zbird90

Cool to see your girlfriend shares your love and enthusiasm, and has skills on top of that!

DD9TransAmGTA

iTrader: (1)

Shes pretty awesome

Frame machine is back and going. I'm gonna take the K member out because its an issue when pulling. Going this friday to pick up a hood, fenders, and passenger door! The car I'm cutting up is the grey car in the picture below. I'm getting Formula parts off another car friday. We are also restoring my uncles 71' Vette he bought new so its been crazy around here lol

DynoDave43

iTrader: (11)

Looks like a good donor.

What kind of hood is that...only has louvers in the front?

jkris53406

iTrader: (5)

If I remember correctly, the firebird SSAs had that style hood. There used to be a white one that was around here.

DD9TransAmGTA

iTrader: (1)

Wow, good eye. I looked at that car a million times and never noticed the hood. Its a 1986 Firebird SE, also has trans am grid tail lights. Never noticed the missing vents!

DD9TransAmGTA

iTrader: (1)

Almost got the crossmember out, one bolt is holding me up so I called it a night. Going to pick some parts up tomorrow

DD9TransAmGTA

iTrader: (1)

Got all kinds of good parts today

no new tires

subd-

nascarhodge3

Your making good progress keep the updates coming ,I bought my RS and the left hand rear quarter was smashed and the guy says oh a dirt bike hit that I thought oh no big deal I can fix that,yeah, I think that guy hit a pole.I found that after tear down.oh well that's how it goes sometimes.
I see you are in Springfield,I will be moving to Peoria in about a month.nice to see there maybe some other 3rd gen guys close

DD9TransAmGTA

iTrader: (1)

Jeez, did Evel Knievel run into it? Theres alot of nice thirdgens around here, you should go to the Thirdgen Expo coming up in May. Join Illinois F-Body on Facebook if you have one!

Tonight we got the K member out and pulled alot on the right frame rail. The kink in the rocker is almost gone. Gonna throw the new door on tomorrow since we can't really align anything with the old bent door. Its going pretty smoothly

DD9TransAmGTA

iTrader: (1)

Did all kinds of pulling today!! Got the new door put on so we could align everything with a straight door. All the measurements look good and the windows seal up again. Got the kink out of cowl and rockers. Ready to start cutting her up!

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

Better buy that SE hood.

DD9TransAmGTA

iTrader: (1)

Been making a little progress. Stripped the front down and saved everything I'm reusing. Got the engine harness removed and now got the interior harness loose. Shes extremely close to being ready to go under the knife. I think we figured out a game plan on how we are gonna do things. We are going to drill the seat mount (where the back of the front seats mount) and remove those then cut the floor in half. Then we can put the new floor in and weld the mount/brace back to the floor. The rear section of the floor only needs hammering in one spot and other than that is all good. The transmission cross member really crumpled the front section of the floors. I also found 2 for sale signs inside the drivers door, kinda cool to find! I included a picture of the one that actually had some neat info on, the other was pretty straight forward and only had the car model and phone number.

DynoDave43

iTrader: (11)

Ha! Those signs must have slipped inside the door past the glass. I'm surprised they weren't interfering with your power windows.

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

TBI.... H.O. that's funny

edpontiac91

iTrader: (2)

Hey, when you get this project finished, put all the photos together and fast forward them into a movie and call it TRANSFORMULA. Really, this is an amazing achievement to the love most of us have to these FBodys. The support you have from your family and friends (your girlfriend is awesome) cannot be overlooked. Without their help and knowledge, you would be lost. You could also check out some magazine publications and see if they would be interested in running a story on the REBIRTH of this Formula. LOL and keep us up to date!

DD9TransAmGTA

iTrader: (1)

The previous owners probably wondered where their signs had been going

The output must have been too high cause the original engine was toast

I actually have a slideshow of it so now all I have to do is add the new pictures to it . I'm thankful for everyone who supports me and helps me out for sure! I'd love to see the story in a magazine! Plus my dad has been in a couple himself so I have to catch up lol!!

FirebirdUSX

So if its fixed will you install SFC or how will you reinforce the floor back?I imagine after it was bent once the floor is less rezistent than before.

DynoDave43

iTrader: (11)

I wouldn't think so. This happens (repairing bent steel) every day in the collision industry. Adding reinforcements after a repair is not required. But in this case, we know the substantial benefits of adding SFCs. So that's just a bonus.

DD9TransAmGTA

iTrader: (1)

I'll make sure to post pictures when we start cutting, it'll be cut in a way to add strength when the pieces go together, I'll also do subframe connectors.

The doors are off and now I'm just waiting on clip! The grey firebird is in line to be dismantled so it shouldn't be too long. In the mean time I'm drilling the seat brace out since thats where the cars will be joined together. My girlfriend tore apart my front suspension so I can get it all painted up and replace what I need too

DD9TransAmGTA

iTrader: (1)

Got the seat mount/brace removed! Started getting stuff tore apart in the back so the rear end can come out

nascarhodge3

If it was Evil Knievel that hit my car he didn't walk away from that lol,whatever they hit it knocked the frame over in the rear.we used a stiff leg frame machine and had pull the rear back in line.it also took out the left rear tail light,lower rear spoiler,outer deck lid spoiler on the driver side and the rear bumper cover.of course when I started it was going to be oh I will just fix the dent throw a few parts on it and drive,yeah right.The car was that factory dark green metallic they had back in 91 and had been repainted long ago with a single stage acrylic.that snowball effect took hold needless to say full paint strip entire car and full color change respray base coat/clear coat I think they call it ultra blue metallic from a 86 Iroc.Anyway I learned how to bodywork on that car.true I got more into it than what the car is worth but I don't plan on selling it either.
I was amazed at how much force it takes to pull a 3rd gen straight you hear everyone say they are fragile don't put any power to them you will twist the car.biggest problem we had was attachment points to get enough pull on the car.

