After Mark moved the Trans Am project to Florida, some surface rust appeared where there was bare metal. In this update, he shows us how he quickly and easily dissolved the surface rust using acid-based Fast Etch and After Weld, followed by a quick D/A sanding before sealing the bare body shell in Eastwood’s Optiflow […]
Replacing a Rusty Floor With New Sheetmetal – The Garage™
In this episode of the Trans Am project, Mark prepares to install new sheet metal in the floor by cutting out what remains of the original floorboards all the way up to the transmission tunnel. With the new floor in place, he seam seals the edges and applies a coat of bedliner to the underside […]
Fabricating a Body Rotisserie – The Garage™
In this episode of the Trans Am project, Mark fabricates a tip-over jig to use in place of a body rotisserie in his tight home garage. This will give him easy access to the bottomside of the car, allowing him to easily replace the floor panels. Share this: Twitter Facebook The Garage™ #Fabricating #Body #Rotisserie […]
Removing a Lead Seam and Making a Patch Panel – The Garage™
In this episode of the Trans Am project, Mark cuts out the factory lead seams in the B-pillars and fabricates a replacement panel using 18 gauge sheet metal formed on a bench brake and shrinker-stretcher. At the same time, he also fabs a patch for the sunroof drain channels that have rotted in the same […]
Mark’s Trans Am – Episode 1: Introducing the Rotten T/A
Eastwood R&D product manager introduces a 1980 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am that he bought as a personal project. In this first episode, Mark examines the rust issues and discusses his plans to address the rot with a combination of fabricated patch panels and full replacement panels from Firebird Central. The Garage™ #Marks #Trans #Episode […]
Upholstering the Custom Seat – The Garage™
In this episode of Eastwood’s Internet Café project, the team takes the custom seat pan to a local upholstery shop to make it a complete seat by crafting a cover out of leather and Alcantara. It’s fascinating to watch the craftsman take it from naked foam to patterns to a fully finished seat. The Garage™ […]
Restoring the Original Front Subframe – The Garage™
In this episode of the Trans Am project, Mark addresses the integrity of the front subframe by removing it from the body and stripping it down to bare metal. This requires cleaning and degreasing, followed by a combination of wire brushes, abrasive discs, and media blasting to remove all the old paint and rust. While […]
Replacing Rusty Rocker Panels – The Garage™
In this episode of the Trans Am project, Mark digs into the inner and outer rocker panel replacements using manufactured panels from Firebird Central. There’s a fair amount of measurement involved before he gets into the cutting and fitting> Share this: Twitter Facebook The Garage™ #Replacing #Rusty #Rocker #Panels #Garage
Rally Styled For The Road: An EXTRA-Wide WRX STI
‘Ok, so what if I do 90% of the prep work myself? Will that bring the cost down by much?’ It can’t help to ask, right? Because as I start calling around for quotes on body and paint work for my new project car (full details coming soon…) I’m fast realising the cost of building a […]