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Well I thought I'd start a build thread about this car some of you are already familiar with it from this thread went to buy Tahoe parts and bought a car
well now its legally mine as in titled to me and I have been gathering some parts to get it presentable and running. This will progress slowly
I know its not much to look at but it checks some of the good boxes to start with L98 low miles SLP dual air intake Tri-Y headers(although pretty well destroyed) even has a line lock on it yes I will play with that Oh and a 3.54 Dana 44 in it really want to get this up on my lift and get dirty with it
That looks like a pretty nice base to build on, especially being an L98. How is it in terms of rust? Hopefully the lack of ttops have helped keep mother nature from eating the floors
That looks like a pretty nice base to build on, especially being an L98. How is it in terms of rust? Hopefully the lack of ttops have helped keep mother nature from eating the floors
whats rust? I'm in Texas and we outlawed winter and salt and shovels and all that so we dont get the nasty stuff
really I didn't even look for any I bought this only for the air intake
Originally Posted by TTOP350
Glad to see this thread get going!
I know, was sitting and deciding what to do with it then been waiting getting title in my name been buying intakes and stuff I don't need yet
been thinking getting the Ebay headers??
so i was energetic last evening and decided to work on the interior the seats take a beating from the sun down here
so a while back i found some fresh meat at Pick n pull a 92 that i got some good stuff from one being the seat back also got pass seat and alot of damaged interior trim including a nice steering column
isn't that better? here's the column hack by someone so much damage I figured that the $44 column from PnP seemed more cost effective
so the rest of the interior is also in poor condition not sure what can be done with the door panels hope theyre repairable - hoping the material can be stretched back?
and the poor dash very symmetrically split -already have that covered in my inventory, is there anything that can be done to prevent this?
lastly is the airbag top sides that have shrunk and broken the reinforcement - seems to be very common problem. Drew's decision to go without airbags is making me think.....
I think i have a good wheel like my 87 Trans Am has somewhere around here
open for suggestions to address some of these issues
The door panels can be fixed. Mine were doing the very same thing. I had to remove the tops and stretch/re-glue the fabric back down, then reinstalled the tops. The pal nut driver from Snap-On will make life easier removing the door panel tops.
The best thing you can do when you get a new dash pad is keep the car garaged, keep a vinyl protectant on it and always use a sunshade when you leave it parked somewhere in the sun. I use this stuff called Dazzle from Carbrite (they don't make it anymore), but ever since I've used this, I've never had a dash pad crack and they stay soft even in the winter. I only have a little left, maybe enough to do my 2 dash pads 4 more times. It lasts about six months, longer if using a sunshade anytime it's parked. I've heard of some guys using spa/pool cover vinyl protectant that you can buy at pool and spa supply shops. There's other products out there as well. I would not recommend armor-all as it tends to dry vinyl out.
It's funny how the little things can make such a difference. That back seat fix makes all the difference in the world. Kind of stinks that for years I never saved seat backs because they took up space. Now it'd make sense to have kept them around for future use.
One note on the steering wheel... Be careful when putting a non-airbag wheel on an airbag column. I've had a few encounters with the collar of the column rubbing the back of the steering wheel. It's usually minor, but it can be enough to drag on the steering wheel. Figure on the green bird, if it drags with the steering wheel torqued down, I'll just zip a bit off the column or the collar of the steering wheel hub until it clears. Haven't really gotten that far because the steering wheel is boxed up to protect the leather, and the column is propped up in a corner. If you're changing the column anyway, you might look for an 89 column just to prevent that issue. An earlier column is probably a better approach to deleting the airbag anyway since the earlier columns seem to have fewer issues.
I'd almost bet someone has torn the door panels off the top trim. Seems like most of the time when the cloth is baggy like that, it's from trying to tuck the door panel back under the trim. I'd start by pulling the panels and check out the holes across the top. If they're torn out, fix them first. Then see if the fabric will stretch back up to the top. If not, I'd probably try spritzing them with cool water and gently stretching while the cloth is wet. Might be able to dampen the cloth, stretch, apply glue between the cloth and backing, stretch and press the cloth down to the glue, and let the glue hold the cloth tight while it dries. Of course i'd probably clean the cloth well before trying to glue it back down since it'll likely move around a bit when you get it wet.
