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Body panel gap 88GTA

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Old Mar 27, 2023 | 06:26 PM
  #1  
Okaywhatever's Avatar
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From: Ontario, Canada
Car: 1988 TransAm GTA, 1983 firebird SE
Engine: 350,305
Transmission: 700r4x2
Axle/Gears: 327
Body panel gap 88GTA

After swapping the motor in my 88 GTA that I bought with a blown up motor, I’m not starting to tackle the “body work”

every front end panel on this thing doesn’t align up properly. The car has definitely been painted at somepoint.

the passenger fender was hit at somepoint,

here are pics of the current situation. Need suggestions how to attempt to tackle.











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Old Mar 27, 2023 | 11:48 PM
  #2  
Reddragon88gta's Avatar
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From: Northern NY
Car: 1988 Trans Am GTA and 1979 Trans Am
Engine: 5.7 L98
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: Borg Warner 9 bolt 3.27
Re: Body panel gap 88GTA

That passenger fender is rough, it looks like someone jacked it up on the lip at the bottom (as in the last pic its crushed). You could attempt to straighten that lip with some pliers or vice grips then attempt to push it back in towards the car, a block of wood on the now straightened bottom lip and a few whacks with a hammer? I had to do something similar on my passenger fender too. Oddly enough what helped line it up after was re-inserting the plastic body pins that connect the plastic inner fender to the fender, these can be found at hawks or ebay but zip ties could work in a pinch.

You may need a new fender at some point especially if you want to paint the car down the road (I found a used GM fender for when I eventually paint mine).

Do a few searches on here about jacking up car on rocker or fenders, there was good info on repair ideas.

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