Purchased a 1983 Pontic Firebird TransAm

[TransAmDan]

Everything under the car has been cleaned up ready to spray on metal prep. I'll do that tomorrow as you need to keep it wet for 40mins before washing. Then wait for that to dry before putting on the rust protection. A full evening should do the trick.

I'll get these small parts below cleaned up too. I have new rubber bushes but need to reuse the metal clamps.

 

[saleen 192]

Bit more done. Better stock up on cutting discs at this rate lol......

See sponge bob has been helping you

 

[TransAmDan]

See sponge bob has been helping you

Yes, JD and Coke in the SpongeBob cup.

 

[TransAmDan]

Used my new cleaning discs to clean up these bracked that hold on the anti-roll bar.

Lets get this metal prep on the axle and everywhere else under here.

Good coule of coatings, eeing it wet for over 30mins

Not to forget about the underside of the tank.

All these bits coated too.

I had to rinse off with water afterwards. I used the spray gun part of the compressor with water. This was awesome. Loads of water everywhere.

Leaving the dehumidifier on to dry it out. The floor dosn't look wet in the above photo and this was after all the rinsing off.

All ready for a coat of this. Perhaps tommorow evening.

 

[saleen 192]

Get on well with it you enjoying it

 

[TransAmDan]

Yeah enjoying it. Doing it but by bit, no rush. It may be taking a long time and no one going to see it, but I know it's treated for many years to come.

 

[TransAmDan]

Painted all I wanted ot paint.

Should be dry tomorrow. Ready to assemble it all.

 

[TransAmDan]

Panhard bar on, and other beam above it. Shocks joined at that top. Next it thelower control arms.

The lower control arms. Once on I'll slide in the springs before doing that lower shock attachment.

 

[TransAmDan]

A lot of it together now.

Guess what numptie forgot this part.

Some bits will need to be removed to lower the axle and thread it in.
Ill get back on it tomorrow.

 

[saleen 192]

It's looking good you need a JD to relax now lol.... But bet swmnbo has a few jobs for you???????

 

[TransAmDan]

Anti rolls bar on there now, now bolts etc. all suspension stuff done now.

Next is the brakes. It's wound in as far as it can go. Can't get the disc in-between. Needs about 1 more mm. Will research more and tinker more tomorrow.

Did start it up again.

 

[saleen 192]

Why dose that pad look concave in pic also disnt look. Like it's located correctly in caliper you not got new pads to go in?

 

[TransAmDan]

Pads look fine. And no gaps behind them when located. After chatting to AI it said once the cylinder is fully refracted it's flush with the caliper. It showed me a winding in tool. So brought this arriving this morning. Hopefully it will give me that extra mm of clearance.

Fou d a very good video of a strip down the the calipers. Wow, how many parts in there. I'm not planning on stripping mine, but it's great to understands how the parking brake works with the cylinder.

 

[renchero]

good tool that ,i have used one for years

 

[saleen 192]

remember they is a left hand thread and right hand thread that's why there is two in there if you were wondering? like ranchero use mine a lot .

 

[renchero]

i don't use the left hand one much. mine's a bit rusty now as a result of brake fluid and working in the rain

 

[TransAmDan]

I had a floppy wing mirror, the whole housing would wobble. Today i made a video of dissasembling the door card and reassembling to tightend up the nuts. Thought the video would be useful for others as its always nice to know what you are going to come accross before you start the job.

I wont be as popular as Ranchero though.

 

[TransAmDan]

While in the door I found some original labels.

The car was made in the last half of 1982, the US call it the 1983 model. I done if door was changed in 1983 or perhaps that is the model year which all matches. Odd the say 'repair order'

 

[TransAmDan]

Adding in the brake lines for the rear, new flexible lines.

old one had become one. This was a tbborn one, even with mole grips on there. My aim here was it it didn't undo ith a pipe spanner it would be chucked. I would resort to just sving the bracket.

Ready to cut the bugger off.

One becomes 3

I can chop off the end of the pipe, it new end and reform pipe.

New end on, and correct thread for the flexible pipe.

All fitted, ready ofr the caliper.

 

[TransAmDan]

Calipers are being a pain, the wind in tool dosn't appears to work with these. There is a twist gear shaft from the back. This appears to be open as far back as it will go.
I have forced the disc in there while not on the car. There is no gap at all.

Inner pad seem like it had no where to go. i thought the piston could go in 1 mm, but then there would be no room for the metal spring.

The bleed nipple looks new, overall the caliper dosn't look too bad. My thought is that the previous owner reconditions the calipers, fitted new pads, and put it into storage, never bedded in.
Notice one pad thinner than the other. I wonder if the pad has been sanded down to make them fit. If so does that mean the disc is too thick?

Looks like there is nothing to gain by adjusting the caliper. Its purely the tickness of 2 pads and the disc wont fit in the caliper without being jammed in.