What can i do to my T/A to make it look cooler and run longer? Post pics of your car
07-08-2010, 03:12 AM
#1
What can i do to my T/A to make it look cooler and run longer? Post pics of your car
Ok so my parents just recently bought me a 88 trans am With all the GTA options for my 16th birthday! and i was pretty shocked! ive loved 3rd gens since i was 9 years old! But anyways,Heres the story with the car
The guy that had it before hit some lady in another car and made her paralyzed from the waste down. He had a mental breakdown and put the car in a barn for 10 years! So my parents found the car all beat up a Month before my birthday party and bought it for me. My dad bought a storage unit and worked on it EVERY DAY. I am very happy with my car! its my baby! <3
So far my dad fixed the timing,put on a new front bumper,put in a new steering column,put in an aftermarket JVC KD-LH300 stereo,rebuilt the headlight motors,cleaned it,fixed the hood vents*One was broke* and did body work. I cant thank my dad enough .
The car has 107,000 miles. which is very good! and the engine is running good too. The car needs a new oil pan and exhaust though. Cause the idiot owner took off the dual and put on a welded together shitty glass pack. And its leaking at the manifold so its constantly sucking in too much fresh air,so shes running rich. So far all ive done is change the oil and the coolant and cleaned it more. Then i wiped off and scrubbed down the floor pan and gas tank cause of corrosion. Then lubricated all the break lines and gas lines. And me and my dad made a custom sub box for the back. It fits 2 10 inch subs. So far i only have one little MTX Thunder 6000. But it bumps HARD! it actually shakes the fin on the car with just the one 250 W sub. I also am putting in 2 new Alpine Type S 4x6 speakers in the kicker box. And 6 1/4 inch subs. She sounds nice! But i want to know what i can buy to make her run longer and look even cooler than she does now. Which she does look pretty darn cool=] So send pics of your car! Give Suggestions! thanks! Heres some pics
In this next pic, The car needs a new bumper and the corrosion on the bottom is gone=]
The guy that had it before hit some lady in another car and made her paralyzed from the waste down. He had a mental breakdown and put the car in a barn for 10 years! So my parents found the car all beat up a Month before my birthday party and bought it for me. My dad bought a storage unit and worked on it EVERY DAY. I am very happy with my car! its my baby! <3
So far my dad fixed the timing,put on a new front bumper,put in a new steering column,put in an aftermarket JVC KD-LH300 stereo,rebuilt the headlight motors,cleaned it,fixed the hood vents*One was broke* and did body work. I cant thank my dad enough .
The car has 107,000 miles. which is very good! and the engine is running good too. The car needs a new oil pan and exhaust though. Cause the idiot owner took off the dual and put on a welded together shitty glass pack. And its leaking at the manifold so its constantly sucking in too much fresh air,so shes running rich. So far all ive done is change the oil and the coolant and cleaned it more. Then i wiped off and scrubbed down the floor pan and gas tank cause of corrosion. Then lubricated all the break lines and gas lines. And me and my dad made a custom sub box for the back. It fits 2 10 inch subs. So far i only have one little MTX Thunder 6000. But it bumps HARD! it actually shakes the fin on the car with just the one 250 W sub. I also am putting in 2 new Alpine Type S 4x6 speakers in the kicker box. And 6 1/4 inch subs. She sounds nice! But i want to know what i can buy to make her run longer and look even cooler than she does now. Which she does look pretty darn cool=] So send pics of your car! Give Suggestions! thanks! Heres some pics
In this next pic, The car needs a new bumper and the corrosion on the bottom is gone=] 
07-08-2010, 07:08 AM
#2
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Florida
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Engine: 5.0L 305 V8
Transmission: 700r4
Re: What can i do to my T/A to make it look cooler and run longer? Post pics of your
Your parents seriously bought you that car?
07-08-2010, 09:29 AM
#3
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Car: 91 Trans Am 'vert
Engine: LB9
Transmission: T5
Axle/Gears: 3.45 9 bolt
Re: What can i do to my T/A to make it look cooler and run longer? Post pics of your
That's a nice car... you're very lucky! I got my 91 Trans Am 'vert when I was 17 (18 now). Yours looks good already except I believe that's the wrong spoiler... 86+ trans ams had the wrap-around rear spoiler... like this:
07-08-2010, 10:23 AM
#4
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Car: 1983 Z28
Engine: Forged 355
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: 2.73
Re: What can i do to my T/A to make it look cooler and run longer? Post pics of your
Very nice car, better shape then when I got mine at 16 a year ago, and I had to pay for over half of it.
Headers and full exhaust is the first thing I would do honestly. Look around the forums for suggestions and cool things you can do to your car, this forum is full of ideas. A good aftermarket steering wheel looks great too. I prefer Grant GT steering wheels.
Btw
Sucking in too much air is lean, not rich.
Headers and full exhaust is the first thing I would do honestly. Look around the forums for suggestions and cool things you can do to your car, this forum is full of ideas. A good aftermarket steering wheel looks great too. I prefer Grant GT steering wheels.
Btw
Sucking in too much air is lean, not rich.
