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I've only recently become a "car guy" (in the sense I actually care about what I'm driving) and I've always wanted a 3rd gen Trans Am, I just love the way they look.
My choices for affordable decent cars near where I live are few and far between, but I managed to find what I think is a pretty good deal:
I also emailed the seller inquiring about the mileage and he sent this response:
"It is a five digit odometer that reads 36,000 so the car has 136,000. The person I bought it from said the engine and transmission were rebuilt. I know the transmission was rebuilt because it has a pretty solid shift kit in it. As far as the engine goes, it doesn't smoke or tick, starts instantly and runs smoothly. However, i'm always a skeptic. Over the years I've been told a lot of things about cars I've purchased. All i can say is it is a nice running and driving car.
I bought the car as a winter project and have replaced a lot of parts to make it a nice reliable vehicle. However, I have nine cars registered and on the road and just have too many cars to drive and enjoy."
Does anyone see any red flags here? It's one of the cleanest birds I've seen around here and the price seems good, just wanted to get some confirmation before I start attempting to sell my 4-banger and get the car I've always wanted. Thanks for everyone's time! I'm glad there actually exists a community for these awesome underrated cars!
Re: Looking to buy my first bird, need some advice
It looks decent. From the overspray on the hood latch and bolts, along with the wrong decals it's probably a repaint. #1 issue I see is it's a LG4/auto, aka it's slow, really slow. 16" wheels were available in 85, so the 15" wheels are a giveaway that it probably doesn't have the FE2/WS6 suspension, if that matters to you. I wouldn't bank on the engine or trans being rebuilt with that mileage. It's possible, but they certainly have and can go 140k miles without an overhaul.
Overall, if the wrong decals and the low output 305 don't bother you, it's a fair buy.
Re: Looking to buy my first bird, need some advice
Originally Posted by Drew
It looks decent. From the overspray on the hood latch and bolts, along with the wrong decals it's probably a repaint. #1 issue I see is it's a LG4/auto, aka it's slow, really slow. 16" wheels were available in 85, so the 15" wheels are a giveaway that it probably doesn't have the FE2/WS6 suspension, if that matters to you. I wouldn't bank on the engine or trans being rebuilt with that mileage. It's possible, but they certainly have and can go 140k miles without an overhaul.
Overall, if the wrong decals and the low output 305 don't bother you, it's a fair buy.
Thanks for the response! I did do a little research and figured it was probably the low end 305, but I figured that an engine upgrade would be easier/cheaper than having to deal with paint/interior in shoddy condition or a bunch of body rust to deal with. My primary concern in buying a new car right now is getting one that has been taken care of, and this is literally the only one I've found remotely near me that isn't beat to death, lol.
Re: Looking to buy my first bird, need some advice
Looks pretty nice to me. I like the red interior, but many will not. That should help your price negotiation a little bit.
Probably be good to run a Carfax AND have it put on a lift and checked out by a mechanic. Negotiate price w/ seller "subject to inspection" so yous don't waste each others time.
Re: Looking to buy my first bird, need some advice
Personally, I'd keep looking because I'm a fan of the TPI and WS6 suspension and bigger wheels - they do make a big difference in handling. Others will come along in that price range. If is super clean, that is another story, but sounds like its been repainted and has fairly high miles. Give you time to save more money
Re: Looking to buy my first bird, need some advice
Definitely some good points, and I must admit the more I drive my current car the more I want to drive a ride I really love...I guess I'm just worried these 3rd gen birds are getting harder and harder to find in good shape and affordable.
Re: Looking to buy my first bird, need some advice
looks like it was taken care of fairly well but it is just your average thirdgen. Not sure how long youve been looking but I'd personally see if anything else pops up in a couple of months.
Re: Looking to buy my first bird, need some advice
Also, you mentioned wrong decals...what exactly should the decals be? Personally I don't care as long as it looks good and fits the vehicle and is a quality job...is there any way to tell if the repaint is a quality job that will last?
Re: Looking to buy my first bird, need some advice
Originally Posted by turboguard
Also, you mentioned wrong decals...what exactly should the decals be?
