Hitman's Pontiac Trans Am Forum
Trans Am Photos => Restoration Projects => Topic started by: Nathan_DK on August 28, 2010, 05:04:22 PM
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Hi, fellow T/A fans!
I have been following all your great projects for the last couple of years, and thought it was time to contribute with a little something myself.
My name is Jesper, I live in Denmark, and a couple of years ago, i bought a non-running, tired looking 75 Trans Am. The paint was cracked all the way to the metal, but fortunately only very few rust spots. The floors were almost perfect, only a couple of tiny holes under the rear seat and in both sides footwells. Someone had enlarged the speaker holes with an axe, and removed the wall behind the rear seat. Why? I have no idea! Got a nice parcel shelf from a donor car. I sanded the body down, and had the edges sandblasted. Then it was sprayed with epoxy primer, a lot of black and clearcoat. Unfortunately, the front fenders, hood, trunk lid and doors has to be repainted due to thousands of little dots. Very annoying! The 400 engine was filled with coke from bad oil and/or overheating. I chose to ditch the 400, and ordered a machined '72 455 block with SpeedPro pistons from ncperformanceinc.com. Very nice block, zero decked, bored .030 over, honed and with all new bearings. Stock crank and rods. I got a set of 6X8 heads, which I milled .030" for about 9.4:1 CR. I ported the heads, following Jim Hand's directions from his book "how to build max performance Pontiac V8's", and had a local machine shop cut three-angle valve seats. I have never done this much work to any engine before, so I'm very excited to see how it goes. More on the engine later!
Anyway, at some point the car was converted to a '79 tail light/bumper setup and Fisher T-tops. I am converting the nose and hood to '78, since it has always been my favourite.
OK, now for the pics! (I hope this works)
(http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb406/Nathan_dk/IMG_4096.jpg)
(http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb406/Nathan_dk/IMG_4098.jpg)
The 400 engine sounded horrible. Lots of sticky gunk inside!
(http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb406/Nathan_dk/IMG_4108.jpg)
(http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb406/Nathan_dk/IMG_4112.jpg)
Interior removed
(http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb406/Nathan_dk/IMG_4776.jpg)
I have no idea what went through the previous owner's head, when he did these modifications!
(http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb406/Nathan_dk/IMG_4789.jpg)
Body sanded down, edges sandblasted.
(http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb406/Nathan_dk/IMG_5150.jpg)
(http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb406/Nathan_dk/IMG_5151.jpg)
With fresh paint!
(http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb406/Nathan_dk/IMG_5901.jpg)
Floors cleaned...
(http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb406/Nathan_dk/IMG_6395.jpg)
Homecooked method of safely installing front springs.
(http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb406/Nathan_dk/IMG_6514.jpg)
Cleaning and painting the rear.
(http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb406/Nathan_dk/IMG_6546.jpg)
(http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb406/Nathan_dk/IMG_6584.jpg)
Doors, front subframe, suspension and steering installed. New American Racing Vector SE wheels. Had to use 1" wheel spacers, to convert to the 5x4.50" bolt pattern.
(http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb406/Nathan_dk/IMG_7027.jpg)
(http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb406/Nathan_dk/IMG_7034.jpg)
Test fitting the hood and nose!
(http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb406/Nathan_dk/IMG_7214.jpg)
(http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb406/Nathan_dk/IMG_7227.jpg)
Sound deadening and B&M Megashifter installed.
(http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb406/Nathan_dk/IMG_7341.jpg)
Brand new molded carpet, flawless center console. I had to change the armrest/lid though.
(http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb406/Nathan_dk/IMG_7343.jpg)
New Summit stock style calipers, SSB slotted rotors with the wheel spacers fitted.
(http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb406/Nathan_dk/IMG_7443.jpg)
Fixing up the front seat rails.
(http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb406/Nathan_dk/IMG_7496.jpg)
Firewall sound deadening.
(http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb406/Nathan_dk/IMG_7497.jpg)
Fresh machined 455 block from nc performance inc!
(http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb406/Nathan_dk/IMG_8021.jpg)
(http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb406/Nathan_dk/IMG_8031.jpg)
Home ported 6x8 heads wit three angle valve seats
(http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb406/Nathan_dk/IMG_9262.jpg)
Stainless steel valves
(http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb406/Nathan_dk/IMG_9270.jpg)
Starting to look like a car!
