Paint & Body Work - Restoring 99' T/A- true fire.

This is my 99 T/A, it had been sitting in my back yard since 2002. My brother let it wrot because of a span crank bearing. I restored the engine to a upgraded 383 stroker. The car was crashed by the previous owner and they did a crappy job of fixing the rear quarter pane. I chipped off all the old pink bondo and redid it my way. I went ahead and sprayed the car with sikkens black and added a touch of true fire to the heat extractors. I still need to paint the hood and the front and rear bumper. I will continue to post some pics on the progress.

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j203/anibal999r/0629071204.jpg
After i added the light weight filler.

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j203/anibal999r/0629071129.jpg
Sanding and taping. Looks like hell.

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j203/anibal999r/PIC_0046.jpg
base coated

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j203/anibal999r/PIC_0058.jpg
Step one of many on the true fire

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j203/anibal999r/PIC_0064.jpg
Another step i think its the third

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j203/anibal999r/PIC_0074.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j203/anibal999r/PIC_0094.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j203/anibal999r/PIC_0115.jpg
Cleared

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j203/anibal999r/PIC_0106.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j203/anibal999r/PIC_0097.jpg

Will post new pics soon

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Looks like it's coming along nicely.

Great work, I cant wait to see it finished!

I posted it on sunday maybe thats why. I was starting to worry. lol thanks!

yep, i definately cant wait to see wut happens to my helmet :)

when do u want it?

Send it whenever you can.

Looks good man!

I remember seeing your other stuff you posted, and those looked pretty damned good also!

My buddies bike is coming along nicely, just needs the wheels.

sweet job man

looks good

looks good man, u should have done some of those to the hood u sold me!!!

looking real good

looks good man, u should have done some of those to the hood u sold me!!!

You should have told me man i would have done it but you still had to drill holes and all that good stuff. You would have probably scratched it. Im still trying to finish up my car i just keep getting jobs for customers that have to come first. Without money nothing turns.

Nicely done!

gonna look very sharp dude! Keep up the good work!

Here are the newest pics of the car done. I ended up going side exhaust with true duals, i'll see how that goes, so let me hear it. The pics suck my girlfried took them with her phone. I will take better ones later.

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j203/anibal999r/tafront1.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j203/anibal999r/Tafront.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j203/anibal999r/sideexhaust2.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j203/anibal999r/sideexhaust.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j203/anibal999r/cleanta.jpg

that looks sweet man love those side exit pipes keep the pics coming

that looks sweet man love those side exit pipes keep the pics coming

thanks, i had to cut the body to make them fit that way.

thats pretty sharp pheonix

I Love The Exhaust. Did You Buy A Kit Or Is It Custom?

Wow that side exhaust is pretty nice, any underside pics?

I Love The Exhaust. Did You Buy A Kit Or Is It Custom?

No its not a kit i picked the tips i thought would look good with the T/A and cut the side skirts to match the tips, then painted them after the cuts. I wanted to do the Roush tips but i knew i would get some crap from ls1tech.

Did you modify the pinch weld at all? Looks like it tucks up nicely, and theres a lot of crap in the way usually.. Good job, excellent work!

Wow that side exhaust is pretty nice, any underside pics?

I'll take some more pics soon i am waiting on my brothers top dollar camera.

Did you modify the pinch weld at all? Looks like it tucks up nicely, and theres a lot of crap in the way usually.. Good job, excellent work!

I cut a channel under the car to make them fit and i welded the tips to the frame of the car and used a stailess flex hose to make up for it.

is there tips on both sides?? or just passenger you did an amazing job looks like but i too want to see under side pics so see how you ran everything that needs to go up in the mega appearance thread that pz started so everyone can see what it looks like if someone does it right.

is there tips on both sides?? or just passenger you did an amazing job looks like but i too want to see under side pics so see how you ran everything that needs to go up in the mega appearance thread that pz started so everyone can see what it looks like if someone does it right.

yeah tips are on both sides and there will be under side pics soon.

One of a kind! More pics. Thanx!

Looks good!

Porsche tips right??

Looks good!

Porsche tips right??

Damn you got me. lol Yeah they are.

Man, that looks awesome!!! Love the side tips as well. Good job!!

That is sick!

