The War Bird Project

[shepherd1]

Well starting to get my list together for my Trans Am porject

1979 Trans Am
400 block bored .060 over
4.500" stroked forged crank from Ohio crankshaft
6.800" BBC H beam rods
8.5:1 comp forged pistons
670 heads gasket match porting
2.11/1.77 valves
Not sure on intake yet either a Victor or a Tomahawk
850 cfm blow through mod. carb came off a 9.50 car
S475 turbo
log style headers
custom cam (solid lifter)
Copper head gaskets
TH400 (rebuilt with TCI super pro kit)
10 bolt gm with moser axles and 3.55 gears
Disc brakes all the way around
Aftermarket gauges
mini tubs
15x10-12 w/ 295/50-15 MT
15x3.5 w/26/6-15 Front runners for track

Looking at painting the car white (stock color) with the bird in blue
Car will be set up to run between 10-20 psi on E85
Also looking at running a set of trick front springs and a set of split mono with cal-tracs from calvert.

[shepherd1]

here's some pic's as I got here.

[LeighP]

Great stuff, another 2nd gen Firebird.

Don't forget the solid body mounts and subframe connectors.

[shepherd1]

Yeah sorry forgot to put those on there.LOL

[bhcustomdesigns]

Great project!!!I am also building a 79 trans am, keep us updated!!!

[shepherd1]

For sure...LOL I'll be calling on some of you for to input. This is my 1st Pro Touring build most have either been full drag or just street.

[WS6]

alright! another 2nd gen bird build. turbo pontiac 400 sounds awesome!

[shepherd1]

I was able to get out in the shop for a little bit yesterday and as able to get all of the old gas and brake lines striped off the front subframe. Also was able to get master cyl and booster off as well.

[shepherd1]

Went out and worked on the front end today, was able to start removing the front brakes and steering . Getting closer to pulling the front sub frame off to get it blasted.

[motorntv]

You really have your work cut out for you on this project.

Frank from Motor'n TV

[bhcustomdesigns]

Are you going to smooth the firewall in?

[shepherd1]

I'm going to use a cover for the a/c core . My welding skills not the greatest, but working on it. The car is actually rot free other than the passenger side rocker. It has new 1/4 on both sides already, the rust you see on the doors are just surface rust. I'm not gutting the car, but just trying to have a nice street/strip car.

[shepherd1]

I was able to take a few minutes today and got the steering box and tie rods, center link off.

[workbenchracer]

Nice build! Brings back memories from high school. Friend had a STRONG big block TA in high school! Wish I knew where he and the car is now. Dang!

[Doug1]

What block casting are you using on the 400? What is your anticpated HP level? I ask because not all 400 blocks are created equal and some will hold up better than others to the punishment of a boosted motor. Are you doing your own engine build? You probably already know this, if so just ignore, but these are 2 good sites for boost info on pontiac motors.


http://forums.performanceyears.com/f...play.php?f=495
http://www.pontiaczone.com/forum/index.php

[Doug1]

Went out and worked on the front end today, was able to start removing the front brakes and steering . Getting closer to pulling the front sub frame off to get it blasted.

I just pulled the front subframe on one of my builds a few weeks ago. It is at the powder coaters now, along with a bunch of other parts. Pretty easy job other than getting the springs loose safely. That had me a little nervous. I sprayed the 4 subframe bolts with PB blaster for serveral days before I needed to get them loose and they came out easily. It is a pain to get to those cage nuts under the floor if they break loose so lots of rust penetrant ahead of time makes life much easier.

[shepherd1]

The block I'm using is a Xx block out of a 75 Trans Am. H.P. should be around 12-1300 on e85. Working with Mayham Turbo off of pz. Working trying to get my wife talked in to letting me get a KRE block and making 600 Cid with a 130mm turbo. But I will have a lot kissing up to do.lol

[bhcustomdesigns]

I dont live to far away so you are gonna have to take me a ride in this thing when its done lol

[Doug1]

The block I'm using is a Xx block out of a 75 Trans Am. H.P. should be around 12-1300 on e85. Working with Mayham Turbo off of pz. Working trying to get my wife talked in to letting me get a KRE block and making 600 Cid with a 130mm turbo. But I will have a lot kissing up to do.lol

I'd get advice some guys on the Performance Years board as well. There are a bunch of Ponatiac racers over there and a number of very well known Pontiac builders and a few automotive engineers hang out there as well.

I'd be wary of any factory pontiac block for over 700 hp given the well documented weak areas. If you are putting a bunch of expensive parts in that motor, and you would have to in order to keep the motor together at that power level, I'd go with an aftermarket block to protect them. IMHO, I would skimp somewhere else just to make that happen since the bottom of the block is going to be the weakest link in this setup. I used the IA2 block for my own project for that very reason.

[shepherd1]

Yeah I'm over on the Pontiac Zone forum also, I'm working with Jeff Palazzo he owns Mayhem Turbos and he runs a stock 455 block, cat rods, stock crank, and cast iron heads with his and makes over 1,000hp for over 5 yrs with no problems. Also talk with Jeff Kauffman a lot also. I plan on using a forged crank, a set of extreme duty I beam rods rated at 1,500hp. Oh and forgot to mention Jeff's 455 is a 2 bolt main block. I'm not going to run the car @ full boost all the time, just at the track.