1982 Mecham Racing Trans Am #36
 

Added this to the collection around Christmas. However 2 days later I suffered some serious damage to my residence. So I have been busy. To say the least. The car has the GIT Kit level two. Meaning the basic kit plus true duel exhaust from Mecham. Level 3 added a cam swap. Boosting power up to 330 hp. The P.O added some 2nd gen Recaros which are in insane shape.
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Re: 1982 Mecham Racing Trans Am #36
 

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.thi...5634248704.jpg

Re: 1982 Mecham Racing Trans Am #36
 

Sweet car!

Re: 1982 Mecham Racing Trans Am #36
 

Nice addition to your collection! When you have a chance, could you post some pics of the true duals? I’m just curious to see them. Thanks

Re: 1982 Mecham Racing Trans Am #36
 

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Re: 1982 Mecham Racing Trans Am #36
 

Here are some picture of my car. These I took from my website I'm working on. You can see the true duels coming out of the tri-y headers (yes, a decade before SLP). OEM mufflers, and even a H pipe from MSE. Some very impressive turns. I will post a git git level 1 car without true duels in the next post

Re: 1982 Mecham Racing Trans Am #36
 

Re: 1982 Mecham Racing Trans Am #36
 

Oem set up with MSE tri-y headers and Y pipe. As you can see the OEM cat back turns into 2 pipes after the rear end. Where MSE LVL 2 was true duels

Re: 1982 Mecham Racing Trans Am #36
 

Great example.

You're going to have to go down Route 66 to Pontiac, MI and get yourself a small museum space near the Pontiac Transportation Museum to show these things off!

Sorry to hear about the home damage. I had a small garage fire 2 years ago, from which I am still recovering, spending all my free time (including this weekend) out int he shop, trying to restore it to the condition it was before the fire.

Re: 1982 Mecham Racing Trans Am #36
 

That’s a really nice Mecham car, those seats really tie it together. Very few talk about the performance of these, that’s a lot of power for the 80s.

Re: 1982 Mecham Racing Trans Am #36
 

Cool car! How many MSEs do you own now??
I'd love to have one someday, but first I need a bigger garage. Only have a 2 car and it's filled with 2 thirdgens. For now I'll just have to settle for my custom build having an original MSE rear spoiler.

Re: 1982 Mecham Racing Trans Am #36
 

I live close to Pontiac, IL so theres that lol. Hopefully you had a better experience with your home insurance than I did. Smh people are crazy.

Re: 1982 Mecham Racing Trans Am #36
 

I'm working on a MSE archive website as we speak. I have almost every document they put out. Gonna make sure these cars get the light they deserve. Mecham paved the way for everything 80s f body and more.

Re: 1982 Mecham Racing Trans Am #36
 

Currently 3. Owned 6.
​​​​​Also have 2 clones in working on right now. A daytona MSE clone (only 2 real ones made), and a 15th anniversary MSE car (never produced). Basically just collecting all the MSE Aesthetic parts. Adding them to the Special editions. The daytona has the wheels off the 1 of the 2 real Daytonas however.

82-36
83-123
86-12

If you ever want to part with the wing lmk.
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Re: 1982 Mecham Racing Trans Am #36
 

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Re: 1982 Mecham Racing Trans Am #36
 

Number 83-0073 is available in the Twin Cities

Re: 1982 Mecham Racing Trans Am #36
 

Well Aware. I have had a pretty good conversation with the guy. If I wasn't going through home renovations, it would be mine.

Re: 1982 Mecham Racing Trans Am #36
 

Nice MSE. Glad to see it's still in nice condition. I used to own this car. Bought it in '96 and sold it around early '02 ish.. It's been a while. My wife and I were just talking about it, the exhaust had the best sound of all the cars I've owned. I had to look and see if it popped up anywhere. Found this post and had to comment.

Looks to be in about the same condition with the exception of the seats and the wreath added to the pillar.

Re: 1982 Mecham Racing Trans Am #36
 

That's honestly wild. Small world. I found out while cleaning it up that it has a Mecham 350/TH350. Called Dennis Mecham to confirm it was them who did the work. I removed all the later 83+ decals from the car, and cleaned up the engine bay. There is a ac delete box bolted up in there right now but I plan to go vintage air. But for now everything is gone. I have a OEM block off plate for the ac controls and AC delete vent covers I need to install when I remove all the HVAC and heater core junk from under the dash. Here are some pictures of some paperwork I found while looking for the build sheet one afternoon. I plan to repaint the engine and clean everything up more. Just a time thing. The wing I replaced with a black one off 1982-#47. A car I used to own but was just a MSE sticker car with no mods whatsoever. My Friend owns it now, and he wanted a red wind. Win/win as I wanted the black wing back. Makes it True to the factory 82 cars with the black pedestal wing. The only rust on the car was the battery tray which was good as I wanted to install a 4th gen coolant tank under it. PM me your phone number if you like to talk
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about the car

Re: 1982 Mecham Racing Trans Am #36
 

It is a small word, I've tried searching a couple times to see where this ended up. If found one other thread, but the site went down. I keep wondering if it's the same car. Small details tell me it is. I remeber the armrest curling, the cracked screw holes near the number plate and funny enough the clamper around the echaust to keep them from vibrating. Does it still have a Clifford Alarm and Kenwood CD player?

I wondered about the decals. From my research after I thought the early cars didn't have the wreath since that was pre SCCA wins. Interesting about the wing. I was the 3rd owner, second owner had it most of it life until '96. From there info the wing was always red. I did have the car repainted in '97 when I lived in Az where I bought it. Everything was the was it was "oringinally" with the exception of small black and silver stripes underlining the MSE emblem on the B pillar.

