c37395 No.11022 [Last50 Posts]
Pic unrelated, just a google image of essentially the same thing.
I bought a trans am for 2300, it's pretty beat up but it drives so i didn't mind the small repairs for the price.
Of course, mechanics couldn't come and check it mobile so i just took my chances. Turns out they replaced the dash with a 20v fuse when it needs a 10v for the gauges or something and that causes explosions, the wiring looks like a spider's nest, the injectors have holes leaking everything and the ECC is unreadable because it's too old for my mechanic's machines.
Now, this is one of my favorite cars so I really have no problem spending the money within reason to fix it and make it great again, but I don't know where to start.
I need advice such as;
Is a classic car workshop worth it, or should I just call a buddy who says he knows them well enough?
Is there a place to get copies of keys cheap for general motors cars?
Where do I buy good replacement parts for the trans am?
If the louvers are cracked (The plastic is snapped but the metal itself is still together) should I just glue it and get new hinges or replace the whole thing and if so, where do I get them?
Where can I get white-text tires to keep the classic look in the future?
Where can I get replacement decals?
Is there a way to know what radios I can put in it? Still has the original sound and stuff.
Upgrades, ways to make it faster or more powerful, any advice at all really. It's my first car, I want to get into vehicles but my dad is RIP and I know nobody.
Thanks so much if you guys can help, happy thanksgiving!
____________________________
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c37395 No.11023
>Is a classic car workshop worth it, or should I just call a buddy who says he knows them well enough?
Some of the most fun I've had working on cars has been just me and some friends huddled around bad quality youtube videos. Some of the bigger stuff should probably be left to the pros though.
>Where can I get white-text tires to keep the classic look in the future?
I just took a white paint marker to mine and it came out pretty decent.
>Where can I get replacement decals?
I'd check ebay. Could also call a local dealer/google them and try to get a part number.
>Is there a way to know what radios I can put in it? Still has the original sound and stuff.
Just measure it first. It looks like a double din style from what I looked up and there's a few OE/cheap chinese touchscreens on ebay right now.
>Upgrades, ways to make it faster or more powerful, any advice at all really.
Intake and exhaust the most common upgrades for any car really. And if you find something that needs replacing upgrade it if you can.
It's my first car, I want to get into vehicles but my dad is RIP and I know nobody.
That sucks. I got pretty lucky having a mechanic for a dad, but there's really not much you can't do with a manual and a basic tool set. You should post some actual pictures of it too if you can.
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c37395 No.11024
>>11023
When I get home I'll go around it with a camera and show you, I'm at my family's for thanksgiving and we didn't bring it, but I'll be there tomorrow. I was going to try doing it myself as well with my friends, since teaching a man to fish is better than being spoonfed. I read the manual, understood a bit of it but not enough just yet.
Family says I should take an auto degree but it seems like a waste of money and time when i can learn it from trial and error for no payments and no school time, though I'm not 100% sure since learning guns from /k/ is easier than learning the ins and outs of something as complex as a car.
Thanks for responding though, I was thinking of a touchscreen type radio so maybe I'll look into that once the engine is handled.
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c37395 No.11025
>>11024
>learning guns from /k/ is easier than learning the ins and outs of something as complex as a car
/o/ is also a lot slower than /k/, and we probably have proportionally fewer users who actually work on their cars. Plus every make and generation is different to work on, beyond changing fluids.
>I was thinking of a touchscreen type radio
That might be difficult or impossible if the cutout isn't big enough. I don't know if they make non-dash-integrated units though (maybe you could find one that is basically a tablet that since on the dash).
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c37395 No.11031
Camaro of same generation owner here.
These cars are SIMPLE. The awful fuel injection systems they use are pretty much just a carbeurator body with one or two fuel injector(s).
If you cannot find parts for these you're simply not looking. Buy a Chilton's Manual and get a jegs, summit racing or a local parts store wishlist going for parts that you can very evidently see in bad condition.
Assuming it has a 350 Small block v8 in it, consider just removing the fuel injection system for a carbeurator with appropriate vehicle modifications that would be required such as possibly the fuel pump and a vacumn switch for the transmission if its the computer controlled 4L60 (which is just a 700r4 really), having a manual would skip that step. The computer does not control anything in the car besides the engine.
