A few months ago I discovered a car dealership not far from my home that specializes in older muscle cars and such. Sitting in the back of the lot was a well abused '77 trans am, and as I looked it over I began to have flashbacks to 1993 when I drove a 1978 Trans Am (400 car with what I thought at the time were very poorly plated chrome valve covers). I sat in the '77 and within a few minutes decided it was time for another TA!
I asked a sales leech about the '77 on the lot and I was told it was sold.. for $6000!!!! This car needed 1 of everything and they got 6 grand for it! So, the search was on and I eventually found a great restoration candidate in central Oregon. The car I found, a 1977 403 auto was silver with a red deluxe interior. Nothing special, Trans Am, 1 each, but she's straight, and other than some minor floor board issues, is rust free, which is a miracle considering where she spent her whole life. I paid $900.00, got a clean title and towed her back to Washington where I immediately set about removing the entire interior so the car could dry out (had been sitting under a tree in a field.. bad juju)
My plans are to go black on black, and I just picked up a Pontiac 400 to replace the 403. This will be a big project, but other than some floor board patching there wont be a lot of welding or custom work. I just located and cut out the entire floor from a donor TA, as I'm not a fan of reproduction sheet metal. I'll add power windows and a decent stereo system, get the 400 rebuilt and running in the 300-350 HP range and spend a lot of time getting the body perfect for the black paint. Time frame? I'd like to say within 2 years she will be on the road, but we all know how that goes.
I'll post some updates as time goes on. I look forward to this project and I am sure I will need the community's help with parts and expertise during the restoration.
