Thursday, March 30, 2006

Thursday, March 30, 2006

Just when I had finally decided to not repaint the lower ground effects of the TA gold or change her into something she was not originally, just when I decide to not only keep her all monochrome black but to also finish the low key blackout of the car by powder coating the 16x8 wheels black and swapping out the factory gold decals for reproduction black decals, I review the RPO codes again line by line and make a surprising discovery.  My "monochrome" TA is actually an ex-two tone TA.  It left the Norwood assembly plant in 1985 as a black and gold two tone Trans Am and somewhere along the line in the last two decades, she has had her lower ground effects re-sprayed (and lost her original 16 x 8 wheels).  I've got the wheels inbound and will get them refinished to a natural aluminum flat finish with a band of black around the rim and the inside of the "feather" vents finished in flat black.

It looks like I'm going to get the lower ground effects repainted gold after all, just to restore this car to her original self again.  It also looks like I'm going to need some factory decals added, namely the gold "TRANS AM" name above the left front driving light and the plastic "PONTIAC" emblem normally found in the headlight groove.  Wow.  The car I always wanted is the car I got.  It's kind of like one of those Russian dolls that is a doll within a doll within a doll.  As I peel back the parts of this TA that I didn't like, I find what I am looking for underneath.  I wanted an adventure, I sure got one!

The black and gold two-tone TA that I always wanted as a teenager is now mine, and it was hidden under the wrong size wheels / tires and repainted ground effects.  Forecast calls for restoring this car to her original factory specs and color scheme then campaigning her on the local show circuit for a while.  The first thing I'll probably add is new coil springs to lower the car an inch and a half all around, new KYB shocks and struts, and some SFC sub frame connectors to tie up the unibody and keep the roof paint from getting crow's feet in it from body flex.  I'll probably add a strut tower brace to keep the car stable, removing it when I go to shows.  Later, I'll add in the rest of the suspension components; new larger sway bars, front end rebuild kit, lower control arms, panhard rod and torque arm, all with polygraphite bushings where available.  I remember building a similar suspension on my '90 Formula with the 5.0 liter TBI V8 and that suspension was king hell tight on curves.  I can't wait to get that feeling again with this car.

While fueling up the TA, I get a chance to crawl up under her somewhat and inspect the recent custom exhaust work.  The Flowmaster is present and accounted for, the exhaust pipes are going to either have to be chopped and moved further inward so they don't stick out past the rear bumper or they are going to have to be replaced with less obnoxious tips.  The exhaust work looks good and the exhaust pipes are frigging huge!  I'm wondering if they are too large for a 305.  The motor doesn't feel as strong as I expected it to feel, "peanut cam" not withstanding.

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

I have the original TA ad pictured above scanned in at high resolution and printed out as a 24" by 36" poster which I frame.  I intend to show the full size poster and the original ad with the TA this Saturday, as well as a three ring binder with the RPO codes and the VIN decoded along with the engineering specs (3 pages worth) of the car.

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

I'm informed of a benefit car show at the local Walmart parking lot set for Saturday, April 1st, 2006 and asked to attend.  I plan on attending to put the TA in and see what kind of presence she can generate.  I tell my father about the show and ask him to bring his '55 Olds to show it.  My father decides to roll out his '55 Oldsmobile for the show since he's going to miss the car show the following weekend on the 8th.

Saturday, March 25, 2006

Saturday, March 25, 2006


I finally got around to washing the TA and my CBR.  First bit of good weather we've had in a while.  Upon visiting my parents, my dad hands me a flyer for a car show in Laurel, MS on April 8, 2006.  I plan on attending even though my father and his '55 Oldsmobile will be unable to join me there due to a prior scheduled engagement on his part.  I remind him that Cruising the Coast should be in late September to mid October.  This is the yearly gathering of Southern hot rods, muscle cars and all kinds of hi-perf and custom vehicles, from old to new, stock to wild.  Hurricane Katrina destroyed the show last year but this year, I've heard rumors that the "survivors" of the event will be out in force to show that a hurricane can't keep us away from our beloved toys.  I plan on being there, my first appearance in my own car though I've been to a few previous years events while riding with other people in their MOPARs and Mustangs.

