1986 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am
Discussion
Tis my first yank, so I had to do it properly. 5.0 Ltr carbureted V8, alas no manual though - had to settle for the 4 speed Auto.
You may wonder why I decided on a Trans Am for my first American car, or you may not... Reason solely being that I grew up watching Knight Rider (re-runs) and have yearned for a Firebird ever since I started driving, and this year I decided to take the plunge - much against my father's advice! Knight Rider and Pontiac Trans Ams made much more of an impact on me than Mustangs or Camaros etc, and since the Firebirds are generally considered underdogs of the muscle car world, I decided to be different and get one!
Red the Shed (as my mother has so aptly named him...) is in need of a little TLC, but so far my dad and I haven't come across anything majorly wrong - touch wood! Seems to be purely a case of not being used - only done 300 miles in the last couple of years...
So far the list of To Do's is:
1) Service - Oil, filter and Spark Plugs
2) Get left headlight working again... it was the switch which is dodgy...
3) Get Water Temp gauge and fuel gauge working correctly
4) Tidy up the engine bay, so wires aren't hanging near hot things...
5) Try and figure out how to re-connect the rear carbs - some bright spark disconnected them so only the front two work...
6) Drive as is for my first Yank!
So not a horrendous list, just so he can be driveable and usable as potentially a daily driver. Will still be keeping my Toledo so if DD Status isn't practical, I will go back to the barge!
So there we have it, my first Yank Tank, and one that's going to make sure I hit the ground running... waiting to see what else needs fixing...
You may wonder why I decided on a Trans Am for my first American car, or you may not... Reason solely being that I grew up watching Knight Rider (re-runs) and have yearned for a Firebird ever since I started driving, and this year I decided to take the plunge - much against my father's advice! Knight Rider and Pontiac Trans Ams made much more of an impact on me than Mustangs or Camaros etc, and since the Firebirds are generally considered underdogs of the muscle car world, I decided to be different and get one!
Red the Shed (as my mother has so aptly named him...) is in need of a little TLC, but so far my dad and I haven't come across anything majorly wrong - touch wood! Seems to be purely a case of not being used - only done 300 miles in the last couple of years...
So far the list of To Do's is:
1) Service - Oil, filter and Spark Plugs
2) Get left headlight working again... it was the switch which is dodgy...
3) Get Water Temp gauge and fuel gauge working correctly
4) Tidy up the engine bay, so wires aren't hanging near hot things...
5) Try and figure out how to re-connect the rear carbs - some bright spark disconnected them so only the front two work...
6) Drive as is for my first Yank!
So not a horrendous list, just so he can be driveable and usable as potentially a daily driver. Will still be keeping my Toledo so if DD Status isn't practical, I will go back to the barge!
So there we have it, my first Yank Tank, and one that's going to make sure I hit the ground running... waiting to see what else needs fixing...
Edited by CatfishCKY on Tuesday 11th June 22:22
Simon - Oh Totally, pretty much as white trash as it gets! But it is fun, I'm enjoying it - and it makes a great sound too!
Kriss - I know, I think I may be clinically mad, or masochistic, but yeah - I've loved them for a long time, the passion was there, as much as my dad did advise me against getting the car ha! Thanks for the wishes, I hope it does too - I'd rather joy than trouble!
But it is fun, I'm enjoying it - and it makes a great sound too! Kriss - I know, I think I may be clinically mad, or masochistic, but yeah - I've loved them for a long time, the passion was there, as much as my dad did advise me against getting the car ha! Thanks for the wishes, I hope it does too - I'd rather joy than trouble!
Whilst doing the service also drop the trans and replace the filter and fluid, the auto often gets neglected for fluid changes, the 700R4 is an OK box if you look after it.
Odd why you've no rear spoiler, where abouts are you as can probably offer some pointers for decent parts places etc...
The wife had an 86 TA as a daily for a few years and loved it, she was the fastest district nurse in the county!
The early 5 speed manual is OK but really its the later F-body (4th gens) with the 6speed that are the better manuals.
The 86 is a great car for sourcing cheap go-faster parts and non expensive spares.