If your car does NOT have the 350 v8 in it, consider switching to one and making a manifold and fuel system change during that. The 305 in these cars are boat anchors that are just fuel economy v8s while the v6 and l4 cars are just anemic.
Years of neglect have likely turned your engine bay into a mess like you said and in the first place these cars do not have a pretty stock engine bay.
Find old men who like cars and ask them stuff, most will take any opportunity to talk about cars and its at least a start to understanding what is going on.
There are a few sites I use, I recommend Summit Racing and Rick's Camaros. For an absolute last resort use Ebay, as Rick's Camaros is quite expensive but will get you the best new manufacture parts.
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c37395 No.11032
>>11031
in case its misunderstood, the computer controls only the engine in a manual car, in an automatic the computer controls both the engine and the transmission
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c37395 No.11045
It's OP, as promised, I just got back to my main computer. If you guys want pictures of something specific like the engine let me know, but that's the car.
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c37395 No.11112
>>11045
That damage is not bad at all, interior looks pretty good. If you mean that you want to keep the white lettering on your tires just buy any sort of "Performance" radials or whatever and ask the tire shop to put the letters out.
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c37395 No.11113
>>11112
oh holy shit i didnt see that, you have a 5.0 HO model, which were sort of rare. That is the high end 305 engine, granted still slow for modern conditions, its a nice little torque-y guy. I love that hood.
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c37395 No.11114
>>11113
I fell in love the moment I saw her. I have no clue about its specs or anything about it, the guy selling it was selling due to an emergency, it was apparently a family heirloom of sorts that got passed around through deaths and his son didn't want it anymore. I vowed I'd put the money in to fix it and soup it up then send him pics, so hearing that the model is high-end is pretty fucking cool. I can pop the hood and post a pic for you if that helps but I'm giving it to a professional shop to fix the major errors tonight, so it'll be gone for quite a while. If you want any pics or info on it, I'd appreciate getting that today before I turn her in.
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c37395 No.11115
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c37395 No.11116
>>11115
And, since I assume you guys would want it, the engine.
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c37395 No.11124
the car's pretty fine actually, that's all minor stuff and it doesn't look molested, just old.
If you want a new side skirt/ other stuff, look up your car and see if the nearest pick n pull has one.
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c37395 No.11126
The minor damage yeah, the issue is finding the parts to this particular car. The wiring though, you'll notice the dash doesn't do much else besides light up. None of the gauges work, it's all fucked up there and the engine will conk out when slowing down, and the air compressor is the original from 1986 so the air and sound system are garbage (Sound system is also original)
I will be keeping all the original parts in a box for collector reasons, but I do need to update her.
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c37395 No.11159
I'm impressed, looks like you got a darn good deal on that. I won't be of any help with this though, so I'll just sit over here and be jealous.
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c37395 No.11168
>>11159
We'll see when it's fixed, but there is some help I could use. I have some big plans for it but I'm not sure how to do it all, but if there's a will there's a way.
The first thing I want to do after the little guy's up and running is get a new headline and carpet. They've been ruined, but I don't want something standard. I want something unique for some reason.
I'd like a carpet with 80's vectors, like you'd see in the skaterink, picture related.
With the first one, I'm thinking of doing the triangles on the carpet but making the headboard only the black grid without the colors so it won't distract me while driving but will still match, and draw eyes when people get in.
For the second, pure black headboard and colorful carpet again, but the paintjob would need to remain a solid black to get them to pop, where as with the triangular vectors I can do a golden undertone on the skirts.
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c37395 No.11196
Update
I just heard from the mechanic today who I sent it to, and he says that nothing has been replaced. It's a 100% original trans am that's been kept running with workarounds. They're not even sure if the cylinders fire, it's leaking everywhere, there's major issues.
I can afford to get it fixed and I've told them to put all the spare parts they rip out into a bucket so I can keep them rather than get ripped off any more than I already am, but it's still going to be a bit of a hefty dollar to get her running well and I dont entirely trust this place.
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c37395 No.11201
2nd update: Professional shop's toll for the car's repairs, and there's a fuckload wrong with it, is 5,000 dollars. I'm willing to pay it to get it running again but I'm not sure what to do after as I'll be approaching the 10k budget.
