'88 Trans Am GTA Notchback(a real one)

[Jersey Mike]

Originally Posted by maroman88

This is ground breaking! you put a car TOGETHER and got it to run! this should be declared a national holiday or some ****

[PolarBear]

Originally Posted by maroman88

This is ground breaking! you put a car TOGETHER and got it to run! this should be declared a national holiday or some ****

[V]

Front sway bar end links, air filter, and pcv valve arrived. I also pulled the drivers headlight to fix the motor. Opened it and a pile of crumbs fell out. I had a spare i planned on using. That one too was crumby lol so i gotta order a rebuild kit. Floor mats arrive today. This weekend ill put the interior back in.

[Anti_Rice_Guy]

Most people get less productive once they get married and such.

[V]

Went to the DMV this morning...




Started the interior install this afternoon. Only things left now are center console, drivers seat, and the screws/clips to hold rear trunk panels in place.
Carpet is used faded beechwood with new congac ACC floomats. In the winter I will most likely be getting new congac carpeting though. The darker color looks good with the plastic panels. I think I'll also be doing new seat upholstery at that point.

[PolarBear]

Very jealous right now.

Shouldn't that car have a radio control steering wheel?

[V]

Originally Posted by PolarBear

Shouldn't that car have a radio control steering wheel?

I honestly don't know. The RPO sticker was long gone so as of right now I'm unsure of most options. (Vin on hatch matches car so I know thats right). I submitted a request for a copy of the original vehicle invoice from GM Media Archive so I hope they have something I can work with. The steering wheel was available for that year so who knows. Maybe whoever ordered this car with the notchback also didn't want steering wheel controls. Or stuff had been changed out over its lifetime and in that case I'll correct it once I know more.

[PolarBear]

I THINK 88-90(?) or at least 88-89 when you got the GTA package it automatically got the radio controls and maybe the UQ9 audio amp. If you want to pull the wheel and look at the cancelling cam or the turn signal setup it will likely have the extra parts that would be for the wheel controls. I can send you a picture of what the turn signal setup looks like, the cancelling cam has an extra raceway or two compared to a stock one, for the wires for the controls. The turn signal setup has a bunch of LEDs installed on it, I think infra red LEDs, like a remote for a TV etc.

[V]

Originally Posted by PolarBear

I THINK 88-90(?) or at least 88-89 when you got the GTA package it automatically got the radio controls and maybe the UQ9 audio amp. If you want to pull the wheel and look at the cancelling cam or the turn signal setup it will likely have the extra parts that would be for the wheel controls. I can send you a picture of what the turn signal setup looks like, the cancelling cam has an extra raceway or two compared to a stock one, for the wires for the controls. The turn signal setup has a bunch of LEDs installed on it, I think infra red LEDs, like a remote for a TV etc.

yes, if you could send a pic that would be great. I actually have to pull the wheel tomorrow in order to repair the typical loose tilt column. I wouldn't doubt that maybe the whole column had been changed at one point though. The radio I think was a different GM one, not the correct Trans am one so maybe they switched steering wheels when that was changed.

[PolarBear]

I put that stuff in a box "so I wouldn't loose it", but I have no idea what I did with the box, lol

[V]

Well, I pulled the steering wheel today and once it was off, I immediately noticed the 4 wire connector for the radio controls. So yes, it did have them.

I then managed to tighten 3 of the 4 bolts for the tilt mechanism. I tried removing the pivot pins so I could access all 4, but the pins would not budge, oh well, its tight now though. When I put it all back together I decided I wanted the correct steering wheel on it. So now it has a steering wheel with radio controls(and my white GTA does not anymore). I had been looking for a very good condition wheel or a recovered one for the white car anyway so they worn one can stay in the notchback.

After that, I then finished installing the console, drivers seat, and the rear seat uppers. I started trying to think about how I am going to address the paint. I want to buff it to make it look a little better, even with the clear peeling in spots.

[PolarBear]

You have to remove the tilt spring to get the pins out, and no pictures?!?!

