ARDP

Hello from AR, new member here! I was told that this forum was exceeding knowledgeable about my new car, a 1998 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am WS6! Like all new comers to older vehicles, I have some questions. She's a little rough around the edges and needs a little work.

Where is the best place to buy body parts or panels? I've been reading and my search has let me to find that the doors, over time, sag and squeak. How can I fix this? Is the pins and bushings working or should I do the whole hinge? Or both? Also the drive side skin is kind of loose. What holds these on? What's the best way to fix them? Would being a good used door be worth it over trying to fix it?

ARDP

Nothing?

JD_AMG

You may need to wait more than ~6 hours in a weekday afternoon for replies...
Check out the paint/body work section here:
https://ls1tech.com/forums/paint-body-work-128/
Hawks third gen is a decent place from what i hear to get things like what you are looking for:
http://www.hawksmotorsports.com/98-0...or-components/

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

Welcome! Before you go any further, you'll want to check out the thread about the cracked interior door panels and make sure you have that problem addressed on your car. Every other gremlin can be dealt with later - but time works against you on that one...


GM still sells a lot of collision parts for these cars. As GM discontinues these parts, places like Classic Industries, Year One, and others pick up the tooling or work with 3rd parties to offer the parts again. There are also vendors like 6LE Designs, and others that make several niche reproduction or re-engineered parts that no one else carries.

Then, there is part purgatory... Some things just aren't available at all as they are in transition from GM to third party suppliers. In these cases, we just have to repair the part or hit salvage yards until new pieces come available. (Our cars are at this awkward "pre-classic" age right now.)


Do you have a problem now? This is one of those areas where more hinge options are starting to come available for the car. So, you'll have a better time dealing with this problem if you wait until you need the fix. (New hinges have been hard to come by, but there are pin and bearing replacement kits that take some elbow grease to install.) If you have a problem that needs to be addressed now, I'd suggest creating a new thread with specifics and pictures. (Sometimes the hinges are bad, and sometimes the door cracks where they mount, etc.)

ARDP

Thanks guys! Used to the Duramax forums, they reply pretty fast haha! Mainly I have the door sag and what looks to be the skin is loose on the driver side. Other than that the car is great, just needs a little spit shine. It's a 98 with 99k on it, 6 speed, has a bunch of upgrades already! I tried posting an image, said awaiting mods approval, so hopefully that comes through today and y'all can see the beaut!

ARDP

Do I just search for cracked interior door panels, is it a sticky, or do you have a link?

ARDP

I see guys with 'M6' in their signature, what does it stand for? Manual 6 speed?

ForceFed4g63

Yes. A4 is auto.

ARDP

Ahh nice well I'm in the M6 club ��

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

Yea, it's a sticky. For pictures, the best way to post is on an external site or in your Album here and then embed the hyperlink in the thread with the picture button. ^

ARDP

ARDP

Of course it looks good in pictures, it's a little rough around the edges, or a lot rough lol but I'm looking at it as a project in the making. It's clear a kid owned the car and dogged it pretty good. I picked it up fairly cheap with the intent of just gutting it and building a drag car. After driving idk if I just might want to make it a nice street/strip car. Time will tell.

As of right now the engine is a little rough, she smokes when warmed up and has a miss on number 4. Changed all the plugs and still misses, will test cool pack and wire next. Starting to lean towards it has low compression, probably a broke ring, all the more reason to build it back ever badder. It's been so long since I've done anything to a gas burner I somewhat feel dumb. ive build diesel trucks so long I had forgotten how vital an ignition system was to a gas burner and just felt like where do I even start to figure out the problem. Haha but I'm getting back into the swing of things.

WS6 #3392

Welcome and a nice WS6!