Man up here you could be looking at a 2014 and still need to check for serious rot, you guys have it lucky. Drew has a point though, I replaced the console lid in my car a few days ago and now I have to peek in the window every time I walk past the car just because it looks so damn clean now haha. I also ran in to the steering wheel issue when putting an 87 wheel on my other 91, but a quick trim and it's totally rub-free.
I grew up in Chicago burbs moved to Colorado in '76 and was amazed when i saw an older woman driving a rot free 57 wagon! its what you get used to. I moved to Texas after graduating HS in 78 when I bought a rough 69 Z28 RS car from an old Chicago neighbor still had 12 bolt discs original rear stripes and endura bumper 327 PG all for $450! I've been a F-body guy ever since.
As for steering wheel I'd be happy to stay with airbag if i could get one that hasn't shrunk at top like shown anyone have a good bag?
I will pull door panels off as I have to replace the lock cylinders car had no keys with it fun was getting rear hatch open to get that swapped out
While back I swapped in 7.5 10 bolt 3.73 with a gov lock unit WTH? anyone ever seen these in early cars? a buddy said he has seen a few. The rear that was in this will be gone through - 3.54 ratio is Fine but new clutches and bearings inspected the axles need to be fixed because some hack welded some 3" x 1/2" studs and some are not straight and some are loose and one had even come out.
this sure is a funny looking 10 bolt that came out of it
I think I'd be looking into a new pair of axle shafts. Not because they're really necessary, but more because it'd be a quick and easy work around that shouldn't cost a lot... And I like new parts.
It is, he knows, one of many reasons he bought the car. The D44 just happens to have 10 bolt holes in the cover like a 10bolt.
Actually, I bought it just for the air cleaner, the Dana wasn't realized till it came home- I was puzzled about the lug studs being so long and TTop350 gave me and education Thanks! I never would of dreamed it would have the 44- Lucky score for sure! this car also has perimeter SFCs and tubular LCA and PHB no wonder bar but I have one of those needing a home. I really want to get this up on my lift but I have another dead firebird in my shop that I'm waiting on a steering column for it. Its a 1969 that I'm cloning a Trans Am It, really is a priority that I want to get it running then can get it to the body shop. In the mean time I am piddling with this rough cob
Re: 90 Formula from derelict to street XXXXXXX Beater
So I pulled the worn drivers seat out and with the 17$ passenger seat from Pick N Pull, I removed the covers , scrubbed them then washed them in machine. Covers come off pretty easy talk about Velcro! It was my first try with hog ring pliers and actually they worked out better than I imagined they wood. The driver seat bottom foam was split so I re-glued it and added some extra 1" foam. I'm no pro for sure but I think it came out fine, at least its no eyesore
I had done the Pass seat cover on drivers seat on my 99 Trans am it was worn and split, found a good pass seat those covers were even easier than this one
I'd eventually like to find some light grey 4th gen seats for this but this will do for now
Re: 90 Formula from derelict to street XXXXXXX Beater
Nice! I vaguely remember that the seat is supposed to have a plastic cover or protector over the steel under the foam, to keep the steel from wearing through. But then the only reason I knew it was there was because the seat in question was worn down to the plastic. I need to do something similar on my Formula, starting to feel the frame under the cushion. Need to build it up before the cover gets worn.
Re: 90 Formula from derelict to street XXXXXXX Beater
thanks I think the 80's seats were pretty poor quality heck you cant get new bucket seat foam because its molded to the frame fourth gen seats are an improvement so I'm looking also pulled steering column out wanted to get it back in but this car has cruise and doner didn't whats up with that to swap them? I was going to remove clock spring, turn signal switch and replace lock cylinder the lower collar all but broke apart
also have to replace the sill plate too
also when I got column out somebody has been doing alot of electrical splicing so I need to find a wiring diagram for a 90 are there any archived on this site?
so I need to see whats been done and needs to be done better most splices I saw were soldered but no tape or heat shrink was done not impressed at all and disappointed
also shift lock cable wasnt connected to ignition switch either
Re: 90 Formula from derelict to street XXXXXXX Beater
Originally Posted by Drew
Nice! I vaguely remember that the seat is supposed to have a plastic cover or protector over the steel under the foam, to keep the steel from wearing through. But then the only reason I knew it was there was because the seat in question was worn down to the plastic. I need to do something similar on my Formula, starting to feel the frame under the cushion. Need to build it up before the cover gets worn.
