1. I've got an '89 Firebird Formula 350, and it's been making kind of a knocking noise for a while now, since...the accident. One night I was trashed and a buddy of mine told me to get a wheel (spin the tires). I tromped it and it laid a nice patch, but it got away from me and we shot over a hill. It didn't tear anything up besides a headlight bracket and it added a drunk-bump in the rear quarter panel, but could it be my exhaust making that sound? One of my catalytic converters got bruised up pretty good, so I'm hoping that the exhaust is just loose somewhere, but it sounds like it's coming from underneath the hood. I don't think it's rods knocking, but I've got no clue other than that. Someone listened to it while a revved it up and told me it sounded like my alternator going bad. What could it be?
2. Also, my car takes a long time to start, and sometimes won't at all. Recently when it did it, I squirted a little gas on the throttle body and it fired right up, which means the engine isn't getting enough fuel. I tried replacing the fuel filter, which didn't help. Does anyone have any idea what could be causing that?

 

will if you mangled your exhaust, a knocking or ticking sound could be an exhaust leak. As far as being hard to start, that could be a low fuel pressure issue, do you hear your pump prime when you turn the key on? Injectors can also make a ticking sound.

 

shouldnt have been behind the wheel drunk:nono:

 

Yeah I know, I've always condemned it and I've learned my lesson. I was going less than a few hundred feet home through the country too, which really hurt. But yeah, I can hear the fuel pump engage when I turn the key forward. Is that it maybe? And if you think it is, is the pump on the inside or the outside of the tank?

 

its good you hear it, means its at least working...doesnt mean its generating enough PSI, but its working. I would troubleshoot your hard start just like any other problem, check ignition components like cap, rotor, coil, wires, ignition module, etc etc...then check on fuel problems, clogged or leaking injectors, bad TPS or IAC, low fuel pressure, etc etc...do a compression test.