I've tossed this idea around in my head for a while, I'm sure others have too. Out of all the firebird's the nose on the bandit car in the first movie is one of the ones I like the best.

I'm not looking for opinions on wether this is a good idea or not just if anyone has ever seen it done.

Has anyone ever seen one custom made for a 3ed gen, A Bandit throw back if you will. It would probably be easier to do on a camaro since the rear of the camaro is closer to the 2nd gen car if you wanted to keep that style of spoiler.

I especially like what yearone has done with there bandit car and parts. I'm just thinking a nose like this made to fit the 3ed gen, the retro inspired snow flake wheels would make for a nice looking car.

Here is a picture of the yearone front end on the 2nd gen, i've thought about photoshoping it onto a 3ed gen for looks but its hard to make the body lines line up in photoshop.

 

If you really want a 2nd gen front end buy a 2nd gen. Don't hack up a clean car only to find out it looks retarded..

 

As I stated not interested in opinions of the look compatability etc just if its been done.

To cut down on the "don't hack up a clean car". I was actually thinking of picking up a v6 firebird from the local junkyard and trying to build the nose, but figured I would see if someone has already done it. Build a positive mold out of foam, using design cues from the 2ed gen not just duplicating it to fit the 3ed gen. Build a negative mold from this and produce a final fiberglass piece. My goal is a unique look, better air flow to the radiator, equivelant aerodynamics.

A rusted out 2nd gen is 3k where I can pick up a running 3ed gen for $600-$2000 with very little to no rust and I like the interior of the 3ed gen. But since the lines of the 3ed gen are almost perfect doing a unique look is hard, as I've yet to see a body kit for the 3ed gen I like.

 

if you wanted to do it, the easiest thing would be to use a camaro nose because of the exposed headlights and then build up the peak and mod the hood for a shaker (carb or TBI) as has been discussed before. I think it could be done well; whether its aesthetically pleasing, is up to interpretation

 

I know you don't want opinions, but if I was you I would use a Firebird body like you said earlier. Then I would use the front fenders and hood of a Camaro so you won't have to mess with pop up head lights. I would then take some 82-84 Firebird taillights and make a solid panel with those taillights hooked on to it. Then make the panel and taillights look like the 2nd. For the Camaro hood, either mold a shaker scoop on to it or cut a hole in the hood and put the real thing in.

It's our car, you can do it any way you want it.

 

I still wouldn't even bother. By the time you were done it would cost about the same or more than a 2nd gen. The 2nd gen would still look and be about 100 times better....

This is kinda like the idea your going for, The Bandit II Trans Am... I just don't see a point to anything like this. So what, you pay 2-3000 dollars more to have the real thing. Then people don't look at you like or on the street.

 

I wouldn't do the 70's graphics or even the black and gold schem. Just the retro look of the front and possibly the tail.

I've wondered about the design, kind of like the 82 bumper but a little more pronounced. And use the honey comb and the "peak" in the middle that the 2ed gen had. Keep the general shape of the resess part of the 2nd gen bumper, put in provisions for fog lights, and turn signals and make the top line flush removing the factory turn signals. I am trying to come up with a way to do this and keep the flip up headlights. But I've considered the hood of the camaro to solve for removing the headlights. The camaro fenders hadn't occured to me.

Again I don't want to duplicate the 2ed gen nose but build a third gen nose with a throw back design utilizing many of the design points.

However I just looked up the price on those wheels from year one and those are out for now, I would rather do the LS1.

It seems the only aftermarket front bumper for these cars is the KITT knock off. Its interesting but IMHO to long and angular and never quite looks like it belongs.

Since GM no longer makes the black inserts on the formula bumpers and its hard to find all of them in perfect shape it seems custom is the only way to go right now. And most of the Trans-am/GTA front bumpers are wavy.

I'm more or less wanting to come up with a project of larger scale to try in fiberglass, I may build this and never put it on the car. I may dust off my CAD skils and see if I can make a wire frame and render it in 3D first, although it seems simpler to just take a car put a huge foam piece up front where the bumper goes and start triming and shaping.