Saturday, March 25, 2006

I finally got around to washing the TA and my CBR.  First bit of good weather we've had in a while.  Upon visiting my parents, my dad hands me a flyer for a car show in Laurel, MS on April 8, 2006.  I plan on attending even though my father and his '55 Oldsmobile will be unable to join me there due to a prior scheduled engagement on his part.  I remind him that Cruising the Coast should be in late September to mid October.  This is the yearly gathering of Southern hot rods, muscle cars and all kinds of hi-perf and custom vehicles, from old to new, stock to wild.  Hurricane Katrina destroyed the show last year but this year, I've heard rumors that the "survivors" of the event will be out in force to show that a hurricane can't keep us away from our beloved toys.  I plan on being there, my first appearance in my own car though I've been to a few previous years events while riding with other people in their MOPARs and Mustangs.

Friday, March 24, 2006

Friday, March 24, 2006

I receive two packages today, one is the original 1985 black and gold Trans Am ad and the other is my NOS 1986 Firebird owners manual.  Current plans are to replace the gold decals with black decals, add a power bulge hood and deck the hood out in a black 1984 "louvered" bird decal and 2x black "5.0 LITER H.O." decals.  Phoenix Graphics is probably going to supply the kits for this endeavor.  I plan on printing out the 1985 ad as two large 24" by 36" posters and framing one for my office and one for home and to use at car shows.




The TA has performed flawlessly this week and met with the admiration and approval of both friends and family as well as coworkers.  People who see the car in a parking lot or at a drive in like SONIC always comment on how clean the car is and how nice it looks.  My ego swells, like it really needed to get any larger.  Cold weather has prevented me from washing and detailing the car and from taking pictures.

Thursday, March 23, 2006

Thursday, March 23, 2006

I sample several audio files in MP3 format of the TA starting up and revving the engine.  Performance MP3s of zero to 60 runs and zero to 100 runs (and perhaps top speed runs) will be forthcoming when I can get some track time to play with the car.  Videos are also possible but I don't have a tentative date for when I might get a chance to take any video of the car.

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

I receive the Monogram 1/32 scale 1985 Trans Am model in the mail.  It is unopened, still in the shrink wrap.  The car features the WS6 suspension, a 5.0 liter LB9 TPI V8 and strangely, no T-tops.  I reason that I can pick up a later 3rd Gen Firebird model with T-tops and mix and match parts at this level of detail to provide the final model I desire with the options that my car includes, but that is an rather minor adventure for another time.

I go by my local body shop and show the owner the car.  He is amazed at the TA and agrees it was a great buy.  When I ask him how much to paint the ground effects gold and apply the "square-dot-fade" decal, I get a quote of $450 parts and labor, if I supply the decals (which will be about another $250 give or take).  He still says it won't be until late July before he can get to spraying the ground effects, he's booked solid until then.  


No problem.  

 I've got to get the correct wheels and tire sizes mounted on the car and probably will have to refinish the wheels.

Sunday, March 19, 2006

Sunday, March 19, 2006

 
I get an early start on the road as I have about 350 miles to go. 



Rain sets in around Atlanta and continues throughout the trip which is mostly gray and drizzling.  

 The TA handles perfectly in wet weather, even at high speeds.  


I arrive back in Columbia, MS about 4pm in the afternoon, tired but with a prize Trans Am that was well worth the trip.  Total mileage spent driving in the TA; 768.4 miles.  Total time since I started my adventure; 40 hours and some change.

 

Saturday, March 18, 2006

Saturday, March 18, 2006

Up at 1AM, in Jackson, MS at 4:30AM.  In the air to Cincinnati, OH by 7AM, on the ground in Cincinnati, OH by 9AM.  In the air for Greensboro, NC by 10:45 AM, on the ground in Greensboro, NC by 11:55 AM.  I meet the owner of SNAPPY AUCTIONS, Joe, at the airport and he drives me back to their company office in a local strip mall just a few miles away.  I finish the paperwork and take possession of the 1986 TA.  One of the first things I discover is that it actually is a WS6 car; it has the wrong size wheels and tires which is what was confusing me when looking at the pictures provided with the auction.  The car is perfect and appears to have been transported through a time warp in 1986 to present day.








