Purchased a project TA!

[SCCA VETTE]

I have been looking for another car to build as a driver that has AC and gets decent mileage, etc, but still has some fun factor to drive.

I found this 91 Trans Am on Craigs List within a hour of me that had been in a small fender bender. I ended up purchasing it for 1K. Everything works (including AC) and the car runs and drives great. Other than the are that was hit in the front (bumper & Hood) the car was in VERY good shape. I found all the parts to fix it for 300 bucks and now just need to tear it all down and paint it. Here are some pics!

I think it will look really good sitting in the garage with the vette!

 

[SmokinBBC]

I think that's a great deal! You gonna change the color?

 

[Twin_Turbo]

I like it. Needs a large silver chicken on the hood 5.0 or 5.7?

 

[bobs77vet]

i would guess the engine and trans are worth that my them selves....looks like a fun car

 

[mrvette]

IF that thing was a rag top, I"d have to hijack that SOB....

sports/sporty cars have to be a convertible, really, I can accept a coupe, but NEVER a 4 dr.....CASE CLOSED....

:bounce::amazed:

 

[TONY TAT2]

Nice score !

 

[00fxd]

That'll be great driver. Decent on fuel and lots of power. Some just gave me an '88 Z28 5sp. TBI tho not tuned-port. Not as good cond tho by a long shot.
My daily driver - a Marauder ....... It's got 4 doors 'cause I need them as a Realtor, but the car rocks :yahoo:

Factory Cobra engine - 32valve, all aluminum, hi compression, premium fuel only, hi stall converter, 3.55's, posi, 18" forged wheels, police tune in the ecm. Even the police cars don't get the Cobra engine. Unfortunately it's in the body shop right now - I cracked it up :cussing:

 

[SCCA VETTE]

That'll be great driver. Decent on fuel and lots of power. Some just gave me an '88 Z28 5sp. TBI tho not tuned-port. Not as good cond tho by a long shot.
My daily driver - a Marauder ....... It's got 4 doors 'cause I need them as a Realtor, but the car rocks :yahoo:

Factory Cobra engine - 32valve, all aluminum, hi compression, premium fuel only, hi stall converter, 3.55's, posi, 18" forged wheels, police tune in the ecm. Even the police cars don't get the Cobra engine. Unfortunately it's in the body shop right now - I cracked it up :cussing:

WOW you really did good there, the 5sp in that car is worth a grand. I have never been a Ford man however I really like the looks of the Marauder, they remind me of the old Impala SS. I see one around here at a car show from time to time.


To answer some of the questions above, no I am not going to change the color. It is going back the green however I am going to tint the windows and paint the center of the wheels black. I am really not interested in doing door jams and under the hood.

The car is a 5.0 and not a 5.7. It does have underdrive pulleys and headers with 3" flowmaster exhaust. I am going to do all the little bolt on stuff and maybe some 1.6 rockers and that is about it, just a driver.

 

[69427]

Heckuva deal there, Phil. Post some more pics when you're done with the repairs. :thumbs:

 

[00fxd]

You think that trans is really worth a grand? Cool. I think I'll keep the thing around, it seems to run ok. The guy who gave it told me of all these things wrong with it which turn to be not so, leaky water pump and stuff-not. I think I could put plates on it and have a reasonable car to drive.
I like all domestic makes, my hot rods have been Chevrolets mostly tho but I just found a '65 Mustang notchback in a garage. Hmmmm.......
Your really gonna like that Firechicken as a driver. I've never had 3rd Gen Camaro/Firebird [til now] but I always wanted one.

 

[SCCA VETTE]

You think that trans is really worth a grand? Cool. I think I'll keep the thing around, it seems to run ok. The guy who gave it told me of all these things wrong with it which turn to be not so, leaky water pump and stuff-not. I think I could put plates on it and have a reasonable car to drive.
I like all domestic makes, my hot rods have been Chevrolets mostly tho but I just found a '65 Mustang notchback in a garage. Hmmmm.......
Your really gonna like that Firechicken as a driver. I've never had 3rd Gen Camaro/Firebird [til now] but I always wanted one.

Yes those are T5's are worth good money, not only do the f-body guys want them to convert their cars the C4 guys are buying them up also because you can get a adaptor for them to bolt in. The other mod is putting a LS motor in a f-body and most of the guys doing this are looking for the T5 to use for that. If you were to part the car out you could get 1500 EASY for the trans, bellhousing, clutch, pedals and all hydros out of that car.

 

[SCCA VETTE]

I think I am going to do a little test with this car also. I do NOT want to build a race car out of it however I would like to do all the little tricks to see what I can get out of the old 305.

I am going to take the car and dyno it at a local shop and see where it stands the way it sits. I am going to then bring it home and do all the little tricks and go back and see how much HP we get. I have a NOS kit laying around for a TPI, might throw it on and see what we can get on a small shot of spray. I am thinking maybe i can get 225 at the wheels without any spray.

 

[Twin_Turbo]

The only heads that will flow and not have terrible valve shrouding or small valves that will even fit w/ large valves is the old trick flow G2 twisted wedge head.

 

[00fxd]

The story is, the tunned port tubes are too small. The engines can't pull enough air and quit building power from 4500 to 5000 on. Edlebrock and others make a larger manifold which is probably key to waking up that engine.

 

[SCCA VETTE]

The story is, the tunned port tubes are too small. The engines can't pull enough air and quit building power from 4500 to 5000 on. Edlebrock and others make a larger manifold which is probably key to waking up that engine.

You are correct! The TPI is pretty much done at 4500RPM. This is the reason I run a Super Ram intake on the vette it will flow enough air for around 7K RPM.

I can do some lower intake porting and upper plenum porting along with some port matching on the tubes and it will help on the 305, this along with 1.6 rockers will give it a few HP. Again I am not wanting to build a race car or start swaping heads or cams, I am going to see what we I can get out of the old 305.

 

[00fxd]

I can do some lower intake porting and upper plenum porting along with some port matching on the tubes and it will help on the 305, this along with 1.6 rockers will give it a few HP. Again I am not wanting to build a race car or start swaping heads or cams, I am going to see what we I can get out of the old 305.

With that in mind then it will be interesting to see what gains you can achieve. Grass roots hot rodding. Keep us posted all the way then please.
Frank.

 

[MYBAD79]

Heckuva deal there, Phil. Post some more pics when you're done with the repairs. :thumbs:

I agree, great deal.... but also post a few few pics during the repair

 

[mrvette]

To take the old TPI base and siamese the first 2.5 inches of the induction ports and smooth them out in a nice clean joint passage, leave the runners, but open up the plenum to make sure you match the runners....

change the computer to eliminate the EGR if you can....on a stock program, you can bump timing to 10* instead of 8.....if you tbody is 48mm, I would tend to leave it for now....injectors need by 24 lbs instead of 19 that it came with....

IF you have a MAF system, you maybe want to increase size of the sensor...but check around on that, not awfully sure....

when you send the calpak off for redo...make sure you eliminate the VATS system, and whatever else the programer recomends...

 

[SCCA VETTE]

Update! 4-26-09

This weekend we were able to work on this old TA. We stripped the car down adn repaired the front end. We then went ahead and painted the car yesterday. Here is a few pics

We added a little blue/green rearl in the clear. here is a pic that shows tthe color of the paint.