The "TRANS AM" on the fenders are too damn big. Same with the flaming turkeys behind the windows. The round emblems below the turkeys look to be centercap emblems. The fade stripe around the GFX doesn't look right, and the hood bird... The big hood bird was an option for a few years (85-87? IIRC) but it's not terribly common. There used to be a guy on Ebay selling vinyl "decal" sets with the hood bird, and oversized decals in general. It just looks "off" if you compare it to a correct car. Easy enough to fix, at least in theory.
Re: Looking to buy my first bird, need some advice
Originally Posted by Drew
The "TRANS AM" on the fenders are too damn big. Same with the flaming turkeys behind the windows. The round emblems below the turkeys look to be centercap emblems. The fade stripe around the GFX doesn't look right, and the hood bird... The big hood bird was an option for a few years (85-87? IIRC) but it's not terribly common. There used to be a guy on Ebay selling vinyl "decal" sets with the hood bird, and oversized decals in general. It just looks "off" if you compare it to a correct car. Easy enough to fix, at least in theory.
So would I be shunned by the community for riding around in a bird with incorrect decals? Personally I think the car looks pretty good as far as the outside goes lol
Re: Looking to buy my first bird, need some advice
Originally Posted by turboguard
So would I be shunned by the community for riding around in a bird with incorrect decals? Personally I think the car looks pretty good as far as the outside goes lol
Definitely not shunned, it's just the more knowledgable people will be able to tell it was repainted and rebadged. It's really not that big of a deal, I would remove the round centercap styled decals on the c pillars only since that looks obviously wrong and drive it with no worries
Re: Looking to buy my first bird, need some advice
Originally Posted by turboguard
So would I be shunned by the community for riding around in a bird with incorrect decals? Personally I think the car looks pretty good as far as the outside goes lol
IDK, "shunned" might be a little harsh. We just might suggest little work with a hair dryer, some adhesive remover, and a new decal set from Phoenix Graphix is all.
Re: Looking to buy my first bird, need some advice
The car really looks nice. The good thing about the LG4 is it is kind of hard to abuse. You can do it, but the engine is so under powered by today's standards you would probably lose to a 2002 Buick Lesabre with the 3.8L in a race. IF you are a project completer and you can follow through, it would make a nice car to put an LS motor in, or something with a little more power. The car appears clean, The interior appears clean in the pictures so it does not appear to be abused, or left outside.
It does appear to have been repainted, the sticker might be a little big on the fenders, but there should also be stickers on the front bumper and the rear bumper. The Bird Stickers on the sail panels are definitely wrong. But that can all be changed easily enough.
It might make a nice driver back and forth to work for the price.
Re: Looking to buy my first bird, need some advice
One good thing about the Lg4 is you can put a mild built 350 in it and it will run pretty good on the stock quadrajet and the calibration it is set on. I used to see a lot of guys drop in the old Goodwrench 350 and go with it plug and play.
Re: Looking to buy my first bird, need some advice
If you look there are a lot of things you can do with the LG4 for decent performance that you would have a hard time doing with a TPI. Like dmccain said, upgrading to a 350 is a lot easier, putting bigger cams, and better heads is a lot easier and you do not need to reprogram your engine PROM. Granted with TPI you get a cool spider sitting on your engine and you get a little better fuel economy, but there are pluses and minuses to both. Going from an LG4 to an LS1 is a bit more tricky than going from a TPI to an LS1 If I understand it right.
Re: Looking to buy my first bird, need some advice
Yeah, right now I really just want to get a hold of a reliable trans am that looks good and sounds good for a good price. I do realize it's not gonna be the fastest thing on four wheels, but I just want a daily driver...I don't plan on doing any racing or showboating in it. I want a car I can feel good about driving to work...and this 2010 Kia Rio just isn't doing it for me, lol.
I've also definitely considered upgrading the engine down the road if I really do feel like I need more power behind the wheel. I'm probably gonna jump on it pretty soon once I get my finances a bit more stable.