Thanks Tuned performance I think I should probably buy the manual
whoa I found this site too third gen wiring diagrams
Originally Posted by QwkTrip
This car was somebody's toy and joy at one time. Makes you wonder how it ended up in a junkyard.
Qwk it wasn't in junkyard I found it a home mechanics house he was going to install an inline fuel pump up front (that's a no no) Its really going to be alot to get this right again.From what I gathered a previous owner passed and it was sold once or twice I spoke to last registered owners brother and he said he never had a red Firebird and the guy never returned my calls. this would make a better parts car than project so much neglect and rigging
somebody bought some nice stuff for this and then was forgotten
Re: 90 Formula from derelict to street XXXXXXX Beater
What year is your donor column from? If it's a later year column with the small cover under the tilt lever, you could pop off the cover and see if the plug for the cruise control stalk is there. If it's not, you'll have to swap the wiring from the other column. Or if it's an older column, use an earlier cruise stalk with the longer wiring harness. Then you could fish the wiring through the column, clip the old style connector off the end, and add terminals to fit the connector on the column.
The early cars have the cruise stalk wiring run all the way through the column and plug in under the dash. Later cars have the cruise stalk wired with the wiper switch. So to adapt the earlier stalk to the later car harness is just a matter of adding the terminals to the wiper switch connector.
Here's a later wiper switch, the small white plug is for the cruise stalk, and you can see where the thin wires end up at the bottom.
Re: 90 Formula from derelict to street XXXXXXX Beater
Maybe. Check and see if the cover below the tilt lever pops off, and look for the plug for the cruise switch. It looks from the book that the "Cap" #25 and the wiper switch are the only part numbers different between cruise/no-cruise. But I could be missing something in the details.
Re: 90 Formula from derelict to street XXXXXXX Beater
cant get it to pop off but I've got to get into column to replace lock cyl and that will be another day. funny if I didn't try to get it off it would probably fall off. this cover is also different from 90 to 92
Re: 90 Formula from derelict to street XXXXXXX Beater
90 to 92 use the same columns. I just used the 92 diagrams because the illustration actually has the part numbers labeled for 92, while the 90-91 diagram requires two more pages from the part number catalog to decode.
From looking at the 89, 90, and 92 diagrams, it's not so much that both columns use the same #24, and two different #25s... It's really that cruise control cars use #24 and #25, while apparently non-cruise cars from 90-up use the pre-1990 (aka 89 style) cap #25. The 89 style "cap" is one piece, while the 90-92 cruise control column uses a two piece "cap" & "plate".
So right now, your non-cruise 90-92 column has the "Cap" like #43 in the 89 diagram. And if I'm reading it right, you can remove the #24 & #25 "Plate" and "Cap" from your cruise column, and use them in place of the #43 Cap in the non-cruise column. That along with changing the wiper switch should 'convert' the column.
Re: 90 Formula from derelict to street XXXXXXX Beater
Oh hey, here's the entire parts list for the 1990 columns. Column 1 is Auto Trans, no Cruise Control. Column 2 is Auto Trans, Cruise Control. Column 3 is Manual Trans. You can go down the list, and compare the three columns and see exactly where the three columns vary.
Re: 90 Formula from derelict to street XXXXXXX Beater
Well I got into 92 column and it has no cruise wiring so I'm going to swap wiper switch and I don't know how to get it off plastic collar where it pivots there is a pin, tried tapping either way with no luck - any idea? tool is pointing to the pivot pin is I need to remove
heres a picture of 90 switch I need in 92 column
Re: 90 Formula from derelict to street XXXXXXX Beater
Ok looked at again decided to use skinny punch and one end of the pins sticks a little more than other so i used a deep socket to back up the damaged housing and it easily tapped out OK so then its loose from shroud took a while to get it out of the shroud but it does so now I have to snake right harness and all into the '92 column.
I hate! GM columns always twice as much work as you hoped for, all I needed to do was lock cylinder and switch Ugh!
