Hey every one, i dont know where to start this thread, so mods if I am in the wrong let me know. But considering I am fabricatng- I figure I start here. In short my goal is to build a great trans am but one with a differnt look-with out taking form the look of a 3rd gen. Which i love. So far to start the thread I figure I do some updating from what was to what is and then whats in the works to whats next. First though; I wanted to Update the rims with better pictures and after the buffing. notice the pic with the emblem-PPG Matched Hopefully they show better then the cell pics. 1989 Custom GTA This was in 5/2009 The clear on the Aluminum was starting to really get bad and the amount of cleaning just wasnt helping...they are old ! so the rims got to go. I wanted Vette rims but had a hard time finding a set for a fair price or what I was willing to pay at least. So in the mean time I wanted to try something and now really like them.

Just Rims

Close up


Also,
New NOS Bottle-Now Painted Gold to match


I still got to take pic of in car...but
Thing I like the most is the dark/bright effect, in the sun it just shins and tints out.

Now it seems odd now cause I am in the middle of the change in theme.
So as I continue, hopefully the Black and Gold theme pulls the car together better.

I just picked up a Twin Turbo style fiberglass hood for the car.
I will be pulling this hood off for a while so that I can re paint the 383 markings to match the GTA Emblems along with a Custom PAINTED Gold Bird on the hood.

I am also making a plug to try to mold a new spoiler...

Ok so now I feel like . so i will get somemore pic together and up date some more.

imo the black/gold is the best combo ive ever seen on a trans am. but please take those wheels somewhere and get em static balanced!

Should have left the chrome lip with gold centers!

yeah should get them static balanced and will.
But thanks for the feedback.

i like the black and gold - but maybe you should hit the paint with some ultra fine steel wool and buff them up a little then clear coat them. dont make them bling but working that rim so it looks like gold and not just gold paint will really help.
nice tires too. i like to see a lot of rubber rather than wagon wheels with a rubber band on them.
good call to keep the lace.

You have your rear wheels on the front, and your fronts on the back...at least on the drivers side.

Ive seen a ton of cars like this on here and in person lately...haha..my 87 was like that when I got it.

I kinda like the color combo...but it reminds me alot of subaru colors. Not in a bad way mind you..


J.

You might wanna check your own rims because his look to be mounted correctly (and it sounds like the tons of other cars and yours when you bought it were correct also!). The front ones have a deeper dish than the rears.

I've never seen someone paint the lip gold like that and it actually looks really cool! nice work

that actually looks pretty cool. I agree with ghettocruiser that it looks alot like the Subi's... I wonder how that would look on my car... my car also has the deeper dish on the front...

Haha you guys serious? I mean, its been a long time since I had my GTA wheels on, but Im pretty sure mine are even stamped "FRONT" and "REAR"..?

If Im wrong Im wrong...Ive just always been told the deeper dish goes on the rear.

EDIT:...Huh... you guys might be right. Haha. Ive always ran mine with the deeper dish in the rear, as I think it looks better. Sounds like the "deeper dish" wheels, or less backspacing go in the front to clear steering? Its weird that my WS6 car never had issues running the "rears" in the front.

Had a thirdgen for almost 10 years now and Im still learning new stuff. haha. My bad.

J.

yeah, its a real common mod to run "front" wheels on all four corners, I'd like to get a front set myself to do that, but from the factory, the deep dish was on the front and the small dish was on the back. Once my tire shop put the backs on the front, and the fronts on the back and as soon as I turned it started making clicking sounds like if you were going over small bumps, so I checked to see what it was and they messed up...

Haha...man I cant believe that. Its funny that I never had any rubbing issues with the rear wheels on the front of my 87. I had inside wheel weights, because normal ones would have been destroyed by the tie rod ends...but otherwise it was fine.

Oh well... Sorry BlackTopKing. My comments about liking the wheels still stands haha...I retract the other part.

J.

Don't worry, it was an honest mistake :-) I agree that the deeper dish would look good on all 4 corners of our cars.

