Wow, it has been a while since I've updated the page. Mostly due to the fact that I cannot use FTP to send my files anymore, so I have to use some crappy text editor for this site. Anyway, I've installed the TNA short shift lever on my Pro 5.0 Shifter and I love it! Is is wonderful. The Pro 5.0 lever is angled, and the TNA is straight...which makes hitting the gears very simple.

I purchased 4.10s w/with the TA cover and stud kit a couple months ago, but haven't had them installed yet.

I just got LS1edit and AutoTap 2.04 - very nice. The apps look like rookies made em, but they are functional...which is what we need! :-)
I've been tuning the TA slowly. I got my Long Term Fuel Trims into the negatives and starting adding timing this morning - a noticeable difference already! I also did some other little things like set the rev limiter to 6300, top speed limiter to 205 (I wish), turn on fans earlier, adjust tire height from 25.9 to 25 inches (actual) - which makes the speedo accurate.

We've done 2 oil changes since my last update. Now I am using AMSOIL High Performance 10w-40 100% synthetic.

We also went to the track a couple of weeks ago in Sacramento. I got 12 runs in (awesome night), and pulled a new best of 12.999 @ 109.6! Yeah baby, my first 12 second slip! My worst run was a 13.6 - the cutout really helped bring my average times down. And now I am powershifting, which added about 2 MPH and dropped my ET by almost 2 tenths. It also makes the car smoother down the track, and doesn't feel like such a shock to the drivetrain in between shifts - counter intuitive, I know.

Went to ThunderHill Raceway Park and participated in the High Performance Street Driving School for $195.

This class was really great. I took the Trans Am out for five 15-minute sessions around the course (4 sessions around the 1.9 mile, and 1 session around the full 3 mile course).

Got the QTech Electric Exhaust Cutout welded on at:
ASAP Automotive
37313 Blacow Road, Fremont, CA 94536
phone: (510) 794-8293

This place was great. Ron charged me $50 for the welding/installation. It took him about an hour, but he was working on it off and on.

Update (12/10/2002): This mod has been great. It is so nice to be able to turn the 'noise' off with the flip of a switch. The drone is really loud on the freeway with the cutout open, but I like listening to sound around town.

Got the BMR Subframe Connectors welded on at:
Al's Muffler Service
37237 Maple Street, Fremont, CA 94536
phone: (510) 797-5788

This place was alright. They charged me $60 for the welding/installation. It took them less than an hour once they started working. The place is pretty dirty, and some of the folks are sketchy, but everyone was nice.

The BMR pieces fit pretty good - not perfect, but close enough to get the job done easily. I wish I knew how to weld so I could have done this myself.

You should grind the powdercoat off of the connectors where the welds will go so you don't pay the shop to do it. A friend on mine did this for me. An air compressor makes this very quick (15 mins), but an electric drill will take about an hour to do a nice job.

Installed the Pro 5.0 Shifter. This should be the first mod anyone does!

TIP: DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN THE 4 BOLTS HOLDING THE PLATE TO THE TRANNY!
These strip super easy. Don't ask me how I found out. ;]

The bird is still running great. I love driving it.

Had the Bird dynoed at ATP in Fremont, CA.
312 RWHP and 330 RWTQ!

Installed BMR Shock/Strut Tower Brace.

Installed Foreman Motorsports Oil Catch Can (PCV Mod).

Polished MAF and Metalcoated it anodized Red.

Posted new (3rd set) track times...ran a best of 13.67@105.42

Did the throttle body bypass mod. Update: I haven't noticed any difference.

Posted my first track times ever(!) on the drag times page. My best was a 13.66 @ 105.4 (I also had a 13.80 @ 105.8)

Goin to the track tonight for the first time! We'll try to run the car with and without the FRA to see if if makes a difference.

My friend Donovan and I installed the FRA (Foreman Ram Air) today and also painted the brake calipers bright red. More info on both when I get a chance.

The Zaino polish really makes cleaning the car easy. The bugs on the front wiped off with light pressure and the guts came off relatively easy. The water beads off like nothing I've seen - it is really quite amazing how 'slick' the car it. I spray water on the car and can blow it off without leaving water streaks.
I ordered the MTI clear lid and K&N Air filter from MTI on Monday. Supposedly they are shipping it today (why did it take 2 days to process?), so I should get it next week. I wanted to have it this weekend, but I should have it before I go to the Sacramento Raceway next week.

