ConvertiblesDiscussed here are problems and solutions to convertible specific questions, including difficult to find part numbers and other convertible tech help.
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91 Firebird, 305 tbi, 105,500 miles, new top, really good tires, starts, runs, drives. Engine compartment looks original except for some stereo wires run thru. The guy I bought it off of thought the carburater didn't have some of the vacuum lines on it. I had to tell him it was a tbi.
Needs floor pans (ooooffff), brakes bled or booster, radio, steering wheel, some rust on quarters, gas gauge on full always. Possible echeck problem but I think I can solve that.
I picked up a complete floor section for a decent price, column and cd/radio already.
Just arrived today (my trailer) pics shown are as purchased.
Another bad is previous owner screwed up title. Instead of putting 103,000 miles they put 130,000. Previous owner sold it with 98,000 and odometer says 105,500. So I have to jump thru hoops to get it corrected. It may not happen so I might have to have 130,000 on title and NOT ACTUAL next to it. Bummer. At least the not actual is actually lower.
Some pics attached. I am going to have to lean on you guys since this is my first 3rd gen that I have owned. I bought a tpi motor and tranny complete for my old 68 chevy truck and recently sold it and it payed for the car. yeah!!!
$1200.00. Found floorboards, cd/radio and steering column for $250.00.
Wife ecstatic - she drove around the driveway multiple times - no plates.
She says its "her car". Two questions - how do you attach big pictures and where on car is the sticker with the RPO codes?
I have a 88 vert mine is best you can get to factory condition... RPO codes are in the centre console. if your sitting in the drivers seat they are on the passangers side wall of that consol. you need to remove the whole console top from back hinges to the bottom of the radio in order for it to be removed. it should still be there unless there was a history of theift or change in transmission ie Manule to automatic
Quote:
Originally Posted by badgerooster
$1200.00. Found floorboards, cd/radio and steering column for $250.00.
Wife ecstatic - she drove around the driveway multiple times - no plates.
She says its "her car". Two questions - how do you attach big pictures and where on car is the sticker with the RPO codes?
If you upload photos to our server, in the form of "attachments", your post will show small thumbnails. Users can click on those thumbnails for a larger (and full-size) version. There is no automatic way to have them posted bigger, without copy/pasting the location manually.
If you have the photos hosted outside of our website (such as Photobucket), and then remotely link them, the pictures will usually appear as full-size without thumbnails. It's just the default way the software has been setup and is usually used.
Quote:
Originally Posted by badgerooster
$1200.00. Found floorboards, cd/radio and steering column for $250.00.
Wife ecstatic - she drove around the driveway multiple times - no plates.
She says its "her car". Two questions - how do you attach big pictures and where on car is the sticker with the RPO codes?
I've tried to copy / paste directly and it seemed to not work. What are you meaning when you say copying/pasting the "location manually". I'm pretty computer savy but at 45 years old I'm not the best at setting paths as in url stuff.
I'm thinking about wimping out on the floor pan replacement. It might be an entire section. I have a good body man/friend who is a wiz with knowing all spot weld locations. I just don't know if I want to spend the money. My floor pan section includes way beyond the whole floor pan. So I could take the whole thing out and have the entire car crumple without it, Ha.
I've searched high and low on here checking out the floor pan jobs. I am going to look at it tomorrow. Light buff the car, vacuum it out and pray it was puddles left in there when the top was leaking. My guess disaster. No big deal. My plan was to reinforce them for the summer, drive it a little and make sure mechanically it is good. Then this winter, mega support it, cut out what is needed and por-15 top and bottom.
My wife already has asked me for a "number" that would make the car, make her look good in. She wants to know what would make it perfect. Wonder who is going to do that?
When you have the upload manager opened and you're uploading pictures:
Right-click on the uploaded files and select Properties and then copy the Address/URL. Then, paste that URL between the [IMG][/IMG] tags inside your post. What this added step does is remotely link to the attachments you just uploaded. This gets you the full-size photo in the post, while still using the attachment feature.
There is no easy way to do this because the software wasn't exactly written to act in this manner.
Quote:
Originally Posted by badgerooster
I've tried to copy / paste directly and it seemed to not work. What are you meaning when you say copying/pasting the "location manually". I'm pretty computer savy but at 45 years old I'm not the best at setting paths as in url stuff.
Here's a couple more pics. Someone painted it, it's ok and it's really white. Original hood or hood that was on it got damaged by a youngster who couldn't get hood opened. The car would have looked better with that hood.
