Greetings all, I'm new a newbie!

I was an import guy (vr6, Integra,...), Then last summer my buddy sold me his red TBI formula firbird for $2000, My first reaction, WHAT A PIECE OF S$#%! but it looks really cool.

Then One day I noticed I was driving a huge heavy car that didn't lean, FE3 susp,( thats odd my lighter VR6 leans like mad) then the kids at the shops around town were going nice car MR! The middle aged guys are giving me the thumbs up? what the F#$%?

I looked up some of the modifications possible,,, and read up on the RPO codes,,,, I WAS UN DENIEABLY HOOKED!

I am going to sell that drug to the next Rice victem because I just Picked up a 1991 TRANS AM GT dark green with beechwood interior!

mmmmmmmmmmmm posi.

My first newbie question,

I noticed the FE2 suspension was ALOT softer then my FE3 in my firebird hard top formula, What aftermarket springs would you recommend to drop the car slightly and give me back my FE3 ride or better?

And should i be concerned about the T-tops squeeking apart with a stiffer suspension?

 

First of all: welcome to the club.

Second: Hotchkis, Eibach, and Intrax are all springs that get good reviews on these boards. Do a few searches and you'll find plenty of info on them.

Third: If you're worried about your T-Tops, get some sub-frame connectors first. They'll stiffen up the body of the car and eliminate most body flex and whatnot, that can lead to leaky T-Tops. I have Spohn subframe connectors on my car, and highly recommend them.

 

First off welcome to third gens they are addicting, ricers always seem to think f bodies dont handle well. When in fact theyre one of the best handling american cars you can buy. Get some Polyurethane swaybar bushings and some subframe connectors and that car will handle like its on rails. Oh and Im pretty sure you mean Trans am GTA, there was never a Trans am GT

 

hey welcome to the 3rdgeniholics annon.... err, the board.
as far as springs go, i think scotty cvered the basic upgrades that alot of people have here. as far as leaking goes, i have a t-top car, and it has never leaked on me. now, the windsheild is a whoooole nother story. but then again, i just have a stock suspension minus the shocks.
welcome again!

 

First off, welcome to "the torque side"!

Next, I don't know how many salvage yards you have near you, but you might be able to find parts from cars that came with upgraded suspensions (most GTAs & some Formulas came with WS-6, Z-28s probably had something similar). If that doesn't work for you, there's a healthy aftermarket for these cars, so a set of Eibach (or similar) springs & swaybars should give you some noticeable improvement.

With regard to the flexing that you mentioned, the absolute best thing you could do there is to get a set of weld-in subframe connectors & have them installed ASAP. A lot of people have said that that was the best mod they've made, especially to a T-top car!

Good luck!
----------
Wow, three other replies while I was typing mine...

 

This website has a pretty good deal on springs and shocks/struts. Koni sports and Eibach Pro springs can be had for $785 combined, which is a pretty good price. Konis are top of the line and Eibach springs aren't that bad.

I second sub frame connectors. Spohn sells these. There are a few others but Spohn's are generally considered to be the best. If you want to go nuts and amaze your r1cer friends install an 8 point or 10 point roll cage. I recommend going 8 over 10 because you won't have to cut holes in your dash pad to install one. That will defiantly stiffen the hell out of the car. I’m installing an 8 point myself. If nothing else it will boggle their mind to see a cage in a car. Summitracing(dot)com sells these.

Swaybars are fun. Even if you have them you can always go bigger. They’re one of the things that will most directly impact how the car handles assuming everything else is up to par. WS6/z28 bars are the best and can be had for cheap at a junkyard. If you want new then Spohn sells them in chrome moly.

After these are done look into a nice set of z rated tires. They will really make you stick to the road.

 

thanks guys, i'll look into the shocks & springs deal on the site.

my car is currently stuck at the border, i have to wait for it to turn 15 years old to eliminate the BS, its only a few more weeks.


I have a guy making me subframe connectors (weld in) i need to replace the beechwood sail panels , sun visors and headliner.

So far a1 sounds bad and classic industries is $90 in shipping on one part.

I gues i have a few weeks to figure it out!