TO ALL PONTIAC FIREBIRD TRANS AM CAR ENTHUSIASTS:

Some of you might recall me coming in here around October/November 2007 saying that I had lost control of my 1995 Pontiac Trans Am. The impact is on the driver's side quarter panel, but spread throughout that whole side. I said I no longer considered myself worthy to drive it if I fixed it. Well after careful thought and words of encouragement I convinced myself that I will fix it and get it running again, but keep it for myself. You see when I got my first car I did not know what to get. So I started analyzing myself and tried to find a car with a similar name that would fit my personality. After my brother suggested a Trans Am and looking at it I was convinced which is how I got it. But now my Bird is down, his back is broken and remains in critical condition. The work it needs is substantial and plenty and now that I have cash to fix it up, the misson has commenced. This car took me on some awesome flights and for me to just put it aside and get another one is simply black and white, unethical. It's about reciprocity here, the bird made me feel good and now it's my turn.

I would like to call up the assistance of all F-body owners in here to aid me in my endeavour. This is literally a project or segment I would like to name: "TRANS AM RESSURECTION". I will keep everyone posted with pictures now that I got photobucket and my sony cybershot figured out to load up pics. So for the sake of organization, I would like to reserve this thread and dedicate it to my car and all of you who will supplement me with valuable information because you can't find this type of knowledge just anywhere.

Here is just some of the replacing/fixing that will need to be done:

driver's side axle shaft
new axle seals and bearings
maybe the spool, or otherwise the spider gear (when i removed the diff. cap, i saw the C-lock bent and a spring running loose)
driver's brake caliper and bracket
driver's disc rotor (getting both new for driver's and passenger's)
c-lock
3 rims
driver's quarter panel
driver's rocker panel
driver's floor pan
driver's door
driver's window
driver's T-top
hatch window
small portion of spoiler
rear lights
new gas cap
transmission shift gear selector cable
power steering pump
still need to diagnose the steering
realign spring on passenger side

So there are some questions that will arise when I am looking for parts. For example, would an axle shaft from a junkyard compromise the differential, meaning can it get worn out or should I replace both? Also under the Summit catalog there is this device that eliminates the need for c-locks, anyone had any experience with this? questions like that is what I am talking about. Oh yeah and you all are also welcome to request for pictures for any reason per say if you need to make an explanation or see something for yourselves. By friday for sure I will have pics ready and up load them so you can see how my TA looks right now. Anybody know if there is a limit to the number of pics I can load up?

Until then,
xXGhosTBirDXx

Okay here it is...heart breaking


this is a couple of hours after I lost control


Passenger side is almost intact


here is the engine, I need to breathe life into it


bumper came off whole, exhaust tips and left flowmaster pipe bent


axle shaft broken


this is where i slammed into a wooden light post, even the drum and brake caliper broke


damage from down below


this is what I am talking about, one of these spring came loose, does not look broken though.
what is that part specifically called? And do you suppose it needs replacement.

I got a price quote from this dude yesterday, looks like he can take care of it.Wait until how it looks and the price tag he gave me.
what do you all think? Should I have lived? Never driving this beast the same way that is for sure.
-xXGhosTBirDXx

rear axle with need realignment, spring shifted


rear axle shot


my exhaust pipes and driveshaft

Whew. You walked away from that? Wow!

From what I have seen, you will need a few of the following:

1. I would just replace the rear differential. You do not know if the axle tubes are bent or anything is damaged in the housing. A good aftermarket will last longer than stock, can get it with the brake setup already installed with the c-clip eliminators and any gears you want.
2. The torque arm that runs along the driveshaft needs to be replaced. You can get an aftermarket one, heck, might be your best bet.
3. The panhard bars that locate the differential will both need replaced. Both stronger than stock and will improve handling.
4. The stabilizer on the rear looks to be bent as well. Check that out.
5. The transmission cross member looks bent as well. Check that out too.
6. I bet the lower control arms are twisted as well.

I am sure you know all of this. Some of these can be found aftermarket to be lighter, stronger, and sometimes cheaper.

Matt

I am a big fan of saving our birds, but man, do you ever have your work cut out for you!?!


I'm glad that you are O.k.

Me personally.....I'd use the money you have, part that one out, and combine funds for a different one. I don't think that one will ever go down the road straight again.

You have my upmost respect for taking that restoration on. Please keep us posted with pics....


Dennis

I have to agree with screamingchicken on everything.

I wrecked and totalled a similar car, but thankfully without the personal injuries. I was very attached to said car, but it was not worth fixing... would have cost way more than my '98 did, and when you consider the unibody structure as a whole you really would not be safe in a car that had to be reconstructed to the extent you speak of.

I'd seriously consider other options if possible.

I guess the need for high affect intensity got to me, that is too much uncontrolled injection of adrenaline.
It's going to hurt to leave my bird behind and get another one.
I was thinking about that but how many people in here would really buy parts. The LT1 has about 90,000 miles maybe ebay it along with the transmission, or buy another moderate one and use the one I have for spare parts. Problem is I don't have anywhere to keep it, the City will start making a big deal.