Thanks Guys

The Rim set up is odd in a way but I have tried a couple different veries a few years back.
As they are now, just works the best and I like the look. Handling is great.

I also agree, I like meat on the tires, although I wouldnt mind some more rim, but would not want some DUB style rims or as put in the post above

"Wagon Wheel"

I did wet sand the rims and buff them; I didnt do it 2 agressively, but maybe I should do another couple coats and a deeper wetsand/buff.

Its not that I want a Bling Factor is more of a Wet gloss looh I want out of the shine. I kinda just used the word bling-meaning looking good...


Thanks again for the replies and the input.

Hey everyone, I wanted to post a quick up date with the car and the new theme.
Things are coming along altho alot slower then I was planning.
but the Project hood and the 1st stage of airbrushing is done,
This is the new hood - I will keep both to kinda change it up between the two for fun and kicks, its an all fiberglass twin turbo stlye hood.
pretty nice,
I just got done airbrushing the hood this week and will need to clear and wet sand/ buff hood for full effect. but the ideal is there.
I am sure some may see where the ideal roots form. No its not 100% perfect- couple things I will clean up but it looks great and I am happy with it.
I have a tone of "step by step" picture, if any one wants to see I can post them as well maybe in a different spot.
Any way here it is
Once I test fit i will post pics.

I like it...it's something different. I'm really looking forward to full car pics once it's all put together.

thanks man,
I really appreciate it.

I like the concept for the hood. The bird's head seems a bit off though. Looking at the openings in the front of the hood, they're shaped very much like a Pontiac arrow head. It'd be really cool if you painted them in with red Pontiac emblems!

Thank you for everyones comments,


Now for a long awaited update....
DON A DONA DON....
Car had an issue.....
BOOOOOOOO
I know, no excuses but it has been becoming harder and harder to start until one day it just didnt....
So I had to really put the thinking cap and since I was with out internet I couldnt even come here for help.
Good news is its fixed and running great...better then before, bad news...cost me like $600.00 ( which was actually a good deal for the work)
Anyway back to the
DON A DONA DON....
Hood is on, I know I know- NO CLEAR, but Like I said it was a proto-design.
Well since you guys got the see the airbrush work on top of the twinturbo style hood- now check out the work underside. I am not the best but i been working on it...I cant airbrush like others but I Guess I just have a different style



Test Fit the Twin Turbo Hood - and it dose well - had to adjust it for like an hour and still didnt get it 100% at the time, got it really tight now tho.

Top Shot of the Car


And just a nice pic of me and the car- There are few but when we are good-We look good


So now, what you gusy think....
which hood is better....
I know that is my debate, so I have thought about it and have desided to- Keep the Pro Street more of a classic look because the scoop is simular to the shakers. I will RE-Aribrush the Gold bird the same layout as the Twin Turbo. Only having to spray the gold and black keeping the gloss that is current on... This should get the effect fully as I aim for- Then The Twin Turbo hood- Well I guess I will either come up with an other ideal or may sell it... I dont know- but if I RE do the Twin Turbo Hood I want craziness on the top and not under.
Cause so far people who see it are like oh wow...the bird is cool- Hood opens and it HOLLY SH*T That is Hot.....
Kinda the not the order of responce I was going for...
LMAO

huh.... it's been 2 weeks and no reactions... Oh well...

My $.02:
- I'm surprised, I've always felt that the twin turbo hoods were kind of dated, but I really like it on your car... I'm wondering now if it's the fact that you usually see them on a camaro or 'vette or that I'm starting to get in to a "cool retro 80's" mode
- as far as the graphics/which hood... I'm partial to a subtle look at least rolling down the street, so I would keep the graphics to the bottom of the hood, as far as the 2 hoods, like I said, I'm really liking the twin turbo hood, OTOH, I think i've mentioned to you that I really liked your old hood with the prostock style scoop, it was done really nice and cleanly...

The prostock style looks like one of my early hoods. Although it gives it that race look, it's not very functional with a TPI system which normally pulls air from the front of the engine.

33 spline axles with 3.27 gears? Unless you have something special, 3.27 gears were only really used in a 9 bolt which only has 28 spline axles.

