This 1978 Pontiac Trans Am is transforming into a high-end Pro Touring car at the V8 Speed and Resto Shop. Power comes from a Chevrolet Performance LS3 V8, and it is installed in a Detroit Speed hydroformed front subframe. It’s backed by a Tremec T-56 6-speed manual transmission, sending power back to a fully independent rear suspension IRS system from Heidts.
The Trans Am is a full build at the V8 Speed and Resto Shop, and was stripped to bare steel before being sprayed in a protective epoxy primer. The body had minimal rust, so it is in the test fit stage in this video. Subscribe to be updated on the progress of this car as we do all the mechanical upgrades, body and paint, complete interior, and tuning.
This clean Dusk Blue 1969 Chevrolet Camaro RS convertible will be transforming into a powerful machine with driving capabilities far beyond any original 1969 Camaro ever had. Plans call for updated LS3 power, modern suspension, creature comforts, and a bright Ferrari red paint scheme. Follow the build here!
We were relieved and happy to see the super clean original body panels after this 1978 Pontiac Trans Am returned from Custom Coatings, STL. after a dustless blasting. We complete all kinds of rust repairs and custom metal fabrication here at the V8 Speed and Resto Shop, but starting with the best car possible makes a huge difference. Dustless Blasting is one of the safest and most effective ways to remove paint and rust, allowing a clean start to your muscle car restoration. We’re happy to be able to start moving forward on this custom restomod Trans Am without having to perform lots of rust and damage repair first. This 1978 Pontiac Trans Am is getting a full Pro-Touring restoration, including modern power and amenities while keeping a classic Trans Am look.
Thanks to our friends at Custom Coatings, STL, for taking care of this Trans Am while removing decades of paint! You can reach us at https://www.v8speedshop.com to chat about your classic car or muscle car restoration.
Adding Modern Performance And Handling To A Classic Envelope
This cool yellow 1968 Oldsmobile 442 looks great, but the owner wanted better handling, braking, and comfort, while adding more reliable power and a smoother shifting transmission to the car without sacrificing the classic look. The solution is the installation of at Roadster Shop chassis and an LS3 V8, hooked to a Tremec TKX 5-speed manual transmission.
Restoring As Needed
This 1968 Oldsmobile 442 had been restored once, but we discovered some areas needing attention. We replaced the rusty dashboard and performed some floor pan repairs during the process. The goal was to perform the required tasks without re-restoring the entire car.
Upgrades With Drivability In Mind
The foundation is a Roadster Shop chassis, which is not only stiffer than the original GM chassis, but it also incorporates improved suspension geometry, stroger parts, and spring, shock, and steering technology over 50 years more advanced than the 1968 design. The end result is a car that drives phenomenally well while not losing the original 442 appearance.
LS3 + TKO = Way More Fun!
The nearly 500 HP all-aluminum LS3 V8 engine provides modern and reliable power while saving weight and eliminating old-design leaks. A Tremec TKx 5-speed transmission is able to handle over 600 ft-lbs of torque and adds an overdrive 5th gear, all while capable of 7500+ RPM shifts. It is geared to match the rear axle ratio and power curve of the engine, so the hydraulically-clutched 5-speed adds to the fun while being easy to drive.
Follow The Build
The photos tell the story of how the V8 Speed and Resto Shop team transformed this Olds into a road car that the driver can enjoy all day long. Our team is very experienced in building these type of Pro-Touring Muscle Cars for those who put the emphasis on driving performance. What can we build for you? Contact the V8 Speed and Resto Shop today to chat about your dream classic, Hot Rod, or Muscle Car!
This clean 1964 Ford Falcon Futura came to the V8 Speed and Resto Shop looking for some performance upgrades, and we will be installing new front suspension components from Global West and QA1 Motorsports, a Borgeson steering gear, a Flaming River tilt steering column, and more in phase one.
This awesome 1957 Studebaker Golden Hawk concept features a lowered stance on a performance chassis, modern supercharged power (an homage to the belt-driven supercharged V8 available when it was new), plus-sized Halibrand-style wheels, and a great retro-themed color scheme. Look closely at the gold in the fins… there’s a lot going on in there! This project, penned by designer Murray Komant, is one of many ideas brewing at the V8 Speed and Resto Shop. What’s on your mind? Maybe we can get Murray to visualize it, and the V8 Crew can build it!
