I wonder if "top coating" the inside of the tank with some of this would help?

http://www.eastwood.com/gas-tank-sealer-kits.html

 

So far, so good. It's fairly clean already.

 

I used something similar back in the day in my vette. Given the condition of the tank, I'm not sure this is necessary. It's solid and practically clean already.

 

I left the vinegar in the tank for a full week, rotating the tank to a different position each day to be sure that all surfaces would be affected by the vinegar.

Yesterday I looked inside, and the vinegar was all brown. the exposed surfaces inside the tank were covered with gastankis skankulis, and I began to doubt my decision.

I fired up the pressure washer, and with the vinegar still in the tank, began to attack. The tank was soon filled with brown foam. I emptied it, and continued to clean.

Before long, I had a shiny clean surface inside the tank. After filling it with clean water and dumping it a few times, all that remained was some floating bits of debris. I used my gas siphon, which has an integral hand pump, to suck the debris out until all that was left was clean water. This took quite a while, as I kept sloshing the water around in the tank, and finding more debris.

I purchased some zinc primer and topcoat in rattle cans, and today I will paint the tank. I'm hoping to have it painted and ready to install by the time I am done today. Install will have to wait until next weekend.

 

I figured since the old coil springs were original, and they literally fell out when I dropped the rear, it might be a good time to replace them.

So I ordered a pair of MOOG cc 635 variable rate coil springs off Amazon today. I'm hoping it will improve the ride a bit, not that it was terrible, but I saw a lot of people who recommended it, and it was a screaming deal at just 50 bucks for the pair with free shipping.

I'm really looking forward to getting this car back on the road.

 

i have been watching this thread for a long time ... i must say that i am almost as excited to see this tpi fire up as you are ... if you have a way, and i am sure i speak for many of us here, i would love to see video of the first cranks and startup ... another thing i was thinking would be cool to see is a throttle body plate that says Alex on it. (hint to anyone on here that makes them or knows anyone that does) ... keep up the fine work my good man

 

I had planned to take video at the moment of truth. Nice idea about the throttle body plate.

Thank you for the kind words.

 

On Sunday, I got ready to install the tank. Before doing so, I found that some new rust had formed, so I cleaned it as best I could.

I had primed and painted the outside with a zinc primer and enamel. I had a complete pump and sender assembly that I bought from my friend Justin. Before installing it, I decided to test it. Good thing, because while the pump worked fine, the sender didn't.

I had the same problem with my GTA, but I was able to clean the inside of the sender's variable resistor and now it works fine.

I got it all put back together, put in a few gallons of fuel, and it all checks out OK. I didn't have the springs at the time, so I decided to hook up all the fuel lines after blowing them out, install a cap and rotor, and take a crack at firing her up.

Unfortunately, I could not get the rotor to install on the dizzy shaft. It only went down to the key, but the key would not go in the slot. I was tired, so I called it a day.

 

IT'S ALIVE!

Video is on my facebook page (Tim Ernandes). I tried to link it here but powers that be either here or there blocked it.


No exhaust pipes installed yet, and timing not set.

Had to shut her off right away because the air pump is seized up.

 

The problem with the rotor turned out to be the little metal friction clip inside the rotor where it goes on the shaft. I pinched it in with a pair of needle nose pliers and it went on.

After I got her to run yesterday, I decided to swap out the passenger side exhaust manifold, which was not a match for the rest of what I had, and looked like it might be a little too close to the heater core lines for comfort.

It took quite a while to wrestle the old manifold out, and the new one, which is a slightly different design, all but fell into place. That job carried over into today.

This morning I decided to eliminate the air pump, which turned out to be seized. I had no success in even cracking the torx head bolts that hold it in, so I removed the pulley and cut off the shaft so it wouldn't interfere with the serpentine belt.

With all the air pump crap removed, there is a lot more room in there. I might even be able to change spark plugs from up top now, like a normal human being.

Once it was all back together, I ran the engine again, and for a lot longer now that my belt wasn't squealing. It sounds strong, no smoke or knocks, excellent oil pressure.

