Topic: Need work! ( 1977-1979 TA owners )

[osso12]

Guys I am reaching out for help. In turn I will help you. I have been unemployed for over 2.5 years now as I was laid off. I have not been able to obtain work. My passion like many of you, is second gen ta's. Mine is both TA's and first gen camaros. I have loved them since the age of 16. A few of you have no idea what it takes to restore one of these vehicles. Some do, some don't. I know how to do it, and what I am not physically able to do, I can sub in house, or out of house. Shop rate since I am getting started is $50 an hour flat. That is cheaper than most classic shops, but low enough to be affordable to MOST. A little on my back ground, I have learned a lot by myself. I am 48 and still able to do a lot of things on my own and have enough sense about me to know when I need help on a situation. I started tearing into 1968 camaros all the way down since I was 16. I can do fairly well at paint and body. I do my own work. It would just be me, and my 26 year old daughter to do parts chasing and phone calls. I can post pics of what I have accomplished on my own, or can accomplish by my resources I have around me.
Admins, please leave this post up as I desperately need assistance here. I have looked today at a 2 and a half car bay that would give me plenty of room to start. It is $500 a month, with a $500 deposit. If I can get some work coming in, I can rent the building. Its  a one year lease, and I would have to sign a one year contract. Electricity and water would be separate. I may have to get a certificate of occupancy from the city not sure on that. I have my own tools, power tools and everything to work on one of these cars. I have jack stands for now. These will not be frame off UNLESS you require it and allow me the time to do it right. I want to only do factory type 1977-1979 Ta's for now. I do not want to get into custom work at the moment. Just normal interior, paint and body, and mechanical s. I am in Dallas Texas.  Currently I own my own lawn mower repair/ go kart repair shop out of my home but it is way to slow to eat off of. This car business would at least help me manage to live or survive at least until I can get my settlement check. I have seen many drivable cars starting at 3k and up. But instead of buying cars up front, I would rather lets see what can of work I can get (if any) from you guys until I can get a site up and firmly started. I have to start somewhere. I started my mower business on CL. I would rather start Trans Am of Dallas on here and test the waters to see if this is what I am able to do or not. Its where my heart is, and I think I can bring the community and the public a decent service. I do not claim to know everything about 77-79 tas. I have owned them but do not claim to be an authority no more than I would on a 1968 camaro, even though I have owned nine of them. As we go along I would like to keep this thread open so I can get feedback from YOU guys as well as to how we are doing. I have sent an email out to Rick @ trans am specialty about buying parts from them as I know these guys are the tops! Please. Let me help you by you helping me. I need to take that "next step" as this is the only way I know how. I quit a job in 2004 to do this very same thing, but I had a buddy that was going to finance the operation abandon ship after I had quit my job. I am taking another step. Please help if you can, and please do not let this be a negative thread of "Don't do this," or "This is not a good idea" and so on. I hear that all the time and have heard enough of that.  This is a quest for your trust and business. Thanks.

[osso12]

I took this car..



The white stuff is just polishing stuff.

and by myself and only myself did this with it. It was my first car to paint. It was not intended to be a show car by any means.

The hood is not bolted on just resting

[joe d]

wish you were in Fla

[osso12]

Thanks for the kind words Joe d. This is my FIRST paint and while no, it still can use improvement I feel it is better than what was done with Flounders car. He had cracks in the bumper, looked like they "tried" to buff his bumper.... I have no idea what they did but from what I can see... it looks like they either took the simple way out or did not not even try to do a decent paint job! I have bought paint jobs from maaco for $300 and looked better than BAB! I am only speaking from truth.

[osso12]

sorry.. I had accidently posted in the wrong thread. It belongs here. I will delete the other sorry for the confusion and thanks flounder for heads up!

Another ref.
I was able to take this wrecked 68 camaro.. and single handedly...


turn it into this... this is the SAME car:
(I was 21 years old at this time)

[osso12]

This nasty 327 compartment and engine :



Into this freshened up compartment and 468 big block:

[osso12]

This car:



Transformed into this car:

(same car as above)

I feel like if nothing else I have a decent eye for things.

[hada76]

wish you were in Fla

X2

[osso12]

Im still thinkin out of the box here.  What kind of work yall guys needing? You can ship last time I checked, pretty much any car from fla to texas for about $300..... we could always double check on the shipping.

[osso12]

   joe d, check your PM.
This is one that I was going to restore on my own. The only reason that I sold it was because I had title issues. The guy I bought it from had lied to me and told  me he had a clear title which he did not. I paid probably more than it was worth at 5k.. but it is a real W72 T-top 4 speed ws6 SE. The only thing I did to this car was "clean" the seats up a bit.
I never really got into removing panels, etc as I wanted to get the title issue straight. Since i sold it WITHOUT a title I sold it for 2k. This car with about 3 years work ( keep in mind I dont have a "real' job) could have been a 26k easily.
I think we can get you want you want. It might not be a documented SE, but we can build anything BAB is doing and THEN some... I have no doubt in my mind about that.




only thing I did was clean the seats up. I did not replace the covers as they were original and in pretty good shape.

[LOMILETA]

Not trying to start crap, but the seats look to be dyed. I have dyed some seats at my car lot and, I mean I've never seen them clean from Grayish to Black.

[osso12]

I have started looking for cars anywhere between Dallas and the west coast of CA. I am looking anywhere from lets say $2,500 to $5,000 as a candidate.
Ill post some that I think are good candidates. This one in particular is in Ca, but the guy has not responded with text or any other info on it. You might give him a call as the car looks pretty straight and he is only asking $3,500 for it. We could get it for $3,000 I am quite sure.
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/cto/3159208726.html

[osso12]

In the process of cleaning up a buddy's 88-89 IROC wheels for his S-10 PU. Driver, not show quality.....For FREE. LOL!

Before:


During:


After:

[osso12]

I will paint your Second Gen TA for $2,500. That includes paint and body work. Does not include any sheet metal replacement, or major rust issues or major damage.  IE, the car needs to be close to paint or in decent straight shape. I use PPG paint and clears. I will honer this only by pre-inspection of the vehicle before hand and not by pics alone. This includes the cost of labor and materials. I am in Dallas, Tx. If you would like me to consider your vehicle please send me a picture first, and of any areas of major concern. This also will include a full cut and buff, but you would need to leave the car with me long enough to cure before any cut (color sand) and buff. If we are doing any solid colors such as red, black, white.. non metallics I will pull doors, fenders, hood, trunk and paint off the car and all jambs. IF it is a metallic color I will do the jambs, but all fenders, hoods, trunk lids will be painted the same time as the body is. Hope that makes sense.
Just trying to help out here.

[joe d]

no pm here