I haven't washed it yet and there are 10 to 20 scuff marks on it. Can't really tell in the pics and that is a pretty good camera.
From what I've seen that is a trans am hood or at least by name. I have a question about the louvers and water and leaking. Whats the deal. They seem to have pans so water doesn't just fall down in but do they have any real function?
Another bad is previous owner screwed up title. Instead of putting 103,000 miles they put 130,000. Previous owner sold it with 98,000 and odometer says 105,500. So I have to jump thru hoops to get it corrected. It may not happen so I might have to have 130,000 on title and NOT ACTUAL next to it. Bummer. At least the not actual is actually lower.
yea I would just forget about it had the same thing happen when I had my RS the DMV gave me a bunch of crap, and wanted me to do all this crazy stuff to get it changed, and finally I just said screw it.....btw nice looking firebird looks like a fun project
91 Firebird, 305 tbi, 105,500 miles, new top, really good tires, starts, runs, drives. Engine compartment looks original except for some stereo wires run thru. The guy I bought it off of thought the carburater didn't have some of the vacuum lines on it. I had to tell him it was a tbi.
Needs floor pans (ooooffff), brakes bled or booster, radio, steering wheel, some rust on quarters, gas gauge on full always. Possible echeck problem but I think I can solve that.
I picked up a complete floor section for a decent price, column and cd/radio already.
Just arrived today (my trailer) pics shown are as purchased.
Another bad is previous owner screwed up title. Instead of putting 103,000 miles they put 130,000. Previous owner sold it with 98,000 and odometer says 105,500. So I have to jump thru hoops to get it corrected. It may not happen so I might have to have 130,000 on title and NOT ACTUAL next to it. Bummer. At least the not actual is actually lower.
Some pics attached. I am going to have to lean on you guys since this is my first 3rd gen that I have owned. I bought a tpi motor and tranny complete for my old 68 chevy truck and recently sold it and it payed for the car. yeah!!!
My 88 vert RPO codes are in the center console and the codes in my 92 are in the rear glove box so pick your poison.
To post big pics you need to upload them from your hard drive to a hosting site like photobucket or Tinypics.com, then copy the url and paste it in your message in thirdgen.
My 88 vert RPO codes are in the center console and the codes in my 92 are in the rear glove box so pick your poison.
The Convertible factor is different. The SPID sticker (with RPO codes) on a normal hardtop/t-top 1991/1992 would be in the rear glove box. However, the 1991/1992 Convertibles didn't have that. So, the SPID sticker is actually located on the inside wall of the center console on the 1991/1992 Convertibles.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 86NiteRider
To post big pics you need to upload them from your hard drive to a hosting site like photobucket or Tinypics.com, then copy the url and paste it in your message in thirdgen.
This was already addressed and badgerooster did a fine job of following my instructions to allow him to post attachments (from our server) and link them so they display full-size. That is what he done in post #14: http://www.thirdgen.org/techboard/po...93-post14.html
Going thru a few things yesterday I've got a couple issues.
I saw a thread showing that the front fenders were slightly different than factory. Does that have anything to do with the door? I was looking at getting the exterior window trim from JC Whitney and want to make sure it is the same as all other 3rd gens. Along with possible upgrade of door panels.
Are the hood hinges the same as all other 3rg gens? The hood that was replaced on my car is not closing correctly. I found a loose mounting nut and tightened it. Now the hood won't close right. I know it can be moved around a little and the height adjustment pads can be lower and raised. To me it looks like the hinges need shimmed. Plus one hinge seems to be iffy. Hood shocks are done.
To me it feels like I am bending the hood down to close it. I don't want to be stuck with the same issue as the previous owner when they used a screwdriver to pry the hood open.
Door and hood hinges are the same for our verts as they are on regular 3rd gens.
Front fenders on verts are different because of the ASC converted frame stiffeners installed. Basically they are a normal fender with the bottom cut off and an extra mounting bracket installed.
The Convertible factor is different. The SPID sticker (with RPO codes) on a normal hardtop/t-top 1991/1992 would be in the rear glove box. However, the 1991/1992 Convertibles didn't have that. So, the SPID sticker is actually located on the inside wall of the center console on the 1991/1992 Convertibles.