(http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb406/Nathan_dk/IMG_9404.jpg)
(http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb406/Nathan_dk/IMG_9406.jpg)
(http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb406/Nathan_dk/IMG_9407.jpg)
(http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb406/Nathan_dk/IMG_9409.jpg)
(http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb406/Nathan_dk/IMG_9419.jpg)
(http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb406/Nathan_dk/IMG_9421.jpg)
New oil dipstick with stainless steel tube and bracket from Ames. Perfect fit!
(http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb406/Nathan_dk/IMG_9686.jpg)
The 455's new home! Yeah, I know. It's a Chevy transmission. BOP transmissions are hard to come by in this country! Got an adaptor plate.
(http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb406/Nathan_dk/IMG_9688.jpg)
Home made stainless steel pushrod cover. Test fitting of headers.
(http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb406/Nathan_dk/IMG_9695.jpg)
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You do excellent work, that looks great!! I really like those rims too!
Thank you for sharing, and welcome to the site!! 8)
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Wow! You have done a great job. Keep up the great work and thanks for sharing all the great pictures.
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I like what you're doing...looks great.
I was curious about a couple of things. How did you know it's not a 79-81 body shell? Was there evidence of a tail panel change? And were there places where the Fisher roof was welded on, like on the windshield posts and the rear roof seams? It just seems odd that somebody would take a 75 and make both of those big changes to the body. I also noticed you put 78 or older rear spoiler ends on it. It's hard to tell in the pics, but did it have 79-81 rear spoiler ends on it to start with?
In any case, I like it :) . Nice engine too! Thanks for the pics.
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Welcome to 78ta, great looking project and great progress! Good to see another '75 being brought back to life, even though you've changed the front clip! >:( ;) ;D
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Looks awesome, did you do the exterior paint by yourself or did you bring it to a shop
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that was one very solid car looks great
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Thanks for the comments! The roof has definately been swapped, the welds doesn't look like something that came from the Fisher Body factory. Some welding has also been done to the tail panel. As you see in one of the first pics, it had the '79 spoiler ends, but they were not fitting very well, so someone had bolted the lower front corners to the rear quarter. I prefer the older, more rounded spoiler ends, so I got a pair of those. The paintjob was done by a professional, around 5000 $ US. He doesn't answer the phone, after I told him that the paint was starting to develop tiny dots all over! I have to take the car to another paint shop, but my main priority right now, is to have it running and ready for the spring!
I will keep posting new pics, but progress is slow. The parts are expensive, just about double the price that you guys in the U.S pay, when all shipping, tax and custom fees are paid.
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i also see 80-81 tail lights and rear bumper?
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I'm sorry to hear about the paint problems. The tiny dots could be a few things.
The air supply could have been contaminated with oil. That can happen if the compressor is old and worn and oil is getting inside the tank gets mixed with the compressed air. Then, he should have had some water and oil separator filters in his lines to catch the contamination. So he could have had dirty air, and/or insufficient filters.
Or the surface of the car was contaminated with silicone. If he was working in a shop where someone had used some silicone on something else, the silicone floats in the air and settles on the car's surface. Then if the car isn't cleaned thoroughly before paint, you get little fisheyes all over it.
Or, if the paint was applied without enough "flash" time between coats, it can cause "solvent pop". When you spray one coat, you have to wait about 15-20 minutes for the solvents to evaporate, or "flash", out of the paint before applying the next coat. If you spray the next coat on too soon after the first coat, the solvent is trapped, but then forces it's way up through the next coat, creating little dots all over.
Unfortunately, in all those cases, the paint has to be completely removed, because if you try to paint over those problems, the problems will show up in the new paint. They may not show as much, but some of it will.
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Holy cow! That is some fantastic work! I wish I had that much attention to detail. Great work on your T/A!
And please tell me you're keeping those wheels on it. They look perfect for the car.
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Very nice work you're doing a great job, maybe you can introduce us the the other T/A in the background later on ;) I have to admit I really like that ram air hood on the car in the first shot I may have to look around for one on another project.
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What are the specs of the 455? I would love to be able to port heads. Great looking car too.
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i also see 80-81 tail lights and rear bumper?
Yes, as I said, it has been converted to '79 tail lights and bumper by a previous owner. I have a set of the correct tail lights, but I haven't been able to find a bumper in decent shape, so for now, I'll stick with the '79 look.
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I'm sorry to hear about the paint problems. The tiny dots could be a few things.
The air supply could have been contaminated with oil. That can happen if the compressor is old and worn and oil is getting inside the tank gets mixed with the compressed air. Then, he should have had some water and oil separator filters in his lines to catch the contamination. So he could have had dirty air, and/or insufficient filters.
