[Gator67]

Exhaust and suspension are now completely sorted out. We got the A/C charged today, fueled her up, and took her on a nice long drive. It was only in the mid 90's, so maybe not the best test, but the system blows cold and the car doesn't get hot in traffic or idling at stoplights. etc. Next week we'll get an alignment. After that, polish & buff, SE decal/stripe install, and then ceramic coat. Once all that's done, we'll schedule another remote tuning session with Andrew to add A/C kick and make other refinements.

[78Macho]

Congrats on your maiden voyage being so successful! It looks amazing and I am sure is a blast to drive!

Keep us posted!

'bout time for another project in the garage?

jim

[73_Lemans_350]

Originally Posted by Gator67

Been chipping away a couple hours at a time, but making progress. Tidied up under dash wiring, wired the reverse light and neutral safety switch from the TKX, labeled under dash/hood wiring, installed vintage air hoses, mounted Dakota Digital switch, adjusted the fuel pressure and voltage on the Vaporworx controller.

Hey nice gauges! They look very familiar 😉

[Gator67]

Originally Posted by 78Macho

Congrats on your maiden voyage being so successful! It looks amazing and I am sure is a blast to drive!

Keep us posted!

'bout time for another project in the garage?

jim

Thank you! The car is a very nice driver, wouldn't change much if given the opportunity to do it again. I'm sure issues will pop up as she accumulates miles, but I don't foresee any major changes.

Not sure if I'm up for another project like this...would like to spend more time driving our old cars and doing more events with them...it's enough work just maintaining them. If I take on an another project, would start with something complete and original with cool patina and just focus on drivetrain, suspension & brakes.

[Gator67]

Originally Posted by 73_Lemans_350

Hey nice gauges! They look very familiar 😉

The Dakota Digital RTX gauges are great...they maintain that factory gauge vibe so they don't look out of place in an old car, and are very easy to install and set-up. I run them in my '70 as well. The company's customer service is stellar, whenever I've had an issue, it's been resolved really quickly with no hassle.

[73_Lemans_350]

Originally Posted by Gator67

The Dakota Digital RTX gauges are great...they maintain that factory gauge vibe so they don't look out of place in an old car, and are very easy to install and set-up. I run them in my '70 as well. The company's customer service is stellar, whenever I've had an issue, it's been resolved really quickly with no hassle.

I'm glad you like them! I know a thing or two about Dakota Digital. 😉

[Gator67]

We had the car professionally aligned...it ended up being a little more aggressive than Ridetech's street specs (front's about -.7 camber, 4.0 caster, and 1/4 total toe in)...big improvement in handling over our eyeball alignment. We drove the car about 80 miles, most of it on the interstate. It kept right up with 75mph traffic with the A/C blasting. No vibrations or odd noises and the 9" is relatively quiet (definitely quieter than the one in my '70).

[Gator67]

I made a mistake in my last post, toe in on each side is .17degrees, which given the tires we're running works out to be .076" (Ridetech recommended .0625" to .125").

As somewhat of an aside, it looks like we've basically maxed out negative camber. We're running the tall spindles and tall upper ball joints that came with the Ridetech Tru Turn kit, so that might explain why we're limited there. I know Ridetech has revised their 2nd Gen offerings--control arms, spindles, etc.--so maybe the situation is different now. Not a big deal given how my son will be using the car, but I mention this for folks who are seriously into competitive autocross.

[Gator67]

Two weeks ago all the old Pontiacs in our stable were up and running...now three are down for repairs. We're completely redoing the exhaust system on our '70 Formula, and we're replacing the timing cover and making a few cooling system-related changes on our '68 Bird. As for the '79, the driver's side door isn't quite lined-up, and we can't get it to the point where we can close the door without slamming it, so we decided to fix it once and for all before we do the decals. I'm thinking we'll need to pull the fender, and of course, hood & front bumper...it's a lot of work and we risk chipping the paint, but it needs to be done. Fortunately the passenger door shuts easily.

[Gator67]

We took a chance and pulled the drivers side door off the hinges without removing the fender. Replaced the pin and bushings on the lower hinge and all is good now. Can’t believe we missed that.

[MDGOAT69]

An incredible build! Thanks for sharing!

[Gator67]

The car continues to run great...no issues. Just had it polished. We're keeping it covered until we can get the SE decals installed...should be this week.

We weren't totally pleased with the placement of the exhaust tips...they didn't hang down far enough and angled inward...it just looked sloppy. We ended up redoing everything behind the muffler...it turned out much better than before.

[Gator67]

Started with the decals yesterday...there certainly are a lot of them. I didn't realize it would be a two day job...and probably another day to touch things up. Been looking at photos for the placement of the Trans Am decals on the front bumper and fenders, and the bird between the window and back glass.

[Gator67]

Decals are about done. Need to take care of a minor paint issue before we install the birds in the b pillar. Here are a couple photos...in one my son is returning from a drive with mom (her first time out in the car). The car's a great driver.

[kingbuzzo]

Wow, he must be over the moon by now...so nice

I was just in Scotts last week for the first time - quite a unique part of the country you got there

There was a hi-end restored bandit in a seemingly abandoned classic car dealership just steps away from the BnB by coincidence lol

[78Macho]

Stunning to say the least! Congrats on nearing completion. How did mom like the ride?

Your scenery in AZ is picture perfect where ever the car is placed!

jim

[Skip Fix]

Very nice!!

[Gator67]

After 6-months, no issues to report! The car continues to runs great, is super reliable, and zero leaks. It stays cool even in 115 degree heat with A/C on. The only thing that would improve the car from a driving standpoint is different front seats. The factory seats look great, but don't offer much lateral support and the seating position seems a little high. I'm considering some Recaro's or something similar and having them recovered to make them look factory like I did with my Formula.

[Scarebird]

These are 1994-96 Corvette seats.

Very comfortable - even on 12+ hour trips.

You will need to do some fab work to mount and for the seatbelt guide