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The other side of the driver's spindle has some green drips here and there and a black paint daub by the dustshield mounting boss.

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The passenger side spindle has a "Petty Blue" paint mark on it.

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On the other side of the passenger spindle is a yellow 1/4" by 1-1/" line near the caliper mounting hole. After cleaning the spindles I sprayed them with a wax based metal preservative called Nylac. I am going to reinstall them as is and not remove or alter their orginal condition.

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There is also a white paint mark on the top of the pass spindle running down the side.

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I hope all of this is of some help to other second gen F-Body owners out there. Since the Firebirds and Camaros were built at the same plant in 1972, maybe you guys can use the pictures for reference purposes. I know I'm getting a kick out of finding all these little markings and heiroglyphics. If you need more info, here is the Trans Am site that I am posting larger photos at: http://forums.performanceyears.com/e...1/m/6111059321

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Got the frame painted and partially assembled. I had the wife help me gently lower (read that as drop) it off of the saw horses and onto the ground after taking the photos. It was getting a bit too heavy up on the stands. Luckily, I had bolted up two tires before we lowered it down. Now at least all the hard work is done and the rest of the steering and other stuff can go on. It's also much more handy to be able to roll it around the garage on a set of tires.

And yes, I am still using that "Abdominizer 5000" as a partial frame stand. It will be available for rental once I'm done with this project.

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I repainted the control arms exactly as they came off, I also touched up the original marks on the rotors. You can even see the stamped date codes on the upper control arm.

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I left the spindles exactly as I found them. I cleaned them and then sprayed a wax preservative on them to delay any rusting. The rotor dust shields were power washed, which returned them nicely to their original galvanized condition.

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The car still had its original rotors at 114,000 miles, which were cleaned and resurfaced. I then redid the paint marks exactly as they were found. The pink paint was on the area where the maximum thickness measurement is cast into the hub: ".985"

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Here's the rolling frame as it sits now. Next comes the steering linkage, next week. All the tie rod ends and drag link joints feel nice and tight. I'm just going to clean them up and reinstall them.

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The other side.

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Rear view.

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WOW! https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...ns/worship.gif

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How much for the Abdominizer 5000?
Great Pix Steve.

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[ QUOTE ]
How much for the Abdominizer 5000?
Great Pix Steve.

[/ QUOTE ]

My wife had a yard sale and no one wanted the thing, so I dragged it into the garage. I think with some modifications it could be the next best thing to "Black and Decker Workmate". Who knows, maybe I can make it into a run stand for the next engine! https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...ns/naughty.gif

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You are pretty good at this, Want to do a Z/28 https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...ns/naughty.gif
Was watching the Guys from Classic (Legendary?)showing how to dip certain parts in paint, Pretty cool https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/cool.gif

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[ QUOTE ]
You are pretty good at this, Want to do a Z/28 https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...ns/naughty.gif
Was watching the Guys from Classic (Legendary?)showing how to dip certain parts in paint, Pretty cool https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/cool.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm trying to do all of the cheap labor-intensive stuff on my own (read that as when you got no money to spend, use your own labor). I already have the drivetrain finished. Next comes the rear differential and springs.

The major expense will be the body shell, which hopefully wont be that bad as it only needs the center section of the trunk floor replaced and one very small rust spot in the pass quarter, plus the usual 35 years of dents.

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Steve, just found this novel https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/smile.gif Looks like its coming around!

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I took out the rear end and springs today. Pretty amazing. The stenciled part number is still on the top of one of the springs. The odd thing is it looks like the factory stenciled the "PL 481612" over another number that was in smaller font size. Here's a shot of the leafs. It looks like they have never been out of the car. All of the factory bushings were still present, including the zinc strip that goes between the bottom of the leaf spring and the lower rubber saddle bushing.

