My car is an ‘86 with a complete aero conversion done on it before I owned it. Nothing is original, and nothing is as it should be……. But now it's mine, and I’ve touched every part of it….. and I don’t care what’s happened to it before I owned it. Take what you have, make it your own, and be proud of it !!!I pretty much only use Facebook for events and the marketplace these days. All the cool kids in my generation moved on to instagram and TikTok. The way I see it, instagram is full of coked out chicks and roided out dudes. It’s a cesspool of vanity and false altruism. TikTok is a Chinese intelligence tool/psyop, and it needs to be banned yesterday.
Anyway,
I contacted a body shop that gets good reviews and seems to have experience working on old metal. I explained the car’s history, and the guy told me that it sounds like the car’s had a hard life and he can’t promise anything, but he’ll take a look. I’ll let you guys know what he says.
Speaking of that history, I was told by the previous owner (some time after I bought it) that it had been in an accident during its time in California. I did a VIN check on Bumper, and there were no accidents reported. My understanding is that means that whatever happened wasn’t serious enough to warrant a salvage title. I also found out that it was impounded in 2006, no explanation as to why. Could’ve been parked in the wrong spot. Could’ve been used to rob a bank.
I knew I liked you!!instagram is full of coked out chicks and roided out dudes. It’s a cesspool of vanity and false altruism. TikTok is a Chinese intelligence tool/psyop, and it needs to be banned yesterday
That’s the conclusion that I’ve come to since I started really driving it again. I need to stop worrying about whether or not the car is “perfect” and just enjoy it as it is. It’s still fun to cruise around and go to shows in, and it still gets people talking at the gas station. I know a lot of people hate it when strangers come up to them at the pump to talk about their car, I actually love it.My car is an ‘86 with a complete aero conversion done on it before I owned it. Nothing is original, and nothing is as it should be……. But now it's mine, and I’ve touched every part of it….. and I don’t care what’s happened to it before I owned it. Take what you have, make it your own, and be proud of it !!!
My ‘86 is silver, and I keep thinking about those wheels. I bought chrome Pony wheels (17X8/9) for mine when I got it back on the road, but now I’m thinking about LMR’s 17X8/9 ten hole reproductions…but the black mesh still looks good to me!I’ve made a few isolated posts already, but I figured I’d give you guys an overall update on the car’s (and my) status.
A lot has happened in my life over the course of three years, but unfortunately not much has been done to the car. I got a set of new rims and tires in 2022 to replace the old mismatched and discontinued tires the car came with. Same Saleen black basket style, just a little more modern in terms of size and a little beefier in the rear.
Since then, my family has moved to South Carolina (I’ve been here a year now), so I no longer have to worry about salt on the roads and I can drive and work on my car year round if I want to, which is great. Cost of living is generally a little cheaper down here as well, which means I’ll be able to get out on my own a little bit sooner.
On that front, I’ve been making some slow progress. My savings were wiped out due to an unexpected hospital visit last year, but I’m in school and trying to find a job preferably in car sales or service writing. I’ve already had an interview with a Honda dealership down here that I think went pretty well.
As for the car, due to some personal struggles following the move it has mostly sat in the garage until a couple weeks ago. After a new battery and starter solenoid, it fired right up and I’ve been driving it.
That being said, it still has some issues that I’ll need to address in the future which I’ll list below:
The engine needs to be rebuilt. There’s a moderate lifter tick once the oil heats up and a shop up north told me my crankshaft bearings are probably shot. I’m running a thicker oil which has helped for now. It still runs really well. I’ve put together a couple of parts lists that I’ll share in another thread, but I can say that it’s likely going to be tremendously expensive, so I’m putting it off for as long as I can for right now.
I never got around to diagnosing the loose steering, but I’m almost certain that it’s due to some broken part in the column and I’m keeping an eye on it. 86 tilt columns are somewhat rare, but there is one close by that I’ve been looking at.
Also in the category of things I never got to is making sure the frame is straight. I did end up taking it to another shop up north for a second opinion, and the guy immediately pointed out, rather worryingly, that my left front wheel is further back than my right. The car still tracks straight, and an alignment confirmed that everything is green suspension-wise, so I’m not sure what’s going on there but I’m definitely planning on taking it to a shop down here to make sure everything is square. Maybe something to do with the caster/camber plates?
Finally, after some help from you guys in a recent post, I’m pretty certain that I have the wrong transmission bolted to my engine. Everything points to it being a 4cyl gearbox. It’s lasted this long without issue and I don’t typically drive the car hard, so I’m planning on replacing it when I get the engine rebuilt.
And that pretty much wraps everything up. The car and myself still have issues, but they’re getting worked on. The car definitely still turns a lot more heads than I do, that’s for sure.
If anybody knows any good shops in the Charleston, SC area let me know!