Re: Looking to buy my first bird, need some advice
Just be patient, do not just jump into the first car you see, unless it is that special case of too hard to pass up. Become familiar with the cars, even start looking at rusted ones when you see them to see where they do rust so you are more able to spot where someone may have repaired rust. There are a lot of crappy cars for a great price out there so do not be loured into something you may not really want..
Re: Looking to buy my first bird, need some advice
Well, I have to tell you that I looked around for nearly two years before I found mine. The paint is dead and flaking (original), but it is in the color I desired(water blue). It is just a plain jane 1985 T/A with the carbureted LG4 and an automatic. Believe everything you've heard about stock LG4 motors. They are not fast but they do get pretty decent fuel economy. I typically get 21-22 mpg on my 46 mile round trip to work. That is amazing in my opinion for a car of that age. I never race anybody because that's not what I bought the car for. Just like you, I have always liked the looks of the Thirdgen Firebirds. I wasn't able to buy one when they were new. It took me thirty years of waiting to find what I wanted. Yes, the kids are grown and out of the house and the Mrs. finally relented to my whining. I get the biggest grin on my face when I drive that car. Because mine is not a TPI car, it still has the cable operated speedometer. And because I don't do much speeding, I see no reason to change the 85mph speedo. It is a great conversation starter!
Re: Looking to buy my first bird, need some advice
Welcome to TGO , turboguard . If YOU like the car and YOU can afford it , get it . You can always do what you want as you go and enjoy the car . Happy driving .
Re: Looking to buy my first bird, need some advice
Originally Posted by gearhead141
Well, I have to tell you that I looked around for nearly two years before I found mine. The paint is dead and flaking (original), but it is in the color I desired(water blue). It is just a plain jane 1985 T/A with the carbureted LG4 and an automatic. Believe everything you've heard about stock LG4 motors. They are not fast but they do get pretty decent fuel economy. I typically get 21-22 mpg on my 46 mile round trip to work. That is amazing in my opinion for a car of that age. I never race anybody because that's not what I bought the car for. Just like you, I have always liked the looks of the Thirdgen Firebirds. I wasn't able to buy one when they were new. It took me thirty years of waiting to find what I wanted. Yes, the kids are grown and out of the house and the Mrs. finally relented to my whining. I get the biggest grin on my face when I drive that car. Because mine is not a TPI car, it still has the cable operated speedometer. And because I don't do much speeding, I see no reason to change the 85mph speedo. It is a great conversation starter!
Good luck in your search.
1) You can do quite a bit to the LG4 to wake it up, Cam, Heads, intake might make it too tall for the hood tho, so it has to be a low profile. Get a good set of 96-98 Vortec Heads and I bet it would really wake it up.
2) I got 26mpg I calculated in my 1989 Formula 350 from Asheville TN to Flint, MI. Top up. 70mph all the way.
3) All 1985's got the cable speedo, the Electronic Speed was introduced in 1986 on all Firebirds with the gages, and the Camaro in 1990. The Cable Driven Speedo was also used with the "Idiot" lights on the Base Firebird ( I do not know what year they stopped using the indicator lights 87-89 somewhere).
Re: Looking to buy my first bird, need some advice
I'm driving up to see and most likely buy the car this coming Tuesday. I'm really excited to see it in person (I don't think I've seen a third gen in person in years). While I'm confident the seller has the car all fixed up and clean, what things should I check out on the car when I get there to make sure its good to drive 2-1/2 hours home?
Re: Looking to buy my first bird, need some advice
Things to check before a long drive home:
1. Make sure all the lights and turn signals work. You don't want to get rear ended.
2. Make sure there is an air deflector under the nose of the car to divert air to the radiator. If it isn't there, the coolant temp will be in the 210F region. Normal temp should be around 190 which is just past the first "tick" on the gauge.
3. Make sure the tires will make the trip. Cracking and checking on the sidewalls is not a good indicator.
4. The heater core is hopefully in good condition. If not, the hose will need to be disconnected and routed back to the engine. You don't want coolant inside the car.
5. Most importantly! If you do not feel comfortable about doing maintenance on the fly to get this car home, then have somebody with you who is knowledgeable around automobiles. Preferably somebody who has a Firebird and knows the ins and outs.
