Well as you guys know I've left the Third Gen scene, and now own a 1998 Trans Am.

Car is equip. with :

Ls1
T56
3.42 Posi
Ttops

Nothing is done to the car, it was owned by an older gentleman from brand new and is a one owner vehicle. I have original bill of sale, all brochers and everything done to the car.

I am new to the LS and 4th gen scene.

What should be first thing I do to this vehicle? I want exhuast and intake, any suggestions?

cat back and a cold air intake

got an MS3 cam here if you want to go that route.

What do you want from the car?

The LS1's are pretty quick and good to live with day to day if you keep the mods to a minimum.

Cat backs add a nice sound, but you can also end up with a drone on the highway. Magnaflos are the best bang for the buck IMO.

A lid helps add a few hp and give my favorite induction sounds.

If your car has the stock shifter there are several aftermarket ones that helps you shift cleaner. I will also point out that 90% of the T56 owners have missed shifts and bent push rods or worse. It only typically happens when you are pushing it 110%.

There are lots of suspension upgrades.

I've got a Magnaflow and SLP lid/K&N available for sale.

Very interested in Intake and exhuast, PM me some prices Steve

SFC should be your first upgrade.

I'd go with a lid first, the SFC's while beneficial are not as required in 4th gens as badly as 3rd gens did. I can lift my 4th gen from the front or rear subframe and still have the car lift up both tires on one side AND still open and close the door fine.

Do the free mods first, then get on the suspension next. Headers and catback are probably best bang for the buck.

I agree with your mod list plus a short throw shifter,some rear gears 3.73 or 4.10's would liven things up as well.

Some things to watch for... upgrade these before the mods or consider first.

Recommend a poly trans mount. This will solidify the location of the transmission near the back meaning 4th will really be where 4th should be rather than torquing over the transmission and you ending up hitting gate.

4.10's only if you are prepared to go 9 inch or equivalent sooner rather than later. 10 bolts in these cars are hit and miss, but its more of a burden on firebirds due to the extra weight (3600+ lbs without driver)

I'd upgrade hydraulics to 01/02 master and 01/02 slave with at minimum a LS7 clutch/LS2 pressure plate/flywheel. The stock LS1 will start slipping sooner than it will wear from normal use.

3-4 shift fork is aluminum, a bad shift due to weak hydraulics, or boiled/old clutch fluid is all it takes to bend it and lose 3 and 4. It'll just be stuck in gear or be blocked out, not destroy the transmission.

Paper based blocker rings, more than likely will be on their way out due to a combination of age/use. Synthetic can aggravate the situation if they are fairly broken down.

The stock master/slave does not push a lot of fluid. Make sure your clutch is bled with no air in the system. Invest in a mityvac. Princess auto carries variations.

Careful of the door panels. (firebird specific) When the window is fully down, there is a staple on the plastic that has pressure put on it by the window onto the plastic panel near the rear side of it. It WILL split after some time.

Make sure you keep the plastic dash protected with either regular cleanings and plastic dressing or a sun visor. One day in the heat you may return to your car with a cracked dash.

Headlight motors, listen for the signs.

I agree with 90% of what Slade said.

The hydraulics and clutch did suck, but mine lasted 5 years of stock powered abuse and a dozen passes. The clutch lasted 5 years stock and 2 days with my 420rwhp H/C. The transmission lasted 5 years stock, 1 year on the H/C and 1 year at 512rwhp. It was still going but I figured I better upgrade before the failure came.

The diff did break with street use and was replaced under warranty at 4 years and 70k. I also had another 10 bolt with 3:73s and it took DRs, 420rwhp and 5x6000rpm launches to injure it. It got me home and lasted a week, then boom. Leave the DRs off it and you will likely be ok.


As for the tranny mount , I never changed mine till I was over 500rwhp and it was really torquing things over in the tunnel. Not a bad idea though.


All the plastic stuff is true, headlights too, I have been lucky.

Remember the missed shiftes though, it is quite common to miss 3-4 and get 3-2. I have also heard of gearing down and getting 1st instead of 3rd. It will result in bent push rods if you are lucky, as I was. Many have bent valves as well. Springs and new push rods can help protect things. With my 412 I missed it once. When the motor was pulled it had a couple smiles, but all the pushrods were straight and the compression was above 210psi.

Thanks for all the advise guys!

Some recent pics of it semi cleaned up, and no rain! lol

Getting a SLP Lid Wednesday, doing Magnaflow exhuast soon too.

Just got my SLP Lid and K&N installed last night, thanks Steve and Shel. Thing woke right up, so deep sounding and revs so crisply!

Tomorrow I go in for a Magnaflow muffler, I will do headers and pipes next summer, just want some rumble for now.

Also weridly, my buddy Allen with his 02 SS 35th anny car was buying an axel seal from a guy in Kitchener that he knows that has a QUICK 00 SS camaro, and owns a shop in town, and they got talking about my car. Apprently he is the only guy that every touched my car, the prev. owner was kind of guy that would go in, drop off his visa and just say "whatever is needed, fix it". 20,000km ago the trans was completley overhauled and a new clutch installed aswell. So it was good to confirm that, and Ill continue to go to that guy for any little things it needs

The WS6 6.5 shifter was my very first upgrade and the car is 100x better to shift with.

Good to hear that SLP lid worked out for you. Looks like I'm picking one up shortly due to the good feedback about them.

It sounds like an animal now howling with that LID lol.

Goes in tomorrow for the Magnaflow install, should sound like a real car by tomorrow