What did YOU do today?

[sgtsandman]

Other than getting the fall maintenance done on the 2019 (see what did you do to your Ranger in the 2019+ section), I got the grass cut and some other small tasks. Me and my buddy, who is in for annual training, sat by the fire ring for a bit as well and got to enjoy the benches I built earlier in the year. With as busy and chaotic as the year has been, this was sadly the first chance to have a fire and use the benches.

 

[mikkelstuff]

Got a haircut - which is to say the wife cut my hair. I'm always amused by the occasional "oops" and "oh darn"s. No more hair than I have left, she still thinks I care.

 

[Jim Oaks]

My son-in-law inherited a 1980 Turbo Trans Am after his father passed. His dad bought it new and parked it in 1985 after the turbo went out. The car has 44,000 miles on it.

It's sitting in the lower level of their barn in Ohio. My SIL and his friend tried to start it but it wasn't getting spark. He replaced the components in the distributor along with new plugs and wires, and still no spark.

I remembered that these Turbo T/A's had a spark control module. After some research I found it under the front of the center console, unplugged it, cut the green wire for the G connector and the black wire for the J connector and connected them together with a butt connector.

A shot of starter fluid and it started right up. It will stay running if I keep spraying starter fluid in the carb. My SIL was pretty happy / excited to see it run.

He had removed the fuel line that goes to the fuel tank and ran a hose into a gas can, but the pump isn't sucking up the gas. I pulled the line off of the carb to confirm that there isn't any gas flowing through it.

It's great to see the T/A run after 39 years. Looks like the next step is replacing the fuel pump and draining the tank.

He talked to a company about a replacement turbo. Not sure what he's going to do. If it were me, I'd yank the 301 and replace it with a 400.

 

[Snoranger]

View attachment 117665​

My son-in-law inherited a 1980 Turbo Trans Am after his father passed. His dad bought it new and parked it in 1985 after the turbo went out. The car has 44,000 miles on it.

It's sitting in the lower level of their barn in Ohio. My SIL and his friend tried to start it but it wasn't getting spark. He replaced the components in the distributor along with new plugs and wires, and still no spark.

I remembered that these Turbo T/A's had a spark control module. After some research I found it under the front of the center console, unplugged it, cut the green wire for the G connector and the black wire for the J connector and connected them together with a butt connector.

A shot of starter fluid and it started right up. It will stay running if I keep spraying starter fluid in the carb. My SIL was pretty happy / excited to see it run.

View attachment 117666​

He had removed the fuel line that goes to the fuel tank and ran a hose into a gas can, but the pump isn't sucking up the gas. I pulled the line off of the carb to confirm that there isn't any gas flowing through it.

It's great to see the T/A run after 39 years. Looks like the next step is replacing the fuel pump and draining the tank.

He talked to a company about a replacement turbo. Not sure what he's going to do. If it were me, I'd yank the 301 and replace it with a 400.

Twin Turbo LS swap.

 

[Curious Hound]

Nice thing to fall into.

 

[superj]

holy cow!!! that is awesome!!

my stepmom had a silver trans-am when i was really little. it had the 400 and looked just like the smokey and the bandit car, other than it was silver

 

[Rick W]

View attachment 117665​

My son-in-law inherited a 1980 Turbo Trans Am after his father passed. His dad bought it new and parked it in 1985 after the turbo went out. The car has 44,000 miles on it.

It's sitting in the lower level of their barn in Ohio. My SIL and his friend tried to start it but it wasn't getting spark. He replaced the components in the distributor along with new plugs and wires, and still no spark.

I remembered that these Turbo T/A's had a spark control module. After some research I found it under the front of the center console, unplugged it, cut the green wire for the G connector and the black wire for the J connector and connected them together with a butt connector.

A shot of starter fluid and it started right up. It will stay running if I keep spraying starter fluid in the carb. My SIL was pretty happy / excited to see it run.

View attachment 117666​

He had removed the fuel line that goes to the fuel tank and ran a hose into a gas can, but the pump isn't sucking up the gas. I pulled the line off of the carb to confirm that there isn't any gas flowing through it.

It's great to see the T/A run after 39 years. Looks like the next step is replacing the fuel pump and draining the tank.

He talked to a company about a replacement turbo. Not sure what he's going to do. If it were me, I'd yank the 301 and replace it with a 400.