Then I decided to return to the rear of the car to finish the repairs back there. I re-flared the broken brake line, and installed the new springs. I had to quit before finishing completely, but a lot of progress was made. I ran the engine a couple more times, just because I could.

 

damn brother, that sure put a smile on my face ... i couldn't be happier for you ... she started up quick too ... nice work man

 

I made good progress today.

First, I filled a couple of 5-gallon gas cans, and treated the fuel with Sta-Bil. Then I put 5 gallons in Nellie, and the other 5 in my GTA, which will be sitting for a while yet. I ran both cars for a good long while, and all seems good.

I got everything buttoned up in the rear of the car, and then tackled the exhaust system. There is quite a finesse to getting the y-pipe installed without assistance, but I got it done, and it fits perfectly now with the new exhaust manifold.

I have a 3" magna-flow system that I bought gently used from my friend Justin, but I had to stop work because I need a short length of pipe to mate it properly to the y-pipe. I'll pick that up tomorrow and that should be that. I have just a few other odds and ends to finish up, and then I can do the interior.

 

I had to order a section of pipe to mate the magna flow exhaust to my y-pipe.

I test fitted everything, and then cut the pipe to size and welded it to the cat pipe. I got it all installed, and she sounds really sweet! I have posted a video on my facebook page (Tim Ernandes).

Then yesterday, I bolted the clutch slave cylinder to the bellhousing, and filled the reservoir. I was poured it in slowly, until the air bubbles stopped rising out the top. Then I went underneath and pushed the clutch fork in the opposite direction of normal travel several times. When I was done, the clutch seemed to have been completely bled. I'll know for sure when I check it with a helper.

Before I finalize the dash installation, I want to make sure that it all works. The engine indication works fine, but I had trouble with the digital controls for heat and AC. For starters, I don't seem to have the wiring harness that connects it to the blower motor. Also, the blend door motor does not respond to the controls. I was able to hot wire it to move, so I"m pretty sure it's OK.

That tells me that either the control head is bad (I have two and neither one elicits a response), or the other module is, the one that controls the vacuum, but I can't find any troubleshooting info.

Absent an epiphany, I will probably not use the digital controls. I don't think they offer any real advantage, and I'm not about to put any more money into that part of it.

So, I need to do a bit more wiring and testing to make sure everything else works, and then I'll start the reassembly.

 

I have the dashboard base installed, with the wiring harness. It seems clear that some adjustments need to be made in the routing of the harness.

It's already looking a lot neater. I did elect to keep the analog heater and ac controls because I did not have the little harness that goes through the firewall, and I really didn't want to devote a lot of time on modifications. The analog stuff seems to be easier to deal with.

I finally got around to setting the static timing, and she starts quicker now, and is very smooth. I still have to do a few little wiring jobs under the hood, but I'm getting there.

I'm hoping that by the end of this coming weekend I will have the complete dash in place and functioning properly. After that, carpet and seats, and I'll be almost done.

 

Yesterday, I accomplished the re-routing of the dash harness, and everything went together fairly easily.

Before I installed the instrument panel, I replaced all of the LED backlight lamps and warning lamps, as I had no desire to have to go back in and do that again any time soon. I had a brief moment of panic when I got it all hooked up and I had no LED backlights. It turns out that the fuse was blown from when I had been probing some wires recently and accidentally grounded a hot lead. I replaced it and all was well.

I am finally seeing light at the end of the tunnel. I still have a lot of minor jobs to do, but the major work is pretty much accomplished. The biggest jobs that I have left are: installing the carpet, installing the seats, and installing the hood. The rest is all light work.

 

Since the Queen is having her company Christmas party at the house today, I didn't have much time to play with the car.

However, I did manage to dig out the 4th gen radio/cd player that I bought ages ago. I had most of what I needed to hook it up (the plug for the rear speakers in the car had been clipped, so I could only hook up the fronts for now. The antenna plug is different, so I ordered an adapter on ebay. Still I was able to get it to work by touching the antenna cable to the plug.

The radio works well, and the CD sounds awesome. I got it from a guy who puts in a little audio input jack for mp3 player. I haven't tried that part yet.

