Prayers and thoughts for your grandfather.
Will be on the lookout for updates.

Thoughts and prayer heading your way Chad. Hope all is well.

Chris

Praying for you and yours brother! Stay strong for your grandpa! :thumbsup:

Are those self darkening saftey glasses?
thats alot of sparks for just a tack. My eyes hurt for 2 days when i do stuff like that.

Found one more

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/c...k/IMG_6955.jpg

We should have some updates in the next week or so. Chad is back in action!

Very cool. Looks good.

Finally the long overdue update!! Its been a rough couple of months with some family medical issues, at just being swamped with everything else life can throw at you (flu, pneumonia, and now bronchitus). We finally got to concentrate 100% to this project starting last week. After roughly 10 hours with a plasma, sawzall and other assorted gadgets we got the floor cut out from the front seat mount back. We will be fabbing all new sheetmetal for the floors, trans tunnel, wheel tubs, and trunk floor. Next up came measuring, measuring, and measuring some more. The rear clip come over sized from Morrison and you cut it to fit the dimension to your liking. Once I was happy with all the measurements we then went forward with cutting off some of the front crossmember so that it would meet the measurement for inside to inside of the rockers. Before moving the clip under the car we made some 14"x 6" plates that were welded to the inner rocker structure to give something to mate the rear clip.

Once the plates were installed the clip slid under the car and right into place like it was suppossed to!! Getting all the dimensions and measurements correct is the key to this project. Once it was under the car I checked, and then double checked all the measurements again, again. Then actually decided to quit and sleep on it for night. After I was happy I proceeded to weld the front crossmember to the plates we made. The rear clip is now part of the car.

We still got some more to do before it comes off the jig table. I will be making some plates and gussets that use the rear bumper mount locations to tie into the new frame. Basically just like the factory did with the bumper to floor pieces they had installed. Once we get these plates done and welded in the car will come and go on the lift to have the front clip installed and then sit the car down on its on weight and start the sheetmetal work.

here are some pics



http://www.fletcherscustoms.com/copp...NO_FLOOR_2.JPG
http://www.fletcherscustoms.com/copp...rmal_CLIP4.jpg
http://www.fletcherscustoms.com/copp...rmal_CLIP5.jpg
http://www.fletcherscustoms.com/copp...rmal_CLIP3.jpg
http://www.fletcherscustoms.com/copp...rmal_CLIP1.jpg
http://www.fletcherscustoms.com/copp...mal_CLIP10.jpg
http://www.fletcherscustoms.com/copp...rmal_CLIP7.jpg

The latest phone pics from Chad at Fletcher's Customs. The AME frame is IN! The complete floor has pretty much been cut out now. I wouldn't recognize the car if the red steering column wasn't still in there. That will go soon enough but it is cool to see the car change around it.

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/c.../IMG954003.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/c.../IMG954196.jpg
[IMG]]http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc231/dcamburn/1979%20Trans%20Am%20-%20Black/IMG955368.jpg[/img]
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/c.../IMG958884.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/c.../IMG954228.jpg

Are those motorcycle tires I'm seeing on the front?

Yes sir they sure are. I bought a set of 4 GTO spares from a GM salvage yard, and they showed up with no tires on them. Started trying to find a off the shelf tire size to fit the spares and nothing in a car tire was small enough. Started looking around at a stack of old race tires, and it hit me!!! So mounted the bike tires on the wheels, and now I have roll around wheels.

That's awesome. Necessity is the mother of invention. :lol:

The seats have been ordered. Cobra Misano 30th Anniversary Editions with the Billet bling on them.

http://www.cobraseats.com/Misano

Here is Misano's own info..."The Misano 30 celebrates Cobra's 30th anniversary in manufacturing the world's finest seats. The Misano 30 is a masterpiece of automotive seat engineering, creating truly the worlds first light-weight, hybrid composite recliner. With a Carbon Fiber composite shell for the backrest, combined with high-density molded polyurethane foam, polished stainless steel chassis work and the worlds best reclining mechanism, this seat re-defines the category of light weight sport seats. The Misano 30 is the pinnacle version of the Misano models and features leather surrounds for hard wearing good looks and double stitched, cross-quilted centers for the ultimate presentation of luxury. The Misano 30 is the culmination of 30 years experience in manufacturing seats rolled into one seat alone. Bottom mount system. Available only in black leather with grey top-stitching and cross-quilting. "

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/c...sano30Back.jpg

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/c...ano30Front.jpg

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/c...k/DSC05774.jpg

Those Cobra seats are killer! I wouldn't mind having a set myself.:yes:

New pictures! Hot off the press from Chad.

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/c...tallation2.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/c...tallation1.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/c...tallation3.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/c...tallation1.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/c...tallation3.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/c...tallation2.jpg

Looking good! :thumbsup: and those seats are BAD A$$ :wow:

I love these seats I had a different version of these seats. But they didn't work in my project.

