Oh Boy.......New Misery Project. 78 Trans Am

[SMWS6TA]

Been sitting on this since last July.

I made an impulse buy. Bought a 78 Trans Am (roller) for $500. Basically I guess I don't have enough pain and misery with my 98 or 00 that I need just a little more....Yes it's rough as fuck but still has a lot going for it. Has the typical 2nd gen issues: floor pans, qtr panel, fenders, wrong hood, painted with house paint, no drive train, and obviously a shit ton of work.

What it does have going for it: the Rockers are solid, the hard top is solid and it has complete interior (I've never seen even cars as much as $3k have all the interior). I've done a vin check and it is in fact a Trans AM, came with a 400ci auto, both are long gone as well as the shaker hood. Was Gold, then someone painted it white with either house paint and/or roller. That's gonna be fun to fix. For now I'm going thru and fixing the body before I get a drive train. I've had time to think it over and the 2 paths I've decided on is either get a Pontiac 455 and kept it old school or the most likely route, get a L92/94 rebuild it to be a monster and toss that into the 98 and that the 403 LQ4 out of the 98 and drop it in this. I've only been given 2 rules from the household six (wife) - must be an auto and not so wild she can't handle it cause she wants to drive it. The 98 she is afraid to drive.










I have more pics of stuff I've been working, will post later.

[Whamhammer]

Been sitting on this since last July.

I made an impulse buy. Bought a 78 Trans Am (roller) for $500. Basically I guess I don't have enough pain and misery with my 98 or 00 that I need just a little more....Yes it's rough as fuck but still has a lot going for it. Has the typical 2nd gen issues: floor pans, qtr panel, fenders, wrong hood, painted with house paint, no drive train, and obviously a shit ton of work.

What it does have going for it: the Rockers are solid, the hard top is solid and it has complete interior (I've never seen even cars as much as $3k have all the interior). I've done a vin check and it is in fact a Trans AM, came with a 400ci auto, both are long gone as well as the shaker hood. Was Gold, then someone painted it white with either house paint and/or roller. That's gonna be fun to fix. For now I'm going thru and fixing the body before I get a drive train. I've had time to think it over and the 2 paths I've decided on is either get a Pontiac 455 and kept it old school or the most likely route, get a L92/94 rebuild it to be a monster and toss that into the 98 and that the 403 LQ4 out of the 98 and drop it in this. I've only been given 2 rules from the household six (wife) - must be an auto and not so wild she can't handle it cause she wants to drive it. The 98 she is afraid to drive.










I have more pics of stuff I've been working, will post later.

I don't know how I missed this, yeah you are in for a fun time!!!

At least they make repro parts for those.

I know where a LS1 might be, assuming that the bores haven't rusted up....

[SMWS6TA]

Finally made some progress on drivers door. Cut out a corner that had bad rustand weld in a replacement steel. wire wheel the shit out of everything inside and window tracks cleaned up. Waiting on some Steel it primer to come in and then I'll be putting on the door skin. So far fitment is dead on. just need to twick the patch a little. I'll post picks up once I get more done.

[Whamhammer]

Finally made some progress on drivers door. Cut out a corner that had bad rustand weld in a replacement steel. wire wheel the shit out of everything inside and window tracks cleaned up. Waiting on some Steel it primer to come in and then I'll be putting on the door skin. So far fitment is dead on. just need to twick the patch a little. I'll post picks up once I get more done.

And I thought I had MY work cut out for me!!!!


Should be a good project

[SMWS6TA]

As promised.... Driver door is done.


So for reference Here is where it started...




Cleaned up all the dirt and surface rust on the inside and applied Por15.









Repaired the corner. This was the only bad spot on the door frame.





New door skin attached and spot welded






I now have a new level of respect for body guys. That hammering smoked my arm. Lot more of work out then it looks.

It will need some body work but that can be done in primer and blocking.

Next is the passenger door.

[Whamhammer]

As promised.... Driver door is done.


So for reference Here is where it started...




Cleaned up all the dirt and surface rust on the inside and applied Por15.









Repaired the corner. This was the only bad spot on the door frame.





New door skin attached and spot welded






I now have a new level of respect for body guys. That hammering smoked my arm. Lot more of work out then it looks.

It will need some body work but that can be done in primer and blocking.

Next is the passenger door.

Yeah, having the right tools, enough elbow grease, patience, and knowhow certainly helps!

I usually dont have the patience!

[SMWS6TA]

New Year update.


Pass door has been reskinned. I thought I took pics but they either disappeared or I was too lazy to take

For Christmas Santa delivered a new shaker hood and rear trunk lid.


Currently working on the dash cowl.







100 hidden spot welds







Corners for the a pillars As bad as they look the rust is surface with some pitting BUT no pinholes. I poked, jabbed and scrapped but no rust holes. I'm checking into what I should do to fix it if needed. I'm temped to grind out all the rust, treat it and spread some jb weld and sand it smooth. I'm open to suggestions.








Replacement fits spot on. Just some more clean up and fitment




After cowl is ready for welding I plan on attacking the floor pans. I hope/pray/goal I'm able to finish the body work this year.

