Hi All, I just got my first F-body and since the craziness of 2020 decided to take the plunge. First choice was a late 70's TA but looking at the costs of a build, and the space in my garage, decided to go with a more modern version. I just took ownership a low mileage Collector Edition Trans Am, 4th owner, and am assessing what needs to be done, what priorities are higher, and what budgets to keep things realistic and my marriage intact. The Car Fax came back clean but I have suspicions if there was body work done to the car, the hood was repainted and its missing the CETA decals on the hood. T-tops don't leak, lights and horn works, it starts and stops good. Its missing small things, like the ash tray cover, visor mirror covers are broken, passenger window sticks if retracted, door lock tabs are gone, thinks like that.

We moved to north Texas a few years ago and have finally settled in. I worked on cars in high school and rebuilt a motor before, replaced clutches and suspension parts multiple times, did minor body work, and made some money installing car stereos and amps/speakers. This is now added to my camera and firearm obsessions and helps to keep me at home more. As my garage can only fit 2 cars this one will have to do for now. My future projects will be to upgrade the rear end, suspension and breaks to get a solid base. Then I will move to the engine performance portion, nothing crazy and hopefully some bolt-ons and exhaust. On the interior I will be overhauling the last owner's stereo and amp install with a modern GPS receiver to add back up camera and hands free options. Other then the missing/broken interior odds and ends the only issue I am seeing is the window tint needs to be replaced. At some point the car will need to be repainted, despite the low miles there are 19 years worth of dings and chips in the paint and the clear coat has dulled in places. I really look forward to reviewing all the knowledge here and working through my projects with the community.

Some images from the 3rd part inspectors, I bought the car out of state and tried my best to valuate the car. Unfortunately there was limited paperwork with the car, just the owners manual and warranty booklet and the dyno card. It luckily has the most of the mats, just 1 rear mat is missing but the front mats are shot. I was able to get the original invoice from GM verifying the equipment as delivered but no window sticker or maintenance schedule. I would be surprised if much more than the oil and fluids were changed in the car so it will be going through a 50k maintenance schedule and checking all the rubber and seals. Luckily there are no driveway leaks after 2 days of light driving!

 

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