The problem is these seats are designed for flat floors and have a huge kick up under your Knee's which put my Knee's above the bottom of the steering wheel. Make sure that your seats are more flat across the seating area as it's much easier problem to solve.

Tracy at the Recovery Room Interiors said that all we needed to do is rebuild the lower seat cushion & leather and it would work. But we ended up going another direction.

Very nice. Suspension set up looks killer.:thumbsup:

I'm planning on flat floors. Thats the biggest hurdle we are facing right now. Connecting the two frame section together and making it all work out right and look nice. I'm basically making all new floor from the firewall back. And the plan is a full flat floor with seats tied into the frame section and everything nice and flat.

Great work Chad. Sweet looking seats.

Your intake looks rather tall in the pics. May not fit under a flat T/A hood. We had problems with Ty's hood clearance. But I have been dying to fab up a raised cowl induction style T/A hood. What do you think?

That intake definitely fits under a TA hood. It has been triple checked. LOL
BUT, we are now changing plans and Butler Performance is whipping up something different for this car. Same bottom end setup but going with the new Edlebrock high ports and fuel injection. So Chad is getting with Dave Butler to get the specifics as to engine height, etc.

All those nice shiney parts will soon be in another 79 TA I am building.

A raised cowl induction style TA hood might be pretty cool for some of my other projects. I'd need to see a diagram to get an idea of what it would look like.

Josh has wanted to due a cowl style shaker for years. His idea sounds good in thought. But would have to build one to see how it goes.

With Butler nor on board, this thing is gonna be stupid power wise!!! I'm loving this project more every day

I'm not a fan of cowl hoods on a TA. Firebirds and Formulas potentially, but with the flares of a TA, a cowl hood just doesn't look right. I also think the crease running right down the middle of the front of the car should be retained. I know it all sounds weird but I've just never seen a cowl hooded TA that looked right. Obviously this is only my opinion. I'd love to see someone change my opinion as different is good.

Car is coming along nicely guys. Keep up the good work.

McGyver is the father...

I don't know if a cowl hood would fit in a car like this...

We have been in a holding pattern for a few weeks waiting on the some parts. Finally things are showing up so work has started again. Received a couple of boxes full of parts from Moser yesterday to finish up there rear end and make the car into a roller. My first time dealing with 35 spline axles, wow there freaking huge, but a 1000 ft lb of torque motor there gonna be needed. Also a pic of the 9" Moser Aluminum "through bolt" center section, with 35 spline Wave-Trac, 1350 series aluminum yoke, and Aluminum pinion support.

http://www.fletcherscustoms.com/copp...al_axle-xx.jpg
http://www.fletcherscustoms.com/copp...b_chunk-xx.jpg

I took a a wheel off my car and threw it on the back just to get a idea of what it looks like. Its a 20x13 with a 345 on it, and we got a easy 3" of clearance left.

http://www.fletcherscustoms.com/copp...pension-xx.jpg

The car is setup for a 6" rocker height at Ride height, gonna be crazy low. Here it sitting at about 7.5" last night. I couldn't get it off the lift arm to get it sat down all the way.
http://www.fletcherscustoms.com/copp...de_shot-xx.jpg
http://www.fletcherscustoms.com/copp..._shot-2-xx.jpg

Looking good buddy!!! :thumbsup: Keep the posts/pics coming!

this is going to ba a cool car

I already knew I was gonna like this build :thumbsup:

Here's some weak old updates. I've been a little slow working the last few weeks. Was out of town for ten days, then sick, now my wife is in Africa for 10 days on a mission trip so I am pulling daddy duty 24/7 with the two kids.

I struggled with how and what to do for subframe connectors. Cause there were some issues that had to be addressed. The low ride height, not getting way up inside the car, and clearance under neath for everything else. I studied, and studied, I made parts, I made more parts, only to finally decide on something so simple a "cave man could do it". To keep it simple I simply used (2) pieces of 1 5/8" .120 wall DOM tubing that I seam welded together, then fired up the new CNC plasma and made some simple (4) bolt flanges , and got everything welded together. Car is now tied together, and the flanges still allow me to be able to remove the subframe, for painting and for any future things. The KISS principal at its finest (keep it simple stupid)!! I am making some simple weld on brackets to put on each end where is welded to give a little more weld area and kind of a double shear affect on the mounting locations

We are waiting on some parts to show up like trans, exhaust parts, and seats. Then I can start building and fabricating the floor structure and floors them selves. anyway on to the pictures

http://www.fletcherscustoms.com/copp...ect4-small.jpg
http://www.fletcherscustoms.com/copp...ect3-small.jpg
http://www.fletcherscustoms.com/copp...ect2-small.jpg
http://www.fletcherscustoms.com/copp...nect-small.jpg

New parts have arrived! Custom built Fuel Safe racing fuel cell

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/c...efuelcell1.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/c...cefuelcell.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/c...efuelcell2.jpg

Wow! That's a thing of beauty!! :wow:

Are those grade 8 bolts? :omg:

Got a little accomplished over the weekend. Between blowing a seal on the two post lift hydro cylinder and almost dumping the car, and then my $20,000 plasma cnc machine crashing on me, it was a rather eventful weekend. Excuse oil dry in the pictures. When the cylinder blew, it sprayed everything within 30 feet with hydraulic oil. So we has quite a mess of oil dry everywhere trying to clean it up.