Last edited by TheMonster; 07-08-2010 at 10:28 AM.
07-08-2010, 10:35 AM
#5
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Join Date: Sep 2002
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Car: 1992 RS
Engine: Carbed 350
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.42 posi
Re: What can i do to my T/A to make it look cooler and run longer? Post pics of your
Very nice - congrats! And welcome to 3rd gens!
Try your best NOT to @ss off like most teenagers and wrap it around a tree. I know it's hard, you are young, dumb, and suseptible to great amounts of peer pressure like all of us were at that age. Learn to say NO! If your friends want to go fast, give them a slow nice ride to the local used car lot and let them buy there own! Those of us that are now old enough to be your father have learned over the years it's much better ridin' low and slow than to be walking again! Everyone has a local drag track - spend $10 on Friday night and peel the wheels where it's relatively safe and santioned.
The nose is VERY LONG, and these cars are very low - practice the parking - even after 6 years, I still tap a curb every so often, and it just breaks my heart! Especially with the new nose - that cost your dad dearly as they are hard to find these days! Always park to protect the nose - if a shopping cart or blue hair is going to hit your car, let it be in the rear - rears are easier to find. (this is also because ALOT of teens have owned these cars and ran into things).
{OK - that was the obligatory fatherly speech}
Sounds like you know what needs taken care of first - the exhaust.
Oil changes WITH FILTER every 3000 miles is the absolute best thing you can do! Doesn't matter what brand oil, Super-Tech from Walmart is fine AS LONG AS it's getting changed and changed often! Synthetics and expensive oils are for motors with money sunk into them - with over 100k miles, your motor is well used to cheap off the shelf oils. Often is the key, not brand.
Having sat for so long, my first inclination would be getting new rubber brake lines on all 4 corners. They age badly, crack, and wear from the inside out. Unless your dad thinks they are OK, I'd think about doing them new - not expensive maybe $15 a corner, well worth it though - you'll definitely see a braking difference (old hoses expand when the pressure builds, thus less fluid is getting transferred to the caliper and thus less force on the brakes at any given pedal force applied). Even at 20mph, we all need good brakes (as your PO (previous owner) learned).
I'm assuming your dad changed all fluids already - sounds like he's on the ball!
You've already done the best thing you can do - you posted up here! This is the largest best 3rd gen F-body board in the world - there are folks here from everywhere, with the collective knowledge to have you doing almost anything you want or need. Just read the guidelines atop each section, follow the rules, do your best to
for answers before asking (this boards been here a long time, and there aren't many questions left that haven't already been answered). But the only stupid question is the one not asked!
Read through the tech articles - click HOME above, and on the left you'll see Tech Articles - TONS of great info there!
Get a carpeted dash cover - on ebay for about $30 - it will help protect the dash from cracks. Also, get a sun shade for the windshield. The sun just kills everything, and especially everything in a 20 year old car. Armour-All is absolutely the worst! Any dash replacement company will tell you it actually hurts, it absorbs in and literall fries from the inside out in the sun. Tony Stewart gets paid to sell it - he can afford to put it on his cars! Try Turtle Wax F-21 - bright lime green bottle - it's much better, and only use it 3-4 times a year, the rest of the time wipe with a damp cloth. Invest in a nice full size bath towel to drape over the top of the rear seats to keep the sun from fading them.
The car is already very very cool. Customize as you see fit. Keeping it clean and in top running condition with oil changes and tune ups and repairs is the best you can do for the car. The limit is your imagination. Just think out mods carefully so that you have the best results, and sometimes it's better to see if you can grab a used part from the local JY or ebay to "practice" on first. You've done a great job with the sub enclosure, looks nice. Remember KISS (keep it simple STUPID!) and get input from your dad - he seems to be a great resource and is obviously willing to help!
Attend local car shows and cruise ins - you'll get tons of inspiration there. Ignore anyone that states "classics" - they are all car guys, and most very friendly - crash any cruise-in you can find, I do - and the guys with the 69 Camaros are just as happy to see my car as I am to see theirs. Search for a local 3rd gen club, if you can't find one maybe you can start one - a free web page somewhere and $10 worth of cards printed up to stick in other 3rd gen windshields when you see them, and permission from a local cheeseburger joint to use their parking lot on a slow weeknight for meet-ups - and you'll have a gathering of life-long 3rd gen friends before you know it!
And HAVE FUN! {but not too much
}
Try your best NOT to @ss off like most teenagers and wrap it around a tree. I know it's hard, you are young, dumb, and suseptible to great amounts of peer pressure like all of us were at that age. Learn to say NO! If your friends want to go fast, give them a slow nice ride to the local used car lot and let them buy there own! Those of us that are now old enough to be your father have learned over the years it's much better ridin' low and slow than to be walking again! Everyone has a local drag track - spend $10 on Friday night and peel the wheels where it's relatively safe and santioned.
The nose is VERY LONG, and these cars are very low - practice the parking - even after 6 years, I still tap a curb every so often, and it just breaks my heart! Especially with the new nose - that cost your dad dearly as they are hard to find these days! Always park to protect the nose - if a shopping cart or blue hair is going to hit your car, let it be in the rear - rears are easier to find. (this is also because ALOT of teens have owned these cars and ran into things).
