87 Firebird Trans Am – James Armstrong
This is my 87 Trans Am which I imported from Florida back in 1999. After trying to hunt down a rust free car in Britain I gave up and went the import route from a dry State. Unfortunately the downside from getting a car from a really dry state is that the paintwork was shot and the interior was baked. Needless to say the restoration has been fun and taught me a lot along the way.
Amongst some of the changes have been a retrimmed interior, new Goodwrench 350 ci engine fitted at Autopontiac with a 2.5″ inch
exhaust with Hedman headers and electric EGR valve later to really appreciate the sound of the SBC and rebuilt 700R4 gearbox with shift kit.
In order to upgrade the ride i’ve fitted KYB Gas-a-Just shoks and GR2 struts, Wonderbar, heavy duty tie-rods and Eibach lowering springs which means it now handles very well.
In order to make sure the car stops the brakes have been upgraded with stainless brake hoses, dimpled and slotted EBC discs and EBC Redstuff pads, all highly recommended as the standard third gen brakes are, well, awful.
Last major work was a bare metal respray completed to a high finish at AmericanTechnique, at the same time a fibreglass aerospoiler was installed due to the inherit rust problems the original rubber version has.
As per any classic car the work is never done and i’ve still got a few things i’d like to do, but that’s the fun of owning an American icon.
