I recently bought a 1989 trans am with under 100k miles on it for $2000, but I was originally looking for a firebird, mainly for the lack of ground effects. I've looked around, and nobody really has a step by step process of taking off the ground effects. I've already taken out all screws on the underside, and in the rear of the wheel well for the side skirts, but got stumped, as most do, by the fact that they're still snug on account of the rail on the side. If someone were to walk me through removing them, step by step, I might be willing to take pictures of the process and hopefully help others in the future. I would like to keep everything intact and undamaged, but I don't actually know if that's possible.

Also, since I won't be needing them anymore, if anyone in the Frederick, MD area is willing to trade front and rear bumpers with me, I'll give them the GE if I manage to remove them smoothly.

 

You know you're going to have holes in your doors and fenders if you do this right? and you will probably uncover any rust spots and will need a new paintjob.

 

I am fully aware, my car could do with paint anyway. I've just always liked the look of the body curving inward and exposing the tires more, it just looks cooler. The front AND rear bumper both need to be changed out, correct? I know the front bumper is different and won't look right without them, but I'm not sure of the rear.

 

everything unbolts.

you have to take out the kick panels and the rear panels where the lower seat belts are. There are black tar paper sheets under/behind them covering holes in the body to access the nuts holding the rocker pieces on. take the headlights out to reach all the bolts for the bumper and fender pieces, then the rear parts again have nuts behind the rear most hatch interior panels, under the spare tire and the little lockable compartment the driverside.

look it over, its really straightforward

 

Alright, well I got done the ones on the rear of the side skirts taken out. I have to leave them on for now since I haven't gotten the front ones off. It's a hassle but it is pretty straightforward. I may have taken a long way, but the only way I found to do it was take off the plastic top center panel, then work my way down from there, to the speaker cover, take a screw out of the largest panel to let it loose enough to pry the main panel off, and finally move the black stuff out of the way of the hole with the bolt in it. Thank you for the help though, I'll probably post pictures of the other ones as well, in case anyone in the future decides to remove the GE for paint or reasons like my own. Also I found no rust under the first one I've done so far, so that's also good.

The side from a top view, note the plastic panel on the door frame removed, and the main panel (that needs to be removed for this task) is removed also.


The main panel removed, and inside the square hole on the right is the bolt that needs removed. I used a pair of long vise grips.


What it looks like on the inside with the nut removed from the bolt.

 

Alright now onto the rear ones. I don't think I'll remove the actual bumper GE, because, correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't the Trans am and Firebird front AND rear bumper different? And won't I need to change out both? Anyway here are pictures of the three nuts that hold the GE on the rear behind the back wheels. The third nut is through the round hole on the left.



xtreem close up of the 3rd nut location

 

How do you get the front 2 screws out of the side GFX? I can open the door and see them in between to parts of the body, but I took off the kick panel and still have no access to them.

 

Socket from the wheel well. Use a 1/4 ratchet, its pretty tight quarters

 

Thanks for the reply, I just got them both out. Had to kneel down, put my head on a foam mat, and use both hands upside-down inside the compartment to get them loose, but after some cuts on my hands and arms, they both came free. If anyone knows of a better way than described, by all means chime in.

Maybe not the most practical approach, but it worked.


The inside, with the two nuts. The far one is pictured near the door mount, and the closer one would be on the side of the little vent thing nearer to the wheel well.

 

How do I get the door panels off for the gfx on the doors? I ran my hand over the bottom quickly and didn't feel any screws, but I could have missed something, it's late and I'm tired.

 

My ground effects on my 87 TA dont want to come off. The screws and bolts holding them on will no turn, and I don't know what to do, other than drill them out?

 

Which screws and bolts? on the rocker or the ones inside the body?

 

The phllips screws on the outside of the ground effecfs, and one bolt on the inside of my rear quarter panel ground effect. Doing bodywork right now, and kinda stuck till I get them off.

 

Here is an awesome video I found. Including that crappy nut at the back that's hard to reach.

 

Haha yep, that video helped me out a lot. Thanks for posting it, I'm sure it'll help a ton!