Author Topic: # PROJECT # Trans Am - R.I.P (Read 6734 times)

F Body · « **Reply #50 on:** October 04, 2006, 09:22:48 am »

Going over to "recover" the old girl at 12:00pm so that leaves me with plenty of Ho'ing time

Pictures later

F Body · « **Reply #51 on:** October 04, 2006, 03:34:05 pm »

After nearly six hours of trouble and strife she's home

Gotta run the kids to dance class and then I'll update you all

Roadkill · « **Reply #52 on:** October 04, 2006, 03:44:08 pm »

Quoting: F Body

she's home

- or not as the case may be . . . .

F Body · « **Reply #53 on:** October 04, 2006, 04:57:02 pm »

Well here's a run down on todays recovery :

Left the house just after 11:00am to get to Dunstable in plenty of time before the 12:00pm recovery booking.
Just joining the M1 when saidrecovery man rings me to tell me he's on his way and has just left Flitwick.
I arrive at the Trans Am and have just enough time to unlock it and push it forwards before he arrives.
So far so good !
Now it starts to horribly wrong, he is driving a huge van with the longest trailer I've ever seen

Oh I say I thought you coming with a flat bed ?
Was going to but that went out to an accident on the M1

So after about 10 minutes he has the trailing roughly in postion, out he gets with a jump starter pack ?
Err I did tell you it's a non runner ?
Well we'll see he say's , well even if it does start , it hasn't got any water in the radiator and the prop shaft has been removed !
OK how are we going to get it onto the trailer - feking good question

He opens up the back of the van and pulls out a winch, after about half an hour buggering about she's on the trailer :

But not without losing most of the transmission fluid out of the prop shaft housing

But at least it was good clean red fluid

So off we go :

Joining the M1 :

Once we get back to my gaff he say's that there is no way of getting the huge trailer anywhere near the drive

Oh we'll roll it down the hill he say's , should be interesting without any brakes

So we now spend nearly two hours chocking and re-chocking the wheels until it's near the drive.
The driver, myself and Management then try to push it up the drive, jeez it must weigh about 3 tons !
After 45 minutes we manage to get it half onto the drive and give up !
The driver makes his excuses and leaves with the £40 he quoted, wasn't go to pay any more

Plan "A" was to leave it until tonight and get some help ?
Soon abandoned that plan because of my friendly neighbours don't like me having more than one car !
So onto plan "B" , take the Camaro winch out of the garage and jam it between the garage and under stairs cupboard doors ( good bodge )

Winch car backwards and forwards into place

However even with all four wheels chocked she still slides forwards without a handbrake or gear lock

So I jack her up whilst still on the winch and re-fit the prop shaft :

Whilst also noticing that the exhaust system looks brand new , well never really used

I finally get her in place and locked in gear so she isn't going anywhere, yes she's a tight fit as the sponge proves :

She overhangs a couple of inches at the point , but I think it's OK !

So what to do now ?
Put the winch back into the garage and put all the tools away, then looking at the sorry state of her time for a quick polish ( still no polishing Smilie )
Two reasons for this , firstly becuase she will look less like a junker to the neighbours and secondly becuase she will get a little protection from the weather.
And here's she is :

Wasn't bad for the money !

Still loads to do but I'm done for today , I think I've broken my back trying to push the b!tch

55starchief · « **Reply #54 on:** October 04, 2006, 05:26:26 pm »

Martyn,

If you pm me the chassis number i will decode it for you, also if you can get the casting number off of the heads i can identify those aswell. It should be over the center exhaust ports

F Body · « **Reply #55 on:** October 04, 2006, 05:40:32 pm »

Quoting: 55starchief

If you pm me the chassis number i will decode it for you, also if you can get the casting number off of the heads i can identify those aswell. It should be over the center exhaust ports

Cheers Mate I'll do it tomorrow it's going dark now

F Body · « **Reply #56 on:** October 04, 2006, 05:50:08 pm »

Interesting here's shot of the speedo today :

It's showing 92,491 miles and here's the gearbox receipt showing 92,489 !

So it's only done 2 miles since the rebuild ?
That or the speedo doesn't work ??

The engine top end rebuild was done at 90,625

That's £1,184.64 and only 1,866 miles ago

It also included the exhaust system and Headman headers !

Mustangus · « **Reply #57 on:** October 04, 2006, 05:56:15 pm »

Looking sweet

I love how mean the front end of those look

Rocky · « **Reply #58 on:** October 04, 2006, 06:51:23 pm »

Looking good mate i went to see one yesterday it was a POS and the guy was asking £3200 so you got a bargain with yours,I think im going to import one now as i have been looking for ages and havent found what im after.

F Body · « **Reply #59 on:** October 04, 2006, 06:57:23 pm »

Quoting: F Body

Still loads to do but I'm done for today

I lied

I've just started clearing the car out , here's the haul so far :

4 original good condition gold Pontiac wheels ( tyres knackered ).
1 set of GM front disc pads.
1 set of original Pontiac Headers.
1 fan belt.
1 set of jump leads.
1 large box of exhaust hangers/brackets/rubbers etc.
Couple of litres of Castrol High Mileage GTX.
Couple of litres of Anti-freeze.
1 bottle of Redex.
Some sort of GM electrical relay still in box.
The retaining clip for the shaker hood cowl.