I also temporarily installed the shifter handle. I started her up, and was able to shift into gear with the clutch depressed, so I'm pretty sure no further bleeding is required.

The only problem I had was that letting it run in 1st gear did not produce a speedo reading. She was stuck on zero. I was using the Buffer that came with the dash harness. I decided to swap it over to the buffer that was on the old dash harness, and the speedo came to life. It's the exact same part... but I guess the one on the digital harness was faulty.

 

My best friend of 47 years came to visit this weekend, so I did not do a lot on the car.

I did manage to install the new accelerator cable (which now gives me the full range of motion), and the antenna plug adapter. The latter works, but does not fit snugly, so I will have to do something with it.

I also tested the radio's aux plug. It was installed by the guy who sold me the radio. I was surprised that he put it on the back of the unit, instead of in the faceplate.

This means that I have to install a cable in it, so I could plug my mp3 player/ipod/iphone into it. Doing so will interrupt the audio from the radio, and divert to the audio of the aux unit.

I was afraid that this might mean that just having the cable plugged in would cause me to lose the audio from the radio, but I tested it today, and it works perfectly with the cable in place. I plugged in my phone and the audio switched over, and unplugged and the radio came back on. As soon as I get that plug for the rear speakers (on its way from Amazon, of all places) we will be good to go.

Next time I hit the garage, I'll be working on installing the carpet.

 

Congrats on nearing the end. Might have a few little things to iron out after a shakedown run, but that's only to be expected after major surgery on most every part of the car.


Good pick on using manual HVAC control, the electronic version is complex and doesn't offer much of an advantage except that all the adjustments can be done with one finger tip.


Digital dash is an awesome period correct addition. Sorry I didn't read every word in detail, but did you install all the sensors for the Driver Information Center to function?


CC635 rear coils are a great choice, give good ride because they are variable rate, and also restore proper ride height.


Can the female end of your antenna connector simply be pinched a little bit before plugging in to give it enough friction to stay together?

 

I have the harnesses to install the DIC sensors, but I elected not to install them. My main reason was that the headlight harness is not compatible with my car, which is an 86 and uses the three wire headlight motor. I didn't want it badly enough to retrofit everything. I could always do it at a later date if I want to.

It's loose where it plugs into the radio. I tried pinching the female end without success. I thought about pinching the plug, and I haven't tried it yet. I've also considered putting a sleeve in there to act as a bushing.

 

OK I solved the problem with the antenna adapter by pressing a spring over the male end and pushing it inside the female end. It's nice and snug now.

I have a new carpet that has been sitting rolled up inside a box for 4 years (maybe 5). I took it out of the box yesterday, unrolled it, and left it to sit in a room at normal temperature. The manufacturer says it needs 12 to 24 hours to assume its original shape.

Then I cleaned out the inside of the car so I could apply rust bullet to the small patches of rust on the floor plan. That's when I noticed it. Some droplets of water, right under the heater box.

I found a few more hanging from the box right below the heater core.

I had considered replacing the heater core while the dash was out, but there were new hoses and fittings and with all the mileage on the car, I figured it had already been replaced.

I had already replaced the one in Alex's blue car, and the new ones are aluminum. The one we got for his car was a uinversal fit, with adjustable tubes, which made me nervous. It's working fine, but I only used it because Alex had bought it himself. For this car, I searched until I found one that is a factory fit. I delayed the purchase because I didn't have the funds available in my account.

Good thing, too... today I pulled the access cover off with little difficulty... and staring back at me was a shiny new aluminum heater core. what's more, it was bone dry. I was going to pull it anyway, and that's when I discovered that whoever had installed it had never bothered to tighten the clamps on the heater hoses. Apparently, coolant was seeping from the hoses where they were pressed onto the tubes.

I tightened the clamps, and ran the car several times until it was good and hot, then shut it off. Not another drop of coolant came out. I left the cover off, and will watch it just to be sure.

Then I finally got the wiring for the heater controls figured out and mated from the old stuff to the new, and everything works.

I also took the time to splice in (using solder and shrink tube) the pigtail for the rear speakers on the radio. Now everything plugs in neatly, and the radio/Cd player sounds really nice.

