58mark

iTrader: (3)

My wife has been wanting a TA since before I got my Camaro. Finally were in a position to make it happen. We found a 1986 TA that was owned by the same Lady since 1988, and it was in reasonably good shape. It needs one top, just a bit of body work, some interior, and just some cleaning to wipe away 28 years of living. It's a real survivor, never been wrecked, never been repainted, totally factory through the whole car except for the radio

We paid 2300 for it, but I told the seller I would give her another 100 if she finds the t-top key. It will help in getting the broken one replaced ASAP

we're probably going to a faithful restoration, but the black spoiler bugs me. I'm tempted to put a later one on that I can paint.

Here's the pics! the pics that are taken outside are a few years old. It's not quite in that good of shape anymore.

NowhereFast

That's a great looking car, original paint is in terrific shape.

How many miles are on it?

58mark

iTrader: (3)

about 150K, but you wouldn't know it by hearing the engine. it purrs

58mark

iTrader: (3)

After doing a little bit of "what does this button do??" I found out this car has the factory UQ7 subwoofer switch!

too bad it's got an aftermarket radio and the switch isn't that pretty anymore, but it's still cool

oh yeah, the cruise control works! shocking!

visitor

She looks happy, congrats!!

mantaguy

iTrader: (5)

Nice looking car MarkGood Luck with the restoration.

58mark

iTrader: (3)

Driving home from work today I was talking to the wife. I asked her what she was doing, and she said she was detailing the engine bay

After dinner we cleaned up the interior, except we didn't steam clean the carpets yet

LOVE HER!

mjdavis68

iTrader: (1)

Good deal on that one Mark!

DynoDave43

iTrader: (11)

Good deal. Cool photo of them both in the garage.

padak

iTrader: (10)

Some wise man once said, Happy Wife - Happy Life.

Congrats, nice find on the car. I think I remember the thread when you were looking into the car, you said the seller posted older pics and it didn't look that good anymore, correct? You said you made them an offer and said you were leaving town I think..

This that same care? $2300 is worth it to me, nice find.

padak

iTrader: (10)

P.S. Glad your wife went TA not Maro

58mark

iTrader: (3)

same car... but it turns out the car looked bad because it was DIRTY. We've been doing some cleaning on it, and it's not that bad.

there is a dent in the rear quarter that I'm hoping to have removed with paintless dent repair. The paint is fine, it's just pushed in

So far I've spend $800 buying parts for it, and I haven't bought the seats fabric yet. I'm thinking I can get away with spending $3500 total on it to get it where I want it, if I don't have to paint it.

I'll post more pics as I get it cleaner and put on the parts I'm buying

maks10

x2

congrats!!! awesome to see you and your wife with the same thirdgen passion...

good price too!!!!

58mark

iTrader: (3)

she's been working every night on cleaning it up. I'm not allowed to help, only advise her

MintWS6FORMULA

So the owner replaced the t-tops at some point? Why doesn't the door key work?

58mark

iTrader: (3)

They are C&C tops, which is an aftermarket top. It was done either at the dealership, so sometime in the first two years after the Car was made

The good news is they are a better design, the bad news is they are harder to find, but I already bought two sets, one to use (arrives Wednesday) and another set to Store as a backup (pick up next weekend in Houston)

58mark

iTrader: (3)

Because my wife gotta have her tunes, and I hate the look of single DIN stereos, I installed a 4th Gen pontiac stereo that I bought from a member here. Mp3 input and cd, we're set!

92GTA

iTrader: (11)

What did you use for a harness adapter for the stereo?

58mark

iTrader: (3)

I bought this, but I only used the modern side of it because somebody hacked the wiring, so I just made it into a 89 and up harness

http://www.ebay.com/itm/390584698435...84.m1497.l2649

cwt

that car looks familiar

58mark

iTrader: (3)

wow! Except for the sticker right under the fender vent, and you have factory t-tops and hers are aftermarket, they are twins

5.0ta

iTrader: (1)

Sweet!!!...nice looking all original condition!!!

I don't understand why Pontiac left '85-'86 wings unpainted?...when my car was repainted in 1999 I had my buddy paint the wing too...he just added a flex agent or something to the paint and it's held up to this day with no peeling or cracking.

Had the same 4th gen radio minus the aux. input!...replacing it for a nice UT4 cassette on ebay like the one she origanally was ordered with!

maks10

Some nice pics!!! Cool to see u both have the same taste in cars

58mark

iTrader: (3)

We decided it's worth it to us to fix the front seats using the original fabric. It's no longer sold through the companies making seat covers because it's too expensive, so I had to get the cloth from SMS for $89 a yard, and the cover gorl is going to make the front seats. (back seats are fine)

mantaguy

iTrader: (5)

Who is SMS ??

58mark

iTrader: (3)

http://www.smsautofabrics.com/

mantaguy

iTrader: (5)

Thanks for the info Mark,good luck with your interior restoration.

83Z28/L69

Nice T/A. It's cleaning up really nice. I'm a Camaro person and my wife prefers the T/As also.

SMS has all the good stuff. They even had the original material for my 67 Chevelle.