Re: 90 Formula from derelict to street XXXXXXX Beater
my biggest pains are the rack assy (hoping I dont have to mess with that) and the linkage for the dimmer
whats bad with feeding the connector is there's also a airbag harness wire in there so its pretty tight in there and I only have to get it through the lower shroud
Re: 90 Formula from derelict to street XXXXXXX Beater
Ok column is pretty much together but broke this trying to get it out again
I dont get some of this, first time, it pulled right out. when attempted second time it ended up in 3-4 pieces (insert appropriate foul four letter words like F&%#, Mother, Lords name.... made me think of Drew's witty thing that I cant remember now ) anyway I'm over it now got harness where it should be used a coat hanger and pulled it down and still wasnt very cooperative. called dealer this AM and that thingy pictured has been discontinued even a/m part was at a vette resto shop NLA but I have the one out of '90 column and if it don't work ain't gonna have a key warning buzzer, sorry I tried.
I did order the books Tunedport listed above and they shop slowest possible way USPS book so It should be here by fall
one thing this and the 92 doner had I've never dealt with is the cable that goes to shifter at the yard I cut the cable with about 8" on the end of the column when I pulled column it wasn't even connected I'm not sure exactly how that's connected and adjusted? properly
proper tips for this will be appreciated
(Oh the dimmer switch piece above in post #38 is in but took way to long )
Re: 90 Formula from derelict to street XXXXXXX Beater
not alot of progress but I pulled rear out of the car a ways back and decided to pull the axles out and measure so I can check price of new axles VS repair the stud issue, someone had installed 1/2"x3" studs and welded them poorly so something has to be done. These are nice 30 spline axles not tapered like 10-12 bolts are I also will pull the carrier out and freshen up the clutches. after comparing these to the old 12 bolts I'd have to give advantage Dana!
I did measure these from wheel surface to tip and I got 30 1/2" and 29 5/8"
I started scraping the pumpkin so I can wire wheel it and prep for paint. In the Dana 44 sticky in drive train I questioned the 3 sets of holes for the lower arm mount and decided to hit that area with the wire wheel to see the bracket that was tig welded to the housing was well made and this housing was painted not bare metal I wonder if this was something that SLP did when selling these? whoever made these brackets and welded them did a nice job and I doubt a hot rodder could done these that nice, I know I couldn't anyway
Re: 90 Formula from derelict to street XXXXXXX Beater
Originally Posted by TTOP350
99.9% sure SLP didn't do that.
Hmm well I thought with this mod so nicely done that would have to be somebody like them. I mean this car sat for almost 20 years so it would of been done when new and most guys adding that wouldn't have Tig'd it and would A/M brackets fit the housing so well? had it been Mig'd I wouldn't think much about the modification as being more of a backyard job
Originally Posted by DynoDave43
Looks like that middle hole goes right through the weld...that's hard drilling.
funny I also thought about that - welds are a bitch to drill!
Re: 90 Formula from derelict to street XXXXXXX Beater
Originally Posted by zman1969
Hmm well I thought with this mod so nicely done that would have to be somebody like them. I mean this car sat for almost 20 years so it would of been done when new and most guys adding that wouldn't have Tig'd it and would A/M brackets fit the housing so well? had it been Mig'd I wouldn't think much about the modification as being more of a backyard job
funny I also thought about that - welds are a bitch to drill!
It's something that really could have been done by anyone (even SLP but I'm betting against that), a race team, tech school? Most people buying these parts back then when new weren't backyard types.
Re: 90 Formula from derelict to street XXXXXXX Beater
Originally Posted by TTOP350
It's something that really could have been done by anyone (even SLP but I'm betting against that), a race team, tech school? Most people buying these parts back then when new weren't backyard types.
OK didn't think about that angle, when these rears were readily available what was the going rate for one? I don't remember seeing much about them back in the 90's
nothing to update on progress but I'm on vacation next week and will try to get a day or two in..
Re: 90 Formula from derelict to street XXXXXXX Beater
Sometime around 1998 I almost bought a brand-new Dana 44 from Summit Racing for $800. That was the closeout sale price when they were dumping the last of the inventory. Normally the price was quite a bit more.
12-22-2018, 01:20 AM
here's the column hack by someone so much damage I figured that the $44 column from PnP seemed more cost effective 
If you're changing the column anyway, you might look for an 89 column just to prevent that issue. An earlier column is probably a better approach to deleting the airbag anyway since the earlier columns seem to have fewer issues.
fourth gen seats are an improvement so I'm looking also pulled steering column out wanted to get it back in but this car has cruise and doner didn't whats up with that to swap them? I was going to remove clock spring, turn signal switch and replace lock cylinder the lower collar all but broke apart 
