Smokey & The Bandit TransAm Ep.7 Out With The Old…

#ProjectTA #goDRIVEit #twinstickgarage
This week, I’m on a mission to bring this vintage 1980 TransAm into the 21st century and completely replace the entire suspension with modern top of the line kit from QA1. First up is out with the old and that proved to be more work/time than I originally planned. Now I must wait until next Saturday to install it…
If you’re curious about upgrading the suspension on your car or truck, go check out what they have for your specific ride at: www.qa1.net/
Hope you enjoy the video and thanks for all the comments, suggestions, and support!
Keep in mind, I know a little about a lot but not an expert in anything … just doing the best I can, learning as I go ... I do all my own stunts
Subscribe for notifications for future episodes that I do my best to upload new videos weekly on Thursdays
Note that for some reason KZbin set my channel as made for kids awhile back so if you haven’t been getting notifications, just unsubscribe, re-subscribe and hit the bell to ensure you never miss an episode!
Patreon: / twinstickgarage
Instagram: @twinstickgarage: / twinstickgarage
TikTok @twinstix
Mailing Address:
TwinStick Garage
PO Box 21, Ardrossan STN Main
Alberta, Canada
T8E 2A1
Check out these great TSG sponsors:
Mrs. TwinSticks Custom Bracelets on Instagram: DM her @natures_precious_stones
Custom Crib Boards: woodstuff.ca/
Shell Rotella: rotella.shell....
DayCab Company Custom Interiors: www.daycabs.com/
Gratz Manufacturing: gratz-manufact...
Gear Center: gearcentre.com/
Conmet: conmet.com/oem/
Southern Tire Mart: www.stmtires.com/
Lesco Distributors: lescodistribut...
FleetFX: fleetfx.com/
TopDon: topdon.com/
Big Rig Chrome Shop: www.bigrigchro...
Hyperlite: hi-hyperlite.com/ 6% off promo code: twinstick
GooLoo: gooloo.com
Spectrum Polishers: www.spectrumal...
Glitter Shifters: www.fueledtocr...
Gen-Y Hitches: genyhitch.com/
Wireless Cameras: www.szfxt.com
Pat’s Driveline: patsdriveline....
Vevor Tools: s.vevor.com/bf... use SAVEMORE5 for a 5% off
Partsam LED Lights: bit.ly/3fMPrkU 4% discount code:TwinStix
Traction: www.traction.c...
SuperSaul Parts Washer: supersaulchemm...
Wildfire Lifts: www.wildfireli...
Gen Y Hitch: genyhitch.com/
Bluetti Power Stations: www.bluettipow...
Teeho Deadbolts: www.teeho.com/
TopDon Themal Camera: www.amazon.com...
Himiway e-Bikes: ca.himiwaybike...?sca_ref=4388275.PCqRt5i5yv
Vantrue DashCams: www.vantrue.com/
Truck Shrouds (Big Hole Kits): www.truckshrou...
Demilare LED Lights: amzn.to/3TiZVK4 Discount code: Twinstick02
American Truck Historical Society: www.aths.org/
QA1 High Performance Suspension & Driveline: www.qa1.net/
Butler Performance: butlerperforma...
Safety Gear and Tooling: surewerx.com/s/

[@TwinStix]

Did you know there’s dozens of unreleased episodes on my Patreon? Join today for as little as $1/month to see them all, help support the channel and be entered to win: www.patreon.com/twinstickgarage

[@02blackLightning]

I’m a heavy duty chassis fabricator. Always best to just stick weld when welding on a frame if your questioning your skill. As long as you have the correct stick and preheat and can do a halfass job your best bet is always stick weld on the frame. Love the channel. Keep up the great work 👍

[@kendallelmore6767]

Your not just an honered American You are as American as me in AZ, brother. The only difference is you say aboot and I say about. You are awesome and hard working. Your videos inspire all of us with old trucks to keep workin on em.

[@markhale3493]

Camber is adjusting the tire in or out from the top. Caster adjust the tire forward or back in the wheel well. Toe adjusts the tire in or out from the front.

[@trippdouglas5596]

Mark, that car is going to be better than new!!! Can't wait to see the finished product

[@spottedhoss1920]

Mornin Mark, Great video, I enjoy watching people repair anything old, That's why I really like my doctor. I was amazed at the crappy welds underneath that car, especially on such an important part of the car, but it happens a lot. Have a great week my friend say hello to Mrs. Twin stix for us.

[@DDSpeedShop]

Everything I weld on a car and walk away I feel confident saying "good as factory"

[@TwinStix]

Exactly 😂

[@prowelderno1]

Always remember…..”a grinder and paint make me the welder I ain’t”….. Love your work Mark, watching from Perth Australia…

[@johngordon7811]

Great job Mark, cheers.

