1970 Pontiac Ram Air IV Trans Am - Road-Rocket Resurrection

Body And Paint
Once the body was stripped of all that was bolted to it, plastic media blasting removed the paint and sand blasting handled the rust. Next, the subframe and suspension were unbolted and the shell was mounted on a rotisserie. The body was cleaned and then sealed with PPG DP40LF epoxy primer before the metal work began.

A set of replacement rear quarters and tail panels had been brazed on years before and, though they were a bit crooked and all the body seams that should be visible had been filled in, the panels were still good. Thus, Scott decided to remove the quarters, clean out all of the brass that was used in the brazing process, and rebuild the edges of all the panels to recreate the seams when he welded the quarters back in. NOS fenders were sourced for the T/A, but since they were from a later year, Scott swapped in the original inner fender structure from the '70 fenders so everything fits and appears as it should. Rust had claimed part of the passenger side floor, so it was repaired, as were sections of one of the rear framerails. Repairing the radiator support also became a project in itself, due to heavy rust.

Not only was the rust removed, but steps were taken to ensure that it did not return. Scott explains, "Each time we finished metalwork on a panel, it was sprayed with PPG DP40LF epoxy primer to protect the metal from rust. Even the body filler was applied over the DP40LF. Then, once the bodywork was complete, the body was shot once again with DP40LF to sandwich the filler in between." Scott let the body sit overnight. The next day, three coats of K38 primer surfacer were applied, prior to days of block sanding. Then, two coats of DP74LF Red Oxide were laid down as a sealer, followed by three color coats of PPG DBC basecoat in Lucerne Blue, and the Bird again sat overnight. The next morning, color sanding with 600 grit paper was followed by the application of two more color coats. After one hour of drying time, five coats of DCU 2042 clear were sprayed. Once the paint was dry, the ritualistic wet sanding, beginning with 600 grit paper and continuing to 2,500 grit, ensued. Following these procedures ensured that final polishing would reveal a finish that GM could only imagine in 1970. "Wet sanding and buffing can easily consume 100 hours of labor," Scott relates.

Chassis
Part and parcel of a resto such as this is that the chassis is completely torn down, all wear items are replaced or repaired, and every part, nut and bolt is replated, repainted and/or detailed for reinstall-ation. The front suspension retains not only the factory springs and 1.25-inch stabilizer bar, but all the other parts as well, except for the lower ball joints, spiral shocks and bushings. "There are usually many differences in appearance between the replacement suspension parts and the originals," Scott says, "so we save as much as possible." He restores what is already there or replaces them with known good originals from another car.

In the rear, the leaf springs were replaced with NOS pieces, and new rubber bushings and spiral shocks were installed. The original 0.875-inch stabilizer bar was retained.

All of the 10.9-inch disc/9.5-inch drum brake system non-wear parts were restored. White Post Restorations in White Post, Virginia, sleeved the original master cylinder. Steve Gregori in Sanger, California, replated the original brake booster. The reproduction brake lines, fuel lines and e-brake cable were sourced from Inline Tube. Scott states, "I don't use the stainless steel lines. I prefer the OEM style so they look more authentic."

Conclusion
Clocking over 1,400 hours in nine months, the restoration was completed just in time to display at the T/A Nationals in 2006. Though the T/A has yet to be raced, Rick says he's not afraid to drive it on the street in nice weather. He even used this resurrected road rocket to teach his 17-year-old daughter, Lauren, how to drive stick.

"The Second-Gen F-bodies are my favorites," Rick says. Now he has one with his favorite color and engine combo that has been restored to the nines and we have the "before" and "after" photos to prove it.

Quick Guide To Chassis Finishes
Scott Tiemann uses different types of paint from Eastwood to replicate bare steel, iron and other finishes. He also employs some custom mixes and certain types of plating on the chassis components. His rationale is that since different parts came from different suppliers, there is no way that all the colors of all parts would match one another. A reason for painting instead of plating in some instances is that sometimes the part is so heavily pitted it needs to be primed and sanded first.

From The Restorer
When asked about the trials and tribulations of the restoration process on this T/A, Scott Tiemann shared his thoughts.

"Nothing is ever challenging with Rick because he works hard to find the parts we need and never complains about paying. The only difficult part of this restoration was undoing all of the prior work that was done in the rear quarter areas, then correcting the structural aspects and recreating all the seams and joints to make the area appear as it should.

"It is important to note that some items for 1970 are one-year-only so you really have to do your homework to ensure you've got the right parts. For instance, not many people know that the headlight bezels are 1970 only, GM changed adjusting screw access area for the next model year.

"This T/A goes the extra mile in many areas to raise the bar for restorations. For instance, the emissions decal on the core-support, Rick reproduced on his own once he learned that the current reproductions had some incorrect information on them. Rick likes to be the ultimate perfectionist when it comes to these cars and I feel that this one represents the high water mark for early Second-Gen restorations right now."