Highly un-original intro, but hello all anyway.
I,m in posession of a scruffy but complete 1983 Trans-Am, tho i,m sure of the cars age, the engine appears to be much earlier.
The car is an 83 , but the engines looking like a 79, hard to tell exactly atm, but instead of the 4 barrel carb there's what appears to be a twin choke GM variajet.
Not an option anywhere i looked!!
The car runs fairly well, but the carburettor looks pretty dodgy, and tickover is horrendous plus the choke is disconnected, so long warm up times, plus its very over-rich while running.
The Cat and most of the emission gear has been junked.
Transmission is an overdrive auto box, which seems ok, and has at some time been overhauled.
It needs a fair amount of work which wont get done in a week, tho i did get all the parts catalogues and original bill of sale, plus quite a few receipts.
If i got the engine number [which i eventually found] anyone know how to identify it from that?
I dont care if its not the right one, it seems oil tight and quiet [as far as they can be] its just i might need spares and atm, i cant order diddly.
Ive more than a few questions, but finding out what lump someone has fitted is my main priority.
Thanks for any help or advice!!

 

HI R1 and welcome.

I've got a similar car (see pics in my other posts). I haven't actually looked for the engine nos. on mine yet, but the engine itself is painted in a pale (faded?) reddish-orange colour. Of course, the enigne no. in the log book matches the VIN no.

She's got a holley 4 barrel and a 3-speed tranny.

Mark

 

welcome mate

 

Hello to both of you.

Ive since found out from the build numbers on the back by the dizzy its a 1980-84 so it might be the original motor, but with the wrong carb\manifold.
Ive since ordered an Edelbrock 500cfm carb and manifold with manual choke, as i need to be able to drive it at low speeds.
I will be checking out all the pictures, fortunately i'm a mechanic, plus i can weld etc, which cant hurt too much.
Well it was either this or get an MGB like everyone else, but its what i always wanted for better or worse.

 

FWIW, the Holley on Morticia's engine (for that's her name, sad aren't I?) is a 600 cfm one. There is a manual choke, but I've never had to use it yet Even after I found out the mixture screws were two turns out and put them back to one turn out for now...
(between 1/2 a turn and 1&3/4 turns out ball park settings, courtesy Mr. Whittle of American & Speciality Auto Parts)

Glad to hear you can weld! A friend of mine has just plated up the spare wheel well on my car, check that area on yours.

Cheers,
Mark.

 

Welcome!!!

Ben

 

The wheel well is pretty solid, theres a few rough edges which are going to get sorted, so its out with the mig soon.
Wisbech [where i ordered the carb from] said the 500cfm would be enough, and might increase the mpg. Probably about 1 mile per gallon more

Also, previous idiot has the left hand bank breather just going into the engine bay, so that with the petrol fumes give you an A grade headache.
Its nice to know new spares are available at not too horrendous prices.
Just got to junk the cruise control, as its been partially disconnected, and remove whats left of the emission gear.
Then its going to be new rear lower arms, shocks and springs.
Plus i think theres a half-shaft bearing that sounds dodgy.

 

My left hand rocker cover vents to the engine bay too. I think we both need PCV (positive crankcase ventilation) valves!

The halfshaft bearings run directly on the shaft, not an inner ring as it were. Hopefully the halfshaft hasn't been worn by the bearing. If not then replacement ones are quite cheap. I got a pair and their seals for £33 all in courtesy of American and Speciality Auto Parts at Farnworth (only 40 mins away from me). Fred mentioned to me that a repair bearing may be available which does have an inner ring.
I've not fitted mine yet - the driveline vibration was caused by a shagged rear u/j and the propshaft being mounted the wrong way in the rear yoke. Half a turn later, practically turbine-smooth now. I still need to fit the new bearings though!

Halfshafts probably held in via C-clip in the middle of the differential depending upon axle, so you may need a new gasket.

Enjoy!
Mark.

 

Thats good to know.
It sounds like something catching on the brakeplate, but i reckon its a bit noisy to be just that.
Its just really annoying, but its at the top of the list with the carb.
I,m going to be putting some hose on that breather and then putting an adaptor on the air filter so that the waste fumes get recycled back into the engine as they should.
Had some bloke trying to buy it yesterday, i told him to comeback after i had spent a fortune on it.

 

O.K. I'll admit that I'm a bit awed.

After all the tragic and despicable events of yesterday, you Brits just continue, plodding on. You people really do know how to shove it right back in the faces of those who would try to change your way of life.

Give little regard to any negativity spewed from the liberal media reporting and naysayers in the U.S. That is not the majority opinion (merely the ignorant one).

If not collectively, I can at least speak for myself and several million others in our commendations for your bravery and will. Apparently, that stiff upper lip has seldom been stiffer.

To those who lost their lives, we offer our prayers.

To their families, and their friends, we offer our sincerest sympathy.

To those who are recovering, we give our prayers and best wishes.

To all who would carry out these acts, we pledge to stand behind, beside, and shoulder to shoulder with our freinds and brothers in our efforts to find and remove you who would infect the earth in this manner.

If any of the perpetrators deserved pity, they would get pity, if only for what will likely happen to them once they are found. Too bad for them that they deserve no pity. If anything is left once they taste British justice, send them our way. We still owe them a little American justice. Good hunting.