On a side note, I can tell you that when I picked my car up, the tires were old and cracked and I was worried about driving on the freeway. I did it anyway, and luckily made it home. I could kick myself because I never checked the spare. There wasn't one!
Re: Looking to buy my first bird, need some advice
brakes, fluids, tires, hoses, belts, battery, alternator. As long as all those hold you should make it home. Take it for a spin, let it warm up to operating temp before buying, let it idle in place after warming up and see if it can hack it w/o overheating and blowing a hose. Shut it down and look under hood and listen. also look where car has been parked for evidence of leaks. look for evidence of leaks before starting the first time so its cool and easy to move around. In order to get to some areas under the car, you're going to need a jack they sit low. good luck!
Re: Looking to buy my first bird, need some advice
So I bit the bullet and bought the car. The outside could definitely use some work, but it looks really good in person. Lots of new gaskets but could use a few replaced on the doors. Absolutely no rust, I made extra sure I checked every wheel well and door jam...it even has factory original glue/sealant stuff from what I can tell. It rained on the way home and the T-Tops held firm. The louvers are factory aluminum in great shape.
The interior is in amazing condition, everything seems to work well except the power door locks can't lock the doors (if I mash it a bunch of times they eventually lock all the way). The windshield washer is shot, which is apparently a common problem. The only real concerning thing is the seatbelts are really slack...the drivers side will retract if you pull it all the way out but the passenger's side is completely shot and won't retract...I should be able to see whats wrong and fix them myself according to some tutorials I found.
It handles amazingly, drives straight as an arrow and corners wonderfully. It definitely has a shift kit in it because it shifts HARD to 2nd and I can squeak the tires if I get it just right. The owner assumes the transmission was rebuilt because of the shift kit but apparently just having a shift kit wouldn't necessarily mean that...all I can say is that it shifts great at all speeds and gears and never hesitates, and the fluid is bright pink.
Now on to the more worrying things...
The first issue I noticed was after my test drive, the gas gauge was a little below half, and during my trip home I had a little trouble starting it and keeping it from stalling. One time when I revved up during traffic and let it back down to idle it stalled out. A couple of times if I held the throttle at certain degrees it would lurch foward like the engine was struggling. On the highway its smooth as butter.
Now the biggest issue, is when I went to fill up the gas tank I couldn't pump for more than a few seconds before the auto shut off kicked in. I researched the causes and fixes for this, but at the time I had no clue about it, so I just kept forcing the gas in until it started overflowing and spat out a bunch of gas from the tank. After that fill up it seemed to start a little better than last time. Also of note a huge amount of pressure was behind the cap when I removed it initially.
So far after I've gotten it home I haven't had any stalling problems while driving...I still have to pump a couple of times from a cold start but I hear that's normal for these engines. This morning for whatever reason from a cold start the engine idled at 1500 rpm until I revved the engine, after which it dropped to the normal 500 range (not sure what that was all about). I also went to fill up the tank again today from a little under half on the guage...there was no pressure behind the cap and the pump let me fill normally...did it somehow fix itself!? One important thing to note is that the car had a brand new gas tank installed the weekend before I picked it up...would that have anything to do with it?
The only other major concern I have is the AIR (smog) system was removed. I don't know if it was removed properly or whatever, but my check engine light is always on (the owner noted this beforehand). I'll post some high res pictures when I get time and maybe you all can help me figure out if everything is good inside the engine bay.
Also, he gave me a pack of exhaust manifold gaskets and said something about might needed them replaced...I don't know if I'm comfortable with wrenching the car on jacks yet, but is that something that is very hard to do? I've been a computer hardware guy all my life and just now getting into cars so I know the mechanical knowledge in general will carry over well, but cars are a different beast altogether lol.
Re: Looking to buy my first bird, need some advice
Pumping the Fuel twice is how you are supposed to start a 4BBL, we have become so accustomed to the turn the key and have it start up that many people have forgotten that. 1990 was the last year for a Carb on a GM car or Truck, that was (26 YEARS ago) Makes me feel old...
