Last member of the Silver Fleet: 1979 Trans Am WS6

And lastly, the vanity mod: the new grilles. 



This is what's left of the old grilles. Since owning the car, bits and pieces would chunk off just by looking at the thing. Whatever plastic they used was not intended to still exist 40+ years after they left the assembly line. 



I know it's dumb, but no grilles on my Trans Am made it look like it had Meth Mouth. Also, note the turn signal lens; Whoever spray bombed the aftermarket nose on this poor car just hosed it down and sprayed right over the lenses and wiped off the still-wet paint with a rag. Wait a minute... hold please....



I remembered that about 18 years ago I grabbed a set of turn signal housings from a junkyard car, cleaned them up, and stashed them in a box. Yup, those are going on the car! 

And here's the result:





It's by no means perfect, and the grilles themselves aren't either, as they are cheap import copies, but man it looks way better than it has in a LONG time! I know it's a frivolous thing, but it makes me happy, and that's what matters. All that said, they aren't permanently installed. They are bolted in, but the factory ones also use mounting tape to mount to the nose in spots. These do as well, but I didn't pull the backing off, as I may be swapping noses in the future. This nose is warped and has some shrinkage in spots, and I do have another OEM urethane nose that might end up on the car. But for now, I'm satisfied with the progress. 

Looks great!  At the MS state fair today there was a 71 Ram Air T/A and an 81 Turbo TA with the reddish/orange Recaros.

Today was a perfect New England fall day, so I took the 'Bird out after work and stopped at one of my favorite photo spots. 









Warts and all, she's still a looker. 

I was out in the car for about 30 minutes, and it did well. The carb issues seem to be completely gone now. The loud valvetrain is still loud, but it hasn't gotten worse, so I guess that's good. I'm kinda glad it still has 2.73's in the rear end, because it loves cruising around 50mph. 

Also, when I got home, I decided to test the shaker seal while on the car. I poured water on it while the hood was closed, and I could hear water draining somewhere. I opened the hood and I found this: 



That is not a shadow at the bottom, that's water. The seal did its thing, and the drain worked. Not a single drop on the engine! 

In reply to Tony Sestito :

Looks like you got it sealed up just in time, we’re supposed to get a couple of inches of rain tomorrow night.  Keep at it, it’s looking good! 

In reply to 11GTCS :

I think I may toss a garbage bag on there anyway out of extreme caution. 

Lookin' good in the sunset!

Quick update on that old Alpine cassette deck: 



Buddy dropped it off yesterday, and it's in fantastic shape. Did some research on it, and even dug up an owner's manual. Seems to be a late 90's/early 00's unit, and as far as I can tell, this is the final cassette deck Alpine released. It has the AI-Net CD bus control, which means you can add either a straight Aux-In to it, or you can do a car-powered Bluetooth module that will allow for music to stream over the connection. Cool! This is as advanced as cassette decks get, and has full-logic controls, auto reverse, and something I forgot existed: it will fast forward through a track as long as there's a blank gap between the tracks. 

I still have just about all of my cassettes from back in the day, but I've been amassing some period-correct tunes for the car in the past few months:


Can't wait to fix all the interior water leaks so I can get an interior (and this lovely stereo) in the car again. Sadly, winter is on the way, and the other problem child needs some work, so that stuff will likely have to wait until next year. 

Last night, my wife wanted to go take pictures of the moon over a nearby scenic reservoir. So, right after moon rise, we ventured out... in the Trans Am! It was unseasonably warm, so the fact that it has no heat right now was of no consequence. This was only the 2nd time that my wife has been in the car; In the 20 years I've had the thing (and the 17 years I've been with her), she's only been in the thing two times. 

Anyway, as she was snapping pics of the moon, I realized something: 


After sitting all this time, it's amazing that all of these dash lights still work! Even more amazing: the big 414ci V8 stays cool even when idling, and this coolant has been in there since the engine went in back in 2008. And oil pressure is similarly strong, even though the crankcase has been filled with water approximately 23 times in the past 10+ years. Oh, and aside from a high idle, the carb seems completely fine now.  It just makes me laugh at this point; after all this time and years of the car being a thorn in my side, it's loving life again. 

After we got home, I started thinking about the car's history and what the original owner was up to when he cracked open that Trans Am Specialties performance catalog way back in the early 80's. You can read that HERE if you want; it's pretty cool. Here's some of the stuff that Owner #1 opted for: 



I actually found these a few days ago in a box. I thought someone had cut up some random mesh and bolted it to the shaker (which looks like it was opened up with a spoon) but no, here they are! They actually make these again, but its one piece that seals in instead of two. 



