*84TA

Well after 4 years I am finally getting back to my car. I bought another 84 T/A back over the winter b/c it was to good of deal to turn down. https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/memb...-trans-am.html

Since then I decided it was time to get back to my 1st car or is my 2nd. I had another 84 some time ago but decided that I was not happy with a hardtop, so I bought a shell of a t-top car out of yard in NJ (does anyone know if the Camaro/Firebird yard off of the AC express way is still there?) for $400. I wish I had some pictures, but I never thought to take them. It was plum purple, but in great shape. Straight and absolutely no rust. So over the winter of '02-'03 I swapped everything over. Put '85-'90 style bumpers on it, installed my motor, 4th gen seats, and painted it. About the time I finished the car I went to college and so it sat. I would drive it over summers on nice days. In '05 I wiped out 2 cam lobes and it has sat since.

Motor came out X-mas eve '09. Sent it to the machine shop last week. The exterior of the car looks great, but I was a poor college student when it was painted so the engine bay, door jams, and T-bar never go sprayed. It bugs the hell out of me. So the car is going to a resto shop soon to have everything fixed and painted. I will keep this updated as I proceed. Im just sorry I never took any pictures when I got the Shell home from the yard. Below are some pictures of how it looked on '04 and now. Oh and a picture of my 1st 3rd gen. A 85 V6 Camaro that I got broad-sided in when a Idiot on his phone in a Roto-Rooter van ran a red light.

The picture quality is so-so. I did not own a digital camera then, and they are scanned photos.

Questions, Comments, Thoughts, Criticism are all welcome.

*84TA

As it looks now. Car was red and then purple you can see both in the engine bay.

*84TA

Just a few more

KITT1983

iTrader: (3)

that is a nice car you have there

*84TA

Made some more progress today. For those of you that have tackled this before, how did you go about de-greasing the engine bay?

Drew

iTrader: (58)

That's not grease... That's a rust preventive spray undercoating/treatment. I had the same garbage on my Mustang, fortunately it was pretty dried out and MOST of it came off with the pressure washer set to kill. I'd probably start there, pressure wash everything. Be careful of any surface you don't want to damage, like decals, foam rubber, etc. Next up, try an auto spray degreaser. Supertech (Walmart) foamy engine degreaser works OK, but I think the Gunk Engine Brite works a little better. You could also try Easy Off oven cleaner ($1 a can at the Dollar Store). You might have to scrub that undercoating with a thinner, you might have to try a couple to find one that will disolve it.

SolarGoldRaptor

I use gas to remove grease and paint overspray. I had success cleaning the undercoating residue as well (it's dry so I removed as much as I could by scraping it with a screwdriver, then wiped what was left with gas).
Be careful though, as it melts some plastics and some paints.

*84TA

Got everything pulled off the front today. Engine bay is ready to be washed and prepped for paint.

whitedevilTA

iTrader: (8)

Looks all too familiar...



Looks like you have a clean car! And I LOVE the trans am ground effects with the power buldge hood. Thats the look I'm going for as well. Best of luck to ya!

*84TA

Got the interior out. Car is ready for paint as soon as I fix the one rust spot on the floor. I will post more pics soon. Sorry about the quality of this one it is from my cell phone, but it shows the rust spot well enough.

*84TA

Okay here are some more photos of the floor pan. What is the best way to tackle this. Could I patch it and hit it with POR-15, or should I go cut a section out of a donor car? Soon as this gets fixed car is going in for paint. I should have the engine back from the machine shop next week.

Anyone care to wager how long it will take me to get the car back together once it gets back from paint.

Jason E

The driver's floor in my '91 looked the same when I pulled the carpet out of it. The easiest solution? If you aren't going for concours quality, simply weld a piece of formed sheet metal over the rusty spot, and fill in the holes from underneath the car...they're small enough that you should be able to do it with a welder.

I went this route as it was easier and stronger to double up the metal versus cutting it all out and welding in something new in its place. Its completely solid, and didn't take the body shop long at all to do. Now, if this is going to be a concours piece, then I guess cut it all out and weld a new piece in...but treating it and going over it with reinforcement is a-ok, I think...

KITT1983

iTrader: (3)

your karr looks to be right on track to recovery from cancer

good luck on the restoration

what are the plans for the powertrain?

*84TA

Nothing to fancy for the engine. Going with the same combo as before. Lets hope the cam holds up this time. Good streetable engine, that pulled a 13.1 on the track. 350 2 bolt. .030 over. Vortec heads. Edelbrock performer RPM cam and intake. Stock T5 for now. .373's in the back.

*84TA

Engine bay has been stripped and painted. Waiting on the x-member and suspension pieces to be blasted.

JeremyNYR

iTrader: (2)

great work on the engine compartment! It's looking beautiful

*84TA

More photos after the install of the X-member and suspension.

Jams were also painted


Cut out rust on floor. Welded in new piece. Sealed woth POR-15


Engine Bay

*84TA

She has life now. This has been a slow process, but I think I'm coming down the home stretch.

KITT1983

iTrader: (3)

is that a GM crate performance 350 I smell

*84TA

It started life as one. I bought the short block from a guy that had it in a Tri-5. I had it taken .020 over. Comp XR288HR cam. Vortecs with a port, polish, and valve job. ARP bolts. etc, pretty standard performance re-build

KITT1983

iTrader: (3)

how much power are talking here?

*84TA

I'm guessing 400HP+. I'll be sure to post the dyno sheet when I get her running.

whitedevilTA

iTrader: (8)

If I had to take a rough guess I'd say it's around 380 flywheel, but I don't know how much port work you did to those heads so it's a real rough guess. Only the dyno will tell! Car is looking good though.