rebody an 05 gto

[conciseautosports]

I have a customer that i have been doing a resto/mod/pro tour build on his 80 trans am(non t-top).

I found him a GREAT deal on an 05 gto(auto).

I am thinking of rebodying(?) the gto with the 80 ta

Any thoughts or horror stories would be appreciated.
I own and operate a smallish bodyshop out of oakdale long island n.y. we do ALOT of mustang work as well as resto/fab work,so i'm thinking we can handle it:cheers:

[SS PUNISHER]

Go for it!
The camaros in the first transformer movies were gto's so it can be done...

[novaderrik]

don't so it.. you will either wind up with something that looks like a failed automotive abortion or a pile of parts that you can't get to fit together..
but putting the LS2 and trans- and stuff like the seats, brakes, etc- in the Firebird is a winning idea..

[novaderrik]

Go for it!
The camaros in the first transformer movies were gto's so it can be done...

the new Camaros are essentially the next generation GTO, so it wasn't much of a stretch..

[Tony_SS]

don't so it.. you will either wind up with something that looks like a failed automotive abortion or a pile of parts that you can't get to fit together..
but putting the LS2 and trans- and stuff like the seats, brakes, etc- in the Firebird is a winning idea..

agree'd.

[FlyDoc]

DON'T DO It!!
Yes it can be done, to make it look good you will have to much time invested to make any $$ and you will have an unhappy customer.
Just put all the good stuff of the GTO on it, and put zo6 front suspension parts and some sort of IRS, it will make the best car and a happy customer!

[Tuske427]

I say go for it. This guy did:

http://bangshift.com/blog/cool-project-how-to-build-a-modern-amx-in-your-home-garage.html

[RIDES BY DESIGN]

if your a body shop you should know enough not to over engineer it and maintain its structural integrety. if you have doubts and have to question the project, you probably shouldn't dive into one with this magnitude

[Samckitt]

West Coast Customs did it with a 69 GTO body on a 2006 GTO frame.

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[SS PUNISHER]

I say go for it. This guy did:

http://bangshift.com/blog/cool-project-how-to-build-a-modern-amx-in-your-home-garage.html

Nice!

[Simmo]

I've got two GTO (Commodore) V8 IRS rear ends on my garage floor right now, they'd be the last thing I'd put anywhere near my project though!

Full of compromises, well at least for a performance application. If it's more show than go it's nice and compact I guess, heaps of seat/trunk room but IMO a lot of work to go no-where performance wise.

[BonzoHansen]

just move the engine & trans to the 2nd gen. and maybe the seats.

[LeighP]

Saw a 76 Trans Am that had been dropped over a 4th gen F body....lot of work. You might be able to find that in a search on line.

[MonzaRacer]

Big trick is weather the wheel base meets up ok, a small stretch or shrink might work but if its more than 3 or 4 inches you might have issues.
Honestly IF wheel bases are close, then you have to make sure the roof, etc are wide enough, here are the specs for the GTO:The drivetrain rides on a 109.8-inch (279-cm) wheelbase, with a low stance that enhances the wide-track feel behind the wheel. The front track measures 61.4 inches (156 cm) and the rear track is 62.1 inches (158 cm) wide.

78 F body:

Firebird
2FS87

Firebird Esprit
2FT87

Firebird Formula
2FU87

Firebird Trans Am
2FW87
Width
Tread Front

61.3

61.6
Tread Rear

60.0

60.3
Vehicle Width

73.4
Vehicle Width w/Front door open

140.5
Length
Wheelbase

108.2
Vehicle Length

196.8
Overhang Front

42.8
Overhang Rear

45.9
Upper Structure Length

94.2
Rear Wheel C/L "X" Coordinate

86.7
Cowl Point "X" coordinate

9.4
Height
Vehicle Height

49.3

49.3

49.5

49.5
Cowl point to ground

35.7

35.9
Deck point to ground

35.6

35.8
Headlamp to ground

26.1 (measured from height above ground to center of bulb)
Taillamp to ground

25.4 (measured from height above ground to center of bulb)
Sidemarker to ground

23.0 fr. 22.2 rr. (measured from height above ground to center of bulb)
Windshield Slope Angle

57.4 deg.
Ground Clearance
Front bumper to ground

11.7

11.6
Rear bumper to ground

10.2

10.5
Angle of Approach

18.4 deg.

18.5 deg.
Angle of Departure

10.4 deg.

10.7 deg.
Rear axle Differential to ground

6.8
Min. Running ground clearance

5.2

5.3
Location of Min. ground clearance

Catalytic Converter
Vehicle Weight

3364

3395

3652

3621

So track widths look good, wheel base is 1.6 inches longer,, you could section a fender OR lengthen a door slightly, so honestly if the rocker heights are close (lowering the car would effectively fix this if done properly.
Great painstaking measurements would be on the board weld a couple of bars across the body and keeping it from spreading and careful grafting in the rocker areas should be do able.
I honestly dont see any reason why you couldnt JUST REMEMBER TO PLAN FINACIALLY FOR THE LABOR HOURS INVOLVED, MEASURE 20 TIMES CUT ONCE SMALL AND ENLARGE AS NEEDED.
As for performance of these cars, I drove a couple after doing brakes, nice cars. They dont handle bad. Can you update and improve, probably.
With a properly grafted 80 Firebird shell you should still have all the nice add on's.
As for me measure the doors, the firewall width, etc. IF you can keep major amounts of GTO structure, graft in the quarters, roof and rockers of the F body to match, Then you would have more of the GTOs strengths.
Measuring the windshield width, making appropriate cuts and grafts from both cars.
Again stretching the F body to fit the GTO chassis should not be a major issue and not mess up looks if you do your homework and due diligence, fully welding the grafts and reinforcing as much as possible. With the stiffer platform of GTO tied to F body roof, quarters, and rockers. Base all your base line measurements from rear wheel center line and go forward, clipping the rear should be easy.
Good luck. Document and shoot pictures,,I see this as great idea.