Or the surface of the car was contaminated with silicone. If he was working in a shop where someone had used some silicone on something else, the silicone floats in the air and settles on the car's surface. Then if the car isn't cleaned thoroughly before paint, you get little fisheyes all over it.
Or, if the paint was applied without enough "flash" time between coats, it can cause "solvent pop". When you spray one coat, you have to wait about 15-20 minutes for the solvents to evaporate, or "flash", out of the paint before applying the next coat. If you spray the next coat on too soon after the first coat, the solvent is trapped, but then forces it's way up through the next coat, creating little dots all over.
Unfortunately, in all those cases, the paint has to be completely removed, because if you try to paint over those problems, the problems will show up in the new paint. They may not show as much, but some of it will.
I have seen some other cars he has painted, and they were very nice. Obviously, it's just my usual bad luck. I suspect that the dots are only in the clearcoat, as the parts that were not clearcoated, don't have any dots. I'll take it to a paintshop I trust, when the car is running, and i no longer have to spend all my money on parts :)
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Holy cow! That is some fantastic work! I wish I had that much attention to detail. Great work on your T/A!
And please tell me you're keeping those wheels on it. They look perfect for the car.
Thanks!
And yes, I will definately keep the wheels. I really like the snowflakes, but like many other parts of my car, I like to make it a little different, without ruining the classic appearance. Besides, I went through a lot of trouble getting them!
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Very nice work you're doing a great job, maybe you can introduce us the the other T/A in the background later on ;) I have to admit I really like that ram air hood on the car in the first shot I may have to look around for one on another project.
Thanks!
Well the one in the background was my first T/A. After a couple of years of owning it, I discovered that it was originally a '76 Formula, that had been converted to a '77 T/A. That really didn't bother me, it was a great car with nice custom interior, and a very powerful Olds 403. I had it for four years, before I decided to start over with a T-top car. But I never imagined that my "new" car would need this much attention.
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What are the specs of the 455? I would love to be able to port heads. Great looking car too.
The porting wasn't too hard to do, but it took quite a lot of time. I think it turned out great, but time will tell.
I chose the Lunati Voodoo 60902 hydraulic flat tappet cam along with matching lifters and springs. It matces the RPM range i'm looking for, and I like a noticeable idle, like my old(s) 403 had! The intake will be Edelbrock performer RPM and then a Speed Demon 750CFM e-choke vacuum secondary carb on top. A set of 1.5 ratio roller rockers will also be part of the package. I'm very excited to see how this engine turns out. I think I will go for a TCI Saturday Night Special torque converter. Anyone with experience on this one?
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nice looking ride and welcome aboard
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Nice car you got there :) I live in Norway and got 2 T\A's :)
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Looks great - love all the attention to detals. Paint the heads ;) (Belushi to Akroyd on fixing the cig lighter in the Blues Brothers)
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Welcome to the site, and the cars look Bad A**
nice work
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Wow great job man, I hope to be able to do this extensive of a resto in a few years. The engine looks magnificent.
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Nice car you got there :) I live in Norway and got 2 T\A's :)
Thanks! Do you have snow chains for your T/A's? ;o)
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Looks great - love all the attention to detals. Paint the heads ;) (Belushi to Akroyd on fixing the cig lighter in the Blues Brothers)
As soon as the pain arrives, I'll paint the heads. AND the rest of the engine...
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very nice
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Nice car you got there :) I live in Norway and got 2 T\A's :)
Thanks! Do you have snow chains for your T/A's? ;o)
Lol :p only use them in summer days, and no, don't have any snow chains :P
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nice work....
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Can we see the final finishing pics...
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Can we see the final finishing pics...
Well, not much has happened since my last post. It's not really motivating, when the temperature in my workshop is below freezing. I did a little more work on the engine, though. It's almost ready to be dropped in now. I need to make some longer engine to transmission alignment dowels, because I'm using the adaptor plate. Here's a couple of pics of the engine
(http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb406/Nathan_dk/IMG_9848.jpg)
(http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb406/Nathan_dk/IMG_9853.jpg)
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Looking pretty sweet.
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Very Very nice
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Coming along nicely :)
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Time for an update on the project! It's still cold in my garage, but the weather is improving at the moment, which really motivates me to work on the car as much as possible. I would really like to have it ready for spring. I got the engine in, and the Pypes exhaust system is almost done. It fits very nice, I only had to cut out about 1' of pipe just before the mufflers. I still need to figure out, where to place the hangers. I really don't want to put any holes in my floorpan, so I hope I can attach them to the rear sway bar brackets. I like the location of the splitters. It needs to be adjusted a little bit, but I think it looks nice.
