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Was messing around with Ebay auctions this past week, when I threw out a random low ball bid on a 83 Daytona Trans Am with 77k miles. Looked at my phone yesterday, when my notifications popped up a "Congratulations, Pay now" message. So to my shock I now own a beat up 77k mile Daytona, and I have no idea what to do with it. Its a very original car, its almost all there. Even still has the Cross-Fire in it. As you can see its really beat but I think It still has alot of life left in it. Biggest concern is rust. But at the price I paid, It's still a win in my book.
Looks like about 75% of the 83 Daytona's I've ever seen. Seems like the 82 Indy Z and the 83 Daytona largely just got used as cars. I've never seen a thrashed 93 Indy, but the early thirdgen pace cars almost always seem well used.
What always scares me about these cars, along with 84 15th Ann cars is the specific parts. It looks like the fender emblems are both there, and it's still got the Recaros, and the wheels... Hope the caps come with it, I could imagine them being hard to come by. I think if I were going to actually drive it, I'd be tempted to find a set of convex turbo slot 16's and have them painted white, then have the originals for shows or safely tucked in storage.
Rust isn't that big a deal, it's just metal. I think I'd probably do a stingy cosmetic resto, throw away everything under the hood, and drop in a domesticated 350, with a carb and a 84 HO aircleaner setup. Nicely built 700R4, semi-quiet exhaust... Make it enjoyable. To me, I'm not sure that the cost/benefit would work out to really do a stock restoration. But I'm really happy to see a car like this find a good home, it deserves to be saved. I just wouldn't feel the least bit bad about digging a small hole somewhere and giving that CFI drivetrain a tasteful burial.
I don't have high hopes for those floors, looks like that interior has been damp for a while.
I came across one of these a few years ago in a junk yard, had a couple interior trim pieces remaining and the hood. Seats were gone... No wheels either. I wanted to take everything I could off that car just to save the hard to find parts.... Should have taken the fender emblems I guess.
Hope you can properly dig in to this car, it's worth the work!
I will most likely Swap out the Drive train. That is kinda the plan with this one. Which goes against my normal way of doing things. It all depends on if I really want to mess with the Cross fire. I have my 86 Trans Am that is getting more and more extreme every year. My Iroc is going to go a very similar route as the 86. This car is kinda like the odd ball out. I already have my "Not so crazy but still crazy" cars that I am building. I am having issues with the seller at the moment due to how he is hesitant to ship the car/Send the title until paypal releases the money paid for the car. Which is reasonable, but still kinda frustrating. Just Gotta wait now. I have shipping, and storage set up for the car. Its Crazy that we live in a world where a seller is worried to trust a buyer, and the buyer is worried to trust the seller. Especially when we are backed by paypal and ebay. If it wasn't for my job, I would have just took a road trip to pick up the car myself. Anyways, I really want to get a 84 15th car or a 84 Recaro Trans Am as well. Its gonna happen, also just gotta wait. I did not bid a lot. The 25k situation was we were trying to see what we could do with shipping through ebay, so he reslisted it. The floors are not bad at all. Its just the drivers door that was Bad. The car was left in a single car drive in shed.
I think if I were going to actually drive it, I'd be tempted to find a set of convex turbo slot 16's and have them painted white, then have the originals for shows or safely tucked in storage.
So I got the car home today. Shippers moved crazy fast only took 2 days time. She is rough. How rough I do not know yet. My father said there was some decent rust holes in the car but he is usually over dramatic. Anyways, my good friend is going to look at the car for me and tell me how bad it is. From obvious observations, I know that the interior is done. Not too big of a deal. I feel like the plastics can be saved, and redone, but the dash pad, Steering wheel, carpet, and sadly recaros are beat. The recaros can be saved but yall know how expensive they are to get redone (Now I have like 7 sets of them). I can only imagine the state of the wiring harness, And rare daytona cluster. It has its rust issues. Look in the pictures. Worried about all the common areas. Don't wanna kill this car. Don't wanna body swap it. But it may have to be. Needs fenders, hood, and front bumper. I have a decent hood off a different daytona, and a real rare 83 2 line dash pad with no cracks. That's about it from my collection. Since the deal is done, and she is home, I can now say that I only paid 720 for the car. Shipping...........shipping was a 1000.
So I got the car home today. Shippers moved crazy fast only took 2 days time. She is rough. How rough I do not know yet. My father said there was some decent rust holes in the car but he is usually over dramatic. Anyways, my good friend is going to look at the car for me and tell me how bad it is. From obvious observations, I know that the interior is done. Not too big of a deal. I feel like the plastics can be saved, and redone, but the dash pad, Steering wheel, carpet, and sadly recaros are beat. The recaros can be saved but yall know how expensive they are to get redone (Now I have like 7 sets of them). I can only imagine the state of the wiring harness, And rare daytona cluster. It has its rust issues. Look in the pictures. Worried about all the common areas. Don't wanna kill this car. Don't wanna body swap it. But it may have to be. Needs fenders, hood, and front bumper. I have a decent hood off a different daytona, and a real rare 83 2 line dash pad with no cracks. That's about it from my collection. Since the deal is done, and she is home, I can now say that I only paid 720 for the car. Shipping...........shipping was a 1000.