I'd buy a motor if the price was right and it was close enough to come get...

Okay, I live along the Mexican and American border, specifically in El Paso, TX next to its sister city Ciudad Juarez. You would not believe the market there and the underground car exchange they have. These guys do miracles and I've seen them with my own eyes and at a fraction what they would charge here in the U.S. Sure you are problably thinking all those cars are stolen, well they once were up until the government reformed its law and enforced them back in 1999. Alot of these cars need minor fix ups, are taken from all over the country and bought from auctions which are then exported into Mexico and sold. More or less they are cars that insurance companies were too lazy to get fixed and just sent their clients a big fat check. I know because I bought my 95 Trans Am for a low $3,800 with 82,000 miles and the only thing slightly wrong with it was the power steering pump. Other than that the tune-up and that was it. My car came from Wyoming and is seen on the title that was bought from auction. It said so also on Carfax that the previous owner hit a fence and destroyed the rocker moulding on the driver's side. Before I bought my car I took it to an inspector which informed me that it did not look that it was ever in a crash. Even the manual and Discount Tire receipts were in the glove box.

Check it, this dude called Sergio came to see it last Saturday. I called all body shop owners here in my city but nobody would come see the car, what a bunch of weenies. This dude Sergio lives in Juarez and crossed the bridge and instead he came to see it. After he saw the car and assesed the damage he said that he has fixed worse. He gave me a really good price to include fixing the entire body, unbend it, and even told me to pick a color so that he could repaint it all for a bargain price of $????. What do you think someone here in America could have charged considering the paint job isn't something outlandish?

don't you have a LS1 or were your intentions something else?

yeap, I know everything that you are talking about. Do you know anything about that spring I was talking about?
And yes, but it only looks like the drivers lower control arm is twisted and severely too.

The only spring I saw in that pic was part of the limited slip diffential. Don't know a specific name, but it is there as part of a clutch style LSD. Would be best to rebuild or replace I guess.



Let's just say I'm familiar with the industry, so I know cars and repairs. Looking good and selling to unsuspecting buyers for huge profit is an art in itself. It's a black art, but an art none-the-less. It is next to impossible to recreate the factory construction of a unitized structure that creates the load bearing frame under most all cars today. I just wanted to point out things to be cautious of, but it is your car and the final decision is obviously yours.



Yeah I have an LS1 that I'm very happy with! However, I have a couple other projects going that could use a budget LT motor...
One would look great right here!

Dauym... take the insurance money and get something different. Ever think of a C5 Z06?

Man that really stinks...sorry to hear that your car is practically destroyed, but i'm sure glad you walked out of that. But as for the car, i've gotta agree with the other guys on here, and i would seriously consider the safety of driving around in that car again if you decide to fix it all up. It will be MUCH weaker and dangerous to drive. I would go out and look for a nice shiny LS1 to get behind the wheel of. As far as it looks, pretty much everything except for the engine is going to need replacement. Good luck with whichever route you choose to take.

For whatever it's worth, stronger is not the problem as much as proper is. I mean the chassis can be put back together stiffer than it was from the factory, but safety in collisions can be compromised since the structure has changed from the OEM crumple zones literally stamped into the metal and spot welds purposefully placed.

Haha yes that was more of what i meant to say in the previous post haha! Basically that it could be constructed and rebuilt strong, but in the case of a collision it would be less safe.

this weekend I will continue working on the rear axle. I bought 2 new Duralast Drums for now, new seals and bearings too. Next thing in line is to get an axle shaft and a driver's brake caliper. however do any of you have a special way of removing the differential pinion? It's too hard to push out from the back. since it's already sticking out, i'm thinking of looping a wire hanger through the hole attached to some end not forgetting to soak it with WD40.

No wonder, the pinion was actually bent in. No wonder I was having some trouble. I will also need new shims for my differential, got a caliper off a 95 Z28 at local junkyard for $70... like a diamond in the dirt this one guy was willing to uncomplete his rear axle just to sell me an axle shaft...got it off a 94 TA for only $75. i was fearing I would have to buy 2 new ones off of Summit or something.

Good to hear that you got that figured out and that you managed to get a good rear axle for it too.

Dang!

Sorry for your loss and glad you came out ok. FYI, I'm always in the market for good LT1 parts.

For those who still have not come across this video...
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ts9DrBU8HO4

Well No, ain't selling any LT1 parts. As you might know I got a good differential with extra 2.41 gears and swapped the posi with my 3.42 gear ring to fit the gear pinion instead of lowering the drive shaft. Put 2 new discs and brakes. Got a rim fixed and now pushed it with my brother's Lincoln to Ciudad Juarez last week on Wednesday. So it is there at my grandma's house awaiting my decision to pick the shop and color of paint.