I don't have the original bezel (it crumbled before I got the car) and knob, but I do have a Hurst T-handle on it which I prefer anyway. These are tough to find now. 



These could be found in parts stores as well, but I'm guessing Owner #1 got them here. Only one of them remains, as one of the doors was painted. I'd love to find a NOS pair for after the car gets painted someday down the road. 



And of course, the calibrated speedo. Wish mine had the tripometer, but I really can't complain. In 20 years, I have only seen 3 cars with this speedo, mine included. The other two were Trans Am Specialties Bandit tuner cars (see more about those in the catalog). 

The aluminum fender braces that came with the car, which I'll be reinstalling soon, were not part of this particular catalog, but I have seen them in the back of old High Performance Pontiac magazines from the same time period. 

I still wish I could meet that original owner and give them a high 5, as they had some great taste. 

Boy, do I have a fun story for you all! Pull up a chair and grab a beverage. 

So, I've mentioned many times that I've owned this car since 2002. That's 20 years this past June. 

Well, I THOUGHT I owned it. Let me explain....

This all came about a few months back when I registered the car for the 1st time in 12 years. Last time it was registered, I was living with my parents. Since then, I moved into my own place, got married, etc. In MA, if you let a registration lapse, you need to get new plates and everything, and also have proof of prior registration. It's OK to change addresses and all that. So, when I contacted my insurance agency to have them help me get everything legal, they offered to register the car for me as well (they offer this service so you don't have to deal with the RMV, which is nice). I get the registration, the new plates, and all is good. Or so I thought. 

Out of nowhere, I started to get some mail for my dad (Tony Sr., I am a Jr.) at my address, including a reminder to re-register his truck. Huh? Then, my dad went to go vote on Election Day, and was turned away saying his voter registration had lapsed. Double Huh? He's been living at the same address for 38 years! What gives? 

Turns out that back when I bought the Trans Am in 2002, and I definitely bought the thing with my money, our then-insurance guy screwed up when we titled the car. He had it titled it under my dad! So when I re-registered the car, the RMV assumed HE moved to my address, and he lost eligibility to vote in his town (voter eligibility in MA is tied to RMV records). Since we share the same name, it didn't flag anything. The RMV just thought he moved. 

My current insurance agency emailed me last week asking me to send them a copy of the title, and they realized the discrepancy. So I had to shell out the cash to get it re-titled and re-registered. But hey guys, I just (technically) bought a 1979 Trans Am! 

As a side note: my new agent and I were talking and I asked if they could get me the contact info of the original owner, which they could not, so I asked how many owners the car has had over the years. And it's been around. With the title transfer done, legally, I am the TENTH owner of this thing. She saw the car trading hands a number of times in the 90's, and it looks like it was on shady car dealer lots and body shops in the area at the time. This would explain the body work and terrible paint the car has on one side, and the fact that the nose is a poor quality 90's replacement they made for a while. Also, since I... umm... started driving (not owned) it in 2002, I've only put around 7k miles on it. That's with the original 403, the rebuilt 403, and the 400. That's basically 3 engines in 7k miles. Wow. 

So finally, after 20 years, I own my 1979 Pontiac Trans Am legally. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk. 
 

Great story Tony, now where are you on the idea of getting a 77-78 bird beak nose on that thing?

Having a mostly non functioning car for 20 years but not actually owning it is the most GRM thing I've read this month.

Carry on!

Agent98 said:

Great story Tony, now where are you on the idea of getting a 77-78 bird beak nose on that thing?

I've thought about it, but I've grown to like the 1979-81 nose. Also, to install the 77-78, a lot has to change up front. All of the under-nose structure has to change, as do the front spoiler and side splitters. And buying all of that is in the thousands of dollars range in this market. Plus, they look weird having the 77-78 nose with the full width 79-81 tails. 

Tony Sestito said:

Last night, my wife wanted to go take pictures of the moon over a nearby scenic reservoir. So, right after moon rise, we ventured out... in the Trans Am! It was unseasonably warm, so the fact that it has no heat right now was of no consequence. This was only the 2nd time that my wife has been in the car; In the 20 years I've had the thing (and the 17 years I've been with her), she's only been in the thing two times. 

Anyway, as she was snapping pics of the moon, I realized something: 


After sitting all this time, it's amazing that all of these dash lights still work! Even more amazing: the big 414ci V8 stays cool even when idling, and this coolant has been in there since the engine went in back in 2008. And oil pressure is similarly strong, even though the crankcase has been filled with water approximately 23 times in the past 10+ years. Oh, and aside from a high idle, the carb seems completely fine now.  It just makes me laugh at this point; after all this time and years of the car being a thorn in my side, it's loving life again. 