[@JeffMcHood-vl8nk]

You need to replace the motor mounts while you have the lower control arms off you can't get to the bolts with them on the car and what about the tie rod ends,drag link and idler arm

[@bigdaddy9864]

just a hint next time just put a deep well socket on the top of the shock with a extension on it then rock in back and forth it will brake the stud right off. On the ball joints hit the spindle on the side by the ball joint with a ballpeen hammer the shock of doing that will free the ball joint out of the spindle .Hopes that can help in the future.

[@skeeterbuildsit6016]

Love this channel inspires me to build a semi

[@cowboychevyschneider]

It a good day when twinstick post

[@michaelguglielmo2749]

Years ago when I was a kid we used to use 9/16 deep socket with a long extension and rock it back and forth to break off the top of the shock stud. Works almost every time.

[@tonythilmany4014]

Willwood calipers, no substitute

[@khushantrathi7029]

Always love to watch your videos god bless love from india.❤❤

[@randydobson1863]

hello Mark & it's is Randy and i like yours video is cool & Thanks Mark & Friends & Randy

[@christophberlin2871]

I just did the same front end work on my Chevy and noticed that your life gets a whole lot easier once you remove the wheel wells. It takes you 1min and an entirely different world of access opens up. Just sharing.

[@01SAP]

I'd definitely look into a big brake kit Mark.

[@danieltaylor8537]

For future reference Mark the shocks on top are designed to break off. Put a deepwell socket on it and bend back and forth. Easy as pie.

[@thomasbarclay9083]

It’s great to see old iron getting some tlc!!

[@markhale3493]

That's going to be one nice suspension system !

[@majobis]

Now is the perfect time to put in a rack & pinion steering if you are thinking about one of those. It would improve the steering handling and git rid of all the slop with the old setup

[@TwinStix]

🤔

[@andhotrodshop]

On your upper A arms, yes get the wheels close and then the alignment shop will dial it in 👍🏻 and replace the pitman arm and idler arm and both inner and outer tie rods, you will use the center link over again 👍🏻🙌🏼👊🏼🔧 and if the pocket book was deeper they make a full replacement sub frame 😂😂💸💸💸💸🔧🔧🔧 keep it up 👍🏻🙌🏼

[@HebbsT800]

Sweet 👏🏻

[@jeffbear5317]

Next time you run into stuck or spinning shock nuts use a deep well socket and a long extension to break the shock stud off by using the extension as leverage to work it back and forth until it snaps like a paper clip. they snap really easy and it only takes a few seconds a side

[@iain3411]

Can hear you now , Ahhhhh washing that dust down !!! Lookin good.

[@jessemitchell8968]

Just remember what they say grinder and paint make the welder you ain't lol. But you did a good job. Got a kid a work learning to be a welder he is welding everything he can find together. His teacher used to be a certified pro fabricator he is now a road tech.

[@NorthCoast.Garage]

Just subscribed Mark. Love the Trans am I have a 76 myself and I'm hoping to paint it this spring. Gonna make a homemade booth with some plastic sheeting and some box fans in my garage. Cheers🍻 from a fellow 🇨🇦

[@paulwiley9102]

Qa1 does have alot of good suspension components for about any classic hot rod or resto. Excellent choice for this build.

[@jameshenry3921]

Deep socket with a long extension wiggle back and forth till the shaft breaks off with the nut thats how we did them in the shop

[@slagcat]

Pontiac Trans Am where made in Northern Cincinnati, Ohio, at the Norwood GM plant. GM announced on November 6, 1986, that the Norwood Assembly Plant would be closed along with ten other GM facilities.

[@raywilson800]

That was a sucky day wasnt it?😢

[@slagcat]

@raywilson800 Yes, I do remember it today it's an empty parking lot, and some businesses have been empty for years

[@IronJohn-q1t]

I grew up with Smokey and the Bandit. Love the content. Also, when you gonna collab with Zip ties and Diesel Creek, y'all guys are my favorite!

[@TwinStix]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/g4XFdYSpj7KMpbcsi=-ekfEVYjdoIHqtaM 👀

[@jyd6722]

I just watched this …. That dude is hilarious 😂😂

[@marysoldeeley2218]

Holy cow! That was definitely necessary work for sure! You aren't doing a TV car "restoration" that's for certain! Great show! Didn't matter what your welds look like... Never be any worse than what is already there. If anything it would match and you can say it came like that Hahaha!! Well done Mark, knowing your wife will drive this car. It's really nice to see that you are making sure it will be stable and safe for her. Gold Star right there. Even a bonus scratch and sniff sticker.

[@Josephboley81211]

Just wanted to say thank you very much for the great content bud.🙏👍✌️

[@joesmith1926]

MIG might be your friend going forward, Mark!