Damn you got me. lol Yeah they are.

lol I didn't realize they were 996 Turbo tips at first..

damn nice true fire and side exhaust, that things gonna be sharp

Here are some more pics from last time. I tried taking some pics from underneath with a camera phone but they came out like crap. I will have those for yall soon. The car is a little dusty, but what can you expect, its black. lol

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j203/anibal999r/jta1.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j203/anibal999r/jta7.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j203/anibal999r/jta16.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j203/anibal999r/jta13.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j203/anibal999r/jta15.jpg

You can paint my car anyday, to bad you're so far away :bang:

You can paint my car anyday, to bad you're so far away :bang:

yeah that sucks i am painting my younger brothers '99 T/A this whole week. I am trying to finish it up before i move even further down to McAllen Tx. I am leaving the paint and body for an engineering degree in UTPA.

badass :D

That looks great! Woah! i just noticed the exhaust, that looks nice!! very custom, BUT now you have the empty looking valence, in the rear, maybe fill the empty parts to achieve a better look in the rear, like the Camaros came stock....OR maybe even replace the rear bumper with a formula one....

looks nice

sweet exhaust setup you have

That looks great! Woah! i just noticed the exhaust, that looks nice!! very custom, BUT now you have the empty looking valence, in the rear, maybe fill the empty parts to achieve a better look in the rear, like the Camaros came stock....OR maybe even replace the rear bumper with a formula one....

Yeah i dont like those empty holes neither i was thinking of putting some fins in there like the ones some cars have for wind deflecting. I havent really payed attention to the formy's rear bumpers, but that sounds like a good idea.

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j203/anibal999r/112_0308_First_Test_2003_Ferrari_En.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j203/anibal999r/112_0308_First_Test_2003_Ferrari-1.jpg

looks good. have never seen the side exit exhaust on a ta. One of a kind for sure.

hey are you still in Baytown? I live in Highlands and would love to take a look at it up close.

You should do a write up on the tips?

You could put on a formula rear bumper?

^^yeah I suppose what you mentioned above could be a possibility....just have to try and find out...

hey are you still in Baytown? I live in Highlands and would love to take a look at it up close.

Yeah man i am still here, ill be leaving the 7th. Pm me if you want to come by.

You should do a write up on the tips?

Right now i am waiting for some sweet thunders to put after my spiral flows. Its just the loudness of it that gets me. I think once i get my sweet thunders the 90 will be like a foot away from the side exit. After it is all fabed up the way i want it i will post pics of the underside and a write up. Right now its just straight pipe after the spirals to the tips.

oh man, the flames are sick! it would be even sicker if you can somehow make a firebird out of flames too!

great work, the car looks awesome!

awesome work. one siick T/A bro.

love the realistic flames and side exhaust

oh man, the flames are sick! it would be even sicker if you can somehow make a firebird out of flames too!

Man i had that in mind, but i just wanted the car rolling again. It had been so long that it was down that i just decided to do something fast to get it back on the road.

would the formy rear bumper look as good with those t/a side skirts? i know that the t/a rear bumper comes down a bit more and does not look good w/o the skirts?....correct me if im wrong

Awesome job... the custom side exhaust is wonderful, love the Porsche tips.

I want that exhaust set up! Were did you get the tips and how much were they if you dont mind me asking?

I want that exhaust set up! Were did you get the tips and how much were they if you dont mind me asking?

The tips were expensive like 200 and something. I got it off of ebay i cant remember who it was but i will check for you. They came from Canada and took forever to get to me.

[QUOTE=RICEBURNER;8409734]would the formy rear bumper look as good with those t/a side skirts? i know that the t/a rear bumper comes down a bit more and does not look good w/o the skirts?....correct me if im wrong[/QUOTE

That is the same thing i saw. The formy's bumper does not look like it flows with the sideskirts.

how did you cut the sid skirt?

Just saw some on there from canada is it Jat racing?

Dremel tool with a cut off wheel. I put painters tape on the face of the tips until i completeley covered the front of them and then made an outline with a sharpy. After that i taped that template on the skirt and make it about 1/4 inch larger to give me the gap between the tip and the cutout. then i cut it with the dremel.

A buddy of mine did side pipes on his '98 TA a few years back. He put a Formual bumper on the rear and then added the firebird ground effects package to the rear. It looked really good and and everything flowed well. Sharp car for sure!

I like the side flames. I'd like the ones on the hood more if you did them on the side instead of on the top.

great looking car man you have some skill

thats an awesome build great paint job too!!!

