Hi all, I'm new to the board, love what some of you have done to your cars! Really got me exited to get my GTA back on the road. Unfortunately my situation will not allow me to do much work by myself. I live in a townhouse with no garage and no space to park an extra car to work on it. My car is sitting back home in Florida, has been for about 2 years now that I've been up here in Maryland. What I'm wondering is since I will need to have someone else do all the work, how far would ten thousand dollars get me? 15? 20? Its time for me to get a new car and I figure I can spend 30,000 on a new Camero or get the Trans Am back to excellent condition. I'd much rather drive the Trans Am! It has a tired 350 in it with about 150,000 miles. I had a shop replace the original auto tranny with a T5 a few years ago, but I was not impressed with the work and I'm afraid to give the car to someone now to work on it. Anybody know of a good shop in the Tampa Bay area, or Central MD? I'm in the initial planning phase here, just looking for any advice on how to get started.

Welcome to TGO. If you're in the Corps is there a base nearby? Most of them have an auto hobby shop that will rent you a stall to store and work on the car. The one near me, at FT Jackson, even has a paint booth.

If one isn't available you'll still certainly come out ahead renting a booth or a small garage to store and work on it out in the real world. Even if you have to rent a trailer to move it.

I wouldn't recommend paying anyone to do any major work to one of these older vehicles. It's very difficult to find anyone that will take the time and be as careful as you will be.

Former military, I guess I should stop using this name. Anyway, you are probably right. Yikes! I got a big project in front of me...

Name's fine, 'Once a Marine always a Marine'. I started at Parris Island myself. Good luck with the project. It'll be worth it.

but the end result of you working on the car will bring you the most satisfaction

If your thinking of paying a shop to do it, cut your budget by 80% and what is left is what will go towards the parts. 30%.

The first 80% of your budget willl go to the shop for their "labor"!

You don't NEED a lot of room, not even pavement or concrete. Plywood make a decent hard "floor" in the time oof need.

Thank you gentlemen. Probably won't be able to get started for a few months, but I'll be doing research in the meantime. And I'll be asking a lot of questions once I get going.