Built Backwards

[band1t]

I am buildin a 1979 Trans am pro tour and everyone hates it
cause it not smokey and bandit southern style the way people say car it should be
anyways

I built a mean 468(455) engine
put in a muncie M22 (yes a real M22)
Bolted in a 3.73 gear in the rear
and just bolted on the wheels

The paint is chipped and crappy
The body has bondo and rust
the floor has wholes in it under the carpet
the seats are ripped dash is cracked

anyone else build there drivetrain before the body and interior or is it just me??

[BonzoHansen]

you tell them bandit never drove a 79 so go pound sand.


lots of people go function before form.

[band1t]

thats true he had a 1977 but once they see the wheels they're faces are like what the hell

[Nessumsar]

I think I may be the poster boy for "function before form".

Sounds like a pretty nice build, but....
:postpics:

[parsonsj]

I am buildin a 1979 Trans am pro tour and everyone hates it cause it not smokey and bandit southern style the way people say car it should beI'm wondering about your screen name. Have you previously built "Bandit" style Trans Ams?

[moreHP]

I have had a bunch of cars that I put all my money into the drivetrain while the rest of the car looked like a beater. Nothing wrong with that!
Besides how much fun it is to dust off somebody in a car that looks like it should be broken down!

[Off Duty]

I'm with you.
Get the mechanicals squared away first.
You can always find another platform for them if need be:)

[band1t]

I'm wondering about your screen name. Have you previously built "Bandit" style Trans Ams?

Na people in the local car club call me bandit cause I am the only one who runs a trans am
everyone else runs the common camaros, chevelles
so I am the odd ball of them all

And yes I should do a photo bucket of pics of the build

[Six_Shooter]

My Datsun is the epitome of drivetrain before body and interior.

[Daren]

I am buildin a 1979 Trans am pro tour and everyone hates it
cause it not smokey and bandit southern style the way people say car it should be
anyways

I built a mean 468(455) engine
put in a muncie M22 (yes a real M22)
Bolted in a 3.73 gear in the rear
and just bolted on the wheels

The paint is chipped and crappy
The body has bondo and rust
the floor has wholes in it under the carpet
the seats are ripped dash is cracked

anyone else build there drivetrain before the body and interior or is it just me??

I'm with you. I take it these people making the comments are not car guys? That's a pattern I noticed in Texas. I drove my Lincoln around as a DD as I was doing the mild custom on it. I went from receiving comments of "wow nice old car" to "at least it runs huh" when I was driving it around with the vinyl top and brougham trim removed, removing rust and leading in holes and such. The general public is going to judge a car purely based on how it looks at that time. When I finished my body work and had the car painted some people really thought I went and bought a different car.

Not that I hate the bandit TA but I do not care for that movie car's gold and black paint. Just black please.

[79-TA]

You can do extreme things to a car without dramatically altering the look. Just what kind of wheels did you put on that thing? If they're 20"+ I can't say I'd blame your car club friends.

[band1t]

You can do extreme things to a car without dramatically altering the look. Just what kind of wheels did you put on that thing? If they're 20"+ I can't say I'd blame your car club friends.

na I put 17 x 9.5 wide in the rear 275 40 tire
and 17 x 8 wide in the front 245 40 tire

the club thought I was going for a pro street look big drag tires
and such ...but went pro touring and all I here is "rubber band tires"
and "thats not what I would of done" "put the snow flakes back on"

its a kansas club

[CHRIZ28]

What kind/style of wheels are they? Definatly need some pics!! Lots of nice 2nd gens on here. I'm in a local club in north east Arkansas and even the old timers seem to be in love with the pro-touring look.

Chris

[LeighP]

Don't sweat it, just invite them to follow you through some twisty spots....if they can.
With an innocent look on your face, you ask them "what happened to you guys?"

15" wheels wrapped with 20 year old BFG T/A Radials just ain't going to cut it.

[79-TA]

That's not radical at all. Just ignore them and build a car that drives like you want it to.

I was going to build my drivetrain (and everything else) before touching the body, but getting hit by a Van changed all of that. Go > show.

[Rileys68Camaro]

AH, do your thing. I've been there. "Oh you don't want to put those race car gauges in there, that's not classic." I'm using Auto Meter Phantom gauges, and I just told them, "When you build your car, use what you want. This is my car, and this is what I want."

[Tuske427]

Who cares what others say. It's your car, you're the one that owns it, drives it, etc. You get to decide and (hopefully) are happy with what you do. I took a lot of crap for putting an LS1 in a '57 Plymouth, but who cares. It didn't stop me. I took it to Mopar shows, I drove it all over so cal, half way across the country and back, and it ran great all day long. It's your car, do what you want to do to enjoy it.

[Procharmo]

I've been working on my rust heap for years. Suspension, engine etc.

People always asked if I've "fixed it yet". They can't understand when I say it's not broken "I'm just making it faster".

For some a car is nothing more than straight lines and shiny paint. For others it's handling and insane horse power. For a few its both. However, when you have a $20,000 paint job driving it hard is only usually done by the rich.