Any on to the details. I have been a little worried about structural rigidity of the body itself, with it no longer having the floor structure and all the factory cross members and bracing that are apart of the floor. So I cooked up the idea to reinforce the rockers. Fired up the plasma and cut a couple pieces of 1/8" plate to match the rocker from toe panel to where they meet the new morrision rear clip. Fully seam welded on the top and at the bottom at the lower rocker area. Then is that wasn't enough, took a couple pieces 1.75" DOM tubing , notched the ends to meet up with the subframe connectors made earlier and then welded them off to the new rocker structure. Should be plenty strong now. Only thing left to do is make a body mount plate for the rear subframe mount and get it on the car.

Also got a 1 square tubing structure built and welded up for the fuel cell

http://www.fletcherscustoms.com/copp...al_rocker4.JPG
http://www.fletcherscustoms.com/copp...al_rocker3.jpg
http://www.fletcherscustoms.com/copp...al_rocker2.JPG
http://www.fletcherscustoms.com/copp...mal_rocker.JPG
http://www.fletcherscustoms.com/copp...l_cellcage.JPG

Trying to get everything fitted and in position before I start floors. That way I can get exhaust tucked up in car as high as possible, so in turn we can keep a low ride height. Basically building from trans crossmember all the the way to the back of the car. PLans are for the exhaust to exit between inner quarter and rear frame rails. Almost exactly like it would stock but the way I am building it actually will go up into trunk a little and completely over the rear suspension setup and out of the way. Still got a good bit to go but getting closer. Mixture of parts laying around, some new old 3" stainless Flowmaster tubing I had laying around, some leftover Pypes bends from Ty's car, Stainless Works 3" v-band clamps and some new pieces from here and there. You can also see the plasma cut hangars I designed to mount the exhaust to the crossmembers. There will be a 6' long stainless flex connector installed between headers and the front trans x-member to take care of engine movement. I am mig weldeding everything, and then will come back and fully polish the welds once completed then sent to a local company here for ceramic coating

http://www.fletcherscustoms.com/copp...normal_ex5.JPG
http://www.fletcherscustoms.com/copp...normal_ex3.JPG
http://www.fletcherscustoms.com/copp...normal_ex4.JPG
http://www.fletcherscustoms.com/copp...normal_ex2.JPG
http://www.fletcherscustoms.com/copp...normal_ex1.JPG
http://www.fletcherscustoms.com/copp...normal_ex6.JPG

hey can you make a welcome sign for me with that machine? :D

Nice progress BTW....:thumbsup:

PM sent about plasma cutting

Still coming along...
 

Here is the latest. Chad had some stuff come up like we all do and things slowed down for a while but he is back in the saddle now and expects to have the fabrication done by the end of the year. Pics from several weeks ago. These are DSE tubs that had 2" added to them.


http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/c...ngDSEtubs4.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/c...ngDSEtubs3.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/c...ngDSEtubs2.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/c...lack/tubs7.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/c...lack/tubs6.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/c...lack/tubs5.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/c...lack/tubs4.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/c...lack/tubs3.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/c...lack/tubs2.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/c...lack/tubs1.jpg

Hydyne Motorsports is custom making a set of one off wheels. Here are the centers fresh from cutting. They will be polished and then anodized a dark grey.

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/c...eelcenters.jpg

Here is a link to their website
http://www.hydynemotorsport.com/

Just read this thread for the first time, so excuse the random question.

Given your mention of 1000wtq and those beefy 35 spline axles, do you have any concerns over the aluminum rear end case ? I have the same case and I've never seen a tq limit on it, but I've always thought it represented a theoretical weak point in my driveline, interested if anyone at Moser had mentioned a TQ rating on that thing. I had one driveline guy in a booth at a car show say they should only be used up to 500 hp (I'm assuming he meant with slicks on a dragstrip).

I'm pretty sure it is guaranteed for life against any breakage IIRC.

In a drag racing application they are very common (if not used more than anything else). I have a friend using the Moser through bolt in his 2000rwhp true 10.5 car with no problems.


BTW car is looking great so far!

Thanks for the vote of confidence in the Moser alum housing - One less thing I will worry about when laying the hammer down LOL.