I'll let that carpet relax in the warm room for a week or so... in the meantime, I will hit those rusty spots with rust bullet, and I should have the carpet installed by this time next week.

 

After New Year's, we had some warm weather, so I decided to work on the car. I learned something.

I learned that Rust Bullet does not keep forever in the can. I had bought a can five years ago to use on this car, and then after that was when I turned it over to my friend Peter.

When I opened the can, it was a semi-solid, gooey mass, with a hard shell. I paid $35 for it back then, and it was useless. A quick check revealed that now it's more than $50 for the same one quart can. I found a 4 ounce can from the manufacturer, and with shipping, it was $20. It's more than enough, and while it kills me to pay that much for so little, at least it won't go to waste.

I won't get the rust bullet for a couple of days, so I turned my attention to the rear brakes. I had discovered recently that the right wheel cylinder was leaking, so I decided to replace both sides. Getting the little clip out from behind the backing plate is a little tricky, but getting the new one in was pretty easy, once I figured out how to do it.

I used a 1 1/8" 12-point socket to press it onto the cylinder with a very large sliding bar clamp. It snapped right in.

I'm getting close.

 

i cant wait to see the video of the first drive

 

The Rust Bullet arrived as expected.

We had a fairly warm day today, so I took it out to the garage and hit all the rusty spots on Nellie's floor. I had more than enough to do two coats on everything, as well as a couple of spots on Alex's blue car that were damaged in the deer hits.

It should be cured by tomorrow, and I will install the carpet and the seats.

 

Today was kind of a "best laid plans" kind of day...

I got out there early, and got the car ready for the carpet. The trick with the replacement carpet that I bought is that you have to lay it carefully before you start making cuts.

It was a lot more work than I remember from doing Alex's blue car. The hard part is getting it in the right spot, and fitting into the contours.

Once I had it in and the cutouts made, I decided to install the radio pod while I still had no seats in the car. This is where it got ugly.

It took me quite a while, and several failed attempts, before I figured out the best path to route all the wiring for the radio and the console. Then I wisely decided to install the radio. It did not go all the way in.

Since this is a 4th gen radio, I figured some mods may be needed. I had a spare radio pod and a quick examination confirmed this. I need to cut out the piece that the stock radio anchors into in the back. By this time, my back and my neck decided that it was quittin' time.

Next step is to remove the radio pod and make the cuts.

 

Really nice progess on the car!!! Also waiting for the first test drive video

 

This morning I pulled the radio pod out so I could cut where I needed to.

I discovered that the bracket in back, which is what needed to be cut, is removable. I took it out, and cut a rectangular hole in the vertical support area. This not only allows room for the plug in the back of the radio, but also provides a means of routing the radio harness through the same hole, thus leaving less of the harness to interfere with the radio.

It wasn't long before I had the radio installed and playing.

This turned out well, since I am still able to anchor the pod and it has structural strength. (See pix)

This is a really nice radio out of a 4th gen Camaro. It has a pigtail for mp3 input, and it sounds awesome.

 

Today we had really nice weather. Unfortunately, my wife's restaurant had a problem with the telephone, which cut the day short as far as working on the car.

However, I managed to finish the carpet install, and get the plastics and the seat belts installed, as well as the rear seats. She's starting to look like a car inside.

Sorry, no pix, but if the weather isn't too bad I will have the front seats in next weekend. The to-do list is getting very short.

 

I made some more progress this weekend.

I decided to order a vacuum bleeder from Harbor Freight. It was only 30 bucks, and I had a coupon. The reviews were overwhelmingly positive, and since my daughter keeps vanishing when I work on the car, I figured this was the way to go.

In the meantime, I took the console inside to my workshop. I figure it's a lot easier to get that installed before the front seats go in. The vinyl was pulling away from the sides, as is typical. I glued it back in with Gorilla Glue, clamped it and set it aside.

Then I installed the shifter, and the lower boot. I used self-tapping screws and my drill driver, and it's in there nicely.

Then I turned my attention to the left side exhaust manifold, which still had the air tubes installed. I had been treating the fittings with PB Blaster, and since I don't like to destroy parts, even if I don't plan to use them, I tried to remove it intact.