That's gonna be a lot of work/money, unless u swap a lot of stuff, u have a lot of courage best wishes
Awesome find. Too many of these get parted out and it's cool to find a car that means something to you. I first test drove a Daytona when I was 17. Followed my MSE all over AZ until it was wore out enough to where the owners didn't want a mint for it. Time and money, and the fun starts when those come together. I think the normal black bowling ball caps will work, the Daytona's just had a silver Pontiac center emblem. Other than the wheel, I think the most rare items on the car is the fender emblems and the floor mats. Good luck on the build.
I really like your MSE. My buddy wants to find one of the rare IROC MSE cars. Been looking for like 10 years only found one. Not for sale. What was the Talon suspension? What did it consist of?
Last edited by t/aws61985; Feb 9, 2018 at 11:02 PM.
I really like your MSE. My buddy wants to find one of the rare IROC MSE cars. Been looking for like 10 years only found one. Not for sale. What was the Talon suspension? What did it consist of?
I had a buddy here in AZ that sold this one about a year or so ago. We will see them come up here intermittently.
Talon Suspension was Koni Red shocks, urethane bushings, a droop strap limiter (cable that keeps the wheels close to the body so the rear springs don't pop out when quick changing a tire) and sometimes stiffer springs and roll bars but not always.
Just a little update. So my dad had time to move the 83 out of the center of the barn. The right rear brake caliper was so frozen/rusted to the bracket that he just cut it off. On top of that, he tried to jack the car up from a wrong spot under the car.....and it went through the floor. Then he tried the same at the rear.....and it went though the floor. I think the car is done guys.
When I saw the rust hole in the top I shuddered, that was the death sentence. Buying cars online is a crap shoot for sure. Might still come out on that one but take some work to get the stuff sold. Can't believe the POs would let the car get in that condition.
At this point its whatever. If you add up all the rare parts, then scrap/whats left that I can sell. I will be even. I know people who I can get chucks of these cars from for super cheap. The question is should I.
A true Road Warrior would get some old street signs from his cousin at the DOT, and some panel bond, make it solid across the bottom, seal up the holes, give it a wash and go cruise it with all that perfect neglectina...
I don't think I could leave it alone, and I wouldn't want to sink the money into it. Looks like it's in a safe place, maybe let it sit, and keep an eye on the usual places for autos and auto accessories to be swapped and try to find another Daytona, and use the parts off this one to fix the other.... Er something.
I see a car like that and I can imagine cruising around when it was new, summer evening, T-tops off, stereo up a bit, checking out the girls, living the dream. Darn shame.
A true Road Warrior would get some old street signs from his cousin at the DOT, and some panel bond, make it solid across the bottom, seal up the holes, give it a wash and go cruise it with all that perfect neglectina...
My only true wish in life is to die, Victorious, shiny and chrome, on the Fury Road.
Well, Thats that. I was able to get some time to come home. She was way too far gone. Floor was so thin I tore the recaros out mostly by hand. Was only able to take 3 of the 4 daytona wheels off the car. The 4 was so stuck it was beyond gone. Dropped all 3k pounds of the car on one wheel with no lugs. Did not budge. Got all the daytona stuff besides for that one wheel. Found a parking ticket from December of 92 in chicago under the seat. Was in a really bad neighborhood. From what I can put together the car was repossessed then sold to someone in new york. She had a really rough life. There was nothing I could do. Even the vin plate was just a bunch of flakes. At least I was able to give it a proper death. Probably the Nicest thing someone has done for that car in a very long time.
Last edited by t/aws61985; Jun 15, 2018 at 01:17 AM.
Give that one wheel some good wacks from behind, It'll come off, Big Rubber Mallet to start, working up to the Grand Daddy Sledge if need be.. Set of 4 is aways better than just 3.
I'm surprised you found a car that cheap in California. I hate living here. Everybody wants gold for trash. Even the junk yards are pricey. Plus the state is so dang big it takes forever to get from A to B. I'm struggling to find parts for this 86 Digital dash car I bought. Some of the Yards have decent stuff. But I would still prefer the mom and pop yards from back home, where I can get a whole interior for like a hundred bucks.
). I can only imagine the state of the wiring harness, And rare daytona cluster. It has its rust issues. Look in the pictures. Worried about all the common areas. Don't wanna kill this car. Don't wanna body swap it. But it may have to be. Needs fenders, hood, and front bumper. I have a decent hood off a different daytona, and a real rare 83 2 line dash pad with no cracks. That's about it from my collection. Since the deal is done, and she is home, I can now say that I only paid 720 for the car. Shipping...........shipping was a 1000. 