DD9TransAmGTA

iTrader: (1)

The rear end is pretty much ready to come out and be painted. I got some new hinges and pin kits so I can have nice non sagging doors when we fit the new clip. Which I should be getting soon. In the mean time I painted some suspension pieces hammer tone grey. The flash made it look alot brighter but its a nice darker grey

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

PurelyPMD

iTrader: (3)

THAT DID NOT JUST HAPPEN!!!

BTW, nice reinforcing on those A-Arms.

DynoDave43

iTrader: (11)

Oh, but it DID happen!

I was going to ask about those plates, too. I've seen that done on other cars before, but had not seen it on our 3rd gen cars. I was wondering if it was factory, until Purely asked.

DD9TransAmGTA

iTrader: (1)

Jeez, should have known that was coming


The bracing on those a arms really helped when pressing those new bushings in! The rear end is finally out after having to cut the nut off the passenger side control arm bolt. Time to order some adjustable rear suspension and sand the rear of the car.

DynoDave43

iTrader: (11)

Your T/A has been photobombed!

DD9TransAmGTA

iTrader: (1)

Haha! You'll have that when you work on stuff with a hooligan


The 86' Firebird parts car is going to be cut up most likely this week! I'll be getting basically half of it lol! My spot weld drill bit and 6 piece vice grip set showed up yesterday so I'm beyond ready to get started!

Fords88Bird

Looking forward to updates.

DD9TransAmGTA

iTrader: (1)

I'll be gone this weekend but half of that 86' Firebird Should be showing up today!

roadthrills

I see your girlfriends candy and soda in that one pic. You better put a stop to that or 20 years down the road she'll be 100 pounds heavier...............trust me!!

DD9TransAmGTA

iTrader: (1)

Finally an update! I rearranged the garage so the clip will fit in there nicely. It should be here tomorrow, today the donor car got cut!

DD9TransAmGTA

iTrader: (1)

The clip arrived today, me and my girlfriend started stripping it down! The car was very rust free, pretty satisfied with the floors

thtanner

iTrader: (1)

One must die so another can live, it seems.

DynoDave43

iTrader: (11)

A great start on a hood collection!

DD9TransAmGTA

iTrader: (1)

Pretty much! Atleast it didn't get a few parts picked off it then crushed like most thirdgens do!

No kidding! I have a Trans am hood, that S/E hood, and a formula hood! Now I don't know which hood I'll put on my GTA when it comes time to redo it

Tonight we started peeling it apart. Of course the bolts on the bottom of the fender were stubborn so I'll have to cut the heads off. The dash needs to come out next

DD9TransAmGTA

iTrader: (1)

The new clip is almost ready to be power washed and then the suspension can be removed! We got the dash out along with the heater and A/C stuff. The drivers fender is still on only because I need to cut the bolt head off. It's always the bolt on the bottom of the fender that gives me trouble. Its either frozen, needs that section bent back down, or both. I will probably only need the K member and front sway bar, the rest of the suspension will be brand new or stuff I saved off mine. The front sway bar is a 34mm but that really doesn't bother me cause I plan on installing the wonderbar/steering brace also.

DynoDave43

iTrader: (11)

Dude, you had BETTER get some photos up here of YOU working on the car. So far, all the wrench turning I've seen has been by your girlfriend!

P.S. She's doing great work.

edpontiac91

iTrader: (2)

IF you can CLONE HER, I'am first in line with a deposit! Plus, you put the car into her name, since she's doing MOST of the work.

DD9TransAmGTA

iTrader: (1)

aaaaaand i'm back. I was sick for awhile but tonight we got the clip ready to be powerwashed!

$750 L98

Wow, good work! Makes me feel rather inadequate with my minor rust repairs!

PurelyPMD

iTrader: (3)

It's interesting that those floor pans are different. The one in your black car has ribs going across the transmission tunnel, while the replacement does not.

DynoDave43

iTrader: (11)

Good eye. I had not noticed those ribs in the original car. They are pretty substantial. That would have been quite a tooling change.

$750 L98

T-Top vs Hardtop. Either way, subframe connectors would definitely be good insurance.

DD9TransAmGTA

iTrader: (1)

I went out and looked at my 87' GTA which have the ribs also, it's a ttop. But my 88' is a C&C ttop car so it would be a hardtop from the factory correct? My car buckled at the first rib on the trans tunnel.

We got the clip powerwashed and started taking the suspension loose. I ordered a ton of suspension parts tonight, I went with eibach sportlines for springs. One big thing I ordered is S&W sub frame connectors, it looks like an awesome kit and will be perfect. I'm set on the color Tuxedo Black Metallic. Its a ford color popular in 2011 and around those years.

DynoDave43

iTrader: (11)

It's the perfect time to do it.

Sounds nice. But what's this ford you speak of? I'm not familiar with that brand.

$750 L98

Those subframes look pretty beefy, I have a set of UMI subframe connectors for mine, but I asked Midwest Chassis if they did 3rd gen connectors like their 4th gen connectors.

They are weld in only, but actually connect the subframes and don't connect to the LCA mount like most. I'm going to order a pair and try those, with a high stall TC and the LS swap I'm worried the bolt ins won't be enough.

http://www.midwestchassis.com/subframe-connectors.html

PurelyPMD

iTrader: (3)

So that's the difference in the body bracing the ribs across the trans tunnel? Interesting! I wonder if there are any other additions.

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

since both cars were hard tops when leaving the factory, I'd almost bet its just a strength or crumple zone update to the body from somewhere between 86 to 89. I'd think it would be cheaper to have only 1 floor pan die.
The black car has C&C aftermarket T-tops.