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My bets on valve seals. Good news is they are really easy to do, and pretty cheap. I would definitely change the oil, while you're there. Could be your valve guides, or Piston rings as well, but I'm betting valve seals fix all or most of the problem.
DR.k.
Also, have you considered using 255/50/16's on the rear? I have BF Goodrich G-force all around on my IROC, and I absolutely love them. Wear is good, and they really stick in turns. They were only a few bucks more than the 245's I have on the front. There are two compounds available, and I went with the softer/stickier compound. I would just order them from a tire store (I usually use Discount tire).
DR.K.
Haven't done much with the car lately as I didn't keep on the road too long. I did get a new shifter boot which made a huge difference on the console look, and I also got my fender back from the paint shop. The green is deeper than how the car looks, but it looks WAY better than the mangled nonsense on there now. Otherwise, she's basically sitting idle for the time being until I decide her fate. I'll be moving to a new city shortly and parking is questionable, so I've been chewing on selling it, as much as I don't want to. Anyways, we'll see what happens
Haven't done much with the car lately as I didn't keep on the road too long. I did get a new shifter boot which made a huge difference on the console look, and I also got my fender back from the paint shop. The green is deeper than how the car looks, but it looks WAY better than the mangled nonsense on there now. Otherwise, she's basically sitting idle for the time being until I decide her fate. I'll be moving to a new city shortly and parking is questionable, so I've been chewing on selling it, as much as I don't want to. Anyways, we'll see what happens
Hopefully you can keep it. I moved to where I am now so I could keep my cars, and to be close to Speedworld raceway (Now abandoned, unfortunately). I now live 20 minutes away from anything. People around here refer to going to Walmart as "Going into town" lol. I like the peace and quiet, and having acreage allows me to have the room for all my projects.
DR.K.
Hopefully you can keep it. I moved to where I am now so I could keep my cars, and to be close to Speedworld raceway (Now abandoned, unfortunately). I now live 20 minutes away from anything. People around here refer to going to Walmart as "Going into town" lol. I like the peace and quiet, and having acreage allows me to have the room for all my projects.
DR.K.
That's what I'm hoping too. Any other typical third gen I'd let go no problem, but those of you who saw the thread for my last GTA know why this one holds a soft spot. You almost never see green Trans Am's, especially in my area, so what are the chances that I happen across this car while desperately hunting to find my old one? It's fate I'd say
Got my fender on! Not the best pics, but still shows 100x better than before. The paint is of course a bit more crisp than the rest of the car, but it's pretty damn close. Job wise, it wouldn't have been too bad if it wasn't on a crushed fender. All in all, it took me about 2 hours to remove the fender, and about 30 to re-install and align the new one. Gaps are perfect, the door doesn't rub, and the headlights finally close! I didn't have time to put the front gfx on, but I'll get to it.
Next on the list is the front brake install. The rotors are drilled / slotted and still had plenty of life left, but unfortunately they're pretty rusty so my new replacements will take their place. The driver side rotor also doesn't turn freely at all as the caliper's clamped pretty good. I'm hoping a good service will help me avoid having to replace the caliper, but I'm a rookie with this so we'll see what happens.
Decided to pull a Carfax today out of curiosity. Turns out that my Canadian car with only 120km, is ACTUALLY a US car with approx. 250km. Cluster was swapped, but what ever. Car's still very clean, and it's not like the value is changing.
Read through most of thread and very cool to see this car transforming already. Looks great! Yea my cars Carfax Iirc showed my car having records on the west and east coast. Cool to see the history but I agree it doesn’t change much for my purposes.
btw I thought mph before km/hr was highlighted lol
My car's been all over the place apparently. Born in PA, then to MD, then up here to Canada in 06'. The mileage is a bit of a bummer but on my already smokey old 305, I'm not losing any sleep over it. Other than that, there are no wrecks or anything spooky, so I'll be okay! At the end of the day, I still only paid $2K for a rust free T/A and drove it home
Keats - so you ended up keeping it? I love one of these in a Vert never ridden in third gen vert though
Ive never really cared about miles my 87 has like 180k miles I was second owner @ 44k never wrecked no rust Texas car drive train been replaced or rebuilt 2-3 times if you take care of your stuff whats it hurt?
Keats - so you ended up keeping it? I love one of these in a Vert never ridden in third gen vert though
Ive never really cared about miles my 87 has like 180k miles I was second owner @ 44k never wrecked no rust Texas car drive train been replaced or rebuilt 2-3 times if you take care of your stuff whats it hurt?
Looks like it. I offered it to a member on here but haven't heard anything back, so I decided I'm just going to tighten it up and enjoy the rest of the driving season. New front tires, brakes, and alignment this Thursday, then some real driving will give me a feel for what she needs. She'll finally be getting an oil change too which will hopefully have some kind of effect on the burning. We'll see though
You're right about the mileage part, it doesn't really bug me too much. The only thing that concerns me is the shifting from first to second; it's always late and shifts hard. Just hoping I don't need a full over haul
Car's in the shop right now and I got a list of other things that it needs. General maintenance really; center link, idler arm, control arm bushings, track bar, etc. Nothing really too bad. I'm going to get my Rock Auto order in, with everything being Moog, will I come across any real difficulty with installs? Everything looks pretty straight forward
I don't know if this still holds today but I remembered seeing a thread about certain Moog/AC Delco idler arms you have to watch for, they do not fit correctly etc. In the last few post some guys mentioned Proforged as being good.
