Recent Posts

1

Projects & Restorations / Re: On again off again

« Last post by N PRGRES on Today at 12:54:47 PM »

Talked with speedhut and another member on here and realized I need the speedhut sensors to get my oil press and temp gauges working, which isn't a huge deal.  Luckily GM put a nice big hole in the middle of my firewall for the computer engine control wire harness so I have easy access.  I ordered some new grommets from Amazon and hopefully will get these installed this weekend. 

If nothing else I need to get the exhaust buttoned up this weekend, which shouldn't take more than an hour, so I can get the TA moved back to it's home that just got insulated. 

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Mechanical / Re: I am not a carb expert

« Last post by N PRGRES on Today at 12:49:47 PM »

Thanks guys.  We do have a rebuild shop around for carbs, I hear he is good but hard to get ahold of and slow, I don't want to end up with the car sitting all summer waiting on my carb.  I look at that secondary air door tension....once I figure out what you're talking about lol

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Mechanical / Re: I am not a carb expert

« Last post by Zach on Today at 12:36:01 PM »

Rebuilt my own quadrajet with cliff rugles book and his rebuild kit. Although the main Achilles with a quadrajet tends to be the throttle shaft becoming loose and causing an air leak. I sent the throttle plate out to him to rebush. Was pretty easy just keep track of everything, and look for obvious oddities (my apt was bottomed out by a previous owner causing an extreme lean condition). I will say make sure you know your ignition system is perfect before you mess with the carb. Off idle stumble that eventually comes back tends to be secondary air door tension, if yours is too lose or too tight can cause issues I need to reset mine come summer.

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Lobby / Re: New member says hello!

« Last post by 5th T/A on Today at 12:20:32 PM »

You asked for it, who in this group doesn’t want to talk about their cars.

 I will start how I got hooked on these cars and my handle, 5th TA. In 1070 when I turned 16, I enrolled in a work study program. I would go to high school half a day and work at the transmission shop in the afternoon. Did this until I graduated in 1972 and worked full time at the transmission shop until 1976 when I went back to school and got a degree in computer technology. I worked doing hardware repair on mainframe, mini computers and large disk arrays until I retired in 2018.

In January of 1973 I purchased my first TA new. As years went by I went on to buy a 1975, 1978, 1982. Once retired and without a TA for decades I started looking for a nice Gen II. In 2020 I found my current car a 1980. It had 6600 original miles, always stored  inside and I don’t believe it ever got very wet. My documentation says I am the 4th owner. Whiles the car was clean, it needed some maintenance work. The tires were original, as were all the belts and hoses. This was a very clean original car. Unfortunately, 1980 was kind of the pinnacle of no performance. The 301 normally aspirated engine was rated at 150 hp. The 2.41 axle ratio did little to help. I located a 1974 Pontiac 455 and intended to do a mild performance upgrade rebuild. Before I got started another member of TAC had a Pontiac 400 for sale, stroked to 461. It was a pretty high end build done by Butler Performance. The engine was never installed. If if recall the dyno numbers correctly it was 489 hp and 580 ft pounds. Making for a good street engine.

It was supposed to be just an engine upgrade, one thing led to another. If interested you can read about it here. Or just scan through the pictures.

http://www.transamcountry.com/community/index.php?topic=83455.0

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Lobby / Re: New member says hello!

« Last post by ertugg63 on Today at 10:56:39 AM »

Oops, I just reread your threads and see that Bad beige is the hot rod! Small block chevy’s can really put out the power. Although a 383 isn’t far from a BB 396. I bet this car is a thrill to drive.

Yes, Beige is a real kick in the pants, old school style, to drive. He’s a hoot!

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Lobby / Re: New member says hello!

« Last post by ertugg63 on Today at 10:53:58 AM »

@ 5th T/A;

 Thank you for the fine compliments. It’s been a grand time of my post retirement life, being able to touch a bit of my past by driving and enjoying these cars. I also enjoy the stories of how another enthusiast came by their choice of vehicle and what they have done with them.

 It was really a matter of good timing on my part when I started looking for a F body, or two, to purchase. Just good luck, really. And a supportive wife to let me enjoy the search and bringing them home.

 Beige is a great example. If anyone here had been perusing Bring A Trailer, auction site, in 2022, you’d a seen Beige listed for sale. A fair bit of his history and pedigree is there, as well as comments posted by seller and prospective buyers or interested parties. Spent most of his life on the NC / SC border with various owners, who made improvements or refurbishments.Then wound up on BAT, where no bidder reached sellers reserve. Ultimately, he wound up being purchased by a fella in Boise, Idaho, who also had several other late second gen Z28s. He kept Beige for about six months, when I came along after seeing a you tube video he posted. One conversation led to another, and we agreed on a price, then Beige shipped to me, at da!

I was the one who made the decision to rebuild the engine as a 383ci stroker. One day in May, 2023, on a drive near my home, Beige spun rod bearings 1 & 3, fatally damaging the two rods and the crankshaft, but leaving the block intact. Cost of a rebuild to stock was roughly the same as doing the 383, so, next thing ya know… kept the Dart heads, got a medium rise aluminum intake that is a Chevrolet high performance unit, kept original Rochester Quadrajet and HEI. Previous owner had put in a pair of Headman headers, kept those and the original air cleaner and snorkel - wolf in sheep’s clothing kinda stealth appearance- and here he is today.

Choosing which one? Ha, well, what day of the week is it? Right now, I drive Beige and Francine the most, when spousal unit isn’t tearing around town in Beige, that is…

Would enjoy hearing more about your T/A when ya have time. Thanks, again, cheers!

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Lobby / Re: New member says hello!

« Last post by 5th T/A on Today at 10:01:22 AM »

Oops, I just reread your threads and see that Bad beige is the hot rod! Small block chevy’s can really put out the power. Although a 383 isn’t far from a BB 396. I bet this car is a thrill to drive.

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Lobby / Re: New member says hello!

« Last post by 5th T/A on Today at 09:53:15 AM »

Well I never expected such elaborate detail. While I love the cars,  it’s the stories behind them I find very interesting. You have a very impressive collection of late 2nd Gen F body’s. I don’t know how you found such clean original examples. How do you decide which one you want to drive?

Thanks for taking the time to post your story and the great photos!

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Lobby / Re: Babylon Bee on Smokey and the Bandit

« Last post by ertugg63 on Today at 09:46:26 AM »

Man, the Bee is great! Love the humor of there posts, lol! And, Smokey and The Bandit, Jackie, Sally, Burt, Jerry, and Fred, plus the real star, that SE T/A, wow! When Hollywood just made movies to be fun and entertaining, who’da thunk! 

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Lobby / Re: What brand oil filter do you use?

« Last post by ertugg63 on Today at 09:40:49 AM »

A/C Delco PF 25s for the Camaros, less Beige, who wets a Wix Racing filter…