"huh.... it's been 2 weeks and no reactions... Oh well...
My $.02:
- I'm surprised, I've always felt that the twin turbo hoods were kind of dated, but I really like it on your car... I'm wondering now if it's the fact that you usually see them on a camaro or 'vette or that I'm starting to get in to a "cool retro 80's" mode
- as far as the graphics/which hood... I'm partial to a subtle look at least rolling down the street, so I would keep the graphics to the bottom of the hood, as far as the 2 hoods, like I said, I'm really liking the twin turbo hood, OTOH, I think i've mentioned to you that I really liked your old hood with the prostock style scoop, it was done really nice and cleanly..."
Yeah, I just figured it didnt get good reviews and people were being nice and listening to the words of all mothers...If you dont have anything nice to say dont say anything at all....LOL
Or maybe because i dont post to much it go lost in the mix...
either way thanks for the reply... and i take it that your vote would be to have "NO Bird" and just paint the hoods black....
I think it would make the car very sleek and devilish just staying a clean smooth line monster dressed in all black...


The prostock style looks like one of my early hoods. Although it gives it that race look, it's not very functional with a TPI system which normally pulls air from the front of the engine.

Hey thanks for the post, you did say that you liked the pro hood look before. its funny either people really like it or they really dont. I really do but in the end I really like both of them. The pro has a louder look and the twin turbo style is sleek buth both agressive looking.
i think that I am into the pro a bit more because....well its the only hood i have ever had on the car- anything else looks like a new hair cut and makes you go ....AWWWWW I dont know about this...Yet at the same time- 2weeks on and I am really liking the look and i am getting a better feel.
I do feel bad about the twin turbo hood. to me it was a prototype, I wanted to try the bird design and try it out on my car before I actually attempted it with the pro hood. I didnt really put a 100% in to the Twin Turbo and could of been done WAY better. Kinda Rushed It a Bit.
Either way still looks nice

AWE THE GEAR ????
I have heard this before, but didnt know if that was a 100%...
As i mentioned in another thread, I am not sure my gears- and have not taken the time to actually pull the cover off...
Either way- i had 3:73 blow the rear and bought another with what I was told to have 3:73...in the end deal was to good to be true because- they are not 3:73...
And since have been looking into that upgrade...
If the 3:27 dont pair with 33spline then I dont have 3:27's....
What in the world would it be?
"33 spline axles with 3.27 gears? Unless you have something special, 3.27 gears were only really used in a 9 bolt which only has 28 spline axles."

TO ALL
i will admit this...One complaint about the twinturbo hood, water water water water...OMG water...cause the turbo vents are open and the top vents are open ( I did place a screen mess in them to keep everything else out of my motor) This has done nuthing for the water and I dont like the the vents on the top let water right down and on top my Dis, and a tone of electrical crap yet to hidden away....
Cure come up with a slick design to keep water out... or cover, Hide, Remove the wiring...or best of all- both...either way I cover the car each night and actually (embrassed to say) drive with black duct tape just n case it rains on me while im on the road...got that out of the Ghetto 101 quick BS fixes for Dummies book...
LMAO
Best positive...other then looks, if you can see in pics it bulged so ever nicely in the front for the center crowl effect...great room and lots of air. In the driver seat I can see under the crowl and out the turbo vent....Air in and out and actually cools the motor well...
pro street hood, biggest neg other then weight, the scoop does nuthing for the TPIS system and just jams poor helpless air inside the engine with no were to go....That and the heavy metal hood that it is...flexes do to the frame being cut in order to do the scoop...i wish I knew 7yrs what I knew now...would of did that different....
biggest positive.
The look.
LMAO...
i am sure it helps with air more then a stock, but not like the twinturbo....
if only the automotive gods cause put both together......Hummmmmm now that is an ideal.

Assuming the diff is still original, it depends what engine/tranny was originally in the car and if it has the G92 RPO code or not. Chances are you have a 9 bolt with 3.27 gears which has 28 spline axles.