Odd why you've no rear spoiler, where abouts are you as can probably offer some pointers for decent parts places etc...
The wife had an 86 TA as a daily for a few years and loved it, she was the fastest district nurse in the county!
The early 5 speed manual is OK but really its the later F-body (4th gens) with the 6speed that are the better manuals.
The 86 is a great car for sourcing cheap go-faster parts and non expensive spares.
JakesterUK said:
Whilst doing the service also drop the trans and replace the filter and fluid, the auto often gets neglected for fluid changes, the 700R4 is an OK box if you look after it.
Odd why you've no rear spoiler, where abouts are you as can probably offer some pointers for decent parts places etc...
The wife had an 86 TA as a daily for a few years and loved it, she was the fastest district nurse in the county!
The early 5 speed manual is OK but really its the later F-body (4th gens) with the 6speed that are the better manuals.
The 86 is a great car for sourcing cheap go-faster parts and non expensive spares.
Is dropping the trans an easy enough job to do? We now have a Haynes manual, so if it's listed in there it will be a boon! My old man is quite good with the old Yanks so he'll be able to do it if needs be Odd why you've no rear spoiler, where abouts are you as can probably offer some pointers for decent parts places etc...
The wife had an 86 TA as a daily for a few years and loved it, she was the fastest district nurse in the county!
The early 5 speed manual is OK but really its the later F-body (4th gens) with the 6speed that are the better manuals.
The 86 is a great car for sourcing cheap go-faster parts and non expensive spares.
It looks like the previous to the last owner removed it, for reasons I'm not so sure on! Would like a spoiler on there, but they seem expensive! I based in Wiltshire if that's any use?
You wife sounds like an awesome kinda gal! Good to hear they can be used as dailys too, as that's the plan for mine - I don't think it'll harm it - it probably thrives more on it!
I did want a manual but they are so hard to find! After this one, I might look for a manual, but I don't hold out much hope finding one!
It seems from what I can tell that the 86 is a cross over year for a lot of things - I had a hell of a time trying to find the right spark plugs for it today! I've been given a few spares with it (well, a whole trunk-load!), but I would like to maintain and upgrade it if I can!
I think he means replacing the ATF, filters and seals within the transmission, rather than removing it. All of the above can be done with the transmission in-situ and should be done per maintenance schedule - i.e. every 50k miles - or sooner. In contrast, and having put 80k miles on an '88 350 TPI IROC, I think the GM700R4 is a pretty shonky transmission that needs a lot of looking after to stay healthy. At the very least invest in a TransGo shift kit to stop it 'hunting' which is a really annoying and wear-inducing aspect of the 700R4.
Matt Harper said:
I think he means replacing the ATF, filters and seals within the transmission, rather than removing it. All of the above can be done with the transmission in-situ and should be done per maintenance schedule - i.e. every 50k miles - or sooner. In contrast, and having put 80k miles on an '88 350 TPI IROC, I think the GM700R4 is a pretty shonky transmission that needs a lot of looking after to stay healthy. At the very least invest in a TransGo shift kit to stop it 'hunting' which is a really annoying and wear-inducing aspect of the 700R4.
Ah right, I think I know what you mean - I'm still quite new to this! Relieved to know it can be done in situ though! It's done 88k, so it wouldn't hurt to do it I don't think!Thanks for the tip, I will look into things a bit more once I get paid... seem to have used up all my money this month!
My dad told me the car has had two of its four barrel carbs disconnected, which I think made it hunt a bit, but it could be me overreacting to an unfamiliar car! I do need to connect them back up at some point!
CatfishCKY said:
Ah right, I think I know what you mean - I'm still quite new to this! Relieved to know it can be done in situ though! It's done 88k, so it wouldn't hurt to do it I don't think!
Thanks for the tip, I will look into things a bit more once I get paid... seem to have used up all my money this month!
My dad told me the car has had two of its four barrel carbs disconnected, which I think made it hunt a bit, but it could be me overreacting to an unfamiliar car! I do need to connect them back up at some point!