Re: Looking to buy my first bird, need some advice
Congrats on the purchase! Sounds like your problems are not bad at all and most of all, "common" I'll give ya some tips.
1. Door locks issue. The solenoids and mechanism is gummed up with dry grease and are sticky. Remove the door panels and clean, clean, clean, and degrease EVERYTHING associated with all the moving hardware in there. Once complted, lube with some light oil and cycle them. You'll be surprised!
2. On the gas tank pressure/vacuum issue........Join the crowd!! This has been an issue on ongoing for years. Ther're are MANY threads referring to excessive pressure/vacuum/stalling/and fuel smell. Just search for a topic with "Excessive Tank Pressure", you'll find months of reading. What you can do in the meantime is get under the car by the rear drivers side axle and you will see a little rouund UFO shaped disc connected to a hose. It's a little vent valve coming from the tank. You can remove that and take it apart GENTLY (30YEARS OLD) and clean it and install it. That may help.
Also check all the lines running to your EVAP canister; it takes care of fumes and burns them off, part of the EVAP Solenoid activates that.
3. Get a good Shop Manual from Fleabay, ther're pretty cheap and it's your friend!!
Re: Looking to buy my first bird, need some advice
Post some pics and the price you paid, the original posting was down and I'm interested to see! If your bitten by the bug, prepare for a long journey! I got my first bird 14 years ago for my 16th birthday present. It was a '91 and I have taken a liking to them ever since. In that amount of time I have owned 6 birds (still have four of them, in great running shape!) and 4 camaros (I keep telling myself I will like them, but always end up getting rid of them!) Having said that, my only advice would be to pay a little bit more money for a nicer car to start with.
As far as the stalling id start with the easy stuff and check that fuel filter!
Re: Looking to buy my first bird, need some advice
I really enjoy my '85 T/A. Being a totally stock specimen, it is not a street fighter. I'm pretty sure there are many cars out there of younger vintage that can blow the doors off my car. What I do like about it is the freeway cruising. It is just a comfortable car to take on a long trip. I was a bit concerned that the power windows moved slowly, but I found out through this board it is normal. The E4ME carburetor is pretty darn good, and when working properly will give much better performance than any other carb for everyday driving. The intake manifold is an aluminum piece and designed as low as possible for air cleaner to hood clearance. I don't feel there is any good reason to replace it. Perhaps a dual snorkel air cleaner to get more air if that is what you're after. The exhaust is what really needs work; it is very restrictive. Having said all that, I really just like it the way it came off the showroom floor. A car has to do many things for you, and often we do things to it to satisfy specific wants, but in the end, the car has to make you happy. Otherwise you lose interest and move on to something else.
So, as another forum member said to me, "drive it and enjoy it." Which has been sage advice!
Re: Looking to buy my first bird, need some advice
Most of the problems you mention are par for the course. There's a TSB about the seat belts not retracting. I wouldn't imagine that any dealer would be willing to pull the paper work, or perform any kind of recall at this point, but with a little googling you should be able to find the service bulletin and perform the fix. Or just get a set of belts from a later thirdgen - like 89-92.
The washer pump is in the bottom of the wiper motor in the mid-80's cars. There's a little metal clip, then the pump just pulls straight down. A new one is about $20.
The locks... Got two cars here with that problem, I'll get to it eventually - but I can tell you right now the early cars have a really flaky power lock relay. It's a metal box behind the driver's side kick panel. It might be covered by insulation. Anyway, the relay grounds through it's mounting tab. Make sure it's clean, and the screw is tight. If cleaning all the locking mechs doesn't help, I'd personally be looking for the plastic relay module from a later thirdgen. It's not a direct wire for wire swap, but not too difficult.
If it were a TPI car, I'd say the stalling at idle issue could be a dirty or faulty idle air control valve, being a CCC 4bbl it doesn't have an IAC, but I want to say they have some electronics that effect idle. Also a malfunctioning torque converter clutch can cause stalling at idle, but when I've had that happen it's also popped fuses, etc.
Anyway, it sounds like you're hooked. Now you just need to fill in all the info in your profile so we all know what you're driving.