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Here's a close up of the spring part number. You can faintly see the smaller size numbers "492547" and a very large "RN" under the "PL 481612" numbers. Very interesting. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...s/confused.gif

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Once the rear end was out I got some more photos of the underside, emission lines, brackets, clamps etc. All the factory GM hoses were still there (dry rotting away). Here is a shot from the rear looking forward down the tranny tunnel. I am just loving California cars more and more as I go deeper into this project. The original finish is just amazing.

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I just pulled the inspection cover off of the rear differential and found this...ouch! It looks like some broken pieces of the posi clutch plates and a whole bunch of metal powder.

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Look at the difference in the spring heights of the green posi unit springs. I guess that's where those peices came from. Looks like time for a rebuild of the rear. The original 11/71 dated 3.42 gears look great but there is a little too much slop in the pinion anyway. Oh well, new bearings, seals and clutches and we should be OK.

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I've been working on some minor sub assemblies lately. Removed the tilt column and repainted it, and replaced the burned up universal joint rubber boot on the firewall end. (the boot is available on ebay as a Jeep CJ part, along with the column bushings, for about $10). I also pulled out the guages and got the original clock working again. Easy to do, just get a small fingernail file and file the points flat and then reassemble the case back on the gauge. Then spray the heck out it with WD40. Works every time.

I pulled the fuse box down from the firewall and found a nice surprise inside. Here's the fuse box:

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And here's what I found inside when I pulled the fuse box apart: a factory riv-nut with white overspray on it, wedged between the main power distribution wires, between the two halves of the fuse box assembly. These were the steel collapsable nuts that they used to mount things like mirrors to the doors.

As you may recall, this car was built while the UAW was still deciding whether to go on strike (which later occurred in early calender year 1972, shutting down the entire F-body plant for the rest of the 72 model year).

So far this is the second "mystery gift" left in this car by the disgruntled assembly line workers. The first was the extra side marker lamp bezel stuck beneath the mastic sound deadener, under the rear seat. Left there, no doubt, to make some mysteriously, un-locatable road noise.

Can you imagine this car going 114,000 miles with that little piece of metal just hovering above the main fuse terminals? That was a complete electrical melt-down just waiting to happen.

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Steve, man that is a unbelievable! I have seen some weird stuff over the years but never anything like that sandwiched between the two halves of the fuse panel. Everyone that has owned that car over the years has been extremely lucky. This just proves my point with customers who worry about "penny pinching" during a restoration of the electrical system of these old cars. An extra grand on the restoration can mean the difference between a really nice done car or a car that is as DONE as toast from an electrical fire. Thanks for posting that picture and story...........RatPack....................

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It just makes me wonder what other little booby-traps are waiting to be found in this car. Maybe I should open the trunk and see if Jimmy Hoffa is in there. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...ns/naughty.gif

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I just finished restoring the Trans Am's air cleaner base plate. The original had been run over by the previous owner in his haste to put out the engine fire that was attempting to immolate the entire car. I ended up using a small chisel to remove the passenger side snorkel and transplanted the passenger side snorkel from a standard four barrel dual snorkel 1972 air cleaner (they use the same snorkels), that I got off of ebay reasonably cheap. Instead of trying to weld that paper thin metal back together, I used some 2 part steel epoxy. It is actually holding it together better than any weld would and looks just like it was factory installed.

The fun part was removing the thermactor heat riser valves from the snorkels. It's easy to bend the tab and get the units out, but to reinstall the retaining tabs you need to use a special tool: My late Grandfather left me a pair of long wood vise clamps. You put one leg of the clamp down the mouth of the snorkle and the other on top of the thermactor bracket and tighten. It bends the interior tab forward perfectly. Sure beats trying to pry and tap with a long chisel and hammer. Thanks Grampa!

I also used paint stripper to remove all the factory paint. Once it was together I used Rustoleum Satin Black which duplicated the factory finish exactly. Another backyard auto restoration success story.

