DanTheAngry

I picked up an '87 Trans Am almost 3 years ago for $900. I have been slowly taking it apart since then in order to get rid of all the rusted areas and bring it back up to spec so that I can have a fun daily driver.



This is the car as I bought it. Looks pretty good until you take a look underneath...
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After I removed the interior, which took a long time, this is what I was faced with.

Driver Side

Passenger Side

Time to learn how to weld.

DanTheAngry

I have the driverside rear seat almost done. It took a while to fabricate the frame rail that runs underneath it.


I've also started to work on the ds floor pan. I've got the rusty metal pretty much all cut out and have welded in some braces and a set of mac sub frame connectors before I cut out the cross supports.

I'll be working on the car almost all week so I should have updates fairly regularly.

sgtmac

Good job!
Keep up with the pics, my 87 Formula is getting the same treatment and I sure want to follow your progress.

80schild

It's a nice looking T/A with the exeption of the rust.

Tmic87TPI

whats with the passenger door to fender gap? and man Im glad my floors dont look like that! looks like you've got it all under control though, good luck and keep us posted

__________________

87' Trans am - 305 TPI, 700R4, Bone stock.
future plans - T5 swap, 4th gen rear, then bigger motor
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2535588
91' Camaro RS - 3.1 V6, 700r4, peg leg rear. Dad's Ride/my next project.
oh and Im barely 16

firebird896

How hard is/was it to remove the interior

Sonymaster20

it isnt that hard to remove the interior. it takes a couple of days but no longer and it takes just as long to put it in some times trying to remember where everything goes. Depends on how much you take out also.

DanTheAngry

@firebird896
Yeah SonyMaster20 is right. Taking out the interior is mostly just time consuming. The worst part is the HVAC system under the dash.

@Tmic87TPI
The Passenger side door I think had sagged and bent the fender in.

I'll take some pics of the mac subframe connectors today. I don't think I've ever seen any on thridgen yet.

Darkshot

!!!



Is it really that hard to find a rust free car? That's incredible! I'd be scared of that car even if it was fixed. If you can see rust like that, I bet there is a bunch more rust you can't see in places. But, it seems like you know what you're up against.

Anyway, props to you for fixing it. I know It's more than I would attempt.

mesterz2889

yeah looks like you got a lot on your hands. its not hard to take out the interior so much is it to put it back in with out coming up with extra parts just make sure everything is labeled and thread all the nuts bolts and screws back after you get the part off if you can that helps a lot

DanTheAngry

So did a bunch of work today.


Got the rest of the old floor pan out as well as the cross braces. Cleaned up and straightened the cross braces out (air chisel did a number on them). You can also see the mac sfc.

I think the next order of business is to patch up the rocker panel and the inner fender. He is an upside down pic of inside the rocker...

It looks passable for the most part...

stroked_n_blown

I don't feel so bad about my floorboards now. My 92 Camaro had been sitting outside unused for 3 years, with dead window motors (drivers side stuck open about 4 inches). Began the process of gutting it recently, and decided I'd go ahead and pull the seats out to give me more room to move around. Started on the bolts for the driver seat..rusted tight; pulled the lever to slide the seat forward..seat mount pretty much disintigrated into chunks of rust. I was to scared to lift the carpet to see the extent of the damage..since the back of the seat pretty much lifted right off the floor. I just went inside and started pricing floorpans.../cry Guess this is what I get for ignoring my baby for so long.

CharcoalBird

Eewww...

DanTheAngry

Well, my weld broke. I think I toasted a relay or something because the wire feed no longer works.

90_T/AGTA

You could of jammed up the wire feed.open the side of the welder stip the wire pull the old wire out of the hose and feed it threw again.Are you welding with gas? look like you quit some work ahead of you i thought my floor was bad nowhere near as bad as yours.good luck

DanTheAngry

Yeah it wasn't just a jam. I think one of the relays is burnt out. Its at welder repair shop now hopefully I'll get it back soon.
I think I'm going to start on some of the other things I need to do. My steering column need to be rebuilt and I still need to cut some rusted bolt out. That should be tomorrows job.

80schild

Are you going to leave it stock? I like the red/silver combo with the original wheels. I know many people here dislike the 15" wheels, but I think they look good with white letter tires. Just my .

DanTheAngry

I'm going to give it the $50 dollar paint job. And I think I've settled on yellow. The rims will stay until I can find/afford a set of the GTA/Trans Am mesh ones.

80schild

LOL, I guess I'm strange then , I like the directional T/A wheels better than my gold GTA wheels.

DanTheAngry

I guess I can show you this poorly photoshopped pic. I think blacked out mesh wheels will look pretty slick with the yellow paint.

*I took the original image from the TGO t-shirts.

I do like the wheels now. I just like the black mesh look a bit more.

ezysk

Looks like you have a good size project.
I have to say, I am impressed since you are taking on a job that many would not dare too.

FueledSoul

Wow ....

ezysk

I was just looking at the original pictures again, and noticed the price on the windshield of $2299. Glad to see you got it for $900.00, if I was someone out there looking for a car to buy, and spent $2299 on the car only to discover that much rust on the floor pan, then I would be pissed off. For $900.00 I could accept it.

Any more progress pictures.

DanTheAngry

My welder is still in the shop so I have got nothing else done.

DanTheAngry

Okay. Got the welder back from the shop and got busy.

Crappy rusted rocker gone.

Nice new one.

I think I can get the back of the fender part done today. Then the floorpan goes in!

Daz

wow!!..you have more work than I do!!Maybe you can weld my SFC and LCARs when youre done

DanTheAngry

Sure thing Daz. As long as I can borrow that crane again.

DanTheAngry

So went out to get the floor pan trimmed and ready to put in and realized how shitty the inside of my frame rail is. So this need to be redone before the floor.

I had to chisel out the the tranny cross member bolts.

80schild

Is this the look you're going for?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Cars-...=p4506.c0.m245

drknow90rs_ss@y

WOW!! The salt and moisture eats these cars alive!! We dont have rust here. MUCH RESPECT, for tackling a job I wouldnt!!! Thats dedication. Nice work too!