After we got home, I started thinking about the car's history and what the original owner was up to when he cracked open that Trans Am Specialties performance catalog way back in the early 80's. You can read that HERE if you want; it's pretty cool. Here's some of the stuff that Owner #1 opted for: 



I actually found these a few days ago in a box. I thought someone had cut up some random mesh and bolted it to the shaker (which looks like it was opened up with a spoon) but no, here they are! They actually make these again, but its one piece that seals in instead of two. 



I don't have the original bezel (it crumbled before I got the car) and knob, but I do have a Hurst T-handle on it which I prefer anyway. These are tough to find now. 



These could be found in parts stores as well, but I'm guessing Owner #1 got them here. Only one of them remains, as one of the doors was painted. I'd love to find a NOS pair for after the car gets painted someday down the road. 



And of course, the calibrated speedo. Wish mine had the tripometer, but I really can't complain. In 20 years, I have only seen 3 cars with this speedo, mine included. The other two were Trans Am Specialties Bandit tuner cars (see more about those in the catalog). 

The aluminum fender braces that came with the car, which I'll be reinstalling soon, were not part of this particular catalog, but I have seen them in the back of old High Performance Pontiac magazines from the same time period. 

I still wish I could meet that original owner and give them a high 5, as they had some great taste. 

"His and Hers" ...makes you blush a bit reading what they used to get away with in print ads.  I can just imagine a Don Draper coming up with that between shots of whiskey in a smoke filled office - just before yelling at a young girl in a short dress to come write it down before he forgot.

In reply to A 401 CJ :

Yeah, a bit cringe, I know. Some of them even had keys that locked away the other gate so "the little lady" wouldn't be able to use it.

At least the bezel on mine says Dual Gate all over it instead of that misogynistic crap, and no lock, either. 

I also have an optional "Rally Shifter" kicking around which is almost as cool. They were factory ratchet shifters! Bump it to the side to upshift. If I ever swap in the TH200-4R I have sitting in storage that needs a rebuild, this will likely get swapped in because they make an aftermarket detent plate for these so you can select all of the gears. 

Spring is here, so I decided to pull back the car cover and see how the ol' Trans Am was doing. First, no milkshake oil! The shaker seal/drain did its job. After charging the battery up, it fired up near instantly and ran as well as it did last Fall. Great! 

Then, my FB memories reminded me that it's been 10 years since this happened:



I installed Harland Sharp roller rockers on the engine back when I built it. When adjusting them, I must have forgotten to lock one down, and it fell off. The lifter did ALL of the lifting and popped out, and the push rod did the same. Aside from coating the inside of the driver's side exhaust with oil from the engine running with one valve down, there was no damage. 

And the fun part: On startup, even 10 years later, some of that oil still finds its way out. 



It clears up after a minute, but that's all it does. 

Originally, I had big plans to get some major things done to the car this year, but "life is getting in the way" again, as we are set to do major renovations to our house. In fact, the car has to leave the property entirely! Its going to live at my parents' house for about a year while the house gets gutted and rebuilt. I'm planning on trying to complete a few minor projects while it's over there (like adjusting those rockers again), as well as taking it out for a drive every once in a while so it's not sitting for the entire year. Not what you all wanted to hear, but the house project takes obvious precedence. 

Beautiful car.

In reply to mbruneaux :

Thanks! Definitely has the "ratty muscle car" thing going for it after years of neglect and deferred maintenance. 

If you want to find the original owner you might try a PI. I used them to track down old cars. They cant give you all the information, but in my experience they give you enough for you to do the rest with some sleuthing.

My 97 Camaro has had 10 owners since I sold it 8 or 9 years ago.

Tony Sestito said:

Originally, I had big plans to get some major things done to the car this year, but "life is getting in the way" again, as we are set to do major renovations to our house. In fact, the car has to leave the property entirely! Its going to live at my parents' house for about a year while the house gets gutted and rebuilt. I'm planning on trying to complete a few minor projects while it's over there (like adjusting those rockers again), as well as taking it out for a drive every once in a while so it's not sitting for the entire year. Not what you all wanted to hear, but the house project takes obvious precedence. 

Total bummer, dude

Back in the day, 1983ish when i worked construction, more than one f body owner I remember yanked out the passenger and rear seats and used their 70s Camaro or firebird like a truck. they were just old cars back then. hopefully won't come to that. Great thread! Not to brag but I've had 10 sheets of plywood in my 1998....hatchbacks are very handy

In reply to Agent98 :

My truck broke down in the final days of a home reno. I hauled home trim in my c5. Dash to out the back of the hatch. People in the parking lot look so surprised watching those 8 foot sticks disappear into the hatch of a corvette.

