Have you finished the model and started with jbeam or do you still need to model some things. I'm pretty sure the community would definitely like to help you with getting this to see the light of day! I am very excited and cant wait to get to drive it when its finished.
it looks to b a brilliant vehicle. I mean really, who wouldn't like to mash the gas pedal in a firebird especially when it looks like the bandit lol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6st76rRopE Couldn't really ask for better reference material, could you? Exact model and year in a controlled test.
Thanks for this video, I keep it. The N/B will be based on the moonhawk of gabester, but a little bit less strong.
That's the '79-'81 bodystyle(last of the 2nd gen F-body Firebird & Camaro)....but then again, the '79-'81 was basically the '77-'78 with a different front clip and rear clip(and an even more smogged to hell engine).
You're right as usual Gabe, I don't explain well. When I said "based" that doesn't mean copy/past. The fact is 60% of your car is realy close of the pontiac. The body of the trans am is still my major problem, like the rear (the mecanic is a little bit different of the moonhawk) and the T-top. This car is magic: very strange, and the design come to another world but it's epic. American in one word ahah.
Oh, maybe the Trans Am is body-on-frame. It was hard to tell from your mesh pictures, but it looks pretty clear in those references. In that case, go right ahead - very similar construction It might be partial body-on-frame - it looks like only the front of the car has a separate frame, while the rear frame rails are part of the body.
Quite interesting design - I think a few other cars used that too - sort of semi-unibody. There were full unibody cars back then too, like the Dodge Charger and related vehicles. The Pontiac Tempest was unibody with independent suspension from '61 to '63 before reverting to the more archaic/standard/cheap to produce body-on-frame with live axle design in '64. I think the Camaro (sister car to the Trans Am) has always had this semi-unibody design. I could be wrong but I think 1st-gen Mustangs were also semi-unibody.
Here in a couple weeks I'm going to be helping my brother drop a rebuilt 400 Pontiac Big Block in my father in laws 79 Trans Am! I'm excited. edit: What am i thinkin? Pictures of course... Had the shaker off just running a little breather, doesn't look as pretty but opens up that 403 a lot. This was at our local drive in.
It might be more accurate to adapt the Ibishu covet Node/Beam in this case, and construct the front end entirely from scratch. The Covet is already unibody but unfortunately it is a hatchback so you will also need to construct the rear. Alternatively you will have to remove the chassis from the Moonhawk's N/B structure and construct a half frame yourself, then adapt the floor of the moonhawk N/B yourself to resemble more accurately the structure of the unibody.
I think basing it on the Moonhawk is the best choice. They have the most in common by far. Same overall shape, same suspension setup, pillarless doors, and similar construction Plus the Covet n/b is pretty low resolution. You could take the Moonhawk n/b, edit it to fit the shape of the Trans Am, remove the rear 2/3 of the frame, and add nodes to the body underside where the rear suspension arms and springs used to connect to the frame there (I call them rear suspension axis points, their names begin with "rx"). Should be pretty easy. The bodywork is going to be a little bit different too (bumpers, nosecone, tailcone) but that's easy. Basing it on the Covet or Grand Marshal would probably be a lot more work to make an accurate Trans Am node/beam. If you'd like I could send you the latest tire values from the Moonhawk that are going in the race update so you get some of the handling and top speed improvements too (since the last public update).
You are my hero Gabe, and this discussion resolve some trouble I have with the n/b in my mind. I cannot promise the N/B will be done soon cause I m very busy with school but if you can send me the new tires it would be very cool and helpfull.
Maybe some more helpful reference material? http://imgur.com/a/HdBH9#nTZRsoU I think/hope the 1981 Camaro is mostly mechanically identical to the 77-78 Trans Am.