Re: Looking to buy my first bird, need some advice
Thanks for all the replies, I'm really loving this community so far.
It decided to rain so I have to hold of on pictures. So I've discovered if I go wide open on the throttle, 1st into 2nd is fine, but 2nd into 3rd it kind of hesitates and loses power, but only if I'm trying to go wide open. I'm going to replace the fuel filter and run some seafoam through it this weekend and see how that affects it. I also plan on cleaning out that little ufo vent on the gas tank and checking my charcoal canister airflow in hopes of fixing the few quirks the engine presents.
Also I've noticed that there is a distinct ticking sound that seems like its coming from directly behind/under the steering column when going around 20-30 mph...coincidentally my speedometer is also VERY jittery up until about 40, so I'm hoping the two are related and can be easily fixed.
Re: Looking to buy my first bird, need some advice
That ticking sound could be the speedometer cable. Which would explain why the speedo is erratic until you reach a higher speed. On our cars, there is a cable that connects to the transmission and runs up to the speedometer head. You can find posts on lubricating it here on the forum. In the cluster, there is a pulse generator that creates the signal for the cruise control. I believe that 1985 was the last year for cable driven clusters.
Re: Looking to buy my first bird, need some advice
So I just did my first ever "engine maintenance" routine myself...of changing the fuel filter. I had to do the old "pipe over a wrench for more torque" trick because that sucker was on there TIGHT. Whoever put it on also used some of that plumbing tape on there. The old filter was fairly dark orange/brownish in color color. I popped in a new WIX filter and tightened everything back up properly, started her up, making sure to watch for leaks.
I must say...it's NEVER started and held idle so well from a cold start! It sounded so much better! it also drives a lot better when I go full throttle. I never thought changing something so simple could have so much of an impact! I also poured a quart of sea foam in the tank to help clean out any leftover gunk.
I think I'm definitely becoming addicted...I think I missed my calling earlier in life. If only my choices would have been different...I could see myself working along side the guys on Bitchin' Rides or Overhaulin'. Now all I need are some new headers and exhaust, a new suspension system, a new carburetor...welp there goes my future paychecks
Re: Looking to buy my first bird, need some advice
So I went under my car for the fist time today so I could get to the little ufo-looking thing that attaches to the gas tank and clean it. When I took it off, I heard a nice woosh of air from the hose. I cleaned it out really good and stuck it back on...then I went to fill up but the pump was still giving me trouble filling up! So I don't know what to do at this point.
I also discovered the "to carb" hose from the charcoal canister was connected to...nothing. I assume the entire emissions system has been nixed...I assume that's why my check engine light refuses to go off...not sure how to fix that.
I also noticed something very disturbing while I was under there...a bolt that attaches to the component that the drive shaft connects into towards the front of the car was really loose--like an inch away from being flush!! I snugged it down good, but...that started making me worry what other half-assed repairs or modifications have been done to the car...
Oh I also forgot to mention my exhaust system apparently has either no catalytic converter or I'm just not seeing it... I assume it should be under the car somewhere along the exhaust piping?
Last edited by turboguard; 07-17-2016 at 11:17 PM.
Re: Looking to buy my first bird, need some advice
First things first, pull your codes. It's nothing fancy, just bend a piece of wire into a U shape, and push it into terminals A & B of the service port under the steering column, it's just to the right of the column before you get to the radio. Turn the key to the run position (not start, run) and watch the Check Engine light. It'll start flashing any stored codes. It'll blink once, then twice, once then twice, and again a third time. That's code 12, that tells you the computer is in diagnostic mode. After code 12 flashes three times, it'll start flashing any trouble codes. With the codes, you can refer to the GM service manual to find out what's wrong.
Second, get on Ebay and get yourself a GM/Helm service manual for your exact year/make/model car. If you spend more than about $40 for a used manual, you're doing it wrong. Expect to pay $20-40 tops. That will get you a huge education.
Cat should be under the passenger's side floor, right under the bump the seat is bolted onto.