BEFORE:
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...hakerpassA.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...asscloseup.jpg

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AFTER:

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...ircleaner3.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...ircleaner2.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...ircleaner1.jpg

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The finished result looks just like this $2000 NOS air cleaner from ebay a few months back! Total repair price: $3 for epoxy, $3 for primer, $4 for paint, $75 for extra 4 bbl air cleaner, which I can probably resell on ebay for the same amount I bought it for. Total investment, minus labor = $85.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...268/nosac2.jpg

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Really nice job Steve. I hope I have that kind of success when I start working on my project. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/beers.gif

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Steve, Is it correct that you removed the BAD snorkel and installed a good one from another cleaner......If this is the case can you elaborate on HOW you did the amputation and reattachement........
Also if you used Rustoleum 7777 Satin Black, and it matches Pontiac OEM......may I assume that Chevrolet's Air Cleaners were in fact somewhat glossier.......than factory Pontiac ????

Chuck

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You can see from the photos that the color is a very close match to the NOS air cleaner's color. The same transplant procedure works for any of the chevy air cleaners as well. You just have to know which snorkel is the correct one to swap. There are only four tack welds on the outer flange perimeter that hold the flange of the snorkel against the air cleaner base. Using a very small chisel you gently split the seam between the flange and the base. The metal is very thin and once you get it off, you can tap it flat again. Attaching the new snorkel is relatively easy as the snorkel fits over the 1/2" tubular section that is on the base with a snug fit. You dont even need clamps to hold it on. Just apply epoxy to the flange and tap it back into place, and wait for it to set.

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The driver's side snorkel on any Pontiac 4bbl air cleaner from late 60s to 72 is the one you need to replace either of the snorkels on a 70 to 72 Trans Am air cleaner. Unfortunately you need two of them. (Even though both sides have the Thermac valve, the passenger's side snorkel usually doesn't have the heat riser tube mount on the bottom, but sometimes you get lucky). In these photos you can see the 4 bbl donor air cleaner, the flange area and the underside which shows the passenger side snorkel without the tube mount. This would be a similar process for any GM air cleaner. KevinW seems to be the expert on donor snorkels for Chevy stuff. He knows which are the right ones for the cowl air cleaners, especially the rarer automatic equipped ones that had the Thermac heat riser.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...268/acfix1.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...268/acfix3.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...268/acfix4.jpg

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Kevin W, Might you know of another G.M. application that used the same snorkels as the ONE YEAR ONLY 1970 Camaro L-78 or 70 LS-6/L-78 Chevelle W/O Cowl Induction Hood ??

Chuck S

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Since it finally stopped raining after a week or so I decided to reinstall the drivetrain back on the finished subframe. Using my superior male logic I figured I would lift the engine and move the subframe around under it and then set it down. This was my second theory after I couldn't move the engine and trans assembly by myself while it was up in the air on the winch.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...ngframere1.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...ngframere3.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...ngframere4.jpg

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Thats looking really nice. Good luck with the T/A.

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Chuck, do you have a pic of the air cleaner you are taking about. Steve is giving me credit for way too much knowledge https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/smile.gif I know 69s the best, I get fuzzy when you go to 68s or 70s. I do know that most same year similar applications recieved the same snorkel and can be swapped just like steve did. Send or post me a pic and I will try to ID it.

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Excellent job there Steve! https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...iggthumpup.gif

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I spent yesterday fixing the dozen and half extra holes in the firewall from 32 years of brackets, coils, ballast resistors etc. It almost looks like someone had target practice with a .22 rifle.

Here is the before shot:
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2.../firewall3.jpg

I was able to borrow a buddy's welder and grinder and ended up filling all the holes myself. Took a few tries but I eventually got the hang of it. I then used some chemical stripper to remove the burnt up paint from the previous owner's carb fire. I only removed what I had to, so I have a reference point to the original semi-flat black paint. And I didn't even burn down the garage either! Here's the after shot:
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...wallstrip2.jpg