Hi

I was a bit confused so I had to bring this up,I have 1982 Trans Am,Should I get the 1 piece air dam or the newer 3 piece air dam ?
I was looking into the air dam or air deflector I am getting little confused

The TA GM part number is 10017673 which should fit my car where as there is a firebird GM # 10118485 --I dont think it would
The GM # 10020322 three piece one...

Guys could you please post pics under the car 82-84 Trans Am so this would help everyone understand better..

Cheers

 

whoa theres a 3 piece air dam??? i always thought it was just the one piece

 

Now I'm confused. I always thought on cars like my 86 Z28 there was only the one large air deflector that hang down, the one everyone hits into deadmans and curbs. Is there suppossed to be another upper or center piece on the Camaros? I know the Firebird/TA's are a little different. I also found this from a 91 Camaro Z28 on ebay, did this come out in later year cars only? Being I don't have this regardless if it came on the car or not, I wonder if I should try and find one to install. Anyone have a part# for this?

 

That isn't part of the air dam. That part goes behind the foglightd to assist directing air through the radiator. I never knew they exisited until I found one on a JY car. After further inspection of mine I found the side plastics it bolted to.
But to the OP I've never heard of or seen a 3 pieace air dam. So can't help you.

 

Guys keep it coming We need to see early 3rd gens with the Air deflector and the part numbers are mentioned on the first post

Thanks

 

Here what I have found





This is for the Trans AM 1982- 1983?

 

Just resolved this issue with our 85 TA. We just rebuilt the engine, but failed to reinstall the lower fan cowl and wing shaped air dam. The dam bolts up to radiator support and then joins with 3 other air effects pieces. These pieces are not just pretty options but critical components for a properly cooled engine.

 

The air dam issue just all depends on the year and car type. Alot of the SC's did not have a bolt-on air dam under the radiator - the 'dam' was apart of the ground effects/nose side skirts. Most RS or Z28/IROC camaro's had a 1 piece straight air dam that bolted directly under the radiator support. Some birds had a 3 piece design that was basically the 1 piece Camaro type with extra 'wings' that attached on each side. And then there's the one piece like pic'd above, that is kinda V shaped and much longer than the standard 1 piece design.

They all serve the same function - they all create a low pressure point BEHIND the radiator. This in essence creates a vacuum - air always rushes to a low pressure point (thunderstorms and hurricanes) - thus the air is literally 'sucked' in through the radiator as it's rushing to fill the never ending low pressure area on the engine side of the radiator. Everyone wants to think that the dam is forcing air up into the radiator - it's NOT. It's creating a vacuum behind the radiator.

The two 'channels' behind the fog lights only ever really served one function - to funnel fresh cool air up into the air filter system on the TPI cars. Yes, on non-TPI cars they are open to the front of the radiator and allows some airflow through the front of the car to the radiator - but it's negligible at best - the TPI cars aren't open in this area, and thus don't get 'that' airflow to the radiator, and they don't overheat.

As long as there's something under the radiator to disturb the air flow at highway speed and create this low pressure pocket, really doesn't matter what style is used. Many folks have lost there's and fabbed up their own.

The only reason to have any fans at all is because at speeds under 40mph, there is not enough of a low pressure created for this vacuum effect to occur. And of course, stopped in traffic. If you could start the car, instantly get to 50mph, and not slow down until you stopped completely and turned off engine, there'd be no need for a fan at all - it would never even turn on.