I'd like some advice on the carpets, maybe radio stuff since interior is next.
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c37395 No.11204
Your wished mods seem a bit gaudy, honestly a clean stock interior though very 80s is quite nice in these.
It sounds like you desperately need new sensors and or a new wiring harness. I don't know what you're aiming for, but new paint if you don't know how to do that yourself alone will eat the rest of your budget.
Its quite easy to get overwhelmed by a project car and the money vacuum it becomes on top of how widespread problems are. Choose one issue and finish it, then move to the next. Make a list of what needs to be done and check down it as you pump money and time into the vehicle. Learning how to do your own work for easier components will save you hundreds of dollars for simple fixes like the gas struts, oil, undercoat and such. As usual, there will be a tools cost if you do not have them already, but something like a sandblaster is the start to you learning to paint or whatever that will save you thousands over the long run.
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c37395 No.11205
>>11204
>Your wished mods seem a bit gaudy
Some people say it's over-the-top, others agree with me that it makes it unique.
I suppose I'm just a flashy person.
I'm really interested in learning how to do it myself but I'm not sure where to find the information that's trustworthy. My shop says I can stop by and watch them work on it so it might be the path I'll take.
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c37395 No.11208
>>11205
That doesn't change the fact that your biggest concerns should be efforts that preserve or repair the car. Custom Interiors will be expensive.
Watching real mechanics sounds like a good option but to be honest, youtube is wonderful. If you do it with your hands, you will remember it much better.
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c37395 No.11209
>>11208
Yeah, I'm very hands-on in general so I think that's the best choice but I also don't want to fuck it up. They said for 100$ more an hour I can go in and work on the car with them. The reason they charge extra is it slows the guy down, they'll explain everything to you and help you out. It's a very reputable classic cars shop.
As for the custom interiors, I wasn't sure if it's expensive to print a design on a carpet and put it in, I had assumed it wouldn't be more than the usual price, I'd have to see, but interior is the next step. My budget won't be done once the car is fixed, since I've only spent 7k including the price of the car so far, and have 3k to work with I'm doing interior since the car has no headboard and a few fuckups here and there.
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c37395 No.11210
>>11209
But the guy at the shop said I should just take an auto-mechanics course if I'm that interested but I feel like that'd be a waste of time. So which should I do? Work on it and other cars myself, pay the 100$ to work with them, or just pay for an auto course?
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c37395 No.11213
>>11210
Why not both? If you're really new I doubt it would be too bad
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c37395 No.11215
>>11210
I had a somewaht similar situation, so I'll tell you what I did. About four years ago I inherited a 93 Buick Century. It had be sitting for a while, and it wasn't maintained back when it was driven. All kinds of junk wrong with it: it barely drove, overheated, leaked all over, made horrible noises, etc. I had zero automotive knowledge or experience (actually, less than zero; I thought the fuel injectors were spark plugs, and I thought the brake bleeder valves were grease fittings, just to name a couple of my misunderstandings). And I had no tools besides a little 100-piece garage kit I got for my 13th birthday.
I picked up a Chilton's manual and went to work. Got tools as I needed them, and sought advice from mechanic friends, google, and /o/ from time to time. Ended up doing all kinds of repairs up to and including overhauling the engine in my front yard. 20,000 miles later, it still runs like new as my DD, and I ended up getting a job as a technician at a shop. Just go by the book, buy tools as you need them, and wing it.
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c37395 No.11216
>>11213
>>11215
I was excited about working on the trans am myself, but I didn't want to risk ruining it, so I think I'll just buy another car to work on to get some practice.
I need a truck for work, so i might get one of those old 70-80's 150s and restore it to somewhat working order for starters, since if I junk it it's not too big of a deal.
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c37395 No.11781
So I want to give a small update for you guys.
I fixed everything for 5,000 dollars, but the fixing found more problems. The intake air boot or something that looks like an accordian is entirely busted up and apparently impossible to find for the '86 since GM doesn't make it anymore.
Aside from that there's tons of little things like a new exhaust, the interior, the speakers not working in the back which I plan to replace entirely and the air compressor and shit.
