Restoration - 1978 Trans Am T-Top

This is a custom build and restoration that starts with a complete frame off and will include a Tremec 5-speed with a 3:73 gear to back it up. The numbers matching 400 is being bored and stroked on a ground-up build by Wildcat Engines of Adel,GA. We will be installing disc brakes, stainless steel lines and a lot more.

Our goal is to have the car ready for the 2007 Trans Am Nationals.

By mid February we began the breakdown.

One nasty rear end. But under all that oil leakage was a pristine set of axle tubes with absolutely no pits. The 3:73 is installed and ready.

We pulled a set of axles and disc brakes from an 80 donor and retired the drums.
The floor pans were the only place we found any sign of rust. It was mostly likely a result of leaky t-tops. It looked as if someone had taken a six-pack and a gallon of cool-seal left over form the double wide trailer project and had a party on the floor pans. So, we snatched those puppies out and prepped for new ones.

It's mid March 2006. Installed the 4-seed hump and seam sealed the floor pans.

After the pans are seam sealed, we spray on a rubberized under coating for protection and sound proofing.

Body in primer

 
Seat components get back from powder coating

A/C box restored and ready

Fender skirts arrive from powder coating

Fenders are blocked and primed

Prepped and ready for blocking

It’s mid November and we’re back on it. Not much as been done in the last five months but order parts and send components off for plating. So, in the next 60 days we will be striping the body down to bare metal again, repairing any needed areas, seam sealing, hanging sheet metal, block sanding and preparing to shoot color. The engine will be assembled and dyno tuned while the frame is re-assembled and prepped for the body.

Body on Rotisserie

Prepping for Seam Seal

Lead Seam Sealer Removed

Repairing Quarter Panel

Prepping for Seam Seal

Prepping for Seam Seal

Seam Sealing

Seam Sealing

Tape Removed

Tape Removed

Rubberized Coating Applied

Rubberized Coating Applied

(click photos below to enlarge)

Parts organized for assembly

Control Arms Installed

Spring Installed

Knuckle Attached

Done!

Ready to block sand

Quarter Panel Repaired

Setting Reveal

It’s late January, 2007 and the engine parts are delivered to Wildcat Engines of Adel, GA. The reputation of Wildcat Engines is highly regarded in racing circles. Recently, one of their engine builds made the pages of Hot Rod magazine. Mike Lacuria, master engine builder, checks in the parts. The numbers matching block had arrived earlier. The 4,000 square foot facility is equipped with state of the art machining technology and a dyno lab. It’s like walking into a hospital. Everything is so clean and sanitary you don’t want to breath on anything. It’s in this sterile environment Mike will build our 455ci torque monster. We can hardly wait...

The blocking and prep for the body and body parts are complete.  We apply a PPG single stage urethane simply as a “seal-in” application.  Each part will be stored out doors for a minimum of 4-6 weeks in an effort to promote shrinkage and bring any imperfections to the surface.  Afterwards, all jams will be prepped and shot with the final base coat – clear coat and the undercarriage sprayed in the original red primer. It’s then off for reassembly before the final coat is applied to the entire surface.

Body receives “seal-in” coat.

Body moved outdoors

Dateline: 3-27-07

We dynoed the engine at Wildcat Engines today and transported it home for final prep, painting and installation.  We used this opportunity to do some research on a honing process we discovered at the 2006 SEMA show.   We collaborated with Rick Miller of Extrude Hone in Irwin, PA., who uses an advanced deburring, polishing, and finishing technique on engine components for optimum air and fuel flow.   We gave them two intakes to hone and compared them to the exact intake non-honed.   The result was stunning.  Our engine build was a 1978 Pontiac 400 block with a 455ci stroker kit, Edelbrock aluminum heads and a hydraulic roller cam.  Our compression ratio top out at 10.56: 1 and the dyno was conducted using 93 octane pump gas.   We ran a Quadrajet carburetor and ram air exhaust manifolds.

The results shown were conducted using the popular Hurricane / Tomahawk aluminum intake from Professional Products.  We choose this intake because it’s dyno results in an earlier publication of HPP showed that it compared well to the Edlebrock Performer RPM and still allowed use of the stock air cleaner basin and shaker scoop, unlike the RPM. Furthermore, it’s similar appearance to the earlier model stock aluminum intakes made it a great candidate for that “stock” appearance once painted to match the engine.

The results were as follows :

The non-honed intake yielded 515.8 lbft of torque and 479.8hp.  The honed unit produced 538.4 lbft and 510hp.  An increase of 23 lbft and 30hp ! 

The difference in the honed Hurricane and the honed stock Pontiac intake was 20.5 lbft of torque and 37hp. The honed stock intake yielded 2 lbft of torque more and 6.6hp. less than the non-honed Hurricane.

The jams are sprayed with the final base coat / clear coat while the firewall and dash get the correct black out and the factory overspray. From here it’s back to the barn where we’ll complete the installation in preparation for the final paint and buffing scheduled for July 2007.

October 25, 2006

Ok, so we did not make the 2007 Nationals...with this car anyway. Took off for 3 months to work on a few of the other projects and now it’s time to tighten up and zero in on the STARS show (Southern Trans Am Regional Show) in Destin, FL. scheduled for sometime in April 2008. Took the original four core radiator down to our local radiator shop here in Tallahassee. Henry’s Radiator Shop as been in business at the same location since 1932. Ronald, the current owner took over in 1972. It’s such a pleasure working with the old school craftsmen. He did an excellent job on the Harrison tanks and core. I then took it back to the Depot for prep and paint - looks brand new. The fenders, bumpers, core support and nose are installed. Next will be the battery tray, fuel tank and exhaust and we’ll be ready to fire it off. After that it will be time to install the glass, bleed the brakes and take it back to Mike McGarvey for it’s final coat of paint. Then we will finish the interior, molding, grills and decals.

June 29, 2008

The biggest challenge to this restoration has been finding NOS or show quality parts. Parts like rear glass with heat, rear defog switch, t-top glass without scratches, etc. The hunt-and-peck method of finding these parts has consumed more time than the build itself. And then there’s those pesky set backs. The ole two steps forward and three backwards like; “reproduction” parts that don’t fit correctly, phantom electrical ghosts or one of my favorites...parts that play hide-and-seek. These are parts you had in your hands just minutes ago and all of the sudden there gone. So you spend the next 15 minutes looking for a part that inevitably jumps right back into place the moment you turn your head. Amazing how smart these things are.

Anyway, here we are less than 60-days to the Nationals and I still cannot say for certain that this car will be there. It has been moved from the Trans Am Depot barn to Mike Mcgarvey’s shop for final prep and paint. The bumpers and front nose were removed from their “dry fit” and the hood installed for alignment and prep sake. The team at Mcgarveys does some incredible work. Retro custom is their specialty. Incorporating new technology with vintage styling, they have turned out scores of show cars scoring in the high 900’s. They are well known and respected for their paint work, which of course, is why they’re painting for the Depot.