{OK - that was the obligatory fatherly speech}
Sounds like you know what needs taken care of first - the exhaust.
Oil changes WITH FILTER every 3000 miles is the absolute best thing you can do! Doesn't matter what brand oil, Super-Tech from Walmart is fine AS LONG AS it's getting changed and changed often! Synthetics and expensive oils are for motors with money sunk into them - with over 100k miles, your motor is well used to cheap off the shelf oils. Often is the key, not brand.
Having sat for so long, my first inclination would be getting new rubber brake lines on all 4 corners. They age badly, crack, and wear from the inside out. Unless your dad thinks they are OK, I'd think about doing them new - not expensive maybe $15 a corner, well worth it though - you'll definitely see a braking difference (old hoses expand when the pressure builds, thus less fluid is getting transferred to the caliper and thus less force on the brakes at any given pedal force applied). Even at 20mph, we all need good brakes (as your PO (previous owner) learned).
I'm assuming your dad changed all fluids already - sounds like he's on the ball!
You've already done the best thing you can do - you posted up here! This is the largest best 3rd gen F-body board in the world - there are folks here from everywhere, with the collective knowledge to have you doing almost anything you want or need. Just read the guidelines atop each section, follow the rules, do your best to
for answers before asking (this boards been here a long time, and there aren't many questions left that haven't already been answered). But the only stupid question is the one not asked!Read through the tech articles - click HOME above, and on the left you'll see Tech Articles - TONS of great info there!
Get a carpeted dash cover - on ebay for about $30 - it will help protect the dash from cracks. Also, get a sun shade for the windshield. The sun just kills everything, and especially everything in a 20 year old car. Armour-All is absolutely the worst! Any dash replacement company will tell you it actually hurts, it absorbs in and literall fries from the inside out in the sun. Tony Stewart gets paid to sell it - he can afford to put it on his cars! Try Turtle Wax F-21 - bright lime green bottle - it's much better, and only use it 3-4 times a year, the rest of the time wipe with a damp cloth. Invest in a nice full size bath towel to drape over the top of the rear seats to keep the sun from fading them.
The car is already very very cool. Customize as you see fit. Keeping it clean and in top running condition with oil changes and tune ups and repairs is the best you can do for the car. The limit is your imagination. Just think out mods carefully so that you have the best results, and sometimes it's better to see if you can grab a used part from the local JY or ebay to "practice" on first. You've done a great job with the sub enclosure, looks nice. Remember KISS (keep it simple STUPID!) and get input from your dad - he seems to be a great resource and is obviously willing to help!
Attend local car shows and cruise ins - you'll get tons of inspiration there. Ignore anyone that states "classics" - they are all car guys, and most very friendly - crash any cruise-in you can find, I do - and the guys with the 69 Camaros are just as happy to see my car as I am to see theirs. Search for a local 3rd gen club, if you can't find one maybe you can start one - a free web page somewhere and $10 worth of cards printed up to stick in other 3rd gen windshields when you see them, and permission from a local cheeseburger joint to use their parking lot on a slow weeknight for meet-ups - and you'll have a gathering of life-long 3rd gen friends before you know it!
And HAVE FUN! {but not too much
}
07-08-2010, 10:59 AM
#6
Re: What can i do to my T/A to make it look cooler and run longer? Post pics of your
Yeah it's a different hatch. I forgot to mention that in the post Lol. The hatch is off of a 91 firebird. But i still like it i think it looks pretty nice! and thanks man! yours is nice too!
07-08-2010, 11:10 AM
#7
Re: What can i do to my T/A to make it look cooler and run longer? Post pics of your
Hey man thanks alot! that really helped! And yeah trust me,im a very responsible teenager and i would NEVER do anything stupid in this car. The posi is already hard to control just taking off! And yeah the front end...still getting use to that also Haha. Ive already tapped a ladder that was laying down in my garage.No scratches or cracks though! And the oil..I put in a new filter too. And used Vavoline oil. 
. Except from sitting so long,now my rear seal is leaking oil! D-=
Also,crap ive been wiping down my dash with armor all like every day! and my dad JUST told me that his friends 86 TAs dash got waves in it!
But i think i might be fine,because my car is in the garage all day and she only goes outside if im testing something i fixed
And i cant wait til car shows! theres a church around my area that has a car show every 2 months? Yeah 2 months. And i always see restored 68 Firebirds and older camaros and one time a 64 road runner( <3 Love those 440's!) So yeah man thanks so much for your help! i really appreciate your time=]
. Except from sitting so long,now my rear seal is leaking oil! D-=Also,crap ive been wiping down my dash with armor all like every day! and my dad JUST told me that his friends 86 TAs dash got waves in it!
But i think i might be fine,because my car is in the garage all day and she only goes outside if im testing something i fixed
And i cant wait til car shows! theres a church around my area that has a car show every 2 months? Yeah 2 months. And i always see restored 68 Firebirds and older camaros and one time a 64 road runner( <3 Love those 440's!) So yeah man thanks so much for your help! i really appreciate your time=]
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