I have a 1982 Trans Am 5.0 (Carb), it was my first car that I bought 10 years ago, drove for a few years and then it sat parked for the last 7 years in exchange for a more fuel efficient vehicle. I just had it towed from my Dad’s house to mine, and have spent the last few weeks getting it running again.
The main issue that is stumping me is electric. My headlights, headlight motors, parking lights, brake lights, turn signals, and hazards are all not working right now. The radio is not in the car, so I’m not sure if that is working. The only thing that does work are the backup lights, and the power windows work but are weak (I figure I will need to replace the motors).
Everything worked when the car was parked, so I’m not sure if there are common things that can happen to the electric system when it sits? I’ve gone through checking for chewed wiring and did not find anything, also checked the fuses and they all looked good. Any suggestions for what else I can check for?

 

I forgot to mention, the horn and all interior lights are also not working.

 

With that many things inoperative , the first check should be the fusible links at the starter ......

 

I was able to confirm it was one of the fusible links, thank you so much for your help. But there has to be an easier way to get to these things! I was able to pull the old one from the bottom because it had burned through, but I can’t figure out how to get in there enough to replace it. Any guidance would be appreciated!

 

Sorry I missed your reply the other day , and I'm happy you found the bad fusible link . Your right , they can be a real pain to try to access , especially if the car has headers .

 

I was able to get it replaced yesterday, so most things are back working as they should. I imagine the rest would just be bad bulbs. Thanks so much for your help! We’re getting closer to being back on the road!

 

Kind of begs the question, what happened in the 7 years that the car was sitting to cause the fusible link(s) to melt (open) in the first place?