58mark

iTrader: (3)

got the seats back. At first I told her we didn't need headrests, but the fabric wasn't as close a match as I thoughts, so the cover girl is making the headrests for us right now. I'll install them later
Love these seats! 3rd gen backs, 4th gen seat bottoms and tilting seat rails

58mark

iTrader: (3)

seat and new door panels are in!

DynoDave43

iTrader: (11)

That looks sharp!

mantaguy

iTrader: (5)

Came out nice Mark.

58mark

iTrader: (3)

few more pics from a NTTGA meeting today

PurelyPMD

iTrader: (3)

Very nicely done - that's a stunning interior when done right. Your Camaro is pretty sharp too!

BTW - I like the black spoilers!

58mark

iTrader: (3)

thanks! I painted the camaro myself, trying to decide if that's what I want to do with the Trans am, or just leave it as a nice daily driver paint job. It's a good 5 footer

CharcoalBird

iTrader: (4)

A 5-footer means that paint is still in great shape. Unless she wants the paint to be perfect, why re-do the original paint?
If you do decide (I mean you wife decides) to, will you be going with the factory colors?

58mark

iTrader: (3)

I just ordered a replacement stripe kit from Phoenix, so I'll replace the one that is chewed up, and I'm going to take the car to a paintless dent repair place and get a dent taken that's above the side marker on the drivers side rear quarter panel. I'm going to re-learn a couple spots to smooth out some deep scratches too.

To me a 5 footer is a car that doesn't have obvious flaws if you are 5 feet away. After I fix the stripe and get the dent out, I think it will be a legit 5 footer. A car with really excellent paint is a 5 incher

And yes, if we ever do repaint the car, it will be the same color. We love this color, it's one of the reasons we bought the car.

R13_Braz

Super clean (even as a 5-footer)! Love, love, love it!

Currently deep in the LS conversion on my 92, but once I get it finished I need to get with the NTTGA group. Got invited to a couple meets a while ago but didn't have the time.

Congratz on the spouse who not only encourages your habit/love, but participates as well! I had found my wife a 91 V6/auto that she loved, and while she sold it because we needed the $$$ and it needed waaaay too much work. She really wants another one, though, so I promised I'd find her another one and do the same swap I'm doing (although much, much milder.. she's fine with 350HP).

58mark

iTrader: (3)

Thanks! Hope you and your side can join us for nttga event, and certainly the third gen roundup

58mark

iTrader: (3)

I've decided to go ahead and give he car a new paint job. She deserves to drive a car that has a great paint Job, not just a 5-10 footer

We'll get started on it after the roundup on may 9th,amd I hope to get it into the shop by June 21, when we are going to take a cruise together for our 20th anniversary

58mark

iTrader: (3)

Car will be painted next month. Have to wait until after the roundup to prep it, and that was pushed back until the 30th because of the weather

here's the latest pic of her car

CharcoalBird

iTrader: (4)

Look forward to seeing the paint progress pictures.

mantaguy

iTrader: (5)

Good luck on the new paint.what's the time line ?

58mark

iTrader: (3)

Roundup is May30th, so on May 31st, I start removing the stripes, sanding off the clear, Fix all the dings in the body, remove mirrors, antenna, door handles, window sweeps, spoiler, Locks, taillights, mask everything I don't want painted, and then send it to a shop in my area. The guy normally charges $3000 to 4000 for a paint job, but If I'm doing all the prep and labor and give it to him in a ready to spray condition, he'll only charge me $1000

I don't know how long that will take. I'm booked with obligations two weeks of june, but I'm hoping I can get it into shop by the start of July.

I want to do this right, so I'm not in a hurry

Zane M

iTrader: (1)

Beautiful car. Can't wait to see the new paint.

58mark

iTrader: (3)

Started stripping the car and sanding it. Today I used body filler on a few dings, nothing too bad or deep.

I hope to be done with sanding in a couple of days, and then I'll start taping it for Priming, and then deliver it to the guy who is going to do the base and clear for me.

Citation X

Awesome cars you have there. Wish my wife was as into as yours is. Can't complain too much though she likes my car and doesn't complain too much when I spend money on it hehe.

mantaguy

iTrader: (5)

[QUOTE=58mark;5925810]Started stripping the car and sanding it. Today I used body filler on a few dings, nothing too bad or deep.

I hope to be done with sanding in a couple of days, and then I'll start taping it for Priming, and then deliver it to the guy who is going to do the base and clear for me.
And the journey begins ,Good Luck Mark

BlwnSS

looking good , lose that front plate . They make a l bracket marketed for 89 ttas that mounts under and holds the plate on the bottom with two bolts . Are you going to get a new spoiler from hawks so you wont have the foam wing issues .

58mark

iTrader: (3)

Unfortunately the bumper is a little warped under the plate, so we're going to keep it. also, I used to have a show n go on my Camaro, but My wife isn't real good at stopping before the nose of the car gets to curbs, and she would destroy that thing in no time

The bumper on the 86 isn't foam, it's hard rubber. Heavy as crap, but it's holding up pretty well so we are going to leave it for now. Easy to change later if we change our minds

here's the latest pics

primer


guide coat


now it's a couple of days of sanding, and then off to get it painted