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Hey guys/gals, about 2 months ago I picked up a 91 GTA from my old 1SG. He bought it brand new and with life and new-borns and the war it’s just been sitting. He would joke around to me one day he’d sell it to me if I was interested in the car.
Well I got a call one day, we settled on a ridiculously cheap price and now I’m the owner. He didn’t care what I did with the car, fix it, part it out, or whatever as long as the parts went to other cars to be enjoyed.
Well before owning this car I had zero intentions to do anything with it other than part it out. So I immediately got home and posted some adds in the local places and in about 24 hours I had 50 or so calls on parts. This got me thinking, and I started doing some research. I’ve found (if I did it correctly) that this particular vehicle is one of 293 built with RPO Code of NN5 California Emissions.
In the few weeks of owning this car and talking to others I have grown fond of it. The interior is near perfect with only wear on the leather driver’s seat, and a sagging headliner. Everything is stock, and complete. Everything works (I need new headlight motors) and there are 3 dents I can see in the body. The paint is white, and peeling, and the front windshield is cracked.
Well, that was a long winded back story, but from here on out, follow along as we do a mild restore to this fun to drive, 1991, dare I say, vintage auto?..
Thought you guys would find it amusing as I did when I took the car in last month for a recall from 1994. I’m sure some tech didn’t like the idea of lookin over a 1991 vehicle. I got the oil changed while it was in the shop.
I noticed the oil pressure was higher after the oil change. They said they used 5/30 oil, but by the gauge it seemed it would’ve been a thicker grade since it was showing a higher pressure. Before oil change, cruised at 30 psi, after oil change 45 psi hot, cold it will go up to the 60psi mark until it warms up.
Also in this pic, you can see the rear lights were repaired, sanded, tinted slightly to cover the faded/grayish plastic lens, and then cleared. When time allows we’ll order a new PONTIAC sticker for them as well.
Last night after the cardinals lost, I took my frustration out on the trans am. The hood is peeling badly and needs stripped (how the h*ll do I get the 4 vents off?) and one of the dents in the car was in the fender, so off it went to do the body work. The original GTA wheels are off to be stripped and reconditioned. In the meantime, some older Pontiac wheels were for sale super cheap so voila’ there they are.
Eventually the entire car will be stripped for paint prepping and will be painted with nothing on, IE body kit, wing, hood, bumpers etc..
Also in this pic you can see the roof has already been stripped and primered.
Here are a couple before and after pics of this past weekends adventures.
Next will be ordering new coolant and washer jugs to complete the under hood clean-up. When its time to pull the engine, the rest of the parts/engine will be fully cleaned and detailed as well.
If you're still looking for those ground effects pieces, about the only place to get them new is from Hawks. GM doesn't make/sell them anymore and almost all used ones are beat up, scratched, chipped, broken, etc. There are some exception of course.
Got a new windshield installed (old one had a huge crack in it and was delaminating) --and got all the body work completed.
Next step is to take doors apart to remove lock cylinders and lower 'body kit' pieces, front and rear bumpers (again) and headlights. Then wet sand the car for a final time. Will paint the outside complete, and then do the door jambs, under hatch area, all the body kit pieces, spoiler/wing, bumpers and headlights. Wet sand, buff, and install everything for a final time.
This absolutely drives me nuts. The driver’s side is lined up perfect, the pass is off like half an inch.
I removed the rear deck, re-aligned t and got the gap closer, but it’s still off and an eye sore to me.
It looks as if it was in as light fender bender, although there is no trace of bent or scratched paint/metal, so I have to believe it is just normal American quality 1990s assembly line stuff.
I will be cutting the corner of the quarter and readjusting it, welding, body work, and making it fit correctly before paint.
This is just too much of an eye sore to me to leave it as the factory made it.
I remember reading somewhere that even the GM Engineers admitted there were design issues with the rear hatches of the cars not aligning properly during assembly so it may not be possible to get it perfect.
Another possible reason for the misalignment could be due to chassis flex. The only solution would be to put it on a frame machine.
check your hatch hinges, they usually are the problem.
It’s not the case on this bird..
Originally Posted by 86firebird350
Another possible reason for the misalignment could be due to chassis flex..
Not the case either..
In the picture, it might be hard to see, but the end of the quarter panel is not extending as far as it should be. The hatch is physical perfectly aligned, and even with the taillights, and perfect body line all the way around the window.