Some of the previous comments say how reparing it won't be as safe if it were stock because of the crumple zones, but is it the same when you cut the bent metal and weld on another piece. For example removing the quarter panel and replacing it with a new one, is that not like emulating the "crumple zones". You should of seen, I saw two sliced truck beds in the back of another truck that was towing another dollie with 3 car front ends literally just stacked like blocks.
Right now I am deciding on a paint color, but not reallly putting it into stone. I'm more worried about fixing the steering, suspension, transmission and of course that huge dent on the driver's quarter panel. My vision is to fix all that, prep and leave it ready for paint and top it off with some headers and a cold air intake. I'll leave the paint for later.
How does sunset orange metallic or sunset orange pearl look to you all?
The hatchback arc painted black as well as the lower end of the bumper around where the exhaust are and with black "trans am" decals with some really dark tint. Thinking of modifying my stock hood with fiberglass to resemble the 96-97 ram air hoods. But i do not know whether the fiber glass will expand. Also adding some heat extractors on the fender.

if I had picks of the car as it stands right now, you would see it does not look that bad, but yeah I am looking all over junkyards and the internet. that other white bird reminded me of mine.

Well after some time I have the money to get this car moving again. Two days ago I paid a reallly good mechanic $400 bucks to do the following:

Clean out the fuel system including injectors.

Bleed and refill the ABS system, adjust calipers and install new brake pads and shoes. Got me some Duralast Gold, I don't have drilled rotors. Supposedly they are partial ceramic.

Unlock ignition and fix steering column, the black plastic couplet was what broke .

Adjust gear selector cable for tranny.

I heard the bellowing of my Flowmaster after almost a year just the other day. As you can see in the pics at the top, the fuel door was inaccesible. We had to cut a square out of the quarter panel with a drill saw to pour in some gas and it started right up. After 10 months straight of sitting there it has awaken. If you only knew the feeling that overcame me, it was a rush. I know the fuel system clean was good to do because gas that sits there for a long time tends to become gooey.

And to my luck, 3 buildings down that mechanics shop is the dude that going to do the body work for $100 bucks cheaper and with a custom color hopefully. Total around $1200 without parts but all labor included. He is famous for using this machine called the "Goliath". Some of his work that he showed me is remarkable. Now this week I'll be busy at the junkyards looking for some good parts. Sue told me that the 93-97 quarter panels aren't the same for 98-02 TA's. What about 93-97 V6 birds, do you suppose the quarter panels would fit with V8 models of the same year. I know doors and T-tops do as well as the hatch windows.

Since the hit was pretty hard I am looking to drop the car an inch to lower center of gravity, buy some subframe connectors, new shocks all around, strut tower brace, and panhard rod as well as rear controlling ams. I think the stabilizer bars will need replacing too. I'll post some pics up to keep you updated.

Actually what I said is that the rear quarter panels are the same but that the front ones are different between the 93-97 models and the 98-02 models. Sorry for the confusion.

As for the quarter panels on the 93-97 'Birds, they're the same as on the V8 cars so they will fit.

that makes sense thanks for the info. the other day I saw this 95 V6 bird at the junk yard. thought about buying it dirt cheap and just swap my motor, tranny, differential, etc., but I think the wiring in the dash board not the mention the relocation of motor mounts and suspension harness is too much of a big deal. It's in stone, I will be cutting a piece of the floor pan (near the gas and brake pedal) halfway to the top of where the driveshaft runs all the way back to where the lights go from a donor car. The project is coming along really well.

This was my original plan, to swap engines, tranny, axle, computer, etc, from my car to this one. But later learned that it was going to be a lot of trouble.


Take a look at that white firebird in the rear left.


This is from behind. This is looking to be the donor car.


Currently my car how it looks:


another shot


what do yo all think?

another shot


another shot


driver's door door


floor pan


gas tank is banged up


my flowmasters, nooooo!


what is this called, sits above where the gas tank lies


what do you all think?

the heart bleeding slowing in desperate need for a run

So my main concern is whether the floor pan and quarter panel extension is compatible from the white bird to mine? oh yeah the white bird looks to have had a 3.4L engine.

Yes the 1/4 and floorpan will swap.

I hope you can get back on road sooner rather than later... at least you don't have winter to slow you down where you live!

You are right about that, it's till pretty warm over here. Are the winters brutal over there or what? Countdown is less than 3 weeks.

Forgot to say that while my engine was out I changed the spark plugs to some regular Autolite meanwhile (never used them) and put new Felpro header gaskets. I have never had so much fun. The bolts from the headers I think had never been removed. They snapped while I untightened them. I even took a break to eat a Torta and Coke. This whole Ressurection idea has manifested. I'm getting a video made to post on YouTube with some Godsmack, Doors, Pink Floyd, Tom Petty, tunes in the background. Now I just need for the weather to warm up a bit for debut.

LT1 on stand by with 91,327 miles



where's the damage?




Differential-Working and Ready for Rubber


What you think about the color?--> Sunset Orange Metallic

the other day i beat an 02 Mustang GT (auto, true dual flowmasters) and a stock 05 Crossfire.
i got the mustang one on video, i'll need to format to upload to YouTube.
pics of my restored car are coming soon.

cant wait to see pics man...should be awesome!

let the pictures speak for themselves

you did a great job with that Trans Am it looks great!!