I'm new to the RWD and new to the V8, so I'm wondering what are the best parts to buy when doing a tune-up on these cars? My car is a 1983 Trans Am with an LG4 and a T-5 manual trans. The car has been sitting in a garage for a few years and I'm not sure when the last owner did anything to it. I want to get the best performance and fuel economy out of this car. Where do I start?
five7kid
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May 4, 2026
Most likely the gas is rotten. If there isn't much in the tank, you might be able to dilute it with a full tank of fresh gasoline. It would be better to siphon it out, though.
Plan on at least a fuel and air filter change. The carb may need to be disassembled, cleaned, and a fresh rebuild kit installed.
Spark plugs don't need to be anything special. AC, Champion, Autolite, any major brand. Don't need the fancy stuff, either, just good old copper plugs will be fine.
Plan on replacing the distributor cap and coil. Avoid caps with aluminum terminals, copper much better. Spark plug wires should be okay, but a fresh set wouldn't hurt.
Plan on at least a fuel and air filter change. The carb may need to be disassembled, cleaned, and a fresh rebuild kit installed.
Spark plugs don't need to be anything special. AC, Champion, Autolite, any major brand. Don't need the fancy stuff, either, just good old copper plugs will be fine.
Plan on replacing the distributor cap and coil. Avoid caps with aluminum terminals, copper much better. Spark plug wires should be okay, but a fresh set wouldn't hurt.
Supreme Member
All fluids and filters, plus your basic ignition tune-up parts (plugs, wires, cap, rotor). Agreed wit draining what's left of the old gas and starting with fresh. Do this BEFORE YOU ATTEMPT TO START IT THE FIRST TIME, not after when you've pumped a bunch of bad gas into the carb/engine.
The carb might need a rebuild from rotten gas sitting in it and drying out, but QJets are surprisingly resilient when it comes to that kinda treatment, in my experience. Fresh gas and it might clean itself out enough in a few minutes of running to be OK for driving around. Rebuilding the carb is not the FIRST thing I would do to get it running. A fresh fuel filter (in the inlet at the front of the carb) I would definitely do, though.
Inspect all rubber parts for signs of deterioration. Belts, hoses, etc. Don't forget the brake lines! No fun getting it running just to find out you can get it stopped! Safety first, fun second.
The carb might need a rebuild from rotten gas sitting in it and drying out, but QJets are surprisingly resilient when it comes to that kinda treatment, in my experience. Fresh gas and it might clean itself out enough in a few minutes of running to be OK for driving around. Rebuilding the carb is not the FIRST thing I would do to get it running. A fresh fuel filter (in the inlet at the front of the carb) I would definitely do, though.
Inspect all rubber parts for signs of deterioration. Belts, hoses, etc. Don't forget the brake lines! No fun getting it running just to find out you can get it stopped! Safety first, fun second.
Supreme Member
BERRYMANS fuel cleaner will help out along with some new fuel. full tank. i know siloo use to make an additive that had alcohol in it to remove water from gas.