A 12 bolt only has 30 spline axles which can be upgraded to 33 spline and the 14 bolt has 33 spline. Neither of these diffs were available in a third gen. The 14 bolt is a heavy duty truck diff. If you happen to only have a 10 bolt, you'll only have 26 spline axles.

Ok so the error is not the gears, the splines would be wrong....Huh....Either way I probly got a stock rear...so if its 28splines and 3:27gears....then its just as well and I will post a correction...

? how can I check for sure....take off the cover and a rear wheel? guess it dont matter...I dont like it either way...28 or 31.




Quick Update on the Progress

So I wanted to delete this, the center stering wheel item and I had a wrap box in there for a while and altho it was alot cleaner looking. I still wanted, something more and better. This is what I can up with,



The LED's will sit behind the letters for a glow effect and not shine all crazy in my face. Letters? That is the Rj logo, its kinda the way I have drawn my name since I was a kid.



And.....The Hood, Up I did it....and changed it up- I dont know if i am going to leave it as is...or add the flat black look on the inside of the bird-simular to the twin turbo hood...
I kinda do, tho, the 77-78 turbo trans am's had a look like that and I kinda was trying to just blend different features in to this design plus add and minus somethings, i do know by doing this tho- i will make it more abd more of a like or dislike ideal....meaning you love or hate it but not much inbetween.
Any way check it out

First thing you need to do is crawl under the back of the car and look at the diff to determine what it is. If it has a smooth cover with 10 bolts around the cover, it's a 7-5/8" 10 bolt. If the cover has a rubber plug in it and has 9 bolts, it's a BW 9 bolt diff and unless a previous owner has changed them, will probably have 3.27 gears. If the cover has a metal plug in the back and 10 bolts, it's a rare Dana 44 however they were not offered in regular production vehicles but was available as an over the counter replacement.

Chances are the diff oil has never been changed. Since you want to know what's in the diff, now is a good time to pull the cover and change the oil. While the cover is off, count the teeth.

I can see the inconsistencies in the outlines. How is your pinstriping ability? I'm not too sure what a good contrasting pinstripe color would be around gold paint on a black background.

Man.... I kinda dig that hood with that paint and the scoop. I normally dont go for those things on stock cars, but...I like it.

I tryed to get another picture, Hope this clears up better, but the lines are not chopy...just the picture when i loaded it up here. I did post at another site and was clear, maybe I did somthing wrong.

Anyway hope this looks better




if it is still funky looking the this is the direct link
http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s...A/DSCN6282.jpg

Your right and I will deff do so this weekend. I wanted to do my trans anyway- so I will just make a point to do both.
Thanks

Choppy as in this picture. The curves do not look like nice smooth curves. They start to curve around then you can see a distinct change in direction in the curve. The bottoms of both upper licks do not look like they're nice and smooth. It could just be the camera angle too since my pictures below look similar and I know I have nice rounded curves.

Taping off graphics for painting can only give so much of an edge for detail. Putting a pinstripe line around the graphic can improve any minor mistakes plus will highlight the detail. As I said above, I'm not sure what color would be good for contrast for gold on black.

I don't have any pictures of the flames on the body before they were pinstriped but here's a before and after when I flamed my T-tops. The colors are slightly different because the sun came out after I pinstriped them.

Ok I see what you are pointing out, and yeah I have 2mistakes on the hood that i wasnt going to mention, One you can see easy if you look and another you wouldnt really.
The choppiness was about as good as i could get it . I did it by hand first then taped out the edge side for a sharper look.

As i said- I aint the best airbrush person- still learning. Deff lot harder when you cant erase.

I guess I could play with some ideals to try to smooth it out-i dont know if the pinstriping would work anybetter considering its like tape anyway.
Or do you me pinstripping by hand and brush....

oh by the way....nice flame work on the T-Tops, do you have a pic of them on your car...Crash the thread and post it...

Looks really good man, like what u did with the rims. The bird on the hood is hott! Its a toss up for me as to what hood looks better?? But the bird should stay!!! It compliments the rims, the whole black n gold theme. As far as under the hood??? well... just not feeling the graphics man. That might make a cool tattoo tho. Over all... THUMBS UP DUDE!