[@TwinStix]

Nah, I just need my own TIG welder, another lesson from Blake, and lots and lots of practice...

[@jeepanimal2943]

@@TwinStix Exactly! Women NEED more shoes ...... Men NEED more welders. And tools. And shops. And trucks, cars bikes tractors ATVs etc.....

[@justinemagson1767]

Now you can send a video along with your cv when you apply for a job welding up Pontiac chassis’s 👍

[@Bigtiny123]

Don't know if anyone else has suggested this, but if you get shock nuts that are stuck like that again, all you have to do is get a really long extension and deep well socket the size of the nut and use this to break off the stud. We live in Salt and we did this on all the vehicles that came in with those style shocks. Just thought I would share. GREAT videos!

[@raywilson800]

I think you picked the right cold snack.😂❤❤

[@MichaelIrons-d5v]

a great job mark.

[@jonenpelit857]

Personally I would have put at least some heavy duty primer on the frame before putting on the stoneshield undercoating. Now when rocks eventually chip the undercoating its going to be a bare metal surface and it will start rusting again.

[@kevinmartin5375]

Awesome job Mark.

[@ohok4775]

Yup QA1 is BIG in Minnesota. Very well known and high quality parts (NOT CHEAP!). They sponsor couple of big car shows in MN like Street Machine Nationals. Im not sure about Back To The Fifties?

[@Nblades78]

The Naked Gun 33 1/3

[@markhale3493]

The shims adjust caster and camber. The tie rods adjust toe.

[@ddyodaman5515]

Another great episode of your show! Man Thursdays are always a good morning with twin sticks!!👍

[@NICKSSHOP]

very awesome video and wow I had never seen Broken Springs like that before can't wait to see the finished product.

[@NICKSSHOP]

and that movie part now i need to watch that movie

[@MichaelKorsaknov-eh8gd]

Very cool, keep up the amazing job

[@rosshall641]

better than chistmas day Mark

[@lesgaal4017]

Gee Mark when you built the new shop I just knew it wasn't going to be big enough. You can never have enough room talking from experience. Cheers

[@stovebolt448]

Thats what I thought on our 56Chevy, I kept wondering just when the dirt and rust was going to end, it actually does Mark, just keep on keeping on.😋

[@salimilyazov7436]

Awesome I love your videos I learned a lot from you 👍👍👍

[@joemode101]

Hi Mark, you’re doing a great job on the Trans Am by the way what you should get is a little Lincoln wire feed welder for a beginner those little welders will do the job very well specially, with cars

[@gjmob]

That whole front end is almost identical to a Holden Kingswood of that era.

[@alvinpowell6189]

Just remember those “fine” welds were made by a vaunted union worker!! Yeah, well whatever… But your welds are expected to be a little rough, you’re an amateur! But like you say practice is what you need. But I like the way the old Bird is looking underneath, pretty sharp! Going to be cool seeing the QA1 stuff being installed!!

[@brianburgett5894]

Those tig wields have to be real clean. And you can’t rush them .

[@TwinStix]

I have to get Blake to give me a lesson or two 🤔

[@NickManCuso59]

Prep work equates to an ounce of prevention equals a pound of cure. When it's all said an done persistence pays off !

[@ianatkinson8464]

😎👍

[@KillingMachine96]

Mark, it seems a shame that in 2024, much like the Rattlecan paint, that we can't buy a spray-on bonding agent that would reinforce the original steel, just to give some added confidence in it.

[@brycesefonte9093]

Nice work as always Mark.

[@SootyDiesel81]

Pull the subframe and hot wash it 👍

[@ronernst3991]

break off the top of the shock off with a deep socket and an extention, bend it back and forth untill it snaps.

[@wildman8644]

Hey twinsticks. From the music that you play in the back ground I think you may like Red Sovina. If you do I would say you like phantom 309

[@Sircraig7963]

G'day Mark , Bandit 1 V'S General Lee, That would be a cool vid . Keep em coming.. Respect....!

[@nathanaelgodson3994]

Hey there Twinsticks, I love this Channel so much. Ive been watching since day one where you dug lbl out of the field and so far there wasnt a single Episode i didnt like! Keep Up the good work and dont rush yourself :) As a quick tipp for those old cars: While your down there doing Suspension things its best to do brakes aswell. Especialy the brake lines, those rubber lines tend to swell up internaly when they get old so its best to replace them :) Also another tipp regarding brakes, especialy for drums but its general good practice to do one side at a time, that way you have the other side as refference if you get something mixed up. Love every thursday thanks to you :)

[@silvergrizzly316]

Hey Mark, so glad i found your channel or it found me, idk😄. The only thing I see is a negative is only one video a week 😂jk, I know we all gotta work brother so we can have toys and hobbies like this, so keep putting out great videos and I'll definitely keep watching!!! Have an awesome weekend my friend, from North Carolina 🫡. Jay.