I don't know if this still holds today but I remembered seeing a thread about certain Moog/AC Delco idler arms you have to watch for, they do not fit correctly etc. In the last few post some guys mentioned Proforged as being good.
Thanks man! I read through that a while back and there are a lot of mixed reviews for the Moog stuff. I'll take a shot at the Moog's and if they don't fit then lesson learned haha
Gotta say fellas, I'm pretty happy about how the car's moving along. Stevie Wonder performed a thorough safety inspection and the car passed with flying colours! We're a few hundred km deep so far since putting her fully on the road, and not even a hint at an issue.
I have a new center link and idler arm that should be arriving today, and still deciding what route to go with the rear end. Anyways, here are a few pics of the new fender with the gfx finally installed and a full wash. The paint on the fender doesn't line up perfectly, but it's still 10x better than the mess that was on there before.
That is a huge improvement from before, I see your hood is a little high toward the back of the fender. Mine had that and there is an adjustment near the fender edge in the back that might be able to bring it down. Remove the rubber cap between the two bolts and you can adjust the height.
That is a huge improvement from before, I see your hood is a little high toward the back of the fender. Mine had that and there is an adjustment near the fender edge in the back that might be able to bring it down. Remove the rubber cap between the two bolts and you can adjust the height.
I noticed that too but haven't really had a chance to figure out what's up. Does that little rubber thing twist, kind of like adjusting the rear hatch?
I noticed that too but haven't really had a chance to figure out what's up. Does that little rubber thing twist, kind of like adjusting the rear hatch?
It's a screw with a rubber cap on top for a bumper. Just pull the rubber off
Yes just pull the rubber cover off and use a socket with an extension and you should be all set. The front of the hood has adjusters like the hatch too.
Car took a big step forward in the cosmetics department yesterday, with the addition of a new spoiler! Picked this bugger up months ago and just haven't gotten around to painting and installing it, but I'm glad I finally did. It's wild how important the spoiler is to the look of these cars!
Something I learned though, is that GM seemed to use screws that prevent the spoiler from ever being removed and installed on another car. It's basically a bolt with a locking nut on the other end, though the other end is IN the spoiler so there's no way to hold it and spin the bolt out. 3 spoilers now and they've all been subject to the same nonsense. Since the replacement still had the old bolts in the factory holes, I had to drill tiny holes beside them and mount it with new screws. I hated doing it, but I was careful to keep them clean and crack free. Otherwise, a note to anyone who doesn't already know, the 91-92 spoiler does NOT mount to 80's glass. I knew it going in, and just put small zip ties at the front arms to keep them mounted instead of bouncing around.
Another small note thanks to you fellas, the hood aligns a million times better now! Played around with the screw at the back of the fender, and the rubber screw before the nose, and now it doesn't look like the car hit a pole.
Also, I'm picking up (hopefully) a full grey interior this weekend from a 90' Formula. Carpet, every grey plastic piece, clean airbag wheel, rear seats, door panels, and a few other misc pieces, for $450 CAD which is about $340 USD. Not a home run, but a fair deal IMO. A member on here and a now buddy is donating a clean set of front grey GTA seats from his car, which is the reason for the full grey swap. Definitely excited!
What’s your interior look like now? I may be in the market for some pieces. Seeing as you have the correct colors and all. Lol
And the late spoiler doesn’t fit earlier hatches? I did not know this. I believe my original hatch has been replaced. Not sure it’s it’s in that year range or not I’ll have to investigate further
What’s your interior look like now? I may be in the market for some pieces. Seeing as you have the correct colors and all. Lol
And the late spoiler doesn’t fit earlier hatches? I did not know this. I believe my original hatch has been replaced. Not sure it’s it’s in that year range or not I’ll have to investigate further
It's .. there .. I guess. Few pieces missing, few in rough shape, door panels are meh, no back seats and the fronts are gross, carpet's black, ya know
And yep, where the extensions run along the side of the hatch toward the doors, the mount for the end of them is different than the 90 and older ones. I'm not sure about the actual deck lid, but I'd bet the holes are different too.
It's .. there .. I guess. Few pieces missing, few in rough shape, door panels are meh, no back seats and the fronts are gross, carpet's black, ya know
And yep, where the extensions run along the side of the hatch toward the doors, the mount for the end of them is different than the 90 and older ones. I'm not sure about the actual deck lid, but I'd bet the holes are different too.
Well yeah that and would probably cost me an arm and a leg to get stuff here as well lol.
