Project sinisTAr - '78 Trans Am
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Hey guys,
I finally starting a build thread on my project of a couple of years – a pro-touring ’78 Trans Am named “sinisTAr”. I purchased the car a couple years ago with the intentions of cloning it into a Special Edition “Bandit” Trans Am. I quickly realized that there are WAY too many of these things out there so I decided to take a slightly different route. After surfing sites, like Lat-G and Pro-Touring, I really started to get the bug to make my own pro-touring TA. When Year One introduced the BRE TA I figured “well, there goes my idea again… So what color do I want to make this thing??? I’ll figure that out later…”
I knew I wanted to make this thing handle like crazy, have a modern power plant and just look mean while being very functional – i.e. fairly cost effective “wear items” like brakes, tires, etc…
So, on with the show…
Vitals:
- '78 TA - Arizona car practically 100% rust free. Very light flash rust in the trunk area, but overall a really solid car! There are some dents but no rot.
- '99 LS1/4L60e mounted, wired and running.
- Speartech modified ECU, Dave-modified harness (me)
- Ceramic coated Hedman headers, 2.5" Magnaflow exhaust
- GM600 Box
- Detroit Speed upper and lower control arms
- 1LE front spindles 12" front brakes with Caprice calipers/'86 GN front brakes mounted on the rear (No e-brake at this point, plained on changing that)
- DSE Booster/3rd Gen Master cylinder
- Pro-Touring F-Body LS1 Competition level suspension/solid body bushings (the ride feel is equivalent to a 4th gen Fbody)
- Electric Bosch 044 external pump, sumped tank.
- Torq Thrust IIs 255/45-17 fronts 285/40-17 rears.
- Driveshaft correctly shortened.
- Cobalt Gauges not installed yet.
- OBDII connector present but not wired in yet.
- Aluminum Rad with dual Electric Fans wired to run off computer. Car hasn't gotten warm enough to fire on its own yet...haha but are wired in properly.
- Also have an Additional Pair of Texas Speed Heads Stage 2.5 5.3L heads with Springs and valves ~1000 miles on them - that will eventually be mounted once everything is together.
- Color is Jetstream Blue - Z06 color (Bluestream Metallic by the paint code)
- I have a full set of BRE Year one Spoilers (flush mount) and I am not sure yet if I am going to paint them matte black or body color.
- Yes I am putting the birds on the car...probably silver/black combo or Originals.
Here are some pics...have newer ones just didn't post them up yet. Should ahve it in full color by next week and home to me!!!![Driving](https://ls1tech.com/forums/images/smilies/LS1Tech/gr_driving3.gif)
![Cheers!!](https://ls1tech.com/forums/images/smilies/LS1Tech/gr_cheers.gif)
Dave
I finally starting a build thread on my project of a couple of years – a pro-touring ’78 Trans Am named “sinisTAr”. I purchased the car a couple years ago with the intentions of cloning it into a Special Edition “Bandit” Trans Am. I quickly realized that there are WAY too many of these things out there so I decided to take a slightly different route. After surfing sites, like Lat-G and Pro-Touring, I really started to get the bug to make my own pro-touring TA. When Year One introduced the BRE TA I figured “well, there goes my idea again… So what color do I want to make this thing??? I’ll figure that out later…”
I knew I wanted to make this thing handle like crazy, have a modern power plant and just look mean while being very functional – i.e. fairly cost effective “wear items” like brakes, tires, etc…
So, on with the show…
Vitals:
- '78 TA - Arizona car practically 100% rust free. Very light flash rust in the trunk area, but overall a really solid car! There are some dents but no rot.
- '99 LS1/4L60e mounted, wired and running.
- Speartech modified ECU, Dave-modified harness (me)
- Ceramic coated Hedman headers, 2.5" Magnaflow exhaust
- GM600 Box
- Detroit Speed upper and lower control arms
- 1LE front spindles 12" front brakes with Caprice calipers/'86 GN front brakes mounted on the rear (No e-brake at this point, plained on changing that)
- DSE Booster/3rd Gen Master cylinder
- Pro-Touring F-Body LS1 Competition level suspension/solid body bushings (the ride feel is equivalent to a 4th gen Fbody)
- Electric Bosch 044 external pump, sumped tank.
- Torq Thrust IIs 255/45-17 fronts 285/40-17 rears.
- Driveshaft correctly shortened.
- Cobalt Gauges not installed yet.
- OBDII connector present but not wired in yet.
- Aluminum Rad with dual Electric Fans wired to run off computer. Car hasn't gotten warm enough to fire on its own yet...haha but are wired in properly.
- Also have an Additional Pair of Texas Speed Heads Stage 2.5 5.3L heads with Springs and valves ~1000 miles on them - that will eventually be mounted once everything is together.
- Color is Jetstream Blue - Z06 color (Bluestream Metallic by the paint code)
- I have a full set of BRE Year one Spoilers (flush mount) and I am not sure yet if I am going to paint them matte black or body color.
- Yes I am putting the birds on the car...probably silver/black combo or Originals.
Here are some pics...have newer ones just didn't post them up yet. Should ahve it in full color by next week and home to me!!!
![Driving](https://ls1tech.com/forums/images/smilies/LS1Tech/gr_driving3.gif)
![Cheers!!](https://ls1tech.com/forums/images/smilies/LS1Tech/gr_cheers.gif)
Dave
Last edited by BanditDave; 10-29-2009 at 07:25 AM. Reason: update info