All is pending on how fast I can get the Yukon back together and out of my garage. I need the space to weld. The wife is onboard with me having an electrician install 220 drops in the garage for this project.

[Whamhammer]

New Year update.


Pass door has been reskinned. I thought I took pics but they either disappeared or I was too lazy to take

For Christmas Santa delivered a new shaker hood and rear trunk lid.


Currently working on the dash cowl.







100 hidden spot welds







Corners for the a pillars As bad as they look the rust is surface with some pitting BUT no pinholes. I poked, jabbed and scrapped but no rust holes. I'm checking into what I should do to fix it if needed. I'm temped to grind out all the rust, treat it and spread some jb weld and sand it smooth. I'm open to suggestions.








Replacement fits spot on. Just some more clean up and fitment




After cowl is ready for welding I plan on attacking the floor pans. I hope/pray/goal I'm able to finish the body work this year.

All is pending on how fast I can get the Yukon back together and out of my garage. I need the space to weld. The wife is onboard with me having an electrician install 220 drops in the garage for this project.

I wonder how EvapoRust would work on some of that rust?

I was able to avoid a fair bit of sanding and grinding on some of my stuff by soaking paper towels in EvapoRust and putting them atop the rusted surface,

[SMWS6TA]

Thanks for the idea. I'll try that and see how that works. I've had the door hinges soaking in a bucket of that stuff. They are either well cleaned or melted away. They've been in it for 3 months now. I forgot about them honestly.

The hood and rear trunk lid came in.

[Whamhammer]

Thanks for the idea. I'll try that and see how that works. I've had the door hinges soaking in a bucket of that stuff. They are either well cleaned or melted away. They've been in it for 3 months now. I forgot about them honestly.

The hood and rear trunk lid came in.

I've been using EvapoRust liquid on Gracie's restoration, especially the interior and apron area under the drivers front engine bay wiring harness area. If I can't soak it, I put paper towels on the item and saturate EvapoRust on the paper, so the paper pulls the rust/gunk, and then I can remove the paper.

It helped a lot on the seats metal parts, so I didnt sand/scrape and remove material, just more or less restored it.

[SMWS6TA]

This is what I'm dealing with.

Driver's side a pillar


Passenger side A pillar

[SMWS6TA]

Well test fitting is done. It fits like it's suppose to. A little body hammering a couple of spots but otherwise it's ready to burn in. I have it secured for now with self tapping screws in a couple of spots that are easy to weld up




Now on to the next project....floors (or lack of).





You would be amazed on the amount of dirt and shit that gets into these cross-member's. Before I weld in the new pans I'm going to wire wheel and rust treat as much as I can. Welding surfaces will get steel it weld thru primer. Every where else I'll POR15 it.



Just realized looking at the pic I need to move my jack stand under the sub-frame.








Initial fit is good




I'm seriously considering using Lizard skin or some type of bed liner for underneath coating for rust prevention.

[SMWS6TA]

Did some more final fitment. It's about 90-95% done enough I can secure with screws till it gets burned in.







And then there's this. This is like an onion, peal a layer and discover an new layer of issues. The top of the hump is tissue paper thin. The issue is you see where the front seat pan ends and the rear seat pan doesn't include this either. So I'll have to fabricate it.


And then there's the dirt, holy shit the amount of dirt you find in spots you wouldn't think of....

[Whamhammer]

Well test fitting is done. It fits like it's suppose to. A little body hammering a couple of spots but otherwise it's ready to burn in. I have it secured for now with self tapping screws in a couple of spots that are easy to weld up




Now on to the next project....floors (or lack of).





You would be amazed on the amount of dirt and shit that gets into these cross-member's. Before I weld in the new pans I'm going to wire wheel and rust treat as much as I can. Welding surfaces will get steel it weld thru primer. Every where else I'll POR15 it.



Just realized looking at the pic I need to move my jack stand under the sub-frame.








Initial fit is good




I'm seriously considering using Lizard skin or some type of bed liner for underneath coating for rust prevention.

I'm planning on putting POR-15, with some sort of undercoating type material

[Whamhammer]

I'd be cleaning the dirt out, and rust clearing, EvapoRusting as much as I can before putting new metal on it

[SMWS6TA]

I am.....

[SMWS6TA]

Drivers side, I forgot to take a pic before I started cutting it out.






It fits very nice.....


Started working on the toe panel but got called into work....

[Whamhammer]

Drivers side, I forgot to take a pic before I started cutting it out.






It fits very nice.....


Started working on the toe panel but got called into work....

So are you welding these panels in place or using another bonding technique?

[SMWS6TA]

For now self tapping screws. Then weld them in. I have to get my wife's Yukon back up to clear garage space. I've been ordered the last of the parts I need to rebuild the engine.

[SMWS6TA]

Floor pans are in (just need weld in)


Drivers side





Rear Passenger side going to need some more work (and metal) but good enough for now.




Found a mouse nest in the sub frame rail.





Just hope are this dust and shit in the air gives me hantavirus