I have a full manifest of what was done and kept every original part they removed including the scrap just incase, but it's mostly grimy garbage.
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c37395 No.11782
>>11781
Really all you need is some piping or hose with the same diameter and it should just hook back up. Or use the opportunity to make your own cold air intake. Friend of my made one from stuff at Home Depot and his car runs 9s so it's doable.
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c37395 No.11785
>>11782
It's the oval-shaped accordian piece that connects the air filter to the engine, if I remember correctly. It can't be built according to my guys and needs to be from a specific cold air kit for the Trans Am. I can get the part number but I need the part itself, not a workaround since this car is apparently something weird.
Then again, I unfortunately know nothing about this.
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c37395 No.11795
>>11785
That's bullshit. It's literally just a pipe. You can make something that fits.
They're right in that there may not be an "official" or "professional" solution, and maybe they're uncomfortable ghetto-rigging it (or advising you to do so), but it's 100% doable.
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c37395 No.11820
>>11795
I think they are uncomfortable rigging it. Rigging is what kept the car running but it caused long-lasting damage that I think we want to avoid. Most of the major issues have been fixed at the least so I think I might work on making the interior workable then worry about the small things in the engine.
The big thing is that little intake boot is leaking air and I can't exactly force them to jury-rig it, so I need to find the part and really gauge the price. Was hoping you guys could help me look as I've had little luck. Ebay sells them off immediately.
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c37395 No.12889
>>11820
OP here, long time no see everybody.
Blew the tires on a curb through a mix of autism, mountain dew, 3-am, missing glasses and a 30 degree right misalignment but the good news is only the tires popped.
I'm getting performance tires, Cobras I think, I made a fucking stupid logic decision by picking them on the rule of cool thinking they sounded the best for this type of car.
Intake boot, exhaust, etc all needs to be replaced but I put in a new battery and hooked up one fancy ass interior. Check it out.
I bump this thread because I felt maybe some people might wanna see how it's coming along, and because I'm about to work on the lights and the last few missing parts.
One of the bigger problems it has is that the air won't work right. Stays on even if the car is off, so do the popup lights (but you can just flip them down and it's golden.)
New battery seems to be fixing a lot of the issues though, making it less unstable of a car. I feel really bad about the tires but I'm glad that no real damage was done and it's about time for an upgrade.
Pics are the new interior at night with my shitty tracfone.
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c37395 No.12892
>>12889
>red dash lights
Top tier taste
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c37395 No.12896
>>12889
Cobra GT radials? If so, they're pretty nice, I run them on my Camaro. What do you mean by "the air wont work right"? Air conditioning? Sounds like you have lots of stuff to fix.
Also, BO should really set the default color back to the nice blue, I changed my settings back as quick as possible.
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c37395 No.12897
>>12896
I'll post some pics to give /o/ some activity.
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c37395 No.12898
>>12897
Jeez, I forgot how old that second pic is. Continuing.
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c37395 No.12899
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c37395 No.12900
>>12899
It feels wrong to have sequential post numbers
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c37395 No.12901
>>12896
Are you the same guy who asked last time? I don't get what's so nice about the blue, the grey is much easier on the eyes.
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c37395 No.12903
>>12899
>2nd pic
Woah are those your camaro dials? Those are sick as hell. I can barely see my gauges past the damn steering wheel.
Cobra Radials, yeah. Rim isn't busted so it's just the tire. They asked over the phone if I had a preference for a certain kind of tire, started listing off the brands in stock and I chose the one most likely to run well on this type of car. Cobra sounded about right, since I imagined a low-riding cruiser to be likened to a cobra. I'm hoping I guessed right as I couldn't really be picky with the service ready.
>red dash lights
Indeed, fast tier. They've got orange warning stripes on the higher RPM margins as well, I need a higher quality camera just to make sure I give her all the glory when she's done.
>You mean air conditioning
Yep, the air runs even when the car is turned off. Gotta pop the battery, so we just left the air unplugged to prevent draining. New battery didn't fix it so it's likely more wiring. This car has notoriously bad wiring, somebody tried to home rig it.