I managed to get the first two out with little difficulty, but on the third one, I had no room to swing a wrench. So, I cut the first two tubes out of my way, and with some difficulty I got the third one. The last one I could not even get a line wrench on it, so I broke off the tube on that one and got it out with a socket.

I plugged the holes with 1/4" NPT pipe plugs, and called it a day.

 

It's wicked cold here, and I had a commitment for Saturday, so nothing on the car.

Today I decided to work indoors. I had gotten a replacement dash pad for the cracked one in Nellie, but my other two cars now also have cracked dashes. Both were nice when I got the cars.

As most of us do, I keep my eye out for nice dash pads. Since they are scarce, and usually pricey, I looked into having mine remanufactured. I almost fainted at the price. Then I checked into some online videos and instructions on DIY.

Since today is wide open (the wife is working all day long) I decided to grab Nellie's old dash pad and try to duplicate the results of another thirdgenner, who did his camaro dash in leather. I'll be using vinyl, but otherwise it should be about the same.

Photos in next post

 

First step is to remove the vinyl off the dash pad, and this is likely the most challenging part.

I say this because I quickly learned that the shape of the dash pad is defined largely by the foam padding. The trick is to remove the vinyl without removing the foam. It's OK (and unavoidable) to remove bits of the foam in places, as long as there is enough of the original contour left to repair it later.

I some places it will peel off nicely in large chunks, with minimal damage to the foam padding. In other places, a knife or a scraper is needed, and this is where you will damage the foam.

 

I discovered that the edge along where the pad contacts the windshield is made of nothing but vinyl and foam. There is nothing solid underneath.

I learned after trial and error that you can literally "skin" the vinyl off the foam with a sharp knife, and retain the basic contour.

 

It took a little while, but with patience and a steady hand, I was able to get the vinyl removed with acceptable damage to the foam padding.

There were a couple of spots where there must have been air bubbles in the original product, including a rather large one right at the front edge.

The plan now is to use that expanding foam that is used to fill gaps around windows and doors for insulation. It has about the same consistency as the original foam, and I will use it to restore the proper shape and contour to the padding before gluing on new vinyl.

 

Nice!

Fortunately I haven't got any issue with the dashboard (yet^^) --> but is it really a so tight fit that you can't just cover the dashboard with the vinyl on it? (and just straighten out any major cracks etc so it won't show hrough the new material?)

What material will you use as replacement? (Vinyl again? Black Leather?)

 

You could probably cover it. As a matter of fact, I think some of the companies that restore them do that in some cases. The problem comes in with the edges of the cracks, which will show through under the new vinyl (think panty lines on a woman). Even if you sand and patch the cracks, it is likely to show through.

For best results, you want a uniform surface under the new vinyl. Mine is so old and brittle that I wanted to take no chances. The best jobs I have seen removed the old vinyl first.

I am planning to use marine grade black vinyl. Stay tuned.

 

Nice weather this weekend, so it was back out to the garage.

The vacuum bleeder was a good way to flush out the system, but I ended up with a mess because the master cylinder in our cars is not compatible with the 'feeder' bottle that it uses. So I ended up getting a bleed kit for the master cylinder and using the vacuum bleeder without the vacuum, pumping the brakes manually. This did the trick.

Moving on to the clutch, bleeding that was a snap. I loosened the bleeder, and pushed the fork backwards. After four or five repetitions, the clutch is working well.

I turned my attention to the other minor things that needed to be addressed, including the reverse light switch wiring and the cooling fans.

That's all done except for making the connections inside the cab. Another weekend or two and I should be done.

 

By the way, how does you dash look now, did you finish it?

 

The dash is on hold. I'll post pix in a day or so... added the expanding foam and now I have to sand it down.

In the meantime, I got really sick week before last and I am finally feeling OK now. So between bad weather and being ill, I lost two weekends.

The good news is that I drove her out of the garage today!

I got the rest of the wiring finished and installed the air cleaner. Then I replaced the original wiper motor with a later model motor that matched the wiring harness. That also meant swapping out the washer fluid reservoir, and I just happened to have one lying around that had the washer pump in it. The devil is in the details.

