Building the car

Building the Burt Reynolds Edition Trans Am

The process is as follows: First, donor cars are completely disassembled to their bare shells. From that point, they are sent to a media blaster to remove all paint, primer and filler. Once the body shell is back from the blaster, a thorough inspection takes place to determine what that particular car needs. In all cases, the cars get new floor pans, and they typically get new trunk pans as well.

Exterior sheetmetal on each car is evaluated, and replaced as necessary. Second generation F-bodies, like most other cars, have typical areas that corrode, which means most every car gets those parts. These are primarily the areas behind the rear quarters, the wheelhouses, and the front cowl area under the windshield.

Another step taken during the metalworking process is mini-tubbing. This entails cutting out the factory wheelhouses and welding in extensions, resulting in a wider rear wheelwell. All Ban 2 and Ban 3 cars get this modification, regardless of the rear wheel size chosen by the buyer. On 1979-81 cars, the rear tail light panel is replaced with a section from a 1977-78 car. This allows the use of the '77-78 style LED tail light assemblies. Another mod undertaken during the metalwork process is preparing the front and rear window openings for the flush-mount glass.

The final step in metalwork is mounting the tubular front subframe, and tying everything together with strong, integrated subframe connectors. On OEM cars, the front subframe is removable - it's basically attached to the body shell by four large bolts. On BRE TAs, the subframe is bolted into place, and then welded to the subframe connectors, which are welded into the floor. The result is a stiffer and more solid body assembly. On Ban 3 level cars, the roll bar is installed at this point, which further strengthens the body.

Once the metalwork is complete, the car is mounted to a dolly and shipped off to the painter for final bodywork and paint. The paint used is BASF's Glasurit basecoat clearcoat.

After paint, the car is ready for final assembly. Each car is built to the specifications of the buyer, of course, and this information is attached to the car in the form of a "build sheet" that has all the vitals for that chassis. The suspension is bolted into place, followed by the brake hardware. Wiring comes next, and the fuel system is plumbed. Once these steps are taken, the engine and transmission assembly is installed, and the Burt Reynolds Edition Trans Am is starting to resemble a car.

After all the mechanicals are in place, the interior and glass are installed, and the exhaust system is routed. The car is fired for the first time, and the vital signs of the engine and trans are checked to make sure everything is as it should be. Once the crew tasked with building that particular car is satisfied the car is sound mechanically and electrically, final adjustments are made, levels are checked, and the car is taken on its maiden voyage.

Each Burt Reynolds Edition Trans Am is test-driven for quite a few miles - the exact number may vary depending upon the car - with the idea being to find all the new car bugs that inevitably crop up. The goal, of course, is to deliver to an eager customer a car that's fully sorted and ready to enjoy.

Each Trans Am, regardless of level, will have close to 1500 man-hours spent on it - sometimes more. Hand-building a car, particularly one at this level, takes time and plenty of craftsmanship. The results are more than worth all the effort that goes into each one. After all, rebuilding a legend is never easy, but is extremely satisfying.