1979 403 T/A upfit project
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1979 403 T/A upfit project - 2/27/2007 12:36:02 PM
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Toophless
Posts: 3
Joined: 2/27/2007
Status: offline
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Just joined and thought I'd share some pictures of the hell I've been through for the last 2 months. I've spent, and I mean SPENT the last 3 years trying to turn an '04 WRX STi into a monster and finally gave up. I parted it out completely (out of spite mostly) and turned the cash into parts for the '79 Trans-Am which I've had for years.
My goal has been to make a potent, but reliable daily driver that can autocross on the weekends. Starting with a decent running 403 in a decent, but worn out body I've replaced or cleaned or machined almost everything and am a few days from getting it back on the road. (<--- and completely jinxing myself by saying so)
Some shots of the progress:
http://www.putfile.com/toophless/images/68963
Starting at about new years, working in my driveway because the wingspan of these cars makes my little garage useless, I'm hoping to have the car inspected by march 1st (couple of days) It won't be pretty, but I have new door skins, rocker panels, rear 1/4s and a guy from the auto-x club lined up to make it pretty again.
Stuff done so far:
Powertrain:
I've had the motor at 247k miles (never opened before) bored .030 over. Heads / valves smoothed out.
Transmission rebuilt just to be safe. Torque convertor turned up from 1100 rpm  to 2k. Why it was at 1100? No idea.
flowtech ceramicoated headers into 3" pipes (a kit from Summit racing with some fake cats to get past the visual test)
Performer cam (going for torque since the webbed mains are supposed to be unhappy with rpm)
Aluminum intake from some Hurst Olds
Holley Pro-jection. 2 bbl I got running yesterday. Amazing difference over a never-tuned Holley spreadbore.
Proform distributor (really doubt it is any better than stock... but it's clean )
Flex-a-lite automatic radiator fans on a new 4 core radiator. Works great.
Suspension:
The Hotchkis TVS system (springs, sways etc..)
Tokico shocks
Energy Suspension bushings all the way around
Subframe connectors
All new steering rods, brakes (parts store replacements as I plan on going 4 wheel disc later) Hawk HPS front pads (had to get a little more stopping power) all new stainless brake hard lines and braided flexible lines.
Held down with 275/50/15s on 10" wide Cragar Soft 8s. Offset is out a bit too far. If the new rear 1/4's can't be flared enough I'll replace them with something a little more "in-board."
Interior:
New carpet, already nasty.
Momo Start seats (14 lbs each)
All new gauges
4 point roll cage (have 8 points but got tired of messing up my welds.)
Simpler, smaller heater system / AC delete.
Other odds and ends and many more to come. I'm just ready to stop driving my sluggish S-10 and get this thing out on the road. My wife want to see it run too... so she can get her parking space back. The alarm and stereo will come soon... listening to the motor will be entertaining enough for quite some time.
Little more FYI about this newb. It's my second T/A. '89 GTA was my last one which I enjoyed more than I thought I would... 'til some oblivious mom t-boned it.  I've had 20 some-odd cars/trucks/bikes over the last 20 years, most could be defined as "muscle". 12v electronics are my specialty. I teach computer classes but they are boooooring.
Maybe we can get a little more traffic in this section of the forum now.
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