Fbodies and C5s are essentially trucks under the skin. Doesnt get more 'Merica than that.

Took a boxed Marshall amp head and a boxed Hooker catback for a 4th Gen 100 miles with a buddy in the passenger seat in my 3rd gen. We were squished but the hatch closed.

Wait, did I already tell this story?

I knew a kid in high school that shared a base model 3rd gen Camaro with his brother (they were both in the same school, different grades). They figured out that if they took the hatch off, it was essentially a truck, so they hauled other friends back there and who knows what else. They called it the El Camaro. It ruled. 

As I said WAY earlier in the thread, the meth addict former owner was a tile installer and had grout buckets all over the back seat when I bought the car. Somehow, the grout didn't like adhering to the Dark Carmine Red deluxe vinyl, which is a miracle. This thing does not like doing Truck Stuff. It doesn't even like doing Car Stuff! 

With the impending house renovations, I needed to get my car off the property so it doesn't incur accidental damage when the builder is tearing into the house. My parents offered to let me store the car over at their place, which works out since I can continue to wrench on it over there when I have time. Before I left, I fixed one thing that had been driving me nuts: the hood. 



The back of the hood was sitting WAY too high, so after some adjustments, it's a lot closer to where it needs to be. The hood is taco-ed on the driver's side, but at least it looks better from 20ft.


After that, I fired the car up, pointed it toward their place, and drove it 25 miles without a single hiccup. Hell, even the radio started working! For the first time ever, I feel like I really love the car, and it loves me back. 



After I arrived, I took my nephew out for a spin. He was born 2 weeks after I bought the car back in 2002, and 20+ years later, he's just as much of a gearhead now as I was back then. That's his 1995 Mercedes W124 diesel project next to my car. The last time he was in the Trans Am, he was probably 3 or 4 years old. 

The shocking thing is that the car is running better than it ever has. I drove it for over an hour straight, and it didn't care. In fact, it kept running better and better as time went on. The brakes started to come back around, and I even brought the thing up past half throttle for probably the 1st time since I built the engine back in 2008. Even though it's going to live at a new (but old) home for about a year, I plan on keeping the wrenches turning. The biggest thing other than the rust repair that became apparent during the drive is how dodgy the handling has gotten. I need to go through and replace all of the rubber bushings in the front end and more. Other than that, I'm beyond happy to have it back in the fleet, even though it's living arrangements have changed for a bit. 

It's been a few months, and life has been busier than ever. The house is coming along nicely, but I haven't had much time to do much of anything car-related in weeks. I had some time this past weekend to do something, so I visited my parents and the Trans Am. What was on the agenda? Getting it running after sitting 3 months and cleaning the greasy, dusty engine bay. 

After charging the battery up a little, I crawled in and fired it up. A couple pumps of the pedal and it settled into idle like I drove it just hours before. No fuss, no fighting, no backfiring through the carb... it just fired up with zero drama. Awesome! 



After letting it idle for a few, I hosed down the engine bay with some foaming degreaser. I haven't cleaned under here in years, and this will cut down on the nauseating smell of burning dust, cobwebs, and grime that the car gives off when going down the road. 



Oh hey, there's an engine in there! Shocked to see how much of the Pontiac Blue was left on the block. New England and engine paint don't mix, and most of it flakes off months after applying it. Same goes for chrome engine parts; as you can see, the valve covers are really rusty. I have another set of these, but I've put off installing them because they will just look like this in a few years. I may just pull these off and paint them. 

After that, I took a ride with my gearhead nephew to stretch its legs. Car still runs GREAT. There are a few apparent issues though that aren't getting any better: 
-Handling is really vague, likely from worn front end components (control arm bushings are really bad)
-The tires on this thing are too wide, and they squeal going around every turn as a result
-It bottoms out on everything, and it's the headers that are hitting the most
-Brakes definitely need some attention; they slow the car down, but don't like coming to a stop

Other than those items, the thing wants to go! It shifts perfectly, and probably for the first time in years, I pressed the throttle down enough to get the secondaries going, and yeah, it MOVES. At low speed, it wants to break the rear loose! I kept a lid on it (mostly) due to the general sketchiness of the brakes and handling, but it felt really good being able to hoon it a bit. The car needed it, and so did I. 



I put it back to "bed" after the cruise, and I'd like to think the car was happy. 



It's in good company these days at the old crib, surrounded by my dad's and nephew's projects. 

Not sure what's next, but I'm hoping to get the car out to some cruise nights or maybe the car show I brought the Power Wagon to last year. I have some fairly major work to do to the truck soon, but I'm hoping to have some time after that to work on this thing.