Definitely do the trans overhaul - because I think you can pretty much assume it's never been done before. Can you determine the engine code from the VIN? It's most likely an LG4 engine (VIN code is H) - it has a Rochester E4 carb set up the back half being feed-back. If it's disconnected it is to stop it running over-rich, because the ignition advance on this motor is quite aggressive and they are prone to running oily/sooty. Relieved to know it can be done in situ though! It's done 88k, so it wouldn't hurt to do it I don't think!Thanks for the tip, I will look into things a bit more once I get paid... seem to have used up all my money this month!
My dad told me the car has had two of its four barrel carbs disconnected, which I think made it hunt a bit, but it could be me overreacting to an unfamiliar car! I do need to connect them back up at some point!
If so, I would be inclined to replace the carb and intake for the HO version (L69) which delivers more power and does not soot up (if set up properly). The upgrade is cheap and gives you another 30 hp or so. It's been a long time since I lived in UK, but Rodley Motors in Bradford used to supply all the parts for this (It's called a "boat-anchor-upgrade", amongst Gen 3 enthusiasts in the US).
Matt Harper said:
Definitely do the trans overhaul - because I think you can pretty much assume it's never been done before. Can you determine the engine code from the VIN? It's most likely an LG4 engine (VIN code is H) - it has a Rochester E4 carb set up the back half being feed-back. If it's disconnected it is to stop it running over-rich, because the ignition advance on this motor is quite aggressive and they are prone to running oily/sooty.
If so, I would be inclined to replace the carb and intake for the HO version (L69) which delivers more power and does not soot up (if set up properly). The upgrade is cheap and gives you another 30 hp or so. It's been a long time since I lived in UK, but Rodley Motors in Bradford used to supply all the parts for this (It's called a "boat-anchor-upgrade", amongst Gen 3 enthusiasts in the US).
Ugh thanks PH mods, messing with my topics... that's why I've deleted a response, because they thought it'd be wise to combine the two, but leave both topics with pictures in there, sigh...If so, I would be inclined to replace the carb and intake for the HO version (L69) which delivers more power and does not soot up (if set up properly). The upgrade is cheap and gives you another 30 hp or so. It's been a long time since I lived in UK, but Rodley Motors in Bradford used to supply all the parts for this (It's called a "boat-anchor-upgrade", amongst Gen 3 enthusiasts in the US).
I believe the engine is an LG4, it has the letter H in the right place on the Vin! That might explain a lot about the disconnected carbs then, if that's a common problem!
That HO upgrade sounds fantastic but I'm not sure whether I'd have the technical know how to do it, and I'm not sure my dad will help...
Bradford is a bit far for me, but if they're still going it might be worth inquiring!
I'll have a Google about the upgrade and look into it, thanks very much for the insight, it's good to know someone has a clue about these engines lol
The reality is I know the square root of piss-all, compared to some of the folks on here - but I had a Gen 3 Camaro for a few years and learned a lot about them through necessity.
Without getting insulting, the car you have is very much the 'cooking version' and that motor in stock form is pretty feeble if truth be told. As a first toe in the water, it's probably pretty safe - but so is the skin on your rice pudding, if attached to your car, if we're getting down to brass tacks.
You could double it's output from factory 150hp or so (yours will be less with the carb secondaries out of action) by spending about a thousand quid on an aftermarket, two pump carb and intake, a decent set of headers (the stock iron manifolds are proper blue-ballers) and an upggraded ignition system.
Good news is it looks pretty straight body-wise. Does the roof leak? Consider yourself blessed if the front floors are dry and rot-free. The fuel pump is another potential headache, because it is inside the gas tank and if (when) it fails, the tank has to come out to access it - which means the rear axle also has to be disconnected to get at it. When you tackle that job - it presents an opportunity to replace all the rear bushes with poly upgrades. On an 86, they'll all need replacing by now anyway.
Smokers like this are something of a labor of love - but it's great to see them still running and being appreciated - that thing would sadly be crusher-fodder in the US - so take the trouble, bite the bullet and save it!