This 1969 Chevrolet Camaro convertible came to the V8 Speed and Resto Shop for one of our signature transformations from a stock Camaro RS to a high-performance Pro-Touring machine! Plans call for a Roadster Shop Chassis, modern LT engine power backed by a 10 speed automatic transmission. This one is going to be jammed with lots of cool custom and performance tricks!
We’ve recently completed a 1970 Ford Mustang convertible restoration here at the V8 Speed and Resto Shop. This is a cool Mustang Restomod with a rich history, and has been in the same family since the summer of 1972! The V8 Speed team completely disassembled the car for rust repairs and suspension upgrades, fixed the rusty and damaged body, and repainted the Mustang in a nearly-original color.
It’s powered by a Ford 302 V8 backed by a C4 automatic transmission, and was equipped from the factory with air conditioning. Our customer drove the car often, as it was her first car back in 1972. Over the years, the ‘70 Mustang was driven by the next generation in the family, until it was wrecked in 1993 and subsequently parked. It had not been driven since then, and we were happy to return it to the road once completed.
The Restoration Process
The V8 Speed and Resto Shop team disassembled the entire car, and stripped all the paint to reveal previous damage and rust repairs. The convertible Mustang was mounted on a fixture in our fabrication shop to keep the body structure supported and true, and sheet metal repairs began. The quarter panels, rear tail panel, doors and floors were all replaced with new steel.
While this car is restored to appear original, we modified a few aspects of the car for better drivability, reliability, performance, and more enjoyment. For example, we installed an upgraded front suspension system from Rod and Custom Motorsports, which provides a tubular upper and lower control arm assembly based on the later Mustang II geometry. It also features an oversized sway bar and a rack and pinion steering unit for more precise control and modern Mustang Road feel. Improved front disc brakes are also installed, along with all new plumbing and brake lines to help the Mustang stop better. Familiar but upsized 17” Magnum 500 wheels from Scott Drake are wrapped in Bridgestone tires.
Watch The 1970 Ford Mustang Restoration Videos
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Adding Complimentary Technology That Fits The Theme
The 302 small block Ford V8 was rebuilt, and is now topped with a FiTech fuel injection system for modern-day reliability, which is also controlling the electronic distributor and ignition timing. This car came from the Ford factory with air conditioning, but we elected to install a more efficient A/C system from Vintage Air, which uses current refrigerant to cool the air. The front accessory drive is a black serpentine system from CVF Racing, complete with a high-flow water pump and higher output alternator.
The color is very close to the original Ford Medium Bright Blue, but it’s been tweaked a bit as preferred by the owner for a bit more… pop! And where the original paint was a single-stage blue, today’s urethane 2-stage basecoat / clearcoat shines far more than the original finish ever did.
New Interior With A Familiar Look
The V8 Speed and Resto Shop interior shop rebuilt the bucket seats and rear seat, upholstering them in the original white / parchment hue, and a new black carpet covers the sound-deadened floor. The top frame and hydraulic system was restored, and we installed a new white convertible top. Fresh glass looks crisp and clean, Dozens of new trim pieces from Classic Industries were installed to make things new again inside.
This family heirloom 1970 Mustang Convertible is nicer looking, and nicer to drive, than it was when it rolled off the assembly line brand new. We at the V8 Speed and Resto Shop are honored to have the opportunity to bring it to a new level for many more years of family enjoyment.
Weather It’s a stock original restoration, a mild restomod, a road-hugging pro-touring machine, a fiery hot rod, or a full-out custom, the V8 Team has what it takes to bring your dream car to life. Contact us anytime to chat about your desires and how we can create a one-of-a-kind ride just for you!
Author: Miguel Pujols Content: Great job, she’s better than new, hope the family enjoys for many smile per mile of years ahead! The classic always appeal to me its like stepping in a time machine, but a RestoMod where it counts makes it so much sweeter…
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Author: James Hutchins Content: Absolutely beautiful! Love the very sensible upgrades making her a sweet daily driver or a show car. A true win win.