On the long trip home (750 plus miles), I discover that the smaller wheels and tires are really throwing off the speedometer reading by upwards of 15 to 20mph.  Everything on the car works perfectly.  An intermittent SES light I attribute to the wrong size wheels and tires and bad data at the VSS Vehicle Speed Sensor.  The whole day from the time I woke up to the time I put my head down that night in bed has been one grand adventure.  



I spend the night in Jefferson, GA at a Comfort Inn.  There I verify that not only is this TA an original, all factory  WS6 car (by decoding the RPO sheet in the center console) but that she also originally came with the 16x8 wheels.  What ever happened to the original wheels is a mystery, one of many surrounding this TA.

Friday, March 17, 2006

Friday, March 17, 2006

I spend most of the day getting my bag packed and all the details of the trip finalized.

Thursday, March 16, 2006

Thursday, March 16, 2006

I acquire the insurance packet from my State Farm agent.  I begin to assemble a checklist for my trip and pack.  It's going to be a quick trip so I carry light.  I get home and check my email.  My Ebay sniper has netted me a mint, NOS 1986 Trans Am owners manual.  The price is $41.00.  A bit steep and I probably could have beaten that price but this manual is brand new, never issued and represents a book that is 20 years old, in pristine condition and no longer in print.  I look up a similar item from an OEM dealer that I use and the price is only $2 cheaper with a 4 to 6 week shipping rate.  I'll settle for two bucks more and it being here next week. 

It's my money, I feel good about the price since I'm going to be the first one to crease the cover.  While I'm online, I lock my sniper onto several other publications including an original GM shop manual for the 1986 Firebird.  1900 plus pages of chassis illustrations, wiring diagrams and charts redefines serious toilet time reading.

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

I call my insurance agent (State Farm) and tell them I have purchased a new car and give them the information such as make, model, year, VIN.  I plan on dropping everything but liability on the Formula 350 until I can swap parts between it and the TA and then sell it.  I plan to transfer full insurance to the TA.  My agent tells me to drop by tomorrow and I can pick up a packet that will include all the information required to cover the new TA under my existing multi-car and multi-insurance policies.

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

The seller contacts us.  We exchange information and wire him the total funds for the car, bank to bank.  The TA is paid for in full.  Initial plans with my father and I driving over to pick up the car fall through and my wife can't go because of a previous engagement.  It looks like I'm going Man Solo on this adventure.  I tell Dad that I'm going to hop over there on a Greyhound bus but Dad travels so much, he has a bonus airline ticket just gathering dust and no time or reason to use it.  

Dad arranges the bonus plane ticket on Delta airlines for Saturday in my name and the seller says he will meet me at the Greensboro, NC airport to pick me up, carry me back to the business office and complete the paperwork before delivering the car.  As it stands, I now have a pristine 1986 Pontiac Trans Am waiting on me four states away, a plane ticket to get there and all I'm doing is killing time between now and the day I pick up my new TA.

Monday, March 13, 2006

Monday, March 13, 2006

I tell my dad that I am going to "war-bid" on the TA.  A lightly heated discussion ensues via email at which point he convinces me to go ahead and just "BUY IT NOW."  During lunch, he and I go back to the family home and acquire the TA through the "BUY IT NOW" option on Ebay (see backstory for full details).  We wait for the seller to contact us.

Saturday, March 11, 2006

Saturday, March11, 2006

  • Here is the 1/32 scale Monogram model of an '85 TRANS AM which I won off of Ebay.  This model is presented in the two tone color scheme which I really like.  Whether I paint the lower ground effects gold and two-tone the car or just keep it monochromatic black is up for debate right now.  I really have wanted a black and gold TA but this car is just too good and too clean to pass up.  The debate on whether to keep the stock factory monochromatic paint scheme or go to a copy of the two tone black and gold paint scheme will play heavy on my mind for the next week and a half and I'll look at my options from every angle, trying to find as many pictures and color combinations of monochrome and black and gold two tone TAs that I can find.