Still wokring on getting that hosing from home depot. Probably when I get the new tires and lights in I'll go ahead and fix the intake boot with some drier hookup crap and the stock rings, just so I have something that isn't full of holes. I hope it's not more complicated than take the brackets off, pull out pipe, put in new pipe, tighten brackets.
Paint job is next aesthetically, then I have to work on the arduous task of hunting down rare old trans am parts. Thankfully I'm in an area FULL of junked cars that might just have the tickets I need. So there goes my weekends.
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c37395 No.12904
>>12903
Speaking of aesthetics, I had this idea but I'm not sure if I can pull it off right. Last time we talked of my gaudy interior design, but i decided to go with a striped classic interior, black on top and center of seat with grey accents like the designers suggested to make it sporty.
I have these louvers in mind, best I can find that work with the 3rd breaklight. I also need a new spoiler, so if anyone knows of an aluminum spoiler that will blend well with the sharpness of this one I'd appreciate a link, especially if there's a matching front spoiler since mine's still a plastic grill.
http://www.sfxperformance.com/parts/AST10610.htm
I'm going to get those bright blue lumen bulbs put in if possible, with a purple halo to colorize the car in purple-blue miami style, so that got me thinking about keeping the paintjob standard and just doing cyan neon light accents instead, since they can be switched on and off.
Unfortunately, this semi-conflicts with this interesting idea I had for a paint job on a car like this, I'd like your opinions; Chipsets that form a flame pattern on the side trim, growing larger on the back tire just like a regular flame paintjob.
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c37395 No.12910
>>12904
>>12903
Yeck. Electrical gremlins suck. To address that, I would start by just disconnecting the components and then using electrical diagrams to identify possible trouble components like switches. Is it just the fans or the compressor as well? There are so many questions in that kind of problem.
Don't fuck with the stock Firebird/TransAm look. You have much higher priorities and serious visual mods like that are almost always regretted. I get that you like these crazy ideas but this is just gaudy.
Fix your paint, get a nice new crate engine setup or repair your existing engine and sort out your electrical problems/ get new wiring harness then see what you want. When I got my car I had all kinds of crazy ideas for making tons of horsepower and making it look retarded and I'm glad now that I didn't have the money to do any of that.
>>12901
Nope, first time I've said anything about it.
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c37395 No.12914
I'm a little late to this party, but I'll share what I know. I'm working on my first car, a 1969 El Camino, right now. The knowledge I stated with was basically zero. I've picked up a lot of knowledge that also applies to your Trans Am. My dad also once had an all-option, top-end 1984 Trans Am while he was working as a service adviser at the dealer he bought it from, and I've heard a lot of the stories he had. He traded it in in the early 1990s after he totally wore out it out.
If you haven't figured it out yet, restoring an old car can easily become a much bigger job than you'd ever think it would be. I bought my El Camino for $3500, which was probably about half of what it was actually worth. It ran when I bought it, but there were massive wiring issues and the interior needed a lot of work. Then I changed the oil and found out the only thing holding the oil in the engine was the dirt I had just removed. All told, I have so far fixed the brakes, replaced the engine, rebuilt the transmission, replaced almost all the wiring on the car, put new wheels and tires on it, and started the interior. Then the floor decided to finish rusting through behind the seat, which is very common on an El Camino. I basically just have the floor repair, the rest of the interior plus some mostly minor body work, trim replacement, and nice-to-have items left to do before it is 100% finished. I'm about 75% complete. I'll take and post some pics here on /o/ sometime.
My advice to you as a person that's been here before is to get the mechanical work done first before you touch the interior or the body. Get it to run and stop well, and fix your electrical issues before you do anything else. For my 1969, there are three GM manuals available, and they are totally worth every cent. See first pic. There might be just one "Shop Manual" for your 1986, not really sure. You may also want to get a Haynes or Chilton's manual from your local parts store. See second pic. They'll cover most DIY maintenance and repairs you would want to do, but they are in most ways inferior to the GM manuals.
I found the attached wiring diagrams for your car on Autozone's web site. Pic 3 is engine wiring, 4 and 5 are body wiring. A few hours with a multimeter and maybe a soldering iron should help solve some of your wiring problems. Whatever you do, don't use cable nuts to fix your wiring. I had about 40 of those on my truck when I got it, and it was a terrible experience. Unmolested or reproduction harness > solder and heat shrink tubing >>> butt splices > cable nuts. Also, if you need to replace any wiring, try to use the right gauge and color. It will save somebody a massive headache someday.
