Mods
Mr Gasket Headers
3” Dynomax Exhaust
Accel Billet distributor
Dual electric cooling fans (TPI cars only).
3” Dynomax Exhaust
Accel Billet distributor
Dual electric cooling fans (TPI cars only).
Build story
I’ve been a third gen F body fan since KITT took the small screen.
I’ve never been able to own one until May of 2020. This car has seen us through the virus and given my family something positive to focus on.
I found Rocky on Facebook marketplace. The car hadn’t been on the road since 2001. It was a no crank no start, sitting on 3 flats ‘85 Trans Am, 5.0L Auto, T tops and mouse droppings. The drivers seat was missing most of the upholstery, the fuel filler neck smelled something science hasn’t identified and there was a mouse house in the air filter and snorkel. The previous owner had had the car painted in 1999, done some minor updates and it ended up in dry storage. Within the last year he’d lost the storage spot and interest in the car, was basically abandoned in the driveway.
I inflated the tires, winched it onto a trailer and towed it white knuckled 2 hours home.
I pulled over just short of my house to do the fastest Junkyard Digs revival ever: our driveway is sloped upward and there’s nothing to tie the winch to (and I hadn’t exactly told my wife it didn’t run...) I slipped under the trailer, spun the engine over by the crank bolt, checked fluids and traced the no crank to the park position switch. With that resolved, I plumbed a Vice Grip Garage approved fuel system (bottle fed) and fired it up - killing every mosquito in a 5 mile radius. It smoked like granny at bingo, but cleared up shortly thereafter. I limped it home and have been working on it since. It’s safe to say I’ve had hands on every major and minor component in the car.
Like most, I’ve went about the repairs as time and money allowed. Every repair on the car has been an at home driveway repair, I’ve farmed nothing out. Nearly every part on the car was original, only a few radiator hoses had been changed. I did safety stuff first, pop up headlights and lamps, then full exhaust (3” Dynomax and Mr Gasket headers), all new rear drum brakes and steering center link with pitman arm including a driveway alignment. I did the valve seals next, with tune up. I flushed the fuel system, rebuilt the quadrajet and was still fighting a shark bite miss - turned out to be a wiring issue in the distributor advance solved by a new Accel unit. My daughter and I serviced the transmission, engine and transmission mounts were replaced. We replaced the hood and hatch struts. This winter I refurbished the interior and built a new drivers seat with matched upholstery. We wet sanded the clear coat off the rims and polished them to a mirror shine and replaced the sway bar links, struts and shocks.
I’m a big fan of factory upgrades where possible: currently finishing up TPI dual electric cooling fan conversion and adapting / refurbishing a less restrictive air filter setup (‘86 K15 5.7L). I have plans for a higher stall converter (99ish 4.3L S10) a more aggressive transmission servo (4L70E), cam and intake once I finish with a few other minor nagging issues - something about needing a new fridge, I don’t know.
Currently the car runs stout and handles very well for its age. We call it Rocky because of the tape we found in the deck. We’ve made several ice cream runs and my wife and I have even had it out for date night a time or two. We completely missed the car scene last year and I’m really glad that the Quarantine Car Show is back for 2021.
Thanks for your consideration as a Quarantine Car Show applicant. I have a very simple video uploaded just as a place holder.
I’ve never been able to own one until May of 2020. This car has seen us through the virus and given my family something positive to focus on.
I found Rocky on Facebook marketplace. The car hadn’t been on the road since 2001. It was a no crank no start, sitting on 3 flats ‘85 Trans Am, 5.0L Auto, T tops and mouse droppings. The drivers seat was missing most of the upholstery, the fuel filler neck smelled something science hasn’t identified and there was a mouse house in the air filter and snorkel. The previous owner had had the car painted in 1999, done some minor updates and it ended up in dry storage. Within the last year he’d lost the storage spot and interest in the car, was basically abandoned in the driveway.
I inflated the tires, winched it onto a trailer and towed it white knuckled 2 hours home.
I pulled over just short of my house to do the fastest Junkyard Digs revival ever: our driveway is sloped upward and there’s nothing to tie the winch to (and I hadn’t exactly told my wife it didn’t run...) I slipped under the trailer, spun the engine over by the crank bolt, checked fluids and traced the no crank to the park position switch. With that resolved, I plumbed a Vice Grip Garage approved fuel system (bottle fed) and fired it up - killing every mosquito in a 5 mile radius. It smoked like granny at bingo, but cleared up shortly thereafter. I limped it home and have been working on it since. It’s safe to say I’ve had hands on every major and minor component in the car.
Like most, I’ve went about the repairs as time and money allowed. Every repair on the car has been an at home driveway repair, I’ve farmed nothing out. Nearly every part on the car was original, only a few radiator hoses had been changed. I did safety stuff first, pop up headlights and lamps, then full exhaust (3” Dynomax and Mr Gasket headers), all new rear drum brakes and steering center link with pitman arm including a driveway alignment. I did the valve seals next, with tune up. I flushed the fuel system, rebuilt the quadrajet and was still fighting a shark bite miss - turned out to be a wiring issue in the distributor advance solved by a new Accel unit. My daughter and I serviced the transmission, engine and transmission mounts were replaced. We replaced the hood and hatch struts. This winter I refurbished the interior and built a new drivers seat with matched upholstery. We wet sanded the clear coat off the rims and polished them to a mirror shine and replaced the sway bar links, struts and shocks.
I’m a big fan of factory upgrades where possible: currently finishing up TPI dual electric cooling fan conversion and adapting / refurbishing a less restrictive air filter setup (‘86 K15 5.7L). I have plans for a higher stall converter (99ish 4.3L S10) a more aggressive transmission servo (4L70E), cam and intake once I finish with a few other minor nagging issues - something about needing a new fridge, I don’t know.
Currently the car runs stout and handles very well for its age. We call it Rocky because of the tape we found in the deck. We’ve made several ice cream runs and my wife and I have even had it out for date night a time or two. We completely missed the car scene last year and I’m really glad that the Quarantine Car Show is back for 2021.
Thanks for your consideration as a Quarantine Car Show applicant. I have a very simple video uploaded just as a place holder.