Topic: TATA Y89 Restoration/Pro-Touring Build Thread (Skip to Page 9!)

[TheKid]

Well, it's been awhile, but I'm finally back to posting again. School and work are so time consuming these days. Recently, we have replaced the brake booster, which took care of the pedal sticking, I burned up the original power steering pump, so I've installed a new one, but cannot figure out why it makes a funky noise every time I try and turn the wheel, and wont turn very much at all? Might have to have a shop take a look at that one. I've also started using sandpaper to refinish the turbo wheels (take a look at page 1 to see how terrible of shape they are in). Now, I'm just at that upward stand still battle of trying to accumulate enough funds to have all the body work done and painted. I have acquired almost all the interior parts neccessary for the interior restore, just need to get the body taken care of first. Not sure how to get the cash together to afford what it's going to take on this car.

Have a few questions though:
Is the interior roof light supposed to be a circular shape or a longer shape? Mine is long with a bulb in the middle that turns on with the door open, and the two little reading lamps on each side.

Also, what color are the interior panels of the TATA supposed to be? I've seen them 100 different ways and not sure which grey goes where.

[N PRGRES]

You have the correct lamp inside.  Most of the panels are the lighter grey

[TheKid]

Thanks Dave! hows the 455 TATA coming. Your thread was my favorite build to follow.

[N PRGRES]

It's at a stand still.  Job is going away so the TATA is on indefinate hold

[TheKid]

Man, that's upsetting Dave! Hope you get back on it ASAP!

I'm pretty much at a standstill until I can afford the body work to get the car painted and all the new seals put in so I can start restoring the interior. Bummer trying to come up with the 8,000ish needed while also paying for college ha.

[N PRGRES]

I wouldn't get too excited on the interior, it's just going to come out for the paint job, well alot of it should if it is done right, you don't want to have to do it twice!

I did just get my new upper control arms on, was nice to work on it after a 2 month break!

[TheKid]

Yeah, very true. The company that I'm having do the restoration on the body is an old highschool buddies dad's restoration shop, so they're willing to help out and do what it takes. I'm just going to send them the car how it is, then when I get it back start on the interior. It's terrible right now.

I know that feeling! I've had to leave the car at school while I'm at my folks house for Christmas, can't wait to get back and finish fixing my power steering. Can't figure out why it's making this God awful noise.

[TheKid]

Alright, been awhile for awhile. School and work have been killing my time. So far I've since fixed the power steering squeal problem. The pump was just out of line a little bit. Nothing a few shims from Lowes couldn't fix.

Brought the car to a friends restoration shop and now waiting (patiently of course) for my quote to come back, that's the next major project to tackle. In the mean time, I'll be trying to figure out what's going on with my Quadrajet. Giving me all sorts of problems!!

[TheKid]

Back from the body shop, looking right around 10k to get all the body work done. Slightly depressing.

[TheKid]

Hey guys, not sure if anyone was following my build, or would start following now, but I'm finally back in the saddle! Got a new (And much higher paying) job as of October, and finally have a steady source of income to devote to my "Trans Am Restoration Fund."

So far I'm about 1/2 way there on the savings for bringing the car into the shop (C.A.R.S. in Atlanta) and couldn't be more excited. By the looks of it the car will be moving into the shop in mid-April if things at work keep going this way. Now that I have a better source of income, the plans have changed a little bit too:

Pulling original 403, rebuilding and storing
Building: Stroker RA IV clone (still thinking)
Rear End: Regearing the rear (Researching a good ratio to keep it street-able)
Resto: Getting a more thorough restoration job done now (Frame off/nut and bolt)
Interior: Having the shop do interior (Before I was going to do it, would rather have professionally done). I've got every interior piece ready to go too, just need to be painted! (Original GM NOS parts for the most part, dad's been hording them in the garage back home.)
Audio: Mapped out the speakers (If it's going to be fast and loud, why not make Billy Squier's "The Stroke" sound great too?) I want to do 2 UnderCover speakers under the rear seats, nice big 6.5's with huge magnets in the deck, and get the tweeters under the dash fixed, of course complete with a CB (Gotta love South GA) and a whip. Along with fixing my power antenna.
Suspension: Also, I miss the handling of my BMW M3, and I know Ill never get it out of the TATA, but I'm going to get as close as possible! The plan is to go with the Comp Kit from Pro-Touring F Body.

This is my plan as far as getting this car exactly where I'd like it within a few years. Hopefully by the time I graduate from this school, I'll have my dream car built and ready to enjoy life!

I've got my work cut out for me, but I think I can swing it, and will eventually have a gorgeous, fast, great handling TATA that is built just how I want it. Now, back to work!

Critiques/suggestions always welcome.

Hopefully I can get the few folks that were following this build to jump back on!

[N PRGRES]

Make sure you put a tennis ball on that whip antenna, never was sure why people did that but it was big back in the 70's.  My question, if you're just going to tear a tata apart, why not just get a regular car?  Seems like it is already numbers matching.  You could easily just get a roller to look like a TATA and not kill an original.

[TheKid]

I'm not necessarily tearing it apart, I'm just preserving the numbers matched components that I have to uphold its value (When I do want to put them back in) and wanted a lot more power out of this. Kind of want to build an "ultimate TATA" while keeping all the stock parts to just have to drop back in.

What the heck happened to your car Dave? I didn't recognize ya with out the name.

[N PRGRES]

Decided to go another direction, I have a house now and a soon to be family when my GF moves in, in June.  I just don't have time for that level of restoration so I sold it.  I have a roller project now, great car, just needs some refreshing rather than a whole rebuild.

[TheKid]

Alright, just a quick update. I came into a little extra cash a few days back, and thankfully am in a position right now where every bit of it could be put towards my Trans Am Fund (Fraternity dues paid, house bills paid, tuition and books paid!!). I have a friends Santa Fe (NEVER buy one) in the work shop right now for a full engine overhaul and should be finished by Tuesday at the latest! That being said, I'm going to get my new tires mounted up on the TATA and get it wheeled into the work shop this next weekend. We're going to begin stripping down the front end (Needs to be completely replaced from the bumper to the doors), and get to work pulling the motor also. Before it gets on the trailer for it's ride to C.A.R.S. in Atlanta, it looks like we're going to do all the suspension work here before hand. Why not? We're in there anyway.

Got to talk to Dave still, but it's looking like the Comp Kit from PTFB along with new body mounts and the subframe connectors is the first task. I miss the handling of my old E36...Will keep everyone updated as deconstruction starts. It feels so good after 2 years to finally be able to start restoring this car!

[N PRGRES]

Good luck!!1