>>12910
>Don't fuck with the stock Firebird/TransAm look. You have much higher priorities and serious visual mods like that are almost always regretted. I get that you like these crazy ideas but this is just gaudy.
100% this. Practically everybody who ever owned a Pontiac has done something to it, mostly because Pontiac's target audience were people that wanted a flashy, sporty car. The Camaro is to Chevrolet what Pontiac was to GM. Because of this, it's actually quite difficult to find one that doesn't have a lot of mods on it. They're only original once, and you are actually a very lucky person to find one that is still 100% stock. With some more work, you could probably even get into car shows with that thing. That's my opinion.
>>11032
>in case its misunderstood, the computer controls only the engine in a manual car, in an automatic the computer controls both the engine and the transmission
A 1986 would have a 700R4 transmission, which is hydraulically controlled, not electronically controlled. A 700R4 would, however, have an electronic lockup torque converter as its sole electronic part. The computer-controlled 4L60E wasn't around until 1992.
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c37395 No.12915
>>12914
Thank you for correcting me on the transmission, I look forwards to your pics.
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c37395 No.12919
>>12914
>Keeping it original
I had a plan to keep it as close to stock as possible, I keep every part I swap out even if there's an exchange offer just in case I need it for something.
However, the rubber spoiler is completely holed and disgusting, not worth repairing.
The louvers can be repaired but I might as well buy nicer louvers.
Is it fine if I change those? The louvers I linked before are these: http://www.sfxperformance.com/parts/AST10610.htm
Also, what are some nice bright headlights for the pop-ups?
>>12910
> Is it just the fans or the compressor as well? There are so many questions in that kind of problem.
It's the original '86 compressor so likely that, it needs to be replaced along with the speakers but those are cosmetic upgrades and the intake boot/exhaust are first priority. Fucking mechanics won't just put a damn hose in there so i guess I gotta do it myself.
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c37395 No.12920
>>12919
> but those are cosmetic upgrades
Convenience upgrades* not core engine problems.
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c37395 No.12921
>>12919
>>12920
If your car is the same as in >>11045, I don't see any louvers. Don't put any louvers on. You have relatively mediocre rear visibility as is in one of these cars. Use stock headlights and use your brights when you have to, if you've got electrical problems your headlights may be dimming or (i don't know if yours has one, but it also may have a head light dimming switch/slide)
When talking about your air conditioning problem, what i meant was "Is it just the fans that stay on or do both the compressor and fans run after turning the car off"
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c37395 No.12922
>>12921
>Don't put any louvers on it
The louvers are stock, they came off because they are broken. It came with louvers. The question is do I fix them or get new ones? Do I need to buy stock louvers to be completely stock or can I just buy what I like and possibly fix the old ones later if I want to go super classic, sinc ei keep all the original parts.
>relatively mediocre rear visibility
Thanks for the heads up, if I do get louvers I'll make sure to check my mirror and see the difference.
>Use stock headlights
I'd really like something that has further reach because I can't see well at night and I love driving. Sadly, dimmer/hi-lo switch is busted so I can't do anything to it, and the brights are only for the underlights.
>compressor
I think only the compressor for the air conditioning keeps running, you can feel it whooshing through the vents. The main fan by the engine is NOT on though, if you mean that. Excuse me if I misunderstand again.
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c37395 No.12923
>>12922
No sense in fixing old plastic parts, it just doesn't work most of the time. Fix your switches and then makes a choice, you may be suffering in that department due to broken items. Also, consider replacing your headlights with a new or higher performance bulb before you think about going into the unforgivable territory of HIDs.
As for your air conditioning, just disconnected it until you can go through the process of diagnosing it or getting someone else to diagnose it.
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c37395 No.12927
>>12923
>As for your air conditioning, just disconnected it until you can go through the process of diagnosing it or getting someone else to diagnose it.
Done and been done
>high performance bulbs
I though the blue HIDs WERE the high performance bulbs? Can you explain?
>Make a choice.