I’ve always done whatever I’ve wanted to with whatever cars or projects I’ve had. That’s what it’s all about. But if that car is an all original survivor, one owner from a family member, that would give me a strong incentive to keep it all original.

my two cents

 

[Jim Oaks]

I’ve always done whatever I’ve wanted to with whatever cars or projects I’ve had. That’s what it’s all about. But if that car is an all original survivor, one owner from a family member, that would give me a strong incentive to keep it all original.

my two cents

He'll never sell the car.

I was listening to how much the turbo options were. He'll get more horsepower for his money doing a Pontiac 400 swap than working on this 301. I'll support his decision either way. I talked to him about the 301 turbo options, Pontiac 400 options, and LS option. The 301 has no aftermarket support. I told him if he went with another engine to keep the 301 if the car were to ever be restored to original.

He really wants to drive it down the road. I see this being fixed and driven versus being restored.

I need to figure out the easiest way to drain the gas tank without having to jack it up and drop the tank.

 

[scotts90ranger]

He'll never sell the car.

I was listening to how much the turbo options were. He'll get more horsepower for his money doing a Pontiac 400 swap than working on this 301. I'll support his decision either way. I talked to him about the 301 turbo options, Pontiac 400 options, and LS option. The 301 has no aftermarket support. I told him if he went with another engine to keep the 301 if the car were to ever be restored to original.

He really wants to drive it down the road. I see this being fixed and driven versus being restored.

I need to figure out the easiest way to drain the gas tank without having to jack it up and drop the tank.

One of these should do the trick, might take a bit but pretty easy...

https://www.harborfreight.com/23-gallon-manual-fluid-extractor-62643.html

 

[Rick W]

He'll never sell the car.

I was listening to how much the turbo options were. He'll get more horsepower for his money doing a Pontiac 400 swap than working on this 301. I'll support his decision either way. I talked to him about the 301 turbo options, Pontiac 400 options, and LS option. The 301 has no aftermarket support. I told him if he went with another engine to keep the 301 if the car were to ever be restored to original.

He really wants to drive it down the road. I see this being fixed and driven versus being restored.

I need to figure out the easiest way to drain the gas tank without having to jack it up and drop the tank.

Understood & great idea to keep the current squirrel wheel.

On the gas tank, and I’m sure you know, best to completely drain it, shake up some rocks and chain in it to loosen the rust, and then epoxy coat it. It’s not that big of a job, and it will save zillions of problems if there’s any trash in it. Rust trash can be microscopic as opposed to dust trash.

My 2 cents

 

[Rick W]

If you have a spare electric fuel pump & in line filter….

just don’t blow yourself up.

 

[sgtsandman]

View attachment 117665​

My son-in-law inherited a 1980 Turbo Trans Am after his father passed. His dad bought it new and parked it in 1985 after the turbo went out. The car has 44,000 miles on it.

It's sitting in the lower level of their barn in Ohio. My SIL and his friend tried to start it but it wasn't getting spark. He replaced the components in the distributor along with new plugs and wires, and still no spark.

I remembered that these Turbo T/A's had a spark control module. After some research I found it under the front of the center console, unplugged it, cut the green wire for the G connector and the black wire for the J connector and connected them together with a butt connector.

A shot of starter fluid and it started right up. It will stay running if I keep spraying starter fluid in the carb. My SIL was pretty happy / excited to see it run.

View attachment 117666​

He had removed the fuel line that goes to the fuel tank and ran a hose into a gas can, but the pump isn't sucking up the gas. I pulled the line off of the carb to confirm that there isn't any gas flowing through it.

It's great to see the T/A run after 39 years. Looks like the next step is replacing the fuel pump and draining the tank.

He talked to a company about a replacement turbo. Not sure what he's going to do. If it were me, I'd yank the 301 and replace it with a 400.

Bandit approves!

I didn't know the Trans AM got struck with the turbo craze in the 80's as well.

 

[Jim Oaks]

Bandit approves!

I didn't know the Trans AM got struck with the turbo craze in the 80's as well.

When GM axed Pontiacs 400, Pontiac built the 301, and then added a turbo option to compensate for the loss of cubic inches. Then GM killed all of Pontiacs engines and replaced the 301 with the GM 305.

 

[Shran]

I paid my house off - 21 years early.

Wells Fargo can suck a big fat donkey dong. I hate those bastards so much. Now I never have to deal with them again.

 

[Curious Hound]

When GM axed Pontiacs 400, Pontiac built the 301, and then added a turbo option to compensate for the loss of cubic inches. Then GM killed all of Pontiacs engines and replaced the 301 with the GM 305.

Just think. Once he gets it fixed, he can paint it up and it'll look just like this.