Right now, I'm waiting for some parts from Summit, before I can start the engine. I also want to have the brakes finished, before I fire it up. HOPEFULLY it will be running before the end of this month, fingers crossed.
'nough said, now for the pics!
Headers attached with cable ties...
(http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb406/Nathan_dk/IMG_9876.jpg)
Like a glove!
(http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb406/Nathan_dk/IMG_9886.jpg)
I like!
(http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb406/Nathan_dk/IMG_9888.jpg)
Unfortunately, my beautiful Edelbrock Victor air cleaner won't fit under the shaker. The triangle ProFlo air cleaner does, but that one jams the carb choke linkage, and I really don't know if the foam filter element is good enough. Any recommendations on a small, decent looking air cleaner?
(http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb406/Nathan_dk/IMG_9890.jpg)
Rear drums and exhaust almost there
(http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb406/Nathan_dk/IMG_9899.jpg)
Exhaust crossover
(http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb406/Nathan_dk/IMG_9901.jpg)
Working on accesories and wiring...
(http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb406/Nathan_dk/IMG_9914.jpg)
I'll be back!
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that LOOKS AMAZING, how much power we talking, and you do some pretty sweet work, I need to drop my new engine in, and why did you drop the headers in before you had the engine in?
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Thanks man! I really don't know about the power, but it should be adequate, with the Lunati Voodoo 60902 cam, 9.4:1 compression ratio and ported heads. I tied the headers in, because they won't go in, without raising the engine, or using brute force and damaging them and the paint. Although the headers look nice (flowtech), one of the collectors exits about 1" lower than the other, which tilt the entire exhaust system a bit. By rotating the mufflers, i managed to get the rest of the system just about level. Good luck with your engine swap!
Jesper
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I am also using flowtech headers, did you use any gasket sealant? Also how did you keep them in place when you were installing it? I still cant get over the fact on how pretty it is, everything is so perfect haha, truly a great restoration!
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I didn't use any gasket sealant on the headers. I'm hoping that the supplied gaskets won't leak. Using zip ties to keep the headers away from the engine while lowering it in, turned out to be a great idea. Bolting in the headers was no more tricky, than I expected. It did cost me a couple of sliced fingers, though :-[
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WOW. This is a cool project. That thing looked rust free. Great looking car.
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OK, so we fired up the 455 for the first time today. I prelubed it with an electric drill on the oil pump shaft, to make sure that the oil pressure was ok, and that it wouldn't run dry for the first seconds. Everything was covered in assembly lube, of course. After some minor problems with the ignition setting and fuel delivery, it started. Well, after about 30 seconds at 1800-2000 RPM, it started misfiring on one cylinder, and we immediately shut it down. We removed the passenger side valve cover, and noticed that some of the rockers were loose. It turned out, that one pushrod had snapped almost in two, and the remaining 15 were bent. The rockers are 1.5, and I found no evidence of pushrod hole interference. I milled the heads .030 to raise compression, but still used the stock pushrods. I guess the stock valve spring shields bottomed out, or the spring retainer hit the valve stem oil seals because of the increased lift, the lunati 60902 cam delivers. I'm gonna start pulling the heads tomorrow to find out. Talk about a setback!
I'll let you know, as soon as I have identified the problem.
/Jesper
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thats why when u buy a higher lift cam YOU NEED TO BUY HARDENED PUSHRODS
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Looking good, great work!!
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Awesome project!
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Hope everything works out for you. Good luck and keep us posted.
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Thanks, guys!
thats why when u buy a higher lift cam YOU NEED TO BUY HARDENED PUSHRODS
According to Jim Hand, the stock pushrods are hardened, and are strong enough to handle most hydraulic, solid and roller cams. My cam is not that aggressive, so I'm sure I need to find the source of the problem somewhere else. I'll find out, as soon as I receive the valve spring compressor and new Comp Cams Magnum pushrods from Summit.
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why else do you think the pushrods would be bent? Did you have the engine decked, or the heads milled?
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It's been a while since my last post. It turned out that the bent pushrods, were caused by the cam making more lift at the valves, than it should. The valve spring retainers were hitting the valve guides, so obviously something had to give. In this case, the weakest link was the pushrods. My cylinder heads are currently at the machine shop, to have the valve guides milled, and the valve seats cut a bit more to improve rocker geometry. Hopefully, I'll get the heads back by the end of this week. I'll be back, when the engine is back together!