Hey everyone, just joined up and am excited to be the new owner of an 89 GTA.

She needs quite a bit of TLC - but the price was right ($950)....Engine, drivetrain and body are all good with 130k. Interior and paint is a whole nutha' story, as well as a few electrical items!

My first question is about the worn parts im starting to pull off...
Is it worth putting things like old seats, side mouldings and a monstrous rubber rear spoiler in the classifieds or on ebay/craigslist? I thought people may be looking/needing certain power controls or plastics off the seats or some of the interesting maybe hard to find things like old cassette holder from the console or radio controls?

Just thought Id get an idea before I get too deep into the project
Thanks! - RMK

 

is that an original spoiler? would you be interested in selling it?
if so i have some questions; does it have the third brake light? and second
what do you want for it? Also, is the spoiler, per se compromised (i.e. is it broken, rotten etc etc)?

also that i cassette holder is relatively interesting, how much would you like for that?

 

Yep thats the original Spoiler, I unbolted right off the back of the car after i bought it because the 2 sides that run up onto the glass were loose and jiggling back and forth.
I think that the attachment points that somehow bolt to those clips on the glass must have worked loose or out because it came off with just pulling the 2 bolts by the lid latch. Yes it has the third brake light.

If anybody actually wants the spoiler, let me know. I will let you have it for just the cost of me running to ups and shipping it....otherwise Im chucking it. I thought of maybe using the 3rd brake light on the fiberglass spoiler I ordered....

The cassette doo-hoppy is pretty cool - except the rig has a cd player in it so wont do me much good :-) Yeah if you want it make me an offer - Im not trying to make anything

 

I am interested in the spoiler, i sent you a PM relating to the subject.

 

PM received, and reply sent

 

Trying to get some pictures for you - It seems like it may be shot but take a look and let me know what you think

 

Part 2

 

This is the Car as it looked freshly bought...

The Seats were toast and even the tracks had been broke and rewelded so they didnt slide.

 

To even drive it i had to get some seats in....

The previous owner did a very bad paint job, completely bubbled up. Thats all got to come off..

So far have done the IAC, TPS, MAF screen delete, Timing and changed out all the lift struts.

Onward and Upward

 

Picked up a Hi-rise off ebay

And the seats are installed and bolted down. Had to fab up an offset bracket for the rear mounts

 

Welcome! You'll love this site. The members here are very knowledgeable, helped me beyond belief. I'm glad you saved her from possible parts yard. Good luck...

 

Thank you! Ive enjoyed all the knowledge in the tech articles here as well as several "Searches" - so much good info!

Ive made all the adjustments to the motor detailed here and got most of the bugs/kinks worked out on idleing etc...

Interior is in full swing....Yesterday I replaced the CRAP steering wheel - did the tilt steering tightening mod, new signal switch and canceling cam and put on a Very nice Wheel from a GTA (ebay)

 

nice! glad to see that old wheel gone, I never liked'em anyway.

 

Thanks, yes like this wheel alot better...

This weekend I worked through a bunch of kinks - One of which was the radio and speakers....

Pulled the dash cover and found some pretty old dry rotted Clarion 4x6's and in the back there as some reall crappy "sherwoods"....never heard of em. They def havnt been 3-way for a while since the horn part was spinning around and wires pulled out

 

I put pioneers in all the corners and a deck in front with HD radio etc...

Got the headlights working as well - previous owner had hard wired them so you had to open the hood and plug in the power to a wire spliced onto the battery.....Not sure why he did that. I looked around under the dash and sure enough the dimmer switch wasnt plugged in and they opened right up and shined brite as new...hmmmm

 

Looking good! When are you planning on having it painted?

 

what exactly does a MAF screen delete accomplish?

 

Good luck with your new project! I know it's your car and all and my opinion means nothing, but how could you go with a Camaro style spoiler for your car?!?!

 

Thanks! I decided it would be easier to maybe get it painted towards the end of the process...that way all the tools in and out, back and forth, stacking things all over the roof and trunk lid etc would minimize me tearing up new paint lol. Also Ive still got things to do like realigning the hatch lid / overhang, patching a couple small cracks in the gfx, changing out some old weatherstripping etc etc..

The MAF screen delete is just one of those easy free mods that according to legend, increases the volume/speed of air flow through the intake (removing restrictions)...im not sure if it does a whole lot, but since I was working on it anyway to clear the code I went ahead and did it. I guess if you want to get more technical than that, i did it because I enjoy tinkering / working on cars lol.

The Spoiler was kind of an accident. The original heavy rubber one was not going to cut it and had broken mounts etc. I happened across this one for a superb deal and it fit perfect so I just went for it. I didnt realize that there was a big difference between a camaro or bird style anyways?? I thought it looked kind of cool without any spoiler at all, but decided to take the deal before me. I cant really justify spending a mint putting a car back to all original when she was really only minutes from being scrapped anyway....

Having alot of fun so far, and now that I can drive her around with headlights and seats I can put back - its even better. Pretty much an I-sore until some decent paint gets put on, but thems the breaks

 

I believe the logic is that the screen restricts airflow and that you will gain power because more air will make it to the plenum.

 

That 1987 only, 3 spoke leather GTA wheel could be the nicest steering wheel installed on any car - ever.

 

87 only you say? Right on...I will have to google what the other GTA year wheels looked like. I just know this one was sweeeeet when I saw it

 

There were 3 other steering wheels that were offered on the GTAs: the one with the steering wheel controls from '88-'89 and the airbag wheel from '90-'92. There was also another plain one that was used, but it was pretty rare to find it in a GTA. It was mainly used in the Trans Am, Formula and Firebird models.

The rare one that was used from '88-'89:


'88-'89



'90-'92

 

I do like that 87 steering wheel and I think with an aftermarket head unit the one with the controls is useless so might as well. Looks good!

 

Not true, not true at all. I've seen aftermarket head units work with the GTA steering wheel controls. Here's the adapter that's used to make it all happen:

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_...AC-SWI-PS.html