The best way to describe it, is if someone dropped a hood on its edges and the edges have folder under some. That is nearly identical to this car. It is very possible it had a slight damage somewhere in its life. Either way, new hinges, frame rack, magical fairy dust isn’t going to fix it.
Here you can see more clearly how my quarter panel lined up with the rear hatch. I removed the hatch and reinstalled it, and adjust the hinges. I got it close, but the quarter extension was bent in from the factory.
I sliced it from underneath and bent it out probably ¼ inch. It now lines up. Once fitted, I re-welded it and added seam sealer. Looks factory and actually fits.
If everything goes well, we’re lookin to paint the car in the next 2 weeks.
I don't see that version of the decal on their site. Interested to know if it was indeed a mistake or if that is what Hawk's is actually selling as the tail light decal as I need one for my GTA as well.
I don't see that version of the decal on their site. Interested to know if it was indeed a mistake or if that is what Hawk's is actually selling as the tail light decal as I need one for my GTA as well.
they told me they sent out the wrong decal, and the correct one will be sent on Monday. I'll post up a pic once it arrives..
My original GTA wing fell over and broke into a zillion pieces. I tried to save it, but it's just too sun brittle. I will have to order a fiberglass repop unit..
Been a few months, but finally got some fresh white going down...
Rear hatch is off, side windows have been removed, headliner is out, fenders, hood and front bumper are all removed as well.
Car will be sprayed with GM WA8624 white base-coat followed by 3 coats of clear. Once clear is dried, will be sanded down with 800 and then 1000 wet sand paper, and then 3 more medium coats of clear will be sprayed.
Then a final wet sanding of 1000, 1200, 1500, 2000 then buffed.
We have decided to spray the hood white with a gold pearl top coat (3-stage) and then apply a 'firebird hood sticker' followed by a few coats of the WA8624. Peel the sticker and clear the hood. This will give a custom pearl firebird that wont be fully visible in all conditions. A very small custom touch to this build.
Also a 350 roller core block has been sourced for the start to a 383 build.
Specs should be 270 duration @.050; .560 lift; First Intake; 1 3/4 headers; ported Sportsman heads; strong 700r4 with 2600 stall, and 3:73 8.8 rear axle.
Not looking for full-out race, but a fun, reliable, good lookin 3rd gen, that the wife can drive to work, or me take to Vegas for some fun..
((this particular car is a high optioned vehicle possibly one of under 300 made, maybe less, so the engine and trans will be pulled and stored for possible sale, or events later down the road))
Rented the booth this weekend and got the main body painted. Here it is un masked and back at home. Hoping to get the rear bumper/quarter pieces/door handles/mirrors/door body kit pieces painted in the next day or two. Find some time for wet sanding/buffing the body and then start assembly.
Yes, I know…. The door handles and keylocks are supposed to be black. That is a pet peeve to me, and they are white now for my car. If selling, can be very easily painted black. But no thoughts of selling in the near future. As stated earlier, car will be 95% completely stock; 5% is for me to make it ‘mine’.. ��
installed hood yesterday. Still waiting on the 'hood bird' to arrive, when that happens, will sand the hood, apply the sticker, mist on the pearl, remove the sticker, and then reclear the hood. I only want the bird visible in light, so it doesnt take away from the car
Hawks sent out the new decal, and they told me to keep the wrong one as well.
So i put the wrong one on the windshield, and the correct one on the tail lights..
Funny thing is i got an email yesterday wondering when i was sending the old decal back...
"Hey James,
Just checking to make sure you received my email back in February. We really need to get this taken care of ASAP, as this has been opened since January, and it is now May."
my reply: When I received my incorrect sticker I called Hawks and spoke to a male on the phone. He said to keep the sticker and the correct one would be sent out the next day. I can scrape the wrong sticker off my windshield, and send it to you in an envelope, although it won’t be any use to you or me after that.
I never answered your email since I called and spoke to a person on the phone and they said to keep it.
and Finally from Hawks:
"Hi James,
I guess at this point we will just have to toss it up at a loss. I am not sure why they would tell you to keep the decals, as we could take them back to ship to another customer. Thank you for responding to my email to make me aware of the situation.
-This past few weeks I have developed a misfire at all RPMs. Being the engine now has 153k on it, and GMs poor excuse for valve stem seals on the L98, I figured the plugs were oil fouled. I buy a cap, rotor, plug wires and plugs and new FPR and begin my journey. I don’t know how old the plugs were, but they were a few years old for sure by the looks of the rust, and the discoloration of the porcelain. 6 out of the 8 plugs were near perfect in heat range and ‘plug reading’. 2 plugs, cylinders 6&8 were black fuel fouled.
