For those interested in seeing the final transition of "the ugliest Firebird in the WORLD" into a street car that my gf would actually ride in, here's the "BEFORE" thread:
I think I currently have the ugliest trans am on ls1tech forum.
...thats saying something....
car looks great, the bird actually looks really good as well!
__________________ What's the quickest way to 500rwhp NA? 2002 BSM Firebird Trans Am A4 - 1 of 344 -Lid, Smooth Bellows, Ported TB, LCAs w/Relo. Brackets, PHB, Upper PHB Relo., !GF, more on the way...
I spent so much time on the engine (Rebuilt, 30-over, Squires Turbo, Meth Kit, etc...), drivetrain and suspension, that I forgot the thing had to (ultimately) look good too.
My father always says never do anything to a car that doesn't make it faster or safer, but after driving around in "the Calico Cat" for over 6 months, I knew it was time to address the exterior.
Stick with it! It can look as good as it runs!
My gf now picks my car over her's every time!
(Having said that, nothing is more fun than blowing away a Shelby KR or Z06 with an ugly POS! The looks on the various driver's faces is priceless!)
Im Planning on painting my 96 camaro someday and was wondering how much painting experience you had before doing the T/a. Also any close up shots of the t/a and what was the hardest part?
Im Planning on painting my 96 camaro someday and was wondering how much painting experience you had before doing the T/a. Also any close up shots of the t/a and what was the hardest part?
I had zero automotive painting experience - but as an engineer, I knew it could be done, it would probably just take a lot longer to figure it out.
The hardest part was all the prep work! After sanding 60% of the car (and getting progressively better), I had to go back and resand from the beginning. Every little detail missed / done poorly in the prep work shows up in the finished product! (Ask me know I know!)
Don't think this'll be done over a weekend; sanding with 220 took an entire weekend! (Then I had to go over it with 320 and 400 as well!)
I now know why painters charge the amount they do - the prep work takes forever!
No longer the Ugliest Firebird in the WORLD! 
and a number of pics of how it looks today 
black 02 ws-6, 6 speed, spec 2clutch,hurst shifter,mti carbon lid,ls6 intake,230/227 .595 .579 112lsa, 6.0 iron block ,0.030 over hyper pistons, long tubes, poly mounts,sip of juice, bilstien shocks-needs tuned and 3:73's 
