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Need your honest opinion

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Old Apr 28, 2018 | 11:35 AM
  #1  
aseychell's Avatar
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From: Malta
Car: 1988 Trans AM GTA
Engine: 350 TPI
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 9-Bolt 3.27
Need your honest opinion

I will finally have some time after the exams to continue assembling the body and spent a whole long day trying to make some sense out of the front and fender alignment.

I need your opinion on what you think re panel alignment especially driver side fender to door. Can’t get is better than this. If I try to decrease the gap the door will rub and honestly I don’t know how these cars are supposed to be.
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Old Apr 28, 2018 | 11:37 AM
  #2  
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From: Malta
Car: 1988 Trans AM GTA
Engine: 350 TPI
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 9-Bolt 3.27
Re: Need your honest opinion

Photos attached
Attached Thumbnails Need your honest opinion-b825a7f6-b201-412e-bb5a   Need your honest opinion-a1737cb1-9954-43ac-8dbe   Need your honest opinion-2a9a2097-8251-43fb-adb1  
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Old Apr 28, 2018 | 12:00 PM
  #3  
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Re: Need your honest opinion

It looks pretty good to me. Your hood to fender/front bumper gaps are nice. Probably more consistent than a lot of them left the factory. The rear of the door to quarter gaps look good too, about the only part that looks a little iffy is the front of the door to the fenders, but then that gap always look a little squirrelly with the GFX cars, and really I suppose even with the non-gfx cars because you've got to have room to open the door. As long as you have a solid 3/16-1/4" gap between the rocker and fender at the bottom, and nothing rubs, I'd say run it.

Disclaimer: Not professional body man. Not Chip Foose's sisters cousins brothers uncle. Not even looking at the manual for the exact specifications. If your eyeball says it's good, it's good!
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Old Apr 28, 2018 | 12:28 PM
  #4  
aseychell's Avatar
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From: Malta
Car: 1988 Trans AM GTA
Engine: 350 TPI
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 9-Bolt 3.27
Re: Need your honest opinion

Thanks Drew. Quite a positive review from you.
Will wait for what others have to say.
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Old Apr 28, 2018 | 01:56 PM
  #5  
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Re: Need your honest opinion

Originally Posted by aseychell
Thanks Drew. Quite a positive review from you.
Will wait for what others have to say.
I will second what Drew said , the gaps all look fine to me . On some of these cars the misalignment of the panels is "punch in the face obvious" and your car looks pretty well square on all of the gaps . Good job , and don't forget to post up some pictures of it when your done reassembling it
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Old Apr 28, 2018 | 03:36 PM
  #6  
aseychell's Avatar
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From: Malta
Car: 1988 Trans AM GTA
Engine: 350 TPI
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 9-Bolt 3.27
Re: Need your honest opinion

Thanks for your comments. Was sort of holding back until I got some opinions. The front part is damn complex . A lot of covers clips and screws.

I have my build thread you can surely follow it up. It’s starts from the very first day till now.
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Old Apr 28, 2018 | 11:51 PM
  #7  
amlv20's Avatar
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From: patterson, ca
Car: 1986 iroc-z
Engine: 5.0 tpi
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: stock.
Re: Need your honest opinion

Good job,looks great to me.
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Old Apr 29, 2018 | 07:19 AM
  #8  
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Car: 86 Trans Am
Engine: 408 stroker sbc
Transmission: TKO600
Axle/Gears: Moser full floater m9, 3:70 trutrac
Re: Need your honest opinion

It looks very good. Most cars and trucks will never have perfect alignment without metal work to the gaps
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Old Apr 29, 2018 | 10:14 AM
  #9  
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From: Ohio
Car: 1992 Trans Am
Engine: 350 TPI
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.23
Re: Need your honest opinion

Looks very good to me. Honestly, I will be happy with gaps identical to yours, once my car comes back from paint.

Great looking car, very nice!
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Old Apr 29, 2018 | 01:21 PM
  #10  
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Car: 89 Firebird
Engine: 355 TBI
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 10 Bolt.Posi-3.73s
Re: Need your honest opinion

Looks great! These cars were not perfect from day#1. We fought and fought bottom door gap and found it is a very thin line between rubbing or huge gaping eyesore.
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Old Apr 29, 2018 | 01:37 PM
  #11  
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Car: 1992 Z28
Engine: 383
Transmission: 700R4
Re: Need your honest opinion

The door gaps on these cars are huge. The door to body is close to 7/16 and door to fender is close to 3/8. And closer then that doors rub and you cant get the windows to align properly.
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Old Apr 29, 2018 | 01:49 PM
  #12  
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Car: 1988 Trans Am
Engine: L03
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 10 Bolt 2.73 Open
Re: Need your honest opinion

Looks good!
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Old Apr 29, 2018 | 02:28 PM
  #13  
aseychell's Avatar
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From: Malta
Car: 1988 Trans AM GTA
Engine: 350 TPI
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 9-Bolt 3.27
Re: Need your honest opinion

You guys convinced me to accept this configuration and today I spent half day assembling the front gfx and air dam hardware (for the second time). Also removed again the driver side GFX as I wanted to heat up the plastic a bit to remove a slight bow I had on top. Hopefully this week I will continue some work on it targeting to compete the exterior by end of May and then start working on the interior.
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Old Apr 29, 2018 | 05:14 PM
  #14  
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From: South Wales UK
Car: 91 Trans Am convertible
Engine: LB9
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: G80/GU2
Re: Need your honest opinion

I'm particularly envious of your headlight door gaps, bumper cover to hood gap looks real nice too, often a gaping hole there, even on well sorted examples.
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Old Apr 29, 2018 | 07:07 PM
  #15  
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Re: Need your honest opinion

Looks great and I especially like the headlight door gaps.

Louis
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