-I thought, a dead hole/low compression/burnt head gasket and started planning for the awful thought of pulling the heads. Luckily a few hours later, a compression tester revealed 150 psi in both cylinders!
-I pulled the intake manifold and the plenum was soaked in fuel, raw fuel puddled inside of it and the vacuum hoses. Bingo. Fuel pressure regulator. I had the intake manifold glass beaded as it had 30 years of grime and yuck on it. The intake had been off at some time as the ‘china walls’ had RTV on them.
-while the intake was off, I couldn’t resist the urge to run the die grinder through all the ports and clean up some of the casting flash. I did not Siamese the lower intake, only smooth off all the harsh edges, port matched everything, and blended any hard corners. This is a stock engine, not worried about making a gazillion HP, only freeing up what’s there already. The stock runners have very harsh square edges where the tubes are inserted into the casting, as well as the upper intake has several areas that can be improved with not much effort.
-when assembled, I left off the coolant lines that run to the throttle body. It was 121 degrees here last week, I don’t need any more heat going to my incoming air..
-well now that the car is all back together and running, I took it for about a 10-mile blast along the freeway. It is running smoother than ever, can barely feel anything at idle. Not sure if there is much of a seat-of-the-pants improvement; but the rear tires can tell there is a difference. They spin much more easily now. Again, this is a stock L98 with 153k miles, the car is fun to drive, but there is another motor in the not so distant future.
Well the new short rod 383 is built, and just waiting on the correct length pushrods to show up. After market heads, roller rockers, zero decked block all add up to non-stock geometry.
This is a ‘temporary’ motor, its actually for my 42, but in the meant time it will be installed in the GTA.
The factory original motor in the car now is slowly losing oil pressure, and at 153k miles, she’s got good compression in all cylinders, just getting tired. The factory engine will be rebuilt, and go back into the car at a later date.
Should be able to get a free weekend to swap engines this month. Stay tuned..
Sportsman II heads getting some bowl work before being sent off for decking. These heads were just 'cleaned up'-no changing of the ports sizes, just smoothed all the casting flash, and polished up the exhaust, reworked the valve guide bosses, and rounded all the sharp corners from the installation of the seats. Along with some unshrouding of the valves the heads received a 5-angle valve job, lapped, and bolted on with a shim style head gasket. The machine shop didn’t deck the block as far as we asked, so after a discounted labor price, and some measuring, the .015 gasket got us right at .040 quench.
This motor isn’t a full out performer, but anywhere you can pick up free hp is money well saved.
motor was installed in our test test and 'broken in' a few times. Everyone has their idea of what breaking in a motor means to them, but for me, if a flat tappet cam, breaking in the cam, and once that is done, i like to bring them up to operating temp and let them cool and up to operating temp a couple of times, before installing the engine into the car. Kind of redundant, but i personally like to see leaks, oil psi, or any issues before installing into its final resting place. I once had a rear cam plug leak, and mistaken it as a rear main leak. Never got it sealed up, until i pulled the trans to replace a clutch and saw the leaking cam plug.. ooops.
New 2500* lock up stall came in, and also came across a set of hooker super comps for real cheap. I'll get the headers and exhaust coated at a later date.
got the new engine in, and finishing up the installation. should have running in a day or two.
dont mind the valve covers, they're juts a set i had laying around. the heads have dual pattern for outer bolts or center bolt valve covers, but the stock style has a rib the hits the four bolt casting. so before i modify the covers, just using these for now.
Got the new motor in, and all fired up. Had an issue with the ministarter hitting the flexplate, but after shimming it all is fine.
Got an order out to Scott Hansen for a custom chip to get it running better than the stock 5.7 TPI tune.
But drove it a few miles to test the trans and get the motor up to operating temps.
The 2600 stall seems nice, not too loose feeling.
Next will be to build decent exhaust for it. Saw this on facebook today, and will be doing something similar, only with cats for emissions..
as of 2 OCT:
Now until the ups man comes, im running 1 3/4 hooker SC to 3 pipes, into 3 inch cats, then merges into 4.5 single which ends right about the front seats. mr ups man is bringin my the rest of the piping to go up over axle, and into a hooker super flow muffler, then exit with single 4.5 inch pipe
10-03-2016, 11:19 AM