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Author: Jason Hull Content: Looks so sharp and clean. You guys sure do good work. I would be honored to build classic’s with you guys ! Keep em coming. We can’t get enough of them. I’d love to see what you could do to My 1970 Camaro too. Lol
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Author: Rick Read Content: Absolutely gorgeous! I like every thing that was upgraded to modernize the car, I’m loving it!
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Author: JSR Roadrash Content: Your team does outstanding work. Beautiful Mustang with a great history.
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Author: Annatar the Maia Content: What comes out of your workshops isn’t work, it’s art.
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Author: Trip Reviews Content: Although I like an all original mustang this is a fantastic updated 1970 Mustang. The classic look has been maintained and yet it is new. Nice. 👍
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Author: GPLIPP Content: Another home run guys. Well done!!
Author: Charles Dalton Content: There are so many things well done on this car but I kept coming back to the panel gaps. They look like they were cut with a laser – holy mackerel!
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Author: KFH Content: More great work… A Real Beauty!!!
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Author: Codename C.A.R.S Content: Nice car!
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Author: John R Smith Content: I had the identical car, except mine had the deluxe interior, which included a console. Absolutely the worst car I ever owned, because of a complete lack of quality control during assembly. Virtually everything was wrong with the car, and I only owned it for 3500 miles. Sad, because it was a neat little car.
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Author: Kenan Turkiye Content: There’s something about metallic blue and chrome on a good car.
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Author: echoi Content: This restomod is the gold standard on what a restomod should be. Compared to cars with chrome air cleaners, chrome valve covers, Obnoxious 20″ rims, those generic jeep LED units, and obnoxiously loud speakers in the back. Eeewww
From the V8 Archives… the build series blogs from 1997 covering the complete restoration of the 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle known as the “SS496!” This was a great car, complete with a custom 496 stroker big-block Chevy, Global West suspension, Vintage Wheels Works rollers, Hydratech boosted Baer brakes, Magnaflow exhaust, and a whole host of restoration parts from YearOne and OPGI.
We performed a complete restoration on this car from start to finish, pulling the body off the frame, replacing the floor, quarter panels, and performing other major rust repair. Fast Times Motorworks built the custom big-block Chevy engine, which sent over 550 horsepower through a turbo 400 transmission and a 3.73:1 geared 12-bolt posi rear end. Our team completed the bodywork, paint, and assembly to make this Butternut Yellow pro-touring Chevelle a standout.
But more fun was that this was one of the first cars built by the V8 Speed crew, and these videos were from a time when very few were shooting and posting blog videos about cars. The blogs take us all the way to the SEMA show, and culminate with a feature video on the car when complete. The video resolution is only 480P, but if the car still looks awesome today!
1969 Chevelle SS496 Blog Part 1 – Deadline: SEMA, 2007 V8TV Video
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1969 Chevelle SS496 Blog Part 1 – Deadline: SEMA, 2007 V8TV Video
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1969 Chevelle SS496 Blog Part 2 – Deadline: SEMA, 2007! V8TV-Video
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1969 Chevelle SS496 Blog Part 3 – Deadline: SEMA, 2007 V8TV-Video
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1969 Chevelle SS496 Blog Part 4 – Deadline: SEMA, 2007 V8TV-Video
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1969 Chevelle SS496 Blog Part 5 – Deadline: SEMA, V8TV-Video
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1969 Chevelle SS496 Blog Part 6 – Deadline: SEMA, 2007 V8TV-Video
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1969 Chevelle SS496 Blog Part 7 – Deadline: SEMA, 2007 V8TV-Video
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1969 Chevelle SS496 Blog Part 8 – Deadline: SEMA, 2007 V8TV-Video
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1969 Chevelle SS496 Blog Part 9 – Deadline: SEMA, 2007 V8TV-Video
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1969 Chevelle SS496 Blog Part 11 – Deadline: SEMA, 2007 V8TV-Video
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1969 Chevelle SS496 Blog Part 10 – Deadline: SEMA, 2007 V8TV-Video
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1969 Chevelle SS496 Blog Part 13 – Deadline: SEMA, 2007 V8TV-Video