I need opinions first on those SFX louvers, nobody's really said anything about their thought.
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c37395 No.12928
>>12927
For the headlights, I mean that you should look into standard plug in bulbs for your existing hardware that have higher light output. Quite simple, HIDs usually require a replacement of your existing light hardware.
Fuck the louvers, keep that smooth sexy rear glass.
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c37395 No.12929
>>12919
>headlights
Your car should already have halogen headlights, which should be as bright as every other car on the road. If they're fogged like pic 1, your could try to polish them using one of the products made for the job, or replace them with new ones at about $15 each. I'd recommend fixing your dimmer switch before you replace the headlights, though.
>>12928
>have higher light output.
You could do higher output, but be careful about the wattage. Your original system was designed for 35W low beams and 65W high beams. If you exceed this without increasing the wire gauge, it could overheat the stock wiring. At worst, it could start a fire. There might be some bulbs out there that are brighter with a similar power draw, though. I don't know much about aftermarket headlights.
>>12921
>Is it just the fans that stay on or do both the compressor and fans run after turning the car off
>>12922
>I think only the compressor for the air conditioning keeps running
It sounds like there are some misunderstandings about how a GM AC system works. Follow along in pic 2, bottom left and top right. The diagrams are from my 1969 manuals, but the system is almost identical on your Trans Am. Basically, it is a system where refrigerant flows in a circle through the engine bay. The compressor is basically a belt-driven pump with a 12V clutch connected to the control unit that controls whether the AC is on or off. The compressor pumps the refrigerant through the condenser in the front of the radiator to convert any gasses into a liquid state. This flows to the drier, which sucks the moisture out of the system. The reason it does this is because it then flows through the evaporator core, where it cools the chamber by evaporating the fluid. If there is water in the system, it could build up, freeze and block the system.
There are two valves attached to the evaporator that regulate the process. The POA valve is basically a thermostat that cuts all flow if it gets too cold. The expansion valve basically causes a regulated restriction that creates pressure in the condenser and a vacuum in the evaporator. Temperature = pressure / volume. The volume of the system is fixed because it is sealed, and the pressure in the condenser increases greatly because of the compressor fighting the expansion valve's restriction, creating pressure, and the temperature in the evaporator decreases because it is full of vacuum. The changing pressure also changes the boiling point of the fluid, which helps to convert it to a gas when it passes into the low pressure zone at the evaporator. After the evaporator, the refrigerant circulates back to the compressor as a gas, where the cycle repeats. The gas turns into a liquid, condensation is removed, it is converted back to a gas at a regulated rate, and then it again travels through the compressor.
The airflow is shown in the top-left. In the cowl area, there is an intake for the blower fan. This pushes air through the evaporator and possibly the heater core under the dash. The temperature control on your dash basically just controls how much air flows through the heater core, and how much bypasses it. Max should both shut down the heater core completely by closing the water valve and moving a door on the blower intake so that it pulls in already cooled air from the cabin to cool the air faster than in Normal mode. The air is always cooled 100%, then heated to the desired temperature. If the AC compressor is off (Vent, Heat, or Defrost modes), the evaporator will warm to room temperature, but air will still flow through it. The air then goes through the vents in the cabin.
>tl;dr
The compressor pushes refrigerant, not air, and it can't produce any output if the engine isn't spinning. The reason air is coming out of the vents is because the blower motor is running. It is possible that the compressor clutch could be active with the engine off, however. My guess is that there's just a short somewhere in the blower's power feed.
>>12927
>I need opinions first on those SFX louvers, nobody's really said anything about their thought.
They look good to me. I don't think they're any better or worse in appearance than stock, just different. I think these look better than a lot of aftermarket louvers that I've seen. I'd buy them because I think that wing on the back looks naked without them, but I'd do it near the end of the project.
I promise I'll try not to write huge text walls every time I post.
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c37395 No.12930
YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.
>>12929
>headlight restoration
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c37395 No.12931
>>12929
Hey look,I learn something new. My Camaro is an AC delete car so I've never had to mess with it. As for the light brightness , I was saying in a retarded late night post that he may have some retarded "green" cheapy sealed bulbs in now. Granted that is still not relevant until as both of us have said that he should fix his switch first.
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