Some of you may remember a few posts I posted a looonng time ago, looking for an `86 Trans Am that I sold back in `94. I bought it when I was 18, and it was one of the nicest F-bodies I`ve ever owned, and I`ve owned well over a dozen so far. It was red with carmine and charcoal interior, t-tops, digital dash, roof console, 16" wheels, and 305TPI engine. Last I heard, it was registered in `98 in MD, and likely met it`s demise shortly after from the research I did at the time. Here is how it looked in `94:



Sorry for the picture quality...early 90`s technology.

Anyway, I couldn`t find it or one like it, so I had to make one of my own. My brother did most of the work on this one, building and installing the engine, replacing the entire driveline including all new suspension components, exhaust from header to tailpipe, and figuring out the ECM and wiring in the digital dash into the harness (it was originally an analog dash car). I did the paint/body work, as well as piecing together and restoring the interior components.

How it arrived:



Progress:

 

 

Finished:

 

Interior:

 

Engine:

 

That is fantastic! Congratulations on finishing your project!

 

Thanks Former!

I also forgot to add...special thanks to mantaguy. He gave me alot of direction and encouragement on this project. Thanks manta!

 

You must have really loved that original car to have gone to the expense and effort of making a reproduction. It even appears you got the positioning of the sail panel bird decals correct. Most screw that up. Have to say, it's beautiful. Job well done! Now have some fun with it!

 

Absolutely gorgeous restoration!

I am in the process of bringing my first third gen back to life. Had a Black and gold '85 Z28 305ci 5-speed back in 1997 that got rear ended and totaled out. Now that I'm older and all of my money isn't going towards ramen to keep myself alive lol, I'm doing up an '87 IROC that will look very similar to the '85.

I hope when I'm done mine will look as good as yours does!

 

WOW,I'm speechless,you are VERY WELCOME my friend.I'm so happy for you.It took you almost 3 yrs. to finish this project but you got it done.
Congratulations,the 86ish looks B E A U T I F U L

 

Congratulations man. Very nice restoration and the best part is you got it how you want it.

 

Thanks everyone!!

 

That's bitch!n', great job!

Love that interior, my 86 originally had that.

Great job on a cool Trans Am...and what a sleeper! Engine install looks factory!

 

Beautiful!

 

Nice work. Love the combo on a third gen:

LS1
T56
T top
digital dash
no A/C

 

Thanks! Yeah, I think its definitely something unique.

 

Ahhhh thats awesome that you have the Digital dash w/ the LS1.

 

Wow - the car looks fantastic. You should take some credit also. You helped a lot of people fix up their interior with the restoring plastics thread you started - including me! I still say it should have been stickied at the top.

 

Thanks for the pictures!

 

Absolutely

 

Car looks fantastic!!

Bone stock appearing on the outside, a little custom touch on the interior (center console) and then a monster under the hood....

Rock on!

John

 

Very impressive!! Did you treat the rust on the fire wall with anything or just sand it down and paint it? Car looks amazing!

 

COTM,Material

 

what was the duration of the build??

 

Looks great!

 

Very, very nice!

 

Wish I had the ***** to paint my car in my garage. Paint looks fantastic. Body shops around here don't pull off jobs with that kinda quality. If you you were closer I'd see if you were interested in painting my vert.

 

I went though this with a friend of mine... He wanted his car painted, I had painted mine, (which turned out fantastic, won the Trans Am Nationals class every year I entered it after I painted it). In the end I was taking time off of work, spending time on his car on the weekends, not getting paid, and catching hell from my wife. His wife would not let him work on it, always had something else for him to do, I finally said, look, I have put my time into your project, I sweat my butt off on your car, I am sorry but I do not have the time and I am not able to do this any more. He paid someone to finish it for him. he is still my friend, and I do not hold it against him, but I learned a lesson. It is one thing to do something for yourself and your personal passion, but never do it for someone else when it is not your primary job, friend or not, its not worth it.

Painting a car is a TON of work, If you pay someone to do it IE a bump shop, it will look good, but it will never be as good as if you do it yourself. I was a little crazy on mine, like air brushed my decals on the bumpers and sail panels.

The attachment is not to hijack the thread, but to show that hard work like Hawk312 has put into his car pays off...

 

Really nice Air Brush job,looks just like the decal without the border.

 

Great job. Paint looks awesome. Did you do the paint work in your garage?

 

...

 

I would love to paint my own car, but I would be afraid I would really mess it up lol!

 

Thanks everyone for the kind words. Sorry, I have been on vacation and haven`t been responding to messages....
It took us about 3 years to complete this. I did treat any rust spots, but I forget what it was that I used. It came in a white bottle and had to be brushed on. Yes the paint work was done in a garage.
Thanks again!

 

Wow that car is awesome

 

wow

 

That looks fantastic.