'd be worth checking with your local GM dealer and see what the computer shows.
http://www.classicindustries.com/pro...rts/g5873.html is the style GM dealers sold as a replacement for 85-90 Trans Ams in recent years. It'd be worth checking with your local GM dealer and see what the computer shows.
#13
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Car: 1985 Trans Am
Engine: 305 TPI
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: BW 9 Bolt 3:27
Re: What did the PO do to my air dam?
86 used a one pc.air deflector like this http://www.hawksthirdgenparts.com/de...wer-deflector/
But you also need this http://www.hawksthirdgenparts.com/de...air-deflector/ to attach it to
But you also need this http://www.hawksthirdgenparts.com/de...air-deflector/ to attach it to
So does this seem correct
http://m.ebay.com/itm/85-89-Firebird...106?nav=SEARCH
http://m.ebay.com/itm/85-89-Firebird...106?nav=SEARCH
EDIT:
It looks like I was mistaken. Mantaguy posted pics of his T/A having the single piece spoiler. On the links he listed, Hawk's describes them as being for Firebird. On the 3-piece air dam, it says Firebird or Trans Am. From my search for parts throughout the years I have gotten into the habit of taking these descriptions extremely literally, in that if it simply says Firebird, I'll assume it's talking about the base model/Formula only.
Last edited by TecknoMike; 07-19-2015 at 09:55 PM. Reason: Correction further below.
#14
Re: What did the PO do to my air dam?
Those are for the base Firebird/Formula, not Trans Am. The T/A front bumper does not have all those pins on the bottom of the front bumper to allow for those air deflectors to bolt on. At least, my 85 does not.
No, it would not be correct. That's for the base Firebird/Formula. you see those squareish flaps on the side of the "deflector"? Those go exactly where your Trans Am front fender ground effects go. Since the base Firebird/Formula do not use those ground effects, that air deflector fills the gap on those cars.
No, it would not be correct. That's for the base Firebird/Formula. you see those squareish flaps on the side of the "deflector"? Those go exactly where your Trans Am front fender ground effects go. Since the base Firebird/Formula do not use those ground effects, that air deflector fills the gap on those cars.
#15
Re: What did the PO do to my air dam?
I'm fairly sure that GM superseded the one piece wrap around airdam with a 3pc assembly.
http://www.classicindustries.com/pro...rts/g5873.html is the style GM dealers sold as a replacement for 85-90 Trans Ams in recent years. It'd be worth checking with your local GM dealer and see what the computer shows.
http://www.classicindustries.com/pro...rts/g5873.html is the style GM dealers sold as a replacement for 85-90 Trans Ams in recent years. It'd be worth checking with your local GM dealer and see what the computer shows.
#16
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Car: 1985 Trans Am
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Re: What did the PO do to my air dam?
I'm not sure how much more help I can be but I'll share the only clue I have. I've been trying to figure what was/wasn't on my 85 T/A as well. I have the single center air dam piece on my car as shown in that link. But, mine also looks just like that one in the link in that it has the same two "lips" on the top left/right corners of the main air dam piece, which gives me a clue that my car may have that same 3-piece air dam assembly originally.
#17
Re: What did the PO do to my air dam?
I'm not sure how much more help I can be but I'll share the only clue I have. I've been trying to figure what was/wasn't on my 85 T/A as well. I have the single center air dam piece on my car as shown in that link. But, mine also looks just like that one in the link in that it has the same two "lips" on the top left/right corners of the main air dam piece, which gives me a clue that my car may have that same 3-piece air dam assembly originally.
#18
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Re: What did the PO do to my air dam?
[QUOTE=TecknoMike;5941118]Those are for the base Firebird/Formula, not Trans Am. The T/A front bumper does not have all those pins on the bottom of the front bumper to allow for those air deflectors to bolt on. At least, my 85 does not.
Not sure if your correcting me or agreeing with me,but here are those parts on my All Stock 86 TA 305TPI
#19
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Re: What did the PO do to my air dam?
82-87 sheetmetal front end (from GM firebird 82-92 parts catalog)
I was able to acquire both parts 55 and 56, but I had found no place for part 55 to bolt on to (and also the pic is hard as hell to figure out what is supposed to go where). So I had thought your air dam (parts 46 & 47 in the pic) wouldn't fit the T/A, and I've been super pedantic about searching for parts and trying to verify whether its for just Firebird or T/A. Thank you for the pics from your car! It really is helping me a lot. You wouldn't happen to have anything like parts 55/56 on your car, would you?
Last edited by TecknoMike; 07-20-2015 at 08:43 AM.
#20
Re: What did the PO do to my air dam?
[QUOTE=mantaguy;5941252]
Thank you very much, gonna have to hunt down those parts, my side ground effects are pretty messed up as well but I'll figure something out to get it to mount correctly
Those are for the base Firebird/Formula, not Trans Am. The T/A front bumper does not have all those pins on the bottom of the front bumper to allow for those air deflectors to bolt on. At least, my 85 does not.
Not sure if your correcting me or agreeing with me,but here are those parts on my All Stock 86 TA 305TPI
Not sure if your correcting me or agreeing with me,but here are those parts on my All Stock 86 TA 305TPI
#21
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Car: 1 Owner 1986 TA with a WS6 package
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Re: What did the PO do to my air dam?
Well, shoot! Yeah, I was trying to correct you, but I stand corrected! I'm so sorry! lol. I have what appears to be what's left of the 3-piece version on my 85, with only the single center piece (mostly) intact. My side fender GFX are FUBAR'd, with chunks where your single piece would bolt on to are completely gone. What led me to be believe that it wouldn't fit is that I've been trying to locate other pieces that I'm missing, such as parts 55 and 56 in this picture
82-87 sheetmetal front end (from GM firebird 82-92 parts catalog)
I was able to acquire both parts 55 and 56, but I had found no place for part 55 to bolt on to (and also the pic is hard as hell to figure out what is supposed to go where). So I had thought your air dam (parts 46 & 47 in the pic) wouldn't fit the T/A, and I've been super pedantic about searching for parts and trying to verify whether its for just Firebird or T/A. Thank you for the pics from your car! It really is helping me a lot. You wouldn't happen to have anything like parts 55/56 on your car, would you?
82-87 sheetmetal front end (from GM firebird 82-92 parts catalog)
I was able to acquire both parts 55 and 56, but I had found no place for part 55 to bolt on to (and also the pic is hard as hell to figure out what is supposed to go where). So I had thought your air dam (parts 46 & 47 in the pic) wouldn't fit the T/A, and I've been super pedantic about searching for parts and trying to verify whether its for just Firebird or T/A. Thank you for the pics from your car! It really is helping me a lot. You wouldn't happen to have anything like parts 55/56 on your car, would you?
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