[V]

Originally Posted by PolarBear

You have to remove the tilt spring to get the pins out, and no pictures?!?!

The big spring at the bottom center was out, lol, and the pins still wouldnt budge. And no pictures because phone was almost dead.

[V]

I managed to replace the front sway bar end links after work today.
Here are the old ones...




Some interior pictures...

[PolarBear]

So jelly over here

[Punkmaster 98]

that interior is MINT

[V]

Installing that fuel pump pulsator was a mistake.... It seems to have shifted/dislodged and fuel is leaking back into the tank right after the pump. I get a max of 14psi at the rail and I can hear pouring/running fuel in the tank, like a mini waterfall.(Completely disconnected return line so I know thats not it, lol). So on friday I gotta drop the tank again, Joy. Oh well.

[V]

Tank is back out. I pulled the pump/sender and replaced the pulsator with the rubber hose that comes with the fuel pump. Should be up and running by Friday night, I just need to find time to put it all back together.

[PolarBear]

Hmm, that tank looks familiar, lol

[Punkmaster 98]

Originally Posted by V

Installing that fuel pump pulsator was a mistake.... It seems to have shifted/dislodged and fuel is leaking back into the tank right after the pump. I get a max of 14psi at the rail and I can hear pouring/running fuel in the tank, like a mini waterfall.(Completely disconnected return line so I know thats not it, lol). So on friday I gotta drop the tank again, Joy. Oh well.

Dropping the tank isnt too bad. Did mine last night after my car died at the chevy dealer. how convenient glad you found the issue

[V]

The car runs great finally.
I've had it to 3 car shows total so far.
However, with the winter coming and me needing the room in my one garage, I put the car away for a few months.
I need space in my main garage to pull/repair the motor of my soon-to-be daily driver and tried finding a cheap garage to rent but couldn't.
So I did the next best thing. I put the car in the garage on the other side of the house. This was more of a work garage/storage place for our old landscaping business. Its dark, dirty, and damp. But luckily I still have my car capsule which makes all those problems pointless. It did take about 2 hours to make enough room in the garage to barely fit it but its in there finally. At least the car will stay nice over the winter now.

[66_customs]

Awesome find, the first pic of the red notch back was my first car. One of my favorite cars

[6spdg37s]

awesome story and find ! but the white one on the right seems sad now...

[V]

Ok, time for an update I guess.


The car runs, drives and is streetable, safe, and reliable.


Last summer I replaced the front brakes and hoses, as well as basically all the steering components. Now I can safely steer and stop without the car wandering or darting all over the place. This year it got a new battery.

I still need paint work in a bad way but it just isn't the time yet.


I've taken it to a handful of local car shows and most of the time people don't even look at the car since they think its just a worn out 80s firebird. There are the rare few that have noticed.











The one thing that always bothered me about the car was the fact that when I got it, the original interior had been swapped out. I fixed that for the most part 2 years ago, however that also meant I didn't have to original console, with the original RPO sheet. Being that the hatch was merely an option, I wished I had the rpo sticker to prove it. The only proof I had that the car was a true factory notchback, was the VIN sticker on the hatch itself. That was good enough for me, but I always wanted more. I looked into PHS(pontiac historic services) when I first got the car but they can only access records prior to 1987 but they were able to point me to GM Media Archive. Yesterday I placed my order with them to search all their types of records, databases, microfiche, etc to locate the original factory invoice for my car. Well, they found it. I received it as a PDF by email earlier today. On the invoice it does indeed show option "AA8 GTA NOTCHBACK ROOF". It also shows when it was shipped as well as to which Pontiac dealer it was sold at. Overall, it doesn't tell me anything that affects value or such but for me, its something extremely cool to have to go with the car now.





Now I am looking into have a reproduction window sticker made. Just have to find where I can get one. The one place doesnt seem to do pontiac, and PHS doesnt do 1988 according to their website, only 89 turbo TA and 1990+.

[Anti_Rice_Guy]

Neat! I actually just ordered the window sticker to my Z