I'm in Los Angeles, the car capital of the world. Here most folks are born with the "eye" for cars u know? What looks good and what not. I just had to throw that in. LOL ( hope i didnt offend anyone)

I also didn't care for the underhood graphics. Looks too much like rattle can graffiti. Study 70's vans murals.

The pinstriping I did was all by hand, no tape. I used a small pinstriping brush. I think it was a #1 but I wanted a #0 brush. Thin out the paint so that it's not too thick then follow the outline. A pinstriping brush makes it easy. My pinstriping is not show car quality. If you look closely at the t-tops, you can see it's not uniform all the way around the flames. It looks good in pictures and looks good going down the track.

Lots of pics of the flames on my car on my web site (click link in my sig) but here's a sample. Because of the design layout, many people think my car is a Firebird/TransAm.

Oh, Ok- Yeah I checked out your site before...the Camaro is nice and alot of work.
I really do like it, flames are classic rot rod style and that is what I liked the best.




Quick up date for the lighting...the center stering wheel insert.
I just got to wrap the box and mount but here was a test fit and lighting test....

Just the insert



mounted but just insert lit



the dash full lit (Power on Only)



should of started the car and turned the lights on for pic so not to have the CEL on and taking from the effect- but oh well you guys get it.

Really have not had the time I hoped for to continue working on but with holidays and everything else not much has been done....but I did get the hood on - not really complete but needed to get it on before it snowed so I could get the other hood off for a couple weeks
either way I love the ideal and by spring it'll be Done

I like the current hood a lot, both for the bird and the scoop. The TT hood doesn't really do it for me, nor does the paint inside the hood.

Thanks for the feedback

I LOVE THAT HOOD! the golden bird coupled with the huge aero scoop just says "i'm going to kick your *** if you don't get out of my way!" That is exactly how i want my car to look. Stellar job!

I prefer the hood w/ the scoop. The only way I like TT hoods is if you see 1/2 of the turbo sticking out of the hood.

The black & gold is classic, even if the flames are a bit choppy, its unique.
I think the wheels would look better w/ the web painted gold and a chrome or black lip w/ fronts (wider) on all 4 corners.

Maybe put some of those sinister graphics of the bottle???
Over all a very good looking one of a kind car.

thanks for the replies.

the flames are not 100% i will admit that, but nor is the car.

so far it really is a ruff draft. If i like it enough then I will simply smooth things out and try to get the 100% mark.

Right now I simply want the concept on the car so that I can say- OH yeah this is what I want.

Guess its the way I am sometimes, its one of those things when you put it together and stand back you can saw i should do it this or that way, in my case I will have the chance to do the "This and thats"...

besides, i did it myself


I do agree with the flames and will attempt to try them again once weither breaks, the rims I actually like more then I thought, because it is different and keeps the Blk and Gld look well.
Gold and crome? I tried it and it just clashed in my mind.
wider tires...
I could but why untill i get new rims.



These are what I want and for these I would get the gold and chrome lip although if the centers were blk and gold with chrome lip....What ****HOT***






So what is next
well I just got a set of these this weekend, killer deal. Now I am on the hunt for 5points- All Blk since I dont think there are any companys with Black and Gold

i would like to see what companies around my way can do embordiery- would like to get either GTA logo ( emblem Look) or the Trans Am Bird on the seats.

Any way. thanks again everyone

Yeah, black & gold is the best combo ever... smokey yunick knew that too:

Those YearOne Wheels are sick. Thats the stuff. Keep it up, nice ride.

I really like the hood with the scoop! BTW, how did you graft the scoop on and have you had any issues with the bond cracking?

This is one of the coolest things I've seen. I too dislike the twin turbo hood nearly 100% of the time, but on your car with those graphics it works. This hood rocks on your car as is. I don't like the forward facing scoop because it doesnt match the body lines and frankly the car doesnt need it. I wonder how this would look with gloss red, flat red, black and silver on my red '91 TA...