By the way, when I said, "hunting", I was referring to the transmission shifting irregularly and sometimes inappropriately - usually caused by poor trans maintanence - partially blocked valve body etc., but is a bit of an inherent behavior of the 700R4 particularly when they've got a few miles on them.
Without getting insulting, the car you have is very much the 'cooking version' and that motor in stock form is pretty feeble if truth be told. As a first toe in the water, it's probably pretty safe - but so is the skin on your rice pudding, if attached to your car, if we're getting down to brass tacks.
You could double it's output from factory 150hp or so (yours will be less with the carb secondaries out of action) by spending about a thousand quid on an aftermarket, two pump carb and intake, a decent set of headers (the stock iron manifolds are proper blue-ballers) and an upggraded ignition system.
Good news is it looks pretty straight body-wise. Does the roof leak? Consider yourself blessed if the front floors are dry and rot-free. The fuel pump is another potential headache, because it is inside the gas tank and if (when) it fails, the tank has to come out to access it - which means the rear axle also has to be disconnected to get at it. When you tackle that job - it presents an opportunity to replace all the rear bushes with poly upgrades. On an 86, they'll all need replacing by now anyway.
Smokers like this are something of a labor of love - but it's great to see them still running and being appreciated - that thing would sadly be crusher-fodder in the US - so take the trouble, bite the bullet and save it!
By the way, when I said, "hunting", I was referring to the transmission shifting irregularly and sometimes inappropriately - usually caused by poor trans maintanence - partially blocked valve body etc., but is a bit of an inherent behavior of the 700R4 particularly when they've got a few miles on them.
Edited by Matt Harper on Sunday 17th February 00:27
Nice car! Everyone should have a 3rd Gen at some point in their life!
Personally, I prefer the Firebird look to the Camaro. It was the first yank I got in and loved it! It was my dads and was an 87, completely stock, no luxuries fitted. Loved every minute in it.
Since then, he bought a newer 1991 Camaro RS, which last August I bought off him. Using it more regularly than him, starting to fix all the bits that are showing age, plugs, alternator, rads. I use mine when ever the weather is good and I need to put a smile on my face. Its a very wafty car!
Anyway, heres mine, from today. Was out on a drive and stopped at my local, a friend in there was so blown away with it he said, 'Oh I'd love to go for a drive in it one day' I said, 'Well I can take you round the block if you want?' - Hes now said he wants to get one, another Yank car bug bites!
Enjoy fella!
OT: How old are you and how much was your first premium?
Personally, I prefer the Firebird look to the Camaro. It was the first yank I got in and loved it! It was my dads and was an 87, completely stock, no luxuries fitted. Loved every minute in it.
Since then, he bought a newer 1991 Camaro RS, which last August I bought off him. Using it more regularly than him, starting to fix all the bits that are showing age, plugs, alternator, rads. I use mine when ever the weather is good and I need to put a smile on my face. Its a very wafty car!
Anyway, heres mine, from today. Was out on a drive and stopped at my local, a friend in there was so blown away with it he said, 'Oh I'd love to go for a drive in it one day' I said, 'Well I can take you round the block if you want?' - Hes now said he wants to get one, another Yank car bug bites!
Enjoy fella!
OT: How old are you and how much was your first premium?
Matt Harper said:
The reality is I know the square root of piss-all, compared to some of the folks on here - but I had a Gen 3 Camaro for a few years and learned a lot about them through necessity.
Without getting insulting, the car you have is very much the 'cooking version' and that motor in stock form is pretty feeble if truth be told. As a first toe in the water, it's probably pretty safe - but so is the skin on your rice pudding, if attached to your car, if we're getting down to brass tacks.
You could double it's output from factory 150hp or so (yours will be less with the carb secondaries out of action) by spending about a thousand quid on an aftermarket, two pump carb and intake, a decent set of headers (the stock iron manifolds are proper blue-ballers) and an upggraded ignition system.
Good news is it looks pretty straight body-wise. Does the roof leak? Consider yourself blessed if the front floors are dry and rot-free. The fuel pump is another potential headache, because it is inside the gas tank and if (when) it fails, the tank has to come out to access it - which means the rear axle also has to be disconnected to get at it. When you tackle that job - it presents an opportunity to replace all the rear bushes with poly upgrades. On an 86, they'll all need replacing by now anyway.