I got the rear wheels back on, and dropped the car to the ground. I installed the driver's seat (waiting on the passenger seat until I finish mounting the computer). I started the engine, and eased her back down the ramps. She was beautiful and smooth.

Then I took the opportunity to clean up the huge mess that had been under the car. That took the rest of the day.

Now all I need to do is finish the AC plumbing and put the hood back on, and I can take her for a test run.

 

OK lots more progress this weekend. I managed to get a lot of little jobs done.

The console is installed, and the shifter plate. I found a nice 5-speed shift **** with the correct thread on e-bay for 12 bucks shipped, so I snapped it up.

I also secured all the harness items, computer, cruise control module, etc and closed up the heater core box. Then I installed a replacement dash pad (not the one I am working on). I just need to put in a couple of trim pieces and the passenger seat.

I had a young friend come over and help me install the hood. All I have left under the hood is the AC accumulator and compressor hoses.

I'm itching to drive it now, but I have to resolve an issue with DMV before I can register it. In the meantime, a few times around the block are in my near future.

 

Please bring it by the shop when you have it ready

 

I had every intention of doing so... it won't be 100% complete, but close.

 

Thanks to DST, still light out when I got home. Nobody parked in front of the garage.

It just seemed necessary to drive this car, now that the hood is installed.

I went for a spin around the block (no registration and seat belts still not installed, so that was the extent of it).

O
M
G

I am in LOVE. This car is smooth, quiet, and TIGHT. No squeaks or rattles, no gear whine, and pulls like a champ. This car could make me forget about my GTA (My wife doesn't ever visit this forum, so it's safe to say that).

It took 4 years, but it was worth it.

Sorry, no video yet, as I was alone.

 

Well, we are getting close to a full on test drive. She's registered, and is only a state inspection away from being totally legal.

I still have a few little minor things to install inside, most notably the passenger's front seat.

I did hit a snag today, though. I came home early from work and it's a beautiful day, so I backed her out of the garage to finish up and I noticed a minor coolant leak. It could be the lower hose, but since it only started leaking now, I'm thinking it might be the water pump.

So... looks like I have a little work to do on Saturday.

 

Well, of course the leak turned out to be a water pump. I spent Saturday replacing it, and installing the plastic trim and passenger seat.

I took her in yesterday for inspection, which she passed today with flying colors.

I can't begin to describe the drive home.

All that's left are a few minor details, most important among them being a thorough cleaning.

I had set a goal to have this car running and driving by my birthday. It's this coming Saturday, so I made it.

Video soon, I promise.

 

Congratulations!

 

Well, after a week of driving...

The first issue is that the hood lift supports are shot... so I ordered a set from Rock Auto. I got the SACHS brand, as it seems to be the preferred choice. They were HALF of what they cost in the parts stores. I installed them today, and they work great.

Since I drive to work in the twilight hours, I have to be very mindful of deer, as they have done a number on my other two birds. So after several trips driving like someone's grandma, I was out on the road on a Sunday in gorgeous weather, and I decided to air her out. The driveline performed admirably.

HOWEVER (there's always a however) I began to notice what I deemed to be tire noise at certain speeds... the next thing I knew, the car started to shimmy and shake. It seemed to be different at different speeds, and changed on turns, etc.

'Twas then that I remembered that the tires on this car have sat dormant in the garage for five years... and were at least 3 or 4 years old when I bought them. I really bought them for the wheels; the tires were a bonus. So given that these tires have been around for maybe as much as 10 years, I reckon the belts have shifted.

I confirmed this by running my hands over the sidewalls. I could feel slight bulging in several spots.

So, credit card in hand, I went to Discount Tire Direct, and scored a nice deal on a set of Coopers, with 3 or 4 different rebates attached.

Now I'm like a 59 year old Eric Cartman, pacing back and forth, impatiently stalking the UPS man.

 

Yikes... I just went out and read the sidewall markings to find out the age of those tires... They were manufactured in early '03, so they are 13 years old. Def NG.

 

New tires arrived, and my local guys installed them. Problem solved.