Thanks guys for all the comments. I am in another bind again. I took off without warming the car up because i was in a rush and stompped it in first and second and then the car started acting up. I could not figure out the problem until i took a valve covers off and saw two valve springs completely broken. But for some miracle the valve never hit the piston so i just need a good set of valve springs capable of .600 lift again.

man the car looks sick!! makes me want to start mine!!

i'd like to see how the side exhaust looks from underneath.

and where'd u buy those tips and how much

Thanks guys for all the comments. I am in another bind again. I took off without warming the car up because i was in a rush and stompped it in first and second and then the car started acting up. I could not figure out the problem until i took a valve covers off and saw two valve springs completely broken. But for some miracle the valve never hit the piston so i just need a good set of valve springs capable of .600 lift again.

sounds like someone didnt test them before assembly 2 brings just breaking id check your pushrods and stuff too to be safe

also kinda confused on how u cutout for the tips something about tracing? :bang:

sounds like someone didnt test them before assembly 2 brings just breaking id check your pushrods and stuff too to be safe

also kinda confused on how u cutout for the tips something about tracing? :bang:

Well when the tips were off i completely taped the front of them using 2" tape. I taped across the front of the tips like if i were to be covering up the holes. I made sure i left excess tape so dont worry if you cover more than just the the front of the tips. After that i traced around just the outter most part of the tips face. Then i pulled the tape off as a solid piece and taped it onto the skirt. After that i made the outline larger to give me the gap between the tip and the skirt.

I'll check all the push rods, hopefully nothing is fubar.
Thanks.

now you need a nice lid and valve covers painted gloss black with tru flames on them.

that car is sick!!! i really like the C6's

now you need a nice lid and valve covers painted gloss black with tru flames on them.

Those are in the works, trying to make a relocating kit for the coils. Although i would hate to paint my clear mti lid. :bang:

Those are in the works, trying to make a relocating kit for the coils. Although i would hate to paint my clear mti lid. :bang:

get a black lid, for example this is some pics of Brian2006 setup

http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u28/warlock147/Ls1%20Tech%20stuff/brianws6.jpg

http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u28/warlock147/Ls1%20Tech%20stuff/brianws62.jpg

i think the ferrari type diffuser thing is a great idea for the holes, i've thought about something like that myself

get a black lid, for example this is some pics of Brian2006 setup

http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u28/warlock147/Ls1%20Tech%20stuff/brianws6.jpg

http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u28/warlock147/Ls1%20Tech%20stuff/brianws62.jpg

that looks sick! Where do i get those covers for the valve covers at?

:devil: :D :devil: :D :devil:

One of the nicest TA's I have EVER seen before.

that looks sick! Where do i get those covers for the valve covers at?

check the sponsers or use search for "valve covers or corvette valve covers"

I photoshoped the rear to put the wind difusors from the Ferrari. Let me know what yall think.

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j203/anibal999r/tareardifusor.jpg

looks good! that would really clean it up.

i'd like to do that same exhaust set up..but i'd have my tips pushed back further.like the Roushes are. i dont like how straight pipes with no muffler sounds. do you think its possible to have a muffler in the back (i.e.: flowmaster)..then have the pipes from it run up towards the front then out to the sides.

mine is a 98 firebird with Wings West side skirts.

i'd like to do that same exhaust set up..but i'd have my tips pushed back further.like the Roushes are. i dont like how straight pipes with no muffler sounds. do you think its possible to have a muffler in the back (i.e.: flowmaster)..then have the pipes from it run up towards the front then out to the sides.

mine is a 98 firebird with Wings West side skirts.

yes i was going to do that originally but i could not stand the thought of losing power because of exhaust resistance. I am not for a loud as f body neither, and mine is freakin loud with just the spirals, and i have yet to try it with the sweet thunders because of my broken valve springs. I think it would probably be even easier to route the pipes from there than the way i have it now.

I actually think it looks pretty good, i would have placed it a bit further back but it looks good imo. I might try it one day

Wow, I hate to echo comments, but that is a great looking trans am, always loved the side exhausts on the Rousch, custom on a T/A is even better.

I think that photochop of the rear bumper looks sweet, gives the backside a little extra. Good work. You mentioned in this thread you painted your brothers car? I'd like to see what you did with that...

Wow, I hate to echo comments, but that is a great looking trans am, always loved the side exhausts on the Rousch, custom on a T/A is even better.

I think that photochop of the rear bumper looks sweet, gives the backside a little extra. Good work. You mentioned in this thread you painted your brothers car? I'd like to see what you did with that...

I finished my brothers car like two weeks ago and we are just about to finish putting it together. I dont know if you are familiar with the color Black Diamond from HOK? but that is the color of the whole car, it looks like the black version of pearl white. No graphix were done i was really pressed on time for his so i did not get a chance to do any grafix, but the color is one of a kind for sure. I will post pics once its all nice and assembled

Lets see some under body pics...

Holy thread revival.... I guess search works.

Well its good people finally listen to people bitchin SEARCH SEARCH SEARCH. I remember this thread from before and think the set up is sweet. If you could get someone to fab the rear like in the one photoshoped pic that would be sweet.

id like to see some pics also lol

im not so big on the filled in pontiac on the bumper but the side exhaust and the rear diffuser idea is pretty sick looking. i think you should beat 6LE at the idea

^^yeah I suppose what you mentioned above could be a possibility...