1999 Trans Am

interceptor

Coast to Coast
Now that we are finally seeing some decent weather, it`s time to get the car out. My son and I take the time to clean it up every week, and show it at local car shows. Nothing special, but it is close to 20 years old and only shows 43,000 miles. The T Tops are a great feature :D
 

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There are a few things I would like to do to the car. First and foremost is, I would like to rebuild the rear end and swap the gearing. I believe it is around a 2:73 right now, and I would like to be around 3:42. I have read that the rear ends can be a problem in these cars, so my thoughts would be to: swap the gearing, add ARP stud kit for the carrier bearing caps, change all bearings and seals, ad a girdle/cover and possibly weld the axle tubes to the center carrier. I'm not really a racer, but if I'm going to do the gear swap, I may as well do everything so I know it can handle it. I was wondering if anybody has done this to their cars and what the pro's/con's may be. Thanks
 
interceptor said:
There are a few things I would like to do to the car. First and foremost is, I would like to rebuild the rear end and swap the gearing. I believe it is around a 2:73 right now, and I would like to be around 3:42. I have read that the rear ends can be a problem in these cars, so my thoughts would be to: swap the gearing, add ARP stud kit for the carrier bearing caps, change all bearings and seals, ad a girdle/cover and possibly weld the axle tubes to the center carrier. I'm not really a racer, but if I'm going to do the gear swap, I may as well do everything so I know it can handle it. I was wondering if anybody has done this to their cars and what the pro's/con's may be. Thanks

I had a 2004 gto and the rear was about the ratio you're looking for if that's any help. I thought 3:46 but it's been a while
 
jag, did you like the gear in your GTO? Was it factory, or did you put it in?

Canyoncarver... Too bad you don't have it anymore, they are demanding some serious coin now. Especially if you had the 400 4spd!!
My son and I went to the Trans Am Nationals last year in Ohio, and there was a 1989 Turbo TA with 5 original miles :eek: Unbelievable!
 
Very nice ride! A friend of mine had one. His son pulled the lever on the T Top while going down the road.
 
interceptor said:
jag, did you like the gear in your GTO? Was it factory, or did you put it in?

Canyoncarver... Too bad you don't have it anymore, they are demanding some serious coin now. Especially if you had the 400 4spd!!
My son and I went to the Trans Am Nationals last year in Ohio, and there was a 1989 Turbo TA with 5 original miles :eek: Unbelievable!

I got mine outside the Navy base at Great Lakes in around 87'. It had the Olds 403 and auto though. I have good stories and memories of that car. When I got it, the po had ladder bars under the ass end and dingle ball trim on the dash. It was red, fast and awesome.

Post up your TA mods.
 
Heres a little background on the car. In 1999, my dad needed a new car. I was living in Denver at the time, when my mom called me saying that he was going through a mid life crisis because he came home with this very car. Fast forward 3 years, and the car was in Florida at their condo. It stayed there for 10 years or so. When my mom passed in 2011, he sold the condo and brought the car home to Michigan. Hes now 78, and can`t get in the car, so he asked if I wanted to buy it for a really good price. It only had 41,000 miles, no accidents and a complete maintenance history record. No brainer!! Now, my 10 year old son and I drive around in it and have fun with it. We get lots of compliments, but mostly about.how nice it is. No mods as of yet. Don`t really want to change too much, but a gear would be nice, maybe have it tuned and some new tires. Then, maybe some different exhaust tips. Thats it ::)
 
interceptor said:
jag, did you like the gear in your GTO? Was it factory, or did you put it in?

Canyoncarver... Too bad you don't have it anymore, they are demanding some serious coin now. Especially if you had the 400 4spd!!
My son and I went to the Trans Am Nationals last year in Ohio, and there was a 1989 Turbo TA with 5 original miles :eek: Unbelievable!

It was factory and it was fine, gears didnt feel too shot or long. I don't know if the trans was geared the same, although I think they both sport a t56.
 
interceptor said:
Heres a little background on the car. In 1999, my dad needed a new car. I was living in Denver at the time, when my mom called me saying that he was going through a mid life crisis because he came home with this very car. Fast forward 3 years, and the car was in Florida at their condo. It stayed there for 10 years or so. When my mom passed in 2011, he sold the condo and brought the car home to Michigan. Hes now 78, and can`t get in the car, so he asked if I wanted to buy it for a really good price. It only had 41,000 miles, no accidents and a complete maintenance history record. No brainer!! Now, my 10 year old son and I drive around in it and have fun with it. We get lots of compliments, but mostly about.how nice it is. No mods as of yet. Don`t really want to change too much, but a gear would be nice, maybe have it tuned and some new tires. Then, maybe some different exhaust tips. Thats it ::)

Slponline.com is your best friend if you dive into any serious work.
 
Thanks ;) The one thing my son really likes doing is going to the Woodward Dream Cruise. If you don't know what this is, here is a link to what it's all about http://www.madmanmike.com/woodward_dream_cruise.html. If you are in driving distance of Detroit, I recommend going. Lot's of cars and lot's of fun :)
 
Looks good ;)
If you plan to keep the drivetrain basically stock, you can upgrade the rear with OEM components with no issues. They only get weak when you start putting more serious HP to the pavement.
As for the engine, get a cold air package, a good exhaust system, and a pro tune on the computer. It will really wake her up.
Yours manual or auto?

I've had several Firebirds. Atleast one of each generation and bodystyle.
'68 Firebird 400/auto convertible (with A/C)
'75 Trans Am 400/auto
'87 Firebird 305/auto Ttop (this one a had the longest, I upgraded her to a built '89 Corvette L98, 3.23 posi, and discs on all four corners, race tuned suspension, and plenty more. I autocrossed it competitively for about 5 years before we built a dedicated racecar. It was a fun car :))
'89 Firebird 305/auto Ttop
'89 Trans Am 305/5spd Ttop
'95 Formula LT1/6spd Ttop
'96 Trans Am LT1/auto Ttop fully loaded -the CD changer
 
Redbird- A cold air package? Are you talking about like the one sold by SLP? I'd like to do the exhaust, but honestly, they command a lot of money for a good system. If I swap gears and do a tune, I think I should be happy. I'll start with that first ;)
 
Yes, I had the one similar to this on my Formula...
http://www.slponline.com/product/21014--1994-1997-Camaro-Firebird-V8-Cold-Air-Intake.html
Keep an eye on eBay/CL, they pop up all the time.

Think about just doing mufflers then (or maybe a cat-back system). The key is to lose the restrictions in getting air through the motor.
Also, check into the F-body forums. They're good for info and classifieds. LS1.com used to be the "go to site" for 4th gen performance. I haven't been on there in several years though.
 
There were so many options to do with my hood, but ultimately I just wanted simple and clean. I think this fits the bill perfectly.

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