I drove her for a couple of days, and the alternator died a slow death.

Got a new one in today, and she's back to form.

 

I have to say that I have so much respect for you in so many ways. I haven't been on this board for 4-5 years but I've thought about you often. I couldn't remember your name but when I logged in tonight and started looking around I can't tell you how happy I was to see a thread about "nellie". I read through everyone of these posts for the last 2 hours.

I have to say when I bought my 3rd gen Camaro years ago that I was hoping it would be a project for me and my son. However after your tragedy I can honestly tell you that my priorities were readjusted. This is a project I really wanted, not him, this is something I would have loved to do with my dad. He is big into football and I can say that any free time we have is spent throwing the football around in the backyard or working on his fundamentals or watching football. Unfortunately at this time I don't have the time or money to work on a project like this. How cool that you were able to share in his passion and continue to carry it on.

The other reason I have a lot of respect for you is, you started AND finished this project. Given your tragedy I don't think anyone would have blamed you for walking away from this. But you didn't. And thank you for keeping everyone updated. Everyone who is thinking of restoring a car should fully read through your thread as you give great insight into what it takes to restore a car. You're just about done and then it's a fuel pump, water pump, alternator and hopefully that's it. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with all of us.

Also to all of TGO I completely agree with ternandes on this being like a family. As I said I haven't been on here for 4-5 years but I recently sold my 3rd gen Camaro. Which means (of coarse) I have to look for my next project when time and money affords it. I have decided my next "fun" car will be a 98-02 Trans am WS6 convertible. This probably isn't the first choice of most people on this board but when I was in high school this was the car to have. However what brought me back here was there is no good sites like TGO for fourth gen f-bodys. ls1tech seems to be the closest thing but they seem kind of arrogant from the posts I have read.

 

Thanks for the kind words. This car means a lot to me. It was Alex's first car, and it was purchased from a dear friend who had a hard time letting go of it.

The thing is that I enjoy the challenge of fixing things without dumping out tons of cash (which I really don't have). Combine that with the powerful connection that I feel toward my son and this car, which he loved.

It's not as though I consciously think of it, or that I feel his presence, but I am most at peace when I am working on one of my three birds, all of which have a connection back to him. I like to imagine him smiling down at me and saying, "Way to go, Dad."

He once told me that he was in awe of my ability to improvise and repair things that other people might just throw away. He compared it to the scenes in "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" where the father scrounges whatever he needs to restore the car out of scrap heaps and odd items.

The best part about it all is that I loved him so, and he let me know that it was mutual. So I kind of relive all of that when I am making things happen with one of these cars. It also doesn't hurt that I am now getting a major thrill out of driving Nellie now as my DD. She turns heads wherever we go, and gets lots of smiles and waves.

 

Excedrin Headache #33

Well, apparently I am not out of the woods yet. Occasionally, the car would miss or "hiccup" at part throttle.

I started getting the SES light, and a quick read brought up code 33. At first it was intermittent, but after a while, it was steady. I hooked up my laptop to the ALDL, and verified that the engine was now running in open loop all the time. TPS looked good, and all other indications looked normal to me.

I swapped in a spare MAF sensor, but it did not help. I swapped the one out of the GTA into it, and again, no help. The GTA also had a SES light, and a code 36. Now I had codes 33 and 36. Repeated erasures saw them return each time. I swapped the original MAF back in, and now it consistently throws the two codes.

I replaced both the MAF power and burnoff relays. No change. Inspection of all wiring shows no defect that I could see. I did some reading in the forums, and it would seem that the MAF is a trouble spot for these cars. To make matters worse, it is not cheap, and a lot of the remanufactured units appear to be unreliable.

I have decided that if I buy a MAF, I will go with a brand new unit. Rock Auto has one that supposedly is the Rich-Porter brand, now made by Spectra (part #MA-157). From what I have seen, this is the unit of choice.

Because of the cost involved, I plan to do extensive tests on the harness before I commit. My biggest concern is that something might be wrong in the system that is blowing the MAFs, but I'm not sure how likely it is. I'd hate to buy a new one and blow it up the first time I run it.