Re: Looking to buy my first bird, need some advice
Originally Posted by Drew
First things first, pull your codes. It's nothing fancy, just bend a piece of wire into a U shape, and push it into terminals A & B of the service port under the steering column, it's just to the right of the column before you get to the radio. Turn the key to the run position (not start, run) and watch the Check Engine light. It'll start flashing any stored codes. It'll blink once, then twice, once then twice, and again a third time. That's code 12, that tells you the computer is in diagnostic mode. After code 12 flashes three times, it'll start flashing any trouble codes. With the codes, you can refer to the GM service manual to find out what's wrong.
Second, get on Ebay and get yourself a GM/Helm service manual for your exact year/make/model car. If you spend more than about $40 for a used manual, you're doing it wrong. Expect to pay $20-40 tops. That will get you a huge education.
Cat should be under the passenger's side floor, right under the bump the seat is bolted onto.
Oh, and my cat has definitely been removed. I've noticed after a cold start and the first several minutes of driving my check engine light is off, but eventually comes back on.
Re: Looking to buy my first bird, need some advice
Originally Posted by Bob88GTA
Thats the book...grab it.
Did you pull the cobes yet. It may be the O2 sensor code with your CEL
Alright, I jumped on that book since it was the cheapest one in pretty good condition.
I'm at work till Wednesday so I haven't had a chance to grab the codes, but this car is still giving me some worrying problems. When I went for lunch today AND it was harder to start again and started stalling at idle. It also had bad hesitation-lurching problems when accelerating. I also want to mention the stalling and hesitation were worse after warming up, and it is pretty hot today (in the 90s).
This is starting to get depressing, I thought at least I had bought a car with a sound engine, free of major problems, but its starting to feel like I bought a real lemon...
Re: Looking to buy my first bird, need some advice
OK.......On the 16th, you posted this: "I also poured a quart of sea foam in the tank to help clean out any leftover gunk."
You just loosened 30 years worth of crap in your tank and fuel system. Have you filled up since? AND....you may need to change that fuel filter.....AGAIN.
Me personally..not a big fan of seafoam. Unless I want to pizz off the neighbors and put on a smoke show!!
Re: Looking to buy my first bird, need some advice
Originally Posted by Bob88GTA
OK.......On the 16th, you posted this: "I also poured a quart of sea foam in the tank to help clean out any leftover gunk."
You just loosened 30 years worth of crap in your tank and fuel system. Have you filled up since? AND....you may need to change that fuel filter.....AGAIN.
Me personally..not a big fan of seafoam. Unless I want to pizz off the neighbors and put on a smoke show!!
There is actually a brand new gas tank in it so there shouldn't have been too much gunk flowing into the new filter. I'm starting to think whoever installed the new tank flubbed up the job with all these issues I'm having.
Alright alright, I'll try to take some pictures after work in the parking lot!
Re: Looking to buy my first bird, need some advice
Originally Posted by turboguard
This is starting to get depressing, I thought at least I had bought a car with a sound engine, free of major problems, but its starting to feel like I bought a real lemon...
Don't sweat it. It's an old car, and there's a good chance previous owners have lived with, or adapted work around solutions for problems that weren't too serious. You'll be on a learning curve for awhile, it'll take awhile to figure out the car's personality and adapt to what it wants and it's potentially temperamental nature. Stick to it and eventually you'll work through the issues and it'll reward you. That said, something that's not too obvious on the surface is that a vast majority of the users on this forum, probably don't drive their thirdgens daily. It's not so much that they can't, but as far as practicality as a commuter car, they're kind of a pain. Just relax, consider having a reliable daily beater to get around in addition to the somewhat troublesome weekend cruiser. Rome wasn't built in a day.
Re: Looking to buy my first bird, need some advice
I re read the whole post and although you mention a new gas tank, did the PO reuse the old fuel pump? I would hope not, but you did say they may have screwed up the install.
Did you notice any of these problems when test driving it?
Re: Looking to buy my first bird, need some advice
I also made a video of the carb intake...like I said, I don't know much about it at this point but this just doesn't seem like its working right to me...
06-22-2016, 11:02 PM
Personally I think the car looks pretty good as far as the outside goes lol 