This was already addressed and badgerooster did a fine job of following my instructions to allow him to post attachments (from our server) and link them so they display full-size. That is what he done in post #14: http://www.thirdgen.org/techboard/po...93-post14.html
Yes we are kinda saying the same thing on the RPO codes. I was just pointng out how and where mine are located. That is good to know that all of the years the RPO's are in the center console it seems.
I think when I posted my img info he still had the thumbnails going. I guess after your post he went back and changed them to full size. I never did them throug the TGO server so it is nice to see that way shown as well. Whatever works for the guy as long as he can post "big"...lol
Ouch that hurts NiteRider. The only reason I wanted to post big is because I couldn't get thumbnails to show full size. I thought others couldn't either. Now I can, I see the light.
So what I'm gathering is the changes on the convertibles is structural. So hood hinges and hood would be the same on all 3rg gens, depending on flip up headlights.
I finally took it out for a drive after a little cleaning, radio and rear wing reattachment. I was ready Friday to take wife out on a sunny day a use some gas. I was getting ready to put plate on and saw it pissing on the floor. Broken brake line. ooofff.
I knew there was a brake problem already but I thought it might be the booster. After replacing some brake lines I got it on the road Sunday. Top down, wife in car and straight into a thunderstorm. I got about 5 miles, stopped at friends and top had to go on. Only a Polock like me drives his convertible around in the rain.
A couple things I need help on. I put a camaro steering wheel on it to replace the aftermarket crap that was on it. It rubs the column. Is that because the 91 had the airbag wheel? Are they slightly different?
The rubbing inhibited steering the car correctly. But the steering on the car seemed sluggish. I've driven GM products for years and the steering on this didn't seem very responsive like others I've had. Is that due to the weight of the car?
It has a 305 tbi, auto, 2.73 gears (I'm guessing) and it sounds good but I really don't see this being an off the line beast. I need more power already. I don't think I'll being doing burnouts until I get floor pan done. I was running about 1800 rpm on the expressway at 70 mph. So I guess I got the good gas mileage 3rd gen. O.K. with me but in future I could see the use for more power.
My wife enjoyed the 5 minute topless (not her) ride and she wanted to go again but I showed her the weather channel and the whole state was green. Boy was she bummed.
It is white and I haven't checked codes yet but is the paint artic white? That is what I found at Autozone as a possible match.
Please a little feedback. I'm a 1st time 3rd gen owner.
I finally took it out for a drive after a little cleaning, radio and rear wing reattachment. I was ready Friday to take wife out on a sunny day a use some gas. I was getting ready to put plate on and saw it pissing on the floor. Broken brake line. ooofff.
I knew there was a brake problem already but I thought it might be the booster. After replacing some brake lines I got it on the road Sunday. Top down, wife in car and straight into a thunderstorm. I got about 5 miles, stopped at friends and top had to go on. Only a Polock like me drives his convertible around in the rain.
A couple things I need help on. I put a camaro steering wheel on it to replace the aftermarket crap that was on it. It rubs the column. Is that because the 91 had the airbag wheel? Are they slightly different?
The rubbing inhibited steering the car correctly. But the steering on the car seemed sluggish. I've driven GM products for years and the steering on this didn't seem very responsive like others I've had. Is that due to the weight of the car?
It has a 305 tbi, auto, 2.73 gears (I'm guessing) and it sounds good but I really don't see this being an off the line beast. I need more power already. I don't think I'll being doing burnouts until I get floor pan done. I was running about 1800 rpm on the expressway at 70 mph. So I guess I got the good gas mileage 3rd gen. O.K. with me but in future I could see the use for more power.
My wife enjoyed the 5 minute topless (not her) ride and she wanted to go again but I showed her the weather channel and the whole state was green. Boy was she bummed.
It is white and I haven't checked codes yet but is the paint artic white? That is what I found at Autozone as a possible match.
Please a little feedback. I'm a 1st time 3rd gen owner.
Another Polack on the board?! hey me too! I'm 100% but born in the States. And I drove my vert topless once last January when my DD was out of service so don't feel bad about the rain.
But as for the steering... I wouldn't say my 91 Trans Am vert feels sluggish. The steering ratio being about 2.5 turns from lock to lock if I'm not wrong (I haven't driven it in a few months so I forgot). Do you have the same quick ratio steering box as well? I did notice however that my steering did get a little sluggish like yours after disconnecting/reconnecting the PS pump lines. I might not have added enough PS fluid... maybe your fluid level is low too? Check the dipstick in the pump.... I'll have to do that too lol.