Re: BlackTop King's goes Black & Gold
I really like the hood with the scoop! BTW, how did you graft the scoop on and have you had any issues with the bond cracking?
__________________
1989 Camaro RS 2.8L MPFI - T5 - 3.42s
1986 Firebird Trans Am 5.0L TPI - LT1 cam - 700R4 - WS6 - 3.27 posi




I do have issues, I did this a couple years back and to be honest i am sure there are different ways ( maybe better maybe not ) it is Marine fiberglass. I did lay a pretty big web base. But because at the time the car was converterd from TPI to carb - the hood was cut to make functional...That is the issue. To do so the frame of the hood is cut which allows it to flex. Not really a big deal but over time ( hood being opened to getting into the car ) it will start to crack towards the front ( about every 2years).

So I simply sand back down and fit ther whole scoop. I have done it twice- when car painted Red and when painted Black.

Big item on my wish list is a Welder- I plan on re welding the hoon from the underside and welding in cross to better suport. I believe that will slove the cracking issues.

others have said since the hood scoop is a solid back that air flow does not travel threw the scoop but rather hits the back and is pushed down in to the engine bay- air stricking the back is creating a pulling of lifting effect- ideal sounds good but I dont believe that is much of an issue since i am not at 135mph every time i drive..


thanks


Re: BlackTop King's goes Black & Gold
Quote:
Originally Posted by BlackTopKing (BlackTop King's goes Black & Gold)


This is one of the coolest things I've seen. I too dislike the twin turbo hood nearly 100% of the time, but on your car with those graphics it works. This hood rocks on your car as is. I don't like the forward facing scoop because it doesnt match the body lines and frankly the car doesnt need it. I wonder how this would look with gloss red, flat red, black and silver on my red '91 TA...



Thanks Dude i am glad you like it so much.
Truth is I had a blast doning this hood and I think it cam out great - considering that pic is with out the clear coat and was free hand-kind of why its not perfict

The hood was modled after the
77-79 Turbo Trans Am


This is were the ideal comes from and tryed to twist it a little bit to be my own- if i was going to continue to follow the ideal i would paint the flat black back over T tops Hatch and spoiler- cuting the car in two blacks and the come up with a simple designe on side maybe a slight trible look to cut the flat and gloss together- kinda to ghost effect it.

BLK GLD Trans Am


this is the ALmighty TA with the best color combo and I, who dont like gold anything have always loved this look- this is were the ideal is modling after with the pro hood. but still trying to make it my own...instead of a shaker its a scoope and my TA bird is much more flame-y then the orignal....kinda tryed to make it a- oh trans am, whoa wait look....effect.

Gold


What? whould I, should I - well i would do this color - wasnt a fan of the solar although it probly fit the attempt better if I were to flip the Black and Gold theme to a Gold and Black Theme...Maybe - I thought about it simply because- i havent seen a 3rd Gen do it...

In the end I am having fun and am daring to try different looks on the car in reall time vers photoshop to see what I really want.
Personaly its about 90%, 3RD GEN BANDIT Look

As far as your hood.....Well if you want to know what it will look like and if you will like it enough to keep...I say try it out if you dont paint it red again. i mean what do you really lose? Maaco will paint the hood back to red for like $150.00 thats nuthing.
If you deside you really like it and want it done.
Get the Hood to NJ-I will do it for you. I have already made 3 vinyl stencels for when I repaint the whole car (simply to have the 100%cnc perfection).
Although I kinda do like the not 100% free hand - makes it more realistic


later

I don't know much about fiberglass, so I'm still a little confused. Did you 'glass the scoop directly to the metal hood?

Well I Fab up an adapter mount to use on the factory tracks so that seats bolted back in with out drilling. Extremely pleased with out come, Pic is of them mounted as a test fit- perfic tho, Am now removing the tracks from seats to refurbish and powedercoat. Got new springs already but dont have the stock caps for the seats and am looking for some- just think it will make a cleaner look.

i do have the tracks for the seats- if any one wants them... let me know