Update 5/1/02 - I called MTI and they now say they shipped out on Friday!!! Why such a delay? I called and they gave me a bogus tracking number (or maybe I just wrote it down wrong).

We drove the TA to Lake Almanor this weekend. The car handles very well and feels very secure in the twisties. It handles so well at higher speeds that we have to be careful not to speed. Cruise control gets set at 75 and we just blast down the highway. We got 25 MPG on the way home - our best yet! The first few tanks were 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 22. Every tank got progressively better! The car should be "fully" broken-in within the next few thousand miles.

It runs really well so far. The only thing I am concerned about is the clutch. It doesn't shift very easily at RPMs above 4000...I don't think it was made to handle the HP that the engine produces. I have heard that GM is replacing these clutches with the Z06 clutch if it goes out before 12,000 miles. If you know anything about this, please email me at aaronmurray@msn.com

I applied the second coat of Zaino Show Car Polish. I applied the Z-6 gloss enhancer. The gloss enhancer is quick and easy to use. Using less makes the wipe off easier. If you use too much, then it leaves a residue.

I applied the first coat of Zaino Show Car Polish. It went on pretty easy, and once it is dry, it wipes off just as easy. It doesn't leave a residue like wax does, so that alone is worth the extra $$$. I didn't have time to apply the Z-6 gloss enhancer, but I am hoping that I will get to do that tonight and possibly put a second coat on before our trip to Lake Almanor this weekend.

Added the Trans Am specs page

Washed the car with Dawn and used the Zaino clay bar. There wasn't much in the way of embedded dirt/etc. because the car was new (even though they say there is gunk on the finish due to shipping), but it did get a lot of stuff even after I just washed it. Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to get a coat of Zaino polish (Z-2) on it after I use Z-1 on it.

I (Aaron), led by the infamous Yomi, replaced the engine oil with Mobil 1 5W-30 full synthetic, and used the long AC Delco Ultraguard Gold oil filter #UPF58. We filled the new filter with oil before installing it so the oil pump didn't have to neglect its duties while it waited for the filter to fill up. The old shorty filter was filled with metal shavings and I am so glad we replaced it when we did.

Most people neglect the 500 mile oil change, but now I see why it is so important. The oil wasn't totally black - it still had some clarity to it, but it looked more like 2,500 mile oil than 430 mile oil. The drain plug came with a magnetic tip and had a lot of metal stuck to it. I was surprised to see the magnet tip from the factory, and I am glad they did it - especially after seeing how much nastiness it picked up.

We also bypassed the Skip Shift feature with a 2.2K ohm, 1/2 watt resistor from Radio Shack (5 pack was only $0.99). I am very glad we did this because that Skip Shift was beyond annoying and dangerous. The only time it is activated is when you are on the gas lightly, and that is when you need to be able to shift into 2nd gear if something comes up. Dumping me into 4th gear every time put the RPMs around 500, almost causing the car to stall, and making me bitter when I had to shift back into 2nd. At any rate, for $1 and 20 minutes, this mod was WELL WORTH IT!

I (Aaron) ordered Zaino products from the LA distributor of Zaino. I talked for about an hour with Ira, and he was a great help over the phone. The products are supposed to be here Wednesday and I am looking forward to getting a couple coats of polish on the TA before our trip to Chester, CA this weekend.

I have heard nothing but good reviews of Zaino, and am glad that the product is not a conventional wax. Black cars are so hard to keep looking clean, and the white residue just adds to the problem. Hopefully Zaino is the answer to this problem. If you haven't seen pictures of what cars look like with Zaino, check out the link above. When we get the polish on the TA, I'll post some pictures for comparison to see if it really made a difference or not.

We purchased the new Trans Am from Marina Pontiac GMC (1444 Marina Blvd., San Leandro, CA - 510.777.4900) and drove it home. The guys that helped us were pretty nice and we got a decent deal with few hassles (like the finance guy who wouldn't give up on the extended warranties and LoJack sales pitches).