Zabo's 2000 Trans Am 'Phoenix' build thread!

[helmincamaro]

Originally Posted by Zabo

If I can manage it I'm going to do a motor and brass gears (if the motor is indeed shot due to the wrong fuse). Not hard to do after watching a vid from LS1tech.

That, or if it's cheaper run super bright fog bulbs to compensate since the fogs on these cars almost double as low slung headlights.

or just get a camaro and not worry about those headlights



popups do rule though

[Zabo]

Originally Posted by helmincamaro

or just get a camaro and not worry about those headlights



popups do rule though

Ever get a V6 DD F Body it'll probably be a Camaro. Literally less shit to break inside and outside. But I never regret getting a T/A, knew this day would come though..

If only I had 800 bucks on hand I'd do the Blackbird HID mod while the buckets were out.

http://www.blackbirdlighting.com/98-02.php

[dmginc]

that blackbird kit is sweet! the low beam key didnt look bad but i think i would want the 800 buck one too...

[dmginc]

i would doubt your motor is bad. the motors are almost silent without the gears, i had to pull the fuse to my working one so i could hear that the non-working lights motor did actually work.

[slow]

great work.

Ryan

[mulehead7]

That headlight motor break down is a bummer. I had mine off today. Took about an hour to pull the headlight motor and pop off the cover to check the vinyl gear damage. I went to two local "pick and pull", "u pull" places to try to pick up an extra motor and gear but had no luck. I swapped the vinyl gear so that it uses the good half of the old gear. I watched the LS1 tech repair video. I think the brass gear has changed to a hardened aluminum gear. I did find some new vinyl gears on the internet for $11 each. $85 isn't bad for two new aluminum gears. My lights are popping back up like they should. How long will it last? Anybody's guess. Good luck with your repair.

[Zabo]

Originally Posted by mulehead7

That headlight motor break down is a bummer. I had mine off today. Took about an hour to pull the headlight motor and pop off the cover to check the vinyl gear damage. I went to two local "pick and pull", "u pull" places to try to pick up an extra motor and gear but had no luck. I swapped the vinyl gear so that it uses the good half of the old gear. I watched the LS1 tech repair video. I think the brass gear has changed to a hardened aluminum gear. I did find some new vinyl gears on the internet for $11 each. $85 isn't bad for two new aluminum gears. My lights are popping back up like they should. How long will it last? Anybody's guess. Good luck with your repair.

I'll take 85 for a pair of gears that will last as long as these motors since after doing research it's almost unheard of to lose a motor as dmginc said. I did the fuse pull test today and sure enough the only thing I heard was the light whine of the motor.

But, another nice problem reared it's ugly head: My lower windshield trim (the part that's under the wipers) broke a clip. Enough that at 30mph it's flapping around in the wind.

*sigh*

3M auto tape and a 6mm allen head to get the thing started. The things I do for love. :/

[dmginc]

glad to hear the headlight motor is ok, I was pretty sure it was. Now stop breaking your TA before I come and confiscate it!

[Zabo]

Originally Posted by dmginc

glad to hear the headlight motor is ok, I was pretty sure it was. Now stop breaking your TA before I come and confiscate it!

Hey, don't blame me for 11 year old Nylon and sun baked plastic..

Don't even get me started on the advanced rate of decay that my seats are going through post accident. Hell even the interior is just starting to show it's age too soon.

Poor thing was neglected..

[dmginc]

seat covers will help for now till you can get the entire interior redone.

[Zabo]

Originally Posted by dmginc

seat covers will help for now till you can get the entire interior redone.

It's mostly headliner decay. The glue is fine, it's just the fabrics gone all motheaten due to the sun. I treat the seats when I can too so , but for the most part I'm going to just keep massasaging the bolster and possibly get it resewn by the shop that did work on it during the rebuild. Shouldn't cost me much but it needs to be at LEAST redyed and coated.

Just some elbow grease really, and new door panels. but when I decided to go with a 95 MY door panels I decided to just redo the interior all the way. Darker tan is much needed in this car. And TBH losing automatic adjusting seats for beefier manual fore-aft adjusters isn't too bad.

IMO it lends to the look of the car with the older style buttons.

Also secured a deal on a new cowl debris screen. 40 bucks and my parents are gonna pick it up in Joliet on their way back from moving my brother back form Skokie (internship..). Wonder if I can fandangle them into getting the Monsoon head unit from him too for another 40 bucks since mine is doing the TSB BS.

[94bluecamaro]

looks good bud i cant wait to see more build pics as i am about to start building mine this is going to be a beautiful car again soon , and yes a piece of you does die when you are waiting for that call to see if you have to pull that plug i had the same feeling with my '00 GMC Sierra that truck means alot to me and saved me , my wife and my 4 year old sons lives so i definately didnt wanna lose her over some moron who was speeding above and beyond the normal speeding and plowed into my rear end of my truck it was a sad day for me , but thanks to my sierra she saved us all and we walked out of there with minor injuries and my son sustained no injuries!

[Zabo]

Next up:

Replace Debris Screen
Replace 10 bolt (I'm keeping ABS and TC Spike, but not for F Body #2)
Diagnose/Replace harness components for passenger side signal/DRL system w/ LED.
Replace nylon headlamp gears with aluminum gears.

And somewhere inbetween: Install Whisper/SLP high rise lid..

[dmginc]

Originally Posted by Zabo

Next up:

Replace Debris Screen
Replace 10 bolt (I'm keeping ABS and TC Spike, but not for F Body #2)
Diagnose/Replace harness components for passenger side signal/DRL system w/ LED.
Replace nylon headlamp gears with aluminum gears.

And somewhere inbetween: Install Whisper/SLP high rise lid..

Debris screen? wtf is that?

SLP high rise lid? again wtf is that?