Well, not much news about the Trans Am, haven't told many the story yet.
I got the car, it needed lifters and a pushrod. I did the lifters and new pushrod and drove the car for a while. I was driving around and the car overheated pretty bad. I get it home with no issues so I refill, pressure test, and find a hose leak. Replace the hose, refill and go to drive it again. Turns out I get left stranded about 30 miles from home. Got it trailer'd home. Come to find I blew a headgasket.
Now for those of you who know me, I can't tear anything down, and just replace parts. I did rebuilt heads, 1.6 roller rockers and a full valvetrain, long tube headers and full exhaust, and a bunch of odd's and ends. Took me a while, but it's finally back together.
Here are the pics:
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n184/Tbird232ci/Trans%20Am/P6260040.jpg)
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n184/Tbird232ci/Trans%20Am/P6260041.jpg)
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n184/Tbird232ci/Trans%20Am/P6260039.jpg)
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n184/Tbird232ci/Trans%20Am/P6260045.jpg)
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n184/Tbird232ci/Trans%20Am/P6080027.jpg)
Nice car
Been waiting for those pics.. :D
Chevy. Garbage.
Mercury is teh win. Teh kat can NEVA LOOZE. I will race you for pinks, bitch.
awesome man! glad to hear you got it all back together
Looks good :) Where are the burnout pics?
Very nice, Shawn, glad to see the hard work has paid off for you.
And I couldn't resist...this one's for you. (http://"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFUislmG9Co")
Maybe when I get tires on my other wheels, I'll burn these off a bit. For now, I need the thing to last with minimal investment.
I do with I had a way to get sound clips, it sounds pretty mean when I get on it. It's fun having a car with instant torque.
Looks nice:D You have some fancy valve covers;)
You've never had a 5.0 HO T-bird? I thought you did at one point.
Nice Shawn! I have always liked those Trams ams. love the ram air hood..
I always liked those Trans Ams the only thing I heard sucked on the LT1 cars was the Duraspark, that and that stupid skip shift (You can bypass that tho).
Nice car man.
:rollin::rollin::rollin:
This guys got jokes! I cant think of anyone on where that minimal investment would apply to. Replace things the way you want them the first time or its just a waste of money is my mind set
The thought of changing heads in that car makes me wanna head for the hills. :hick:
New sig;)
just because that is your mind set, doesnt mean it is anybody elses... Or that they can afford that :hick: hell do you think I would be using a T5 in my standard conversions... NOPE would prefer a T56 6 speed, but funds dont allow it... which Im willing to bet shawn needs the car to last so he can save some coin...
Lou, I haven't had a running HO Thunderbird yet, but I've had a Stang. It has NOTHING on the torque this car has. I can be in third gear, at 1300 rpms, punch it, and it just noses up and goes. It doesn't flinch, it doesn't bog, nothing. On the highway in 5th, I never have to downshift to pass people.
DVP, when I say minimal investment, I mean breaking and fixing it. I just want it to be durable enough to last me a few years. If I break something, I upgrade yes, but I don't want the "forced investment" of surprise repair costs.
86XR7project, luckily for me, the car had a brand new Optispark put on it about 300 miles before I got the car. Previous owner dumped 2500 bucks into the Opti, pushrods, plugs, wires, and fixing the window. Ended up bending another pushrod and that's when I scooped it up. The skip shift is long gone. I spent the 15 bucks to get the eliminator after a week of having the car.
RJ is right, I need this bugger to last. I need to save up money. Planning on moving to Ohio in the middle of 2011, and I have to straighten my credit, get my Thunderbird rolling, and be able to afford to move by then.
The beauty o the LT1 Trans Ams is the fact they actually have good torque AND decent gearing; something most fox vehicles were lacking from the factory.
Those 48 extra ci can make a big difference ;)
I never really want for instant torque with my 306 but I have 3.73 gears, which helps a bit.
looking good!
Niiice, you really lucked out indeed! I had a buddy that had a LT1 6Spd Z28 Camaro and I got to drive it one day I must say I am really quite impressed with the power they have. What I don't like it the crazy small engine bay and their odd interior (Ingress is easy, egress is a different story alltogether). I wouldn't mind having one as a playtoy one day but I don't think my GM buddies would let me live it down after making fun of them for so long! :rolling:
I agree with the odd interiors. The Camaros didn't get nearly as an attractive interior as the Firebirds. I lucked out also because 97 was the first year for my console, which is much nicer looking and has the space where I mounted my gauges. The previous years had some goofy console you couldn't do much with.
Today's agenda is to get the gauges wired up, maybe change the fuel filter, and test fit the wheels I have for it. The tires will be brutal, so it will be a while before I get them on the car, but test fitting will at least excite me.
So I haven't done much with the car other than cleaning things up. This time around I pulled the door molding and Trans Am emblems off of the doors. It really cleans up the look of the car.
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n184/Tbird232ci/Trans%20Am/P7150056.jpg)
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n184/Tbird232ci/Trans%20Am/P7150048.jpg)
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n184/Tbird232ci/Trans%20Am/P7150054.jpg)
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n184/Tbird232ci/Trans%20Am/P7150058.jpg)
looking good!! :burnout::burnout::burnout::burnout::burnout:
I have always liked the looks of them.....especially without the ugly ram air hoods
Needs to be a touch lower. Eliminate the gap a bit in the wheel well and I think it'd be perfect.
fixed that for ya.... LOL
if I ever get one of those, it has to have that hood...
LOL
I just think there is too many curves with that hood in place, just looks funny....
I'm not a huge fan of the ram air hoods either but if you have a newer TA you have to have it ;)
Nice TA a friend of mine had one. He took me for a ride in it and you're right about the torque! It defenately set you back in your seat.
I did see a WS-6 today that was pretty badass, even with the ram air hood lol
I just don't particularly like the ram air hoods on these cars. If it came with it, it wouldn't come off, but I won't spend the outrageous money for a hood, then the airbox to make it functional, then getting it painted.
This thing has been great. Haven't invested much time into it, or money since its been up and running. The next investment will probably be tires since I have some wheels for it. Tires are not cheap by any means.
I just don't particularly like the ram air hoods on these cars. If it came with it, it wouldn't come off, but I won't spend the outrageous money for a hood, then the airbox to make it functional, then getting it painted.
This thing has been great. Haven't invested much time into it, or money since its been up and running. The next investment will probably be tires since I have some wheels for it. Tires are not cheap by any means.