Smokers like this are something of a labor of love - but it's great to see them still running and being appreciated - that thing would sadly be crusher-fodder in the US - so take the trouble, bite the bullet and save it!
By the way, when I said, "hunting", I was referring to the transmission shifting irregularly and sometimes inappropriately - usually caused by poor trans maintanence - partially blocked valve body etc., but is a bit of an inherent behavior of the 700R4 particularly when they've got a few miles on them.
Yeah it's no supercar, certainly not firing on 7 until we change the spark plugs! but I didn't want anything too powerful for my first yank, i'm not brave enough! Happy with the sound it makes for now so that'll do lolWithout getting insulting, the car you have is very much the 'cooking version' and that motor in stock form is pretty feeble if truth be told. As a first toe in the water, it's probably pretty safe - but so is the skin on your rice pudding, if attached to your car, if we're getting down to brass tacks.
You could double it's output from factory 150hp or so (yours will be less with the carb secondaries out of action) by spending about a thousand quid on an aftermarket, two pump carb and intake, a decent set of headers (the stock iron manifolds are proper blue-ballers) and an upggraded ignition system.
Good news is it looks pretty straight body-wise. Does the roof leak? Consider yourself blessed if the front floors are dry and rot-free. The fuel pump is another potential headache, because it is inside the gas tank and if (when) it fails, the tank has to come out to access it - which means the rear axle also has to be disconnected to get at it. When you tackle that job - it presents an opportunity to replace all the rear bushes with poly upgrades. On an 86, they'll all need replacing by now anyway.
Smokers like this are something of a labor of love - but it's great to see them still running and being appreciated - that thing would sadly be crusher-fodder in the US - so take the trouble, bite the bullet and save it!
By the way, when I said, "hunting", I was referring to the transmission shifting irregularly and sometimes inappropriately - usually caused by poor trans maintanence - partially blocked valve body etc., but is a bit of an inherent behavior of the 700R4 particularly when they've got a few miles on them.
The t tops don't leak, no, and dad says the floor is pretty solid too!
I love the idea of the upgrade doubling my power for it, trouble is I don't have a grand to sort it
if I keep the car longer than a year I might consider it though Many thanks for all your help so far Matt!
irocfan - I plan to get on the third gen site at one point, will need to soon, so many questions to ask! i'm on POC-UK, but they're not too active! I do aim to enjoy though, thank you
Ukzziroc - Yeah I had to follow my dreams, it was now or never lol Glad to hear positive feedback on the LG4, glad you enjoyed yours! I hope I do the same
Steveo - shame the kitt conversion was rough around the edges! I'm not finding it super quick at the mo, but I need to get used to it first before I do upgrades, i'm not brave enough yet!
Camaro - sounds like you've had a good run of them, your current looks fab! I do like the Camaros, but the Firebirds have always been my favourite! Thanks to Knight Rider
i'm a 25 year old female so my premium wasn't too bad! As my NCBs are tied up in my other car, I went for 0 NCB on the Trans Am, came to 440 (cant do pound sign damn US keyboard!), so not too bad really!
Glad to hear you gained another convert
Ukzziroc - Yeah I had to follow my dreams, it was now or never lol Glad to hear positive feedback on the LG4, glad you enjoyed yours! I hope I do the same
Steveo - shame the kitt conversion was rough around the edges! I'm not finding it super quick at the mo, but I need to get used to it first before I do upgrades, i'm not brave enough yet!
Camaro - sounds like you've had a good run of them, your current looks fab! I do like the Camaros, but the Firebirds have always been my favourite! Thanks to Knight Rider
i'm a 25 year old female
so my premium wasn't too bad! As my NCBs are tied up in my other car, I went for 0 NCB on the Trans Am, came to 440 (cant do pound sign damn US keyboard!), so not too bad really!Glad to hear you gained another convert
Edited by CatfishCKY on Tuesday 11th June 22:25
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