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| Restoration: Mechanical |
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Rear Axle
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I took out the rear differential using two sets of jack stands. I put the first set under the front section of the rear frame rails, and then put the second set under the rear axle. I raised the axle just above it's lowest point so that no weight was on the springs. This allowed me to unbolt the leaf springs and remove them without any tension.
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Then I simply lowered the rear differential and removed it from under the car.
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Well, it seems that the IDIOT mechanic who worked on the rear end when my friend owned the car had NO CLUE how to install gears. The original rear end was a 2.41 posi, and my friend asked the mechanic to convert it to a 3.73. Well, the clueless moron didn't know that there are two carriers for GM 8.5" differentials. He just slapped the 3.73 gears on the 2.41 posi carrier. I think the backlash between the ring and pinion was 3/8", not .008" like it should have been. Needless to say, the gears were trashed and metal filings where all inside the differential. So I had to take it all apart and clean it. Then I re-installed a brand new set of bearings, seals, etc, and then correctly installed a new set of 3.73 gears with the necessary ring gear spacer. I also removed the crummy axle saver bearings the mechanic put in there and swapped in a better set of used axles. What a mess and what a waste of my money that I should NOT have had to spend.
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Here is a picture of the completed rear axle after finishing the rebuild.
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Subframe
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Using a jack and a small section of 4x6, I held up the front of the body by placing the wood under the front seat support braces. Then I unbolted the subframe from the body...
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...and rolled it out. Some of the cage nuts broke, so I had to weld the nuts to the body on two of the four locations. Oh well, this will help me relocate the proper positioning of the body/subframe later on.
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The next task was to remove all the dirt and grease on the subframe and give it a thorough cleaning. My secret weapon? Oven cleaner from the dollar store. This stuff is cheap and it takes off all the dirt/grime, but it also tends to takes off paint so keep that in mind.
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I have chosen not to include any pictures of the 6-8 hours of cleaning and scrubbing the subframe. I'll just give you the "after cleaning" picture, when it was cleaned down to bare metal, treated with ospho, and ready for paint.
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And now I will give away another secret. I don't use that expensive ($11+ a can) "chassis" paint anymore. I have found a better solution. Go to your local home improvement store and buy Rust-o-Leum "Appliance Epoxy". It's pretty darn good paint. It sprays very nice, self-levels with minimal runs, and leaves a very nice, durable finish. It's probably too glossy for some people, but I love it. It looks exactly like powder coat. Cost? About $5 a can. Total cost to clean/repaint subframe? $26.
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Fuel
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I took down the old gas tank, cleaned the inside with acetone, and then wire brushed the outside.
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After wiping down the outside with lacquer thinner, I painted it with some silver Rust-o-leum Hammered paint. It leaves a cool crackled finish and it also pretty durable. Instead of wasting money buying "anti-squeak strips" for the gas tank, I just took some unused sound deadening material, and cut it into strips and stuck it to the gas tank. Works like a charm. Notice where sometime in the past someone rearended the Trans Am, and whatever it was slid under and crushed in the bottom rear corner of the fuel tank.
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I also had to replace the sending unit in the tank.
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