Interesting. I have an 88 and 91 sitting next to each other. Guess I’ll have to check that out and compare. Learn something new everyday
The screws in the spoiler come out, I have done it several times. I think the problem is galvanic reaction between the steel screw and the brass insert. The screw corrodes and essentially locks it's self to the insert.
The screws in the spoiler come out, I have done it several times. I think the problem is galvanic reaction between the steel screw and the brass insert. The screw corrodes and essentially locks it's self to the insert.
That would make sense. I pulled one out of my wrecked spoiler and even after soaking it in oil, I couldn't get the bolt to even budge. Seems like a stupid example of over engineering to me
Haven't had a lot to post as I've basically just been driving my car with nothing more than a few little tinker sessions here and there. However this coming weekend, it looks like I'm picking up a full tan GTA interior. It's from an 88' so there are a few things that are wrong for my car like the door panels, rear seats, rear plastics etc. I plan on selling the door panels, but converting my rear seats to split folding with lap belts. Is it a tough job? I should be able to install the lap belts in the same way as I would the shoulder ones, but without the upper mount. Then I can install the 88' rear panels without the cut out, no?
My only hang up is the rear back rest. Do I have to weld in the middle tunnel mount, or is there a way to get the split rear to mount fairly well on my stock mount?
You'll have to weld in/attach that bar or the seats will just flop down in the middle. If you got one form another vehicle you could probably screw it down
You'll have to weld in/attach that bar or the seats will just flop down in the middle. If you got one form another vehicle you could probably screw it down
I would have loved to get yours, it's just too damn hard to get across the border with this Covid stuff! I didn't expect it to go on this long, and there's still no hint of the border re-opening any time soon
Finally completed a HUGE piece of this car's puzzle. Picked up this complete interior from an 89' GTA, and though I didn't get a home run of a deal by any means, I'm happy to finally have it looking good inside. Paid $800 CAD and got the seats, carpet, all tan plastics, seat belts, visors, and speaker covers. They're black but honestly I kinda dig the look. The pic makes the tan look kind of dingy but it looks fantastic in person.
I still have to re-install the head liner, replace the plastic rocker cover that's cracked (in the pic), find a 90+ map pocket, find a clean console lid, and hunt down a set of factory floor mats, but at least now the big thing is done.
Also the rear seats are split folding, and my car doesn't have the mount on the center tunnel. They sit there fine and don't move or anything, but I'll have to get a mount attached eventually when I can scoop one from a parts car.
Finally completed a HUGE piece of this car's puzzle. Picked up this complete interior from an 89' GTA, and though I didn't get a home run of a deal by any means, I'm happy to finally have it looking good inside. Paid $800 CAD and got the seats, carpet, all tan plastics, seat belts, visors, and speaker covers. They're black but honestly I kinda dig the look. The pic makes the tan look kind of dingy but it looks fantastic in person.
I still have to re-install the head liner, replace the plastic rocker cover that's cracked (in the pic), find a 90+ map pocket, find a clean console lid, and hunt down a set of factory floor mats, but at least now the big thing is done.
Also the rear seats are split folding, and my car doesn't have the mount on the center tunnel. They sit there fine and don't move or anything, but I'll have to get a mount attached eventually when I can scoop one from a parts car.
It really does change everything. I personally don't think these cars are styled in a way that looks good ratty, if that makes any sense. As in a 2nd gen T/A with mismatched fenders and abuse from bow to stern looks sick.. while a few dents in my door make my car look ghetto haha. At least now I feel like the car looks complete and fairly well cared for, instead of having some dents and marks, AND a horrific interior
That is true, second gens can easily pull off that beat but cool old muscle car look while third gens just can’t for some reason. My 79’ TA I had in high school was just ratty and beat enough to nail it lol, shame it was so rotted underneath.
Haven't posted any updates in a while as a new job and a bunch of other stuff have occupied my attention. I ended up selling the ol' girl a few weeks ago as a deal came along that I just couldn't pass up, and the T/A lost her storage spot. Definitely sad to see her go, but taking her place is this sucker. A 1977 barebones L48 auto with all of its 184hp. 21,000 original miles, 100% original and complete down to the original tires on the stock rally rims. The current ones are Cheviot which seem to be pretty rare. Car is healthy all around, and just made a 4 hour trip home in the bitter cold without even hinting at giving me a problem. Not fast, doesn't handle well, and isn't very comfortable, but I love it.
I'll have more third gens, but for now, this thread comes to an end
Wow, that is AWESOME... If I didn't have so many projects I'd be all up in one of these things. I'm temporarily loosing my storage in the spring hopefully as well... New garage should be going up, and then I can get under way on my airplane fuselage. I ended up deciding to repair my T/A from dyno damage and do a few upgrades.
Wow, that is AWESOME... If I didn't have so many projects I'd be all up in one of these things. I'm temporarily loosing my storage in the spring hopefully as well... New garage should be going up, and then I can get under way on my airplane fuselage. I ended up deciding to repair my T/A from dyno damage and do a few upgrades.
The lack of garage space is the real killer I have a storage unit but it's unheated and $270 / Month, which is just goofy
06-29-2020, 02:33 PM
