Results 1 to 20 of 90
-
08-25-2014 #1
535 Trans Am Pro-Touring build
This is a 2nd Gen I have been working on for a while. It has gone through a few incarnations to its current point. These photos show the car as I received it and my first round of upgrades before tearing it all apart again.
When I first got the car, she looked pretty good and had gone through some work but the motor was obviously a throw in. I assume the previous owner pulled the motor and dumped this in to sell it.She was actually a good 5 footer but had 2 or 3 spots of rust bubbling up at the usual spots and paint cracking behind the T-Tops. The car was still a good looker but the motor was rusty, crusty and a 301 turbo that wasn't even hook up all the way. It barely ran. So the first thing I did was pull that motor and put in a 72 HO 455 that was built to roughly 500 hp.
Original exterior condition - small dent in quarter, etc.
Last edited by andrewb70; 08-25-2014 at 07:44 PM.
-
08-25-2014 #2
Put it on the rotisserie and off we go.
-
08-25-2014 #3
It didn't take long to strip it to bare metal.
-
08-25-2014 #4
In these pics she is just back from the blaster. 2K primer and sealer and the fun begins!
-
08-25-2014 #5
What floor?
Here the new complete floor pan is in, DSE firewall filler panel is being welded in, new toe kicks are in, subframe connectors are tacked in place and the DSE mini-tubs are going in.
-
08-25-2014 #6
ttf
-
08-25-2014 #7
DSE Mini-tubs are in.
Full floor is in.
DSE Firewall panel is in
DSE sub frame connectors, cut and tacked in place waiting to mate new sub-frame.
Upper and lower tubular control arms and springs are mounted to freshly powder coated sub-frame
Ready to mount the body on the sub-frame and then finish welding the connectors in place once everything is square. I
Going to use an temp rear end assembly to put up under the car until it is painted in order to protect it from overspray on the springs or housing.
-
08-25-2014 #8
In this set of photos, the DSE sub-frame connectors and tubs are fully welded in and the bottom of the car was sprayed with some Kevlar infused 2K bed liner.
-
08-25-2014 #9
Loaded up and at the body shop! New hood and a set of Year One fiberglass flares are in boxes in pictures. The rest of the body panels are on the trailer as well. Finally starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel at this point.
-
08-25-2014 #10
Jambs and firewall are painted. Both top and bottom of new floor and sub-frame connectors have been sprayed with bed liner.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Year One aftermarket hood
Year One fiberglass wheel flares
-
08-25-2014 #11
Finally getting some color on this beast! Fresh out the booth and ready for sanding and buffing.
-
08-25-2014 #12
Airbrushed bird is finished. We still have to do the callouts done before clear coating.
-
08-25-2014 #13The airbrush artist is finishing up the call outs in these photos. It was neat to watch him work.
Here's how its done. First he used contact paper on the car and hand drew the sail panel birds and fender lettering.
Then he uses a razor blade to cut out the inside outline before airbrushing.
08-25-2014 #14Few more now that the clear is on. Still has to be cut and buffed but it looks pretty darn good already!
08-25-2014 #15As part of prepping for the drivetrain installation we laid out the transmission installation kit only to find out the flywheel that was shipped didn't fit the crankshaft. The hole that goes over the snout was 2.4" instead of 2.75". So American Powertrain dropped shipped us the proper one.
Here is a picture of the full kit, including the QuickTime Bellhousing cover that will fit a Pontiac. The flywheel for the dual clutch T-56 is a nice piece of aluminum, though the motor had a brand new SFI approved, high end flywheel from SD Performance. The American Powertrain clutch is thicker and lighter.
The install kit to put there T-56 Magnum in a 2nd gen is really sweet.
It included all of these parts plus the correct bellhousing, which I already mounted on the transmission.
08-25-2014 #16A DSE Quadra-link today with a Moser built Ford 9" with 35 spline axles to fit my WaveTrac center should be here soon. Picked up a stainless narrowed gas tank built by Rock Valley Antique Auto as well, so she should be coming together soon.
08-25-2014 #17