I've got my 90 Formula in the garage that is probably going to the junkyard as soon as I get all the T5 parts out of it and I was thinking that maybe I'd try and do a rear end conversion on it before I send it away.
I've got a set of 96 T/A lights in the garage and am in the process of aquiring a bumper cover from a 95 Firebird.

If it works out good and the fit is ok, Ill end up doing it to my 88 Formula.
I am not a body person, so this is going to be my first time doing anything like this, so I'll use it as a learning experience as well.

What are your thoughts on this?

 

would be neat. Reminds me of that photoshop on your page (the front clip everybody thinks is real).

How's the old 86 T/A? Haven't seen any progress reports on it in a while.

 

I would think you will have some bigtime fitment issues with bumper since 3rd to 4th gen qtr panles are so different but with some fabrication, anything is possible. I am curious to see how this turns out.

Good luck to ya

 

I'd really like to do the front end as well since it looks very good together.
for the people that haven't seen it, here it is,


I sold the 86 T/A about 4-5 months ago. I lost interest in it and sold it to a buddy for $5K. He basically stripped it and put all the cool parts in his 3rd gen Camaro.

 

I am behind you 110%.
It wouldn't be much of a problem if you knew fiberglass work. I really think that third gens have been robbed from a good agressive front end. Some may not agree, but you know when you see Bird's front it seems like its just slapped on. Camaro on the other hand has a well developed bumper. I think Knight RIder nose is the only decent agressive bumper. Its just me, so don't get hurt .

The photoshop looks awsome. If it remotely works out, I'll be doing it to my car.!!!

Why not make it as unique as possible.

So far, my car is a mutt. I got 86TA Taillights, 82TA bumper without ground effects on my 89 Firebird Pro/am. I am making this one uniquie. And as soon as I gather some mula, Fully functional KITT is going in.

I am freakin' serious.

 

Damn, I am looking at the TA picture and I am falling in Love.

Damn...

 

Holy hell that photoshop is beautiful!! Even tho the 'plate' and fogs/driving lights are off-centered haha. You just gave me an idea of what to do when I finally get another Firebird.

Do you happen to have a photoshop of what you're planning on doing with the tails?? IMO the 93-02 tails are too round for 3rd gens, but I suppose if done right it might look decent.

 

No photoshop of it yet. It was just an idea that popped into my head the other day since I have a pair of LT1 lights sitting on my 90. they were off of my brothers 96 T/A, I bought him a set that wasn't cracked.

I'll see if I can mock up a picture tomorrow if I don't put my headers on.

 

I think it would be cool to see, you can tell that is a photoshop above look at how off center it is....

 

no1 is saying that its not one....

 

Ick...

 

good luck Zeph......Good luck indeed.

 

I surprisingly like the taillights, not the bumper though.

 

That front end looks killer. The rear... Forget using the bumper, just use the taillights, they look awesome. Fitment issues will abound I'd bet. Good luck though, keep up informed!

 

The taillights look like they would fit easier on a camaro, but that probably wouldn't look right.

 

The Tail lights are too tall, since they dip downwards at the bottom of the outermost section and raise up as they come towards the centerpiece.

I am going to see if we can start hacking this week.

 

theres just something about that black pic above....it just doesnt look right with a 4th gen bumper

 

Rear lights are pretty close to the 3rd 86TA lights. I say keep the back bumper 3rd gen and get the TA lights.
However, the front will look sweet...

Good luck and I am psyched. It would be awsome if it worked. And if it does than I am going Junkyard hunting.

 

any updates Zepher?

 

Sounds like a cool idea.


I've always thought a 3rdgen TA rear bumper top half with a 98+ lower half would look good. Or just some way to graft the exhaust divits in without looking hacked.

 

The rear looks pretty tight. I'm not really diggin the front bumper though, doesnt look right.

 

the main reason i got a thirdgen instead of fourth (besides $$) was the looks, fourth gens are nasty looking. he camaros are ok i guess but the birds look like garbage.

 

The thirdgen has a great body to it, but there are some things that I would like to have from the 4th gen. I personally don't care for the 4th gens (I've owned 2 already, a 96 Trans Am 6 speed and a 96 Camaro 5 speed).

I like the center fog lights on the Trans Am as well as the exhaust cutouts on the rear bumper as well as the tail light section.

 

Looks alright...not too sure about the bumper.

 

Not gonna happen.

 

I'd bust out the tape measure before i would assume that.

edit: i can't say ****, *****, but i can say ricers.

 

hummm, sounds like what i was going to im sure you can find the posts still got all the stuff too, hummm it shouldnt be that hard to be honste just going to be time consmuing

 

https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...ghlight=4thgen

 

did it work NEEDforSPEED?

 

I've got one here in the shop, and i've stripped numerous thirdgens and fourth gens, even counting out that he's never done any body work etc, im still confident in saying it again.

NOT gonna happen.

 

ok then. i agree with you. I really dont see it happening either.

 

On a side note, odd fact, a thirdgen firebird rear bumper is about 3" wider than a camaro one.

 

..nevermind...

 

Camaro front bumper is wider than the firebirds. First hand experience.

I still think that the nose can be done. Lets see what Zepher does!

 

I don't think I am going to destroy this car. I am going to give it to a friend of mine since he wants to build a car for auto-x.

 

might as well get a 4th gen

 

any updates

 

The project has been scrapped for the time being. Maybe try to do this in a few years when I get more experience with body work, as of now I have 0 experience.

 

Round + Square =

 

It will be a worthy challenge to be sure!

 

any update ???

 

no update as I scrapped the project indefinately.

 

I have a crazy idea to help make the bumper to fit better. If the 4th gen bumper is wider than the 3rd gen. just cut a section out of the middle of the 4th gen. bumper to make it the same width as a 3rd gen. bumper.

Food for thought.