 

Its true, we do just tend to plod on, believe me if we could dish out retribution to those involved we would.
I sat here watching 9\11 on tv thinking i was actually watching a stunt gone wrong, or some fake film footage, but alas it was all to real.
I thought after that people would never fly to the US again, but they did, and continue to do so.
If you alter your behaviour or the way you live, then they win.
You can still take more care tho, and be vigilant, if only for the sake of others, all you can do is hope those that are in hospital recover, and those who's relatives died manage to carry on as best they can, tho its unlikely they ever will fully.
And that those who think they can get away with it never ever rest in peace.

And thanks for the kind words, they dont go un-appreciated.

 

Aye,
Thanks, Vader

 

Thanks Vader- it's a sentiment I shared after 9/11. Brothers in Arms.

 

Just a quick in, I was wondering if anyone might like to help me in my thoughts of moving from the US to the UK for a few years.. Like any tips, or helpful information would be great.. can use all the help i can get lol

 

The way things are here, i wouldnt move here.


Anything you need to know just ask.

 

Try not to speak a word of English, apart from "claim asylum". That way you can get a free house, car, furnishings etc. all the forms get filled in for you
I really shouldn't be so cynical...

If you're thinking of buying a place to live as opposed to renting then you'll have the council tax to contend with as well as normal utilities bills. Council tax amounts depend on the value/type of property (and indeed which local council you're under!) Usually payable by 10 monthly instalments. We've got VAT over here (value added tax) a bit like sales tax.

Regarding vehicles, we drive on the left as you know and have roundabouts to cope with at intersections. Say you buy a car, you need to pay road tax every year (road fund licence). The car's number plates are assigned to that partcular vehicle, unless you buy a "personal registration" you can't just make one up very easily and buy tags.

Be prepared to save your money long and hard to afford the extortionate fuel prices we have over here - around £0.90 Sterling PER LITRE!!

Our regular Police are not armed, but you'd better listen to the Armed Response units (they have the toys!).

Anything else, just ask

Mark.

 

well i was not looking to make a move there forever lol. I was thinking on a medium term basis of 3 to 5 years. and what i would need in order to make the move.. Like how much i need to just get into the country to do that, and all the niceness of trying to find a job (as i understand i could not get a job unless i had a visa for it, but i can not persoanlly get a visa, the hiring job has to fill out the paperwork for it and submit it in my behalf or some such) It is alot of red tape in there too.. but i would like to know what all is doing what, and what i need to make it happen. I figure once i can get there for a year, and have a job, i should be ok after that. I do not plan on buying a car. for several reasons. so i would not have to worry about that.. We need better organized sites for this stuff... Or better yet lets make everyone equal in everything shall we? No more visa crap, no more huge sums of money in order to go places and such... Becuase lets face it. the only ones it effects are the legit people anyhow... Just make the whole world free for people to move about as long as they have a valid passport how hard is that... like it would matter at that point who is where for what... because i am sure the shift would be intersting to see, and the more people who can work legitly, the more taxes the government can make anyhow... not to mention a few other nice side effects from it...

 

oh yea.. I would love to try to walk over there.. but i am affriad the guy at the airport would look at me funny and deny entry if i tried to just walk in after i bought a plane ticket

 

My apologies in the continued hijacking of the thread, but there are a few more random thoughts bouncing about the old cranium:

You have a right to be a bit cynical.

First, more awe. Not at the Brits, but the immigrants there. Are they blind? Britain does what it believes is the right thing to do to promote global security, and sacrifices its own to free a society from a dictatorship of oppression and terror. As a result, the "thanks" it gets is to take one on the chin from terrorists. Then, it just as quickly turns around and bails out a former bitter enemy, the Russians.

Excellent work on the submarine recovery, men! That's showing them how to get it done. I certainly hope they remember that. You can bet that the familes of the trapped sailors and sailors themselves will remember that gesture. (Nice thumb in the eye to the Russian Navy, too.) I can only imagine the discussion at HM Naval Service: "Tell them to get the hell out of the way so we can get this done..."

Here, that's called "real estate" or "property" tax. (You taught us well.) I pay about $4,800 annually for the privilege of owning my house and lot where I do. There is also a "sales tax", which has actually been slowly turned into a "purchase tax". It is now imposed on even USED items, and many services. Yes, some items are taxed on initial sale, then again on subsequent sales. Seems that there was a bit of disagreement and a falling out over something like that a couple centuries ago. Some of us here forgot that.

The eastern U.S. and some areas of the south have the same thing, but call them "rotaries". There is generally a useless piece of statuary or pottery in the center of the intersection, just because.

And in the U.S., many people drive on either side (or both), typically on a whim, at no particular time, usually without any prior indication or warning.

Not unlike the annual license plate fees here. Then there is a registration fee, inspections, local parking taxes/stickers, tolls, road use taxes for trucks (err, lorries), and wahtever else a governmental agency can dream up to generate revenue. Personalized and 'vanity" plates cost even more.

We're catching up, but you have us in that one. That really must bite. It's only about $2.50/gallon so far. Uhh, did I say "only?" Slap me, will you?

That's why I keep and carry my own. No need to disturb and wait for the police. They're already busy assuring the security of doughnut stores and crushing the serious security risks posed by those who would dare assault the public by driving at more than 2 MPH above posted limits.

 

Yea, not to mention that you have just as good a chance of being shot by a cop here as by anyone else now... They are pretty much useless unless they can make money in it (ie tickets), else they try to blow it off as much as possible...