Project sinisTAr
 

Hey guys,

I finally starting a build thread on my project of a couple of years – a pro-touring ’78 Trans Am named “sinisTAr”. I purchased the car a couple years ago with the intentions of cloning it into a Special Edition “Bandit” Trans Am. I quickly realized that there are WAY too many of these things out there so I decided to take a slightly different route. After surfing sites, like Lat-G and Pro-Touring, I really started to get the bug to make my own pro-touring TA. When Year One introduced the BRE TA I figured “well, there goes my idea again… So what color do I want to make this thing??? I’ll figure that out later…”

I knew I wanted to make this thing handle like crazy, have a modern power plant and just look mean while being very functional – i.e. fairly cost effective “wear items” like brakes, tires, etc…

So, on with the show…

Vitals:

- '78 TA - Arizona car practically 100% rust free. Very light flash rust in the trunk area, but overall a really solid car! There are some dents but no rot.

- '99 LS1/4L60e mounted, wired and running.

- Speartech modified ECU, Dave-modified harness (me)

- Ceramic coated Hedman headers, 3 in Pypes exhaust, in the process of mounting the exhaust with Magnaflow muffs

- GM600 Box

- Detroit Speed upper and lower control arms

- 1LE front spindles 12" front brakes with Caprice calipers/'86 GN front brakes mounted on the rear (No e-brake at this point, plained on changing that)

- DSE Booster/3rd Gen Master cylinder

- Pro-Touring F-Body LS1 Competition level suspension/solid body bushings (the ride feel is equivalent to a 4th gen Fbody)

- Electric Walbro 255 external pump, sumped tank. Works well but I wanted to eventually get a stainless tank...too damn loud!

- Torq Thrust IIs 255/45-17 fronts 285/40-17 rears.

- Driveshaft correctly shortened.

- Cobalt Gauges not installed yet.

- OBDII connector present but not wired in yet.

- Aluminum Rad with dual Electric Fans wired to run off computer. Car hasn't gotten warm enough to fire on its own yet...haha but are wired in properly.

- Also have an Additional Pair of Texas Speed Heads Stage 2.5 5.3L heads with Springs and valves ~1000 miles on them - that will eventually be mounted once everything is together.

- Currently jamming in the car with a BMW Sparkling Graphite which will be the car's color

- I have a full set of BRE Year one Spoilers (flush mount) and I am not sure yet if I am going to paint them matte black or body color.

- Yes I am putting the birds on the car...probably silver/black combo or POSSIBLY a little ZR1-esque style set up with Blue decals on the silver body.

I will post pics when I get home from work to show the progress.

:lateral: :lateral: :lateral:

Dave

Finally some pics!
 

Here are some pics...finally! I am starting the body work on it so it should be painted soon. Comments welcomed! :lateral:

Copy cat!

Nice car :thumbsup:

A few more
 

Here's a few more pics and a link to a video...don't mind the guy who's walking like he has a stick up his arse...:willy: :rolleyes: :lol: My back was killing me. Ask any questions you like!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-Lpz0WDk-g


Thanks and enjoy! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Dave

Nice project. Please keep the pics and info coming.
What's the trick with the GN brakes being on the rear? I have never seen that, but I don't know much about much either.:D

GN Brakes
 

It was a friggin PITA but ultimately it worked. The impetus for doing that was because I was missing the parking brake stuff and being a cheap bastard for certain things and not others, I test fit a set of GN brakes on the back and wouldn't you know it, something I actually had laying around worked!!!:thumbsup: BUT!!! You have to make sure you size your lines and master cylinder properly to make them work in conjunction with the fronts - I have '96 Caprice cop brakes up front with a 3rd Gen S10 master on a DSE Booster...I will have to shim down the master a little to clear the hood as the 5th Gen master DSE supplies with their combo fits, it does not have a staggered bore, like the 3rd gen. The GN brakes are not ideal but will work for now until I save some dough for a KORE3 set or the like. It does stop really well though.

Thanks for the compliments.

Great project! Who makes the radiator/shroud/fan set up you installed? I haven't started researching them, but I need to upgrade my Firebird. Do you have specs on the radiator and fans?

Temp started very slowly creeping near the end of track sessions at Sebring a few weeks ago. This is the first summer I've been in south Florida and temps that day were around 100 with 100% humidity. Temp stays fine around town but since I know I'll be using the car on track during the summer months I figure I'd better upgrade the capacity.

I'll have to dig a little for the name, but it was actually an outfit that sold them off ebay. It was for a '78 Camaro and supposedly can support 1000 horse. Since I will be no where near that I figured I woudl be fine for the eventual heads, cam and maggie! I just bent up the top of the shroud myself.

Thanks,
Dave

Cool project Dave. Looks like it's coming along pretty good. Look forward to seeing more.

Thanks guys! Planning on posting more after this weekend.

Working on the Grand Prix today possibly and the TA tomorrow or possibly the other way around...we'll see.

Dave