[@gr00vechamp]

I have it in good faith that "the guys doing those factory welds were hungover, and the guys next to them were drinking on the job."

[@Jasonoestreich-ue5gc]

Mark the car is finally coming together keep working on Sir

[@conwayconway2177]

Have a lot of things going on today...but...its a Perfect Thursday morning now,the first two things I needed...1-coffee...2.. TWINSTICKS GARAGE... Ohhhhhhh yeahhhh...❤️✝️🇨🇦❤️✝️🇺🇸

[@paulmartin3340]

Hey there, I'm new to your channel and just want to say AWESOME content ! Ezra mentioned you a couple of times so it got the better of me and i tuned in. In the last week I've watched every episode of little by little and Smokey and the bandit including the Trans am build. All great content as far as im concerned. Keep it all coming! Coors oops i mean cheers from Sydney Australia. Oh and here's a new saying for you. Quit ya yappin and get crackin ! 😂😂

[@1one3_Racing]

When you're finished the car, I say you need to start on a 2500hp Caterpillar build for LbL

[@tommyhall2768]

Hellow mark hope you are doing good buddy

[@stansdds]

That is going to be one sweet Trans Am when you get it finished. I'm sure it will have more power and handle better than the 1970's era cars. That car is going to weigh 500 pounds less once you get all the dirt and grime off of the underside!

[@warrengee-f9l]

RUSTore !😁

[@darylbeaman8220]

HEY MARK..DEFINITELY GO WITH WILLWOOD BRALES, CALIPERS, AND ROTORS FOR THE TRANS AM...U WONT BE DISAPPOINTED

[@TwinStix]

I plan to 👍

[@stephenswope3494]

I use an impact gun to take the nut off the top of the shock. You hit it with little bursts and do it about 50 times or so. You have to use a pneumatic impact gun, the electric ones don't respond quick enough. It works 97% of the time.

[@WACRE44]

With your old eyes 👀 sounds like 👍🏼 my friends lol😅

[@davidstarsky-h3j]

Take a look at Max Brakes Drilled and slotted roaters there awesome i upgraded and there amazing

[@marshallucky6809]

You should replace the body mount bushings on the subframe and radiator support as well.

[@davidburridge4688]

Hey Mark let me tell you about QA1 they were in a small building and then they moved to a bigger place and then they moved to a huge place to house all their stuff i used to live in Minnesota til 2021. David Burridge Kingman Arizona

[@snoman003]

Bottomless keg? Well done to QA1 for the suspension hardware. Bonus episode, suspension 2.0?? Looks good!

[@patrickflannigan-f2p]

Snap on makes a tool to remove the top shock nut

[@the4truckers2]

Fire that thing up

[@stansdds]

First again!

[@TCB-1]

They make a special socket to remove the nut from the shock rod. I just figured that out last week.

[@badboybennyhill]

I doubt they are factory welds that front end with broken springs looks like it’s been smashed or at least impacted hard

[@Mike-hb4pc]

I thought you had a sandblasting cabinet for all the small parts? That would make life a lot easier.

[@bradfulcher8395]

If you want to use music you can use mine The Brad Allen band.. I like watching your videos

[@joeltolley6075]

Hey Mark you should look into TBM brakes and see if they have a kit for the bandit

[@TwinStix]

Planning to go with all new Wilwood

[@joeltolley6075]

@@TwinStix that is a great brand as well

[@jimkrogh2549]

Those welds and the busted springs makes think a Poor Old Neighbor Tried It And Concocted a repair of the damage from hard driving, abusing that old TA

[@robbyblack2699]

Where does your background music come from? It’s great.

[@sodapop8408]

They were just starting to replace actual people with robot welders in the 70’s I would say they were getting the bugs worked out of the new robot welders is were the crap welds came from.

[@adamlangworthy3453]

Naked Gun 33 1/3

[@joeroad6618]

Wilwood D52 calipers are a direct replacement for those stock calipers and they are dual piston.

[@artcats310]

hi i think you do a great job

[@djfeerer]

Here is a d52 caliper thatll let you reuse your factory mounts and discs. Their by wilwood an i got mi e from jegs. If i remember right, their 4 piston.

[@dustinbass-tz2tm]

One of the naked gunns

[@kirkjones9827]

Don’t worry. I am a grinder, not a welder. 😂🎉

[@colebertils7359]

It’s the way she goes when you’re given er all the way on a Thursday morning!

[@ryandee8543]

I cant remember if you were the one who recommended hobo shoe string a while ago. Im thinking it was you. Anyway hes missing.