EDGE · « **Reply #60 on:** October 04, 2006, 09:43:33 pm »

where on earth did you find that !!!!!!!

EDGE

Incursus · « **Reply #61 on:** October 05, 2006, 07:48:11 am »

Looking good

F Body · « **Reply #62 on:** October 05, 2006, 11:59:48 am »

You'll be pleased to know that the Trans Am's previous owner is following this thread and I've invited him to post

Correction : The Trans Am's two previous owners

Roadkill · « **Reply #63 on:** October 05, 2006, 01:56:48 pm »

Quoting: F Body

You'll be pleased to know that the Trans Am's previous owner is following this thread and I've invited him to post

Roadkill · « **Reply #64 on:** October 05, 2006, 02:02:40 pm »

I'll say again : You Lucky, lucky, lucky B@stard.

She's a beut.

Nice trick with the winch BTW . . . .

F Body · « **Reply #65 on:** October 05, 2006, 04:11:19 pm »

I'll stop the B!tch rolling down the drive

Roadkill · « **Reply #66 on:** October 05, 2006, 04:22:22 pm »

The only downside to using visable methods of stopping a car rolling is the potential for little scroats to see them and think it funny to remove them.

When I chock a car I try to do it so it's out of view.

F Body · « **Reply #67 on:** October 05, 2006, 04:28:30 pm »

Quoting: Roadkill

The only downside to using visable methods of stopping a car rolling is the potential for little scroats to see them and think it funny to remove them

Yep thought about that but it's still in gear and it's still creeping down the drive, so I figured two days and you won't be able to get them out without jacking it up

F Body · « **Reply #68 on:** October 05, 2006, 06:11:10 pm »

OK got the battery on charge which has allowed me to start checking the electrics.

Plently of blown bulbs

Top tip here for all car mechanics ?
When you have to buy a replacement bulb always buy two , even more so if it's a strange fitting. All the above were replaced from my stock !

So all the lights are working , even the cool side repeaters that go out when the front indicator comes on

The wipers , horn & ciggy lighter are fine, only two things don't work :

1 / The heater blower which might need the engine running ?

2 / The screen washers, the bottle is hanging off so I'll have to check the wires with my meter.

To dark & wet for anything else tonight, stay tuned for another exciting episode tomorrow

F Body · « **Reply #69 on:** October 05, 2006, 06:14:01 pm »

Almost forgot to tell you about the very loud radio/cassette and cool 1970's graphic equalizer :

Takes me back to Saturday Night Fever

55starchief · « **Reply #70 on:** October 05, 2006, 06:17:40 pm »

You really have got a great little car there mate, definatly worth spending some money when you have some spare. You gonna be joining the pontiac owners club

F Body · « **Reply #71 on:** October 05, 2006, 07:57:14 pm »

Quoting: 55starchief

If you pm me the chassis number i will decode it for you, also if you can get the casting number off of the heads i can identify those aswell. It should be over the center exhaust ports

Vin number is :

2T87U7N181896

Can't see any numbers around the exhaust ports

55starchief · « **Reply #72 on:** October 05, 2006, 08:02:55 pm »

2=Pontiac
T=Firebird
87=2 door HT coupe
U=V8 305 4BBL
7=1977
N=Norwood,ohio
181896 is the sequential serial number

Titsy · « **Reply #73 on:** October 05, 2006, 08:14:48 pm »

Quoting: 55starchief

V8 305 4BBL

F Body · « **Reply #74 on:** October 05, 2006, 08:14:52 pm »

Quoting: 55starchief

U=V8 305 4BBL

?

Just been reading up on the 1977 engine options at :

http://www.iwaynet.net/~gl&lisk/transam.html

At the end of the '76 model year, the 455 finally was laid to rest.
Instead of the 455, a pair of 400's and a (gasp) Oldsmobile 403 could be ordered up.
The standard (RPO L78) Pontiac 400 (engine code XA ) was mostly carryover from '76, producing 180hp @ 3600 rpm and 325 lb/ft of torque at 1600 rpm.
The new for 1977 Oldsmobile 403 V8 as an no-charge optional powerplant for all California and high-altitude residences.
These (code U2, U3 high altitude and VA, VB when destined for California) engines are easily identified by the oil fill neck at the very front of the engine.
Horsepower figures for the 403 were 185@3600 rpm, good for a 5 hp bump over the Pontiac 400, yet netted five less Lb/ft of torque (320) at a peakier 2200 rpm.
A revitalized Pontiac 400 was offered in 1977 to take the place of the recently departed 455. Named "T/A 6.6" (6.6 stood for 6.6 litres or 6600 cc, denoting GM's newfound affection for the metric system)the new engine featured a bumped up compression ratio (now 8.1: vs. 7.6:1) by bolting the smaller combustion chambered cylinder heads from the Pontiac 350 onto the 400 block.
The cylinder heads were part number 500801 (the same as the 350 heads). Horsepower was bumped by twenty over the "base" Pontiac 400 motor and peak torque still equalled 325 lb/ft, but occurred 800 rpm higher in the rev range (2400 rpm). Engine ID codes for the T/A 6.6 were WV with a four speed and YG woth the automatic.

No mention of a 305 ?