Saturday, March 11, 2006

  • The bidding is up to $3550 now.  My father says he is in on the deal so I queue up the TA in my Ebay sniper and plan to war-bid on the TA a few minutes before the auction ends to see how cheap I can get this TA.  Knowing in my heart of hearts that this was the TA for me and that I was going to win this TA come hell or high water, I went ahead and bid on a set of the correct year factory 16x8 inch high tech turbo wheels, a 1986 owners manual for this car, and a Monogram 1/32 scale model of the 1985 black and gold Trans Am in the color scheme that I have always admired.  I won the aluminum wheels and the Monogram TA model later that day.  The wheels might need to be stripped and repainted but I'm thinking I'm going to powder coat them gloss black around the rim and outer lip and flat black on the inside surface, leaving the raised surfaces a natural flat aluminum finish.



Here are the correct year 16x8" aluminum high tech deep dish turbo
"feather" design wheels as they were presented on Ebay.

Friday, March 10, 2006

Friday, March 10, 2006

I discuss the purchase of the '86 TA with my father.  We come to basic terms with the idea and begin to work out the details.  Checking on the TA that night, I notice that the number of bidders is up to 10 and that the price has risen to $2600 with the reserve still not being met.

Monday, March 6, 2006

Thursday, March 9, 2006

While surfing Ebay, I don't know what gets into me but I find myself looking at third gen Pontiacs again.  How I got from C4 Corvettes to F-bodies is a mystery to me but there I am, looking at old Trans Ams.  I hit upon the mother lode with a 1986 low mileage all original Pontiac Trans Am, black with tan Recaro interior.  The asking price was kind of steep but for a low mileage, meticulously maintained LB9 / auto TA with rare Recaro interior and T-tops, sporting just 48,000 original miles and flawless mechanical operation of every option, it wasn't that hard a choice to make.  The car is located in North Carolina, a fair piece to drive but it should be an adventure if this works out.

I'd really like to have a black and gold third gen TA but if I win this car, I can always paint the ground effects gold and add the fade stripe to the body.

I print out the entire auction from Ebay and send the link to my father.  We are looking for a car we can campaign at local car shows and work on together and it is our mutual opinion that the '89 Formula is simply too far gone for anything other than parts or salvage.  Or, to put it another way, I could spend the same amount of money that I intend to spend on purchasing the '86 Recaro TA in restoring the '89 Formula and I still wouldn't have the same grade of car as the '86 TA appears to be. 

My initial misgivings on the auction center around the fact that the 1986 TA does not appear to be a WS6 car.  This concerns me somewhat since WS6 cars are more desirable and I'm not getting the basic heavy duty hardware, from the factory, that I would like.  However, even this minor misgiving is not a problem since I have access to a 3.27 geared 9 bolt Borg Warner posi rear end and 16x8 inch aluminum wheels with almost brand new tires on them courtesy of the '89 Formula 350 I have in storage.  I might have to swap in a quick ratio steering box but since I plan on ripping out the entire factory suspension and replacing all the parts with heavy duty aftermarket parts in the not too distant future, what size sway bars this TA currently has on it now makes little difference to me.  Still, it's just strange that you would find a TA that was optioned with the high dollar stuff like the TPI engine, the mandatory automatic overdrive transmission, the Recaro interior and T-tops.  Why this TA isn't a WS6 car eludes me but that one fact alone won't keep me from acquiring this car should I decide to do so.

Currently, the car is selling for $7495.00 instant buy and there are 8 bids on the car totally just shy of $1100.00.  The reserve has not been met.  I play around with owning the TA in my mind and set up several scenarios for acquiring it, all of them feasible and easy to implement.  I go to bed as my mind starts to work out the details.