Funny you mention finding paper work.. Not sure I want to mention... I used to have all the paper work from Mecham when it was ordered. Receipts for the Git Kit and everything else. It's a shame that all that was lost. I'll have to search for pics I have of it. Pre digital camera days, but I may have some scanned.

Re: 1982 Mecham Racing Trans Am #36
 

I removed the alarm system as my plan was to make it as simple and clean as possible. Plus my buddy really really wanted it for sentimental reasons. So I took it all out for him minus the light on the dash. So the car did have the stripes under the badges on the sails? Any info you have even old pictures of you and the car would be great.

Re: 1982 Mecham Racing Trans Am #36
 

Nice addition!

Just curious about moddern mods vs originality.
with them being what they are, wouldn't originality win over or are they not original enough to worry about?
not knocking or bashing, just genuinely curious because i have noooooo clue about them an market values

Re: 1982 Mecham Racing Trans Am #36
 

Well, It really comes down to this. The Mecham cars were enthusiast cars built by an enthusiast. They truly, even in their most base form, were front runners of all thirdgen cars. Even if they don't get the credit for it. Most of the crazy updates they made on the 82-92 cars, GM borrowed from mecham racing. If you ever have the opportunity to talk to Dennis Mecham it would be a eye opener to most, and just a confirmation of things to some. My point of this is that they were never ment to be "stock" or "original". Of course if it's a mecham racing car you would like it to have have all the key eye catching things such as the wing and steering wheel. However not much is known on these cars so the value of them is purely based on the small group of people who are in the know of what they actually are. Myself I keep them true to what they are in the idea of keeping all the Main MSE options there. I own a almost complete collection, and I am currently working on a archive/informative website on these cars. What makes them beautiful is they are better than anything GM ever put out, still affordable because people are ill informed, and features incredible features. We don't talk "value" or OEM here. It isn't about that. Wrong group of people. We don't do it for the money. They are thirdgen history for the real thirdgen enthusiasts. Who truly want the best thirdgens. The last Mecham Magnum IROC has a Tram on it, the OE tuned port is gone and I couldn't be happier

Re: 1982 Mecham Racing Trans Am #36
 

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I was able to find some pics. This was just after I purchased it, maybe a week or two. Shortly after these pictures were taken it was stolen from the parking where I worked, Luckily it was recovered and no major damage was done. Mostly steering column and dent on the passenger fender from a police cruiser.

Re: 1982 Mecham Racing Trans Am #36
 

Those are absolutely incredible, Thank you. Happy to see that she has made it this long so close to how she came. Seems like I have changed more than the last owners lol. I will be sure to add the stripes back to the sail panel.

Re: 1982 Mecham Racing Trans Am #36
 

I sent you a pm with my contact info

Re: 1982 Mecham Racing Trans Am #36
 

Any one know the specs of the Mechman 305 engines,especially the cam duration and cam specs were? I saw one of these in a Alamogordo GM dealer, and tired everything to get it. That engine had a lope and some power for the late 80's.

Re: 1982 Mecham Racing Trans Am #36
 

I have a website for the MSE/Macho/Magnum 80s cars I have been building for some time. But heres the short of it. They were not all the same. Not even close
In 1982, There were 5 levels
1. Stock with nothing done
2. OEM 305 with Git kit (Holley 4 Barrel, Edelbrock intake, Tri-y Headers/ Y-pipe, Champion Plugs, Mallory Distributor/coil) 175 HP (50 over stock)
3 Git Kit Level 2 (Everything above but with true duel exhaust) 200-215 HP (90 over stock) (Seen/own articles saying both numbers)
4.Git kit level 3 (Everything above but with a cam and gear swap. 300 HP (175 over stock)
5. Macho 5.7L Engine Swap with everything above HP unknown.

Here's the thing, in 1982 the Macho 5.7 was not a advertised thing. It came out in 1983. Seeing a macho 5.7 swap car before 1984-1986 is very rare. I talked with Dennis on this. The R for example on the center console doesn't just mean red it means replica. I asked him if he did 350 swaps in the 82s. He told me only a few. He was shocked that I had a red one with all that it has as the Red replica cars were just supposed to be appearance cars. But here she sits.

Also, the so called "Cam and gear swap " cars which ARE mentioned in magazine articles from the time. I personally believe to be 350 cars. No way you are making 300 HP out of a 82 305 with those heads (in my opinion). But anything is possible.

I have not pulled the cam to check. However, A buddy of mine with a 1984 Macho 5.7 car had his 350 rebuilt. The cam that was in there was A Clay Smith H-6474-4-B. He bought the car new with the 350 in there. Only cam spec I was ever able to find. Not many 350 cars made. However. #36 is one of them.

Also good to note is that all true H.O engine swaps got a updated trans. In the later years the H.O auto was a TH350. The Macho 5.7 Swap became standard in 1984. 85-86 production was 2x cars per year. The 406 was then, the true most H.O engine produced (Non experimental that is). Car 1985-#3 recently poped up. With a 406 with the performance Trans. Which is a TH350. Rather rat hole of a way to find info. But what we can find is what makes the trend. Which only helps to authenticate #36 with its Macho 5.7 Th350 swap. As the Th200 couldn't handle the 1982 305, Let alone a Git kit 350. Th350 was needed.

Re: 1982 Mecham Racing Trans Am #36
 

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Re: 1982 Mecham Racing Trans Am #36
 

There's a sneak peak from my site. Which will be the largest collection of MSE info out here. There's the article proving the cam and gear swap with hp numbers and a picture of my buddies cam