To your funny story, that I see little humor in BTW, too much attention is given to social media, I really don't give a 'rat's red bunion hole' about someone calling me out about me saying what I think bout there poor taste, a lot of people are respectful of others, some are not, there are a few late model Camaro and Mustang owners that have the 'hear me, see me' exhaust and make sure they use it at every opportunity possible. mostly V6 cars that are especially obnoxious,Funny story time:
Went to a car show today, it was a charity show for a local high school choir. They performed a couple of times at the end before the awards were handed out, and they were going to perform again one more time after, but nobody could hear them because a third of the crowd started leaving. A couple of Camaros with exhaust dumps were even revving their engines to redline right next to the performance, which was deafening.
I was appalled, and so I mentioned the incident on the local cars and coffee Facebook page essentially saying that a bunch of non-specific people, particularly a couple of late model Camaro drivers, needed to grow up. This is literally the first Facebook post I’ve made in probably 2 years.
As it turns out, those Camaros were two of a group of twelve at the event associated with the local chapter of the All American Camaro and Firebird Association, and they weren’t too excited about my post.
I ended up having a very pleasant conversation with their president, who explained that the members didn’t know the choir was singing another song, and apologized for the incident. I told him I’d delete the part of my post calling out the Camaros to avoid harming his organization’s reputation, which I did.
So now I might have to worry about a gang of angry Camaro drivers if I ever show my face at another car show. I think I’m just going to never post on social media again and stay in the house next time…
I would be alot more worried if you ticked off a low rider group or cars that had 30" wheels on them....Funny story time:
Went to a car show today, it was a charity show for a local high school choir. They performed a couple of times at the end before the awards were handed out, and they were going to perform again one more time after, but nobody could hear them because a third of the crowd started leaving. A couple of Camaros with exhaust dumps were even revving their engines to redline right next to the performance, which was deafening.
I was appalled, and so I mentioned the incident on the local cars and coffee Facebook page essentially saying that a bunch of non-specific people, particularly a couple of late model Camaro drivers, needed to grow up. This is literally the first Facebook post I’ve made in probably 2 years.
As it turns out, those Camaros were two of a group of twelve at the event associated with the local chapter of the All American Camaro and Firebird Association, and they weren’t too excited about my post.
I ended up having a very pleasant conversation with their president, who explained that the members didn’t know the choir was singing another song, and apologized for the incident. I told him I’d delete the part of my post calling out the Camaros to avoid harming his organization’s reputation, which I did.
So now I might have to worry about a gang of angry Camaro drivers if I ever show my face at another car show. I think I’m just going to never post on social media again and stay in the house next time…
My experience in the last few year of the LOUDEST, Rudest, head ache causing exhaust noise has been from Late Model Mustangs.....To your funny story, that I see little humor in BTW, too much attention is given to social media, I really don't give a 'rat's red bunion hole' about someone calling me out about me saying what I think bout there poor taste, a lot of people are respectful of others, some are not, there are a few late model Camaro and Mustang owners that have the 'hear me, see me' exhaust and make sure they use it at every opportunity possible. mostly V6 cars that are especially obnoxious,
I don't do social media and ya'll stay off my grass
This is basically what I am doing with my 83 car.. Explorer engine, 030 over with a Stage 1 cam. Machinist looked over my " P" heads and did a basic valve grind and surfaced them... I installed new beehive springs with viton oil seals... I wanted a roller cam engine and one piece main seal which is one reason I did not rebuild the original engine....I've been thinking about my engine/transmission situation. I've said before that I wanted to make 350-400 lbft at the flywheel, but the more I think about how I actually drive the car, and also how much money would be required to get to that goal, the more I think I may be better off just having my current shortblock rebuilt, picking up a clean pair of GT40 heads, and calling it a day.
As much as I like to think otherwise, I primarily drive the car as a cruiser. Take it on errands, shows, etc. What I really want out of the car is to be able to drive it anywhere reliably while also having some fun with it.
I already have an explorer intake as well as some kind of mild cam (I don't know exactly what it is), along with a cold air intake and shorty headers. The car dyno'd a couple years ago at 235 rwhp and 290 lbft, so I think the main choke point is the heads, which are the stock E7s.
I figure with my current setup plus a set of GT40s and 24lb injectors I could make 260-280 rwhp? It would basically be a cobra engine with some extra oomph. That would give me a noticeable bump in power while also allowing me to use a T5 rather than having to upgrade to a TKX. I could always get the intake/heads ported to make a little more power in the future as well. I know I'd have to get a new MAF sensor for the new injectors.
Do you guys see any issues with this setup? I'm trying to be a little more realistic. I'd love to get a Blueprint 347 and a TKX, but I think I'm going to have to save that for the future when I'm a little more financially stable.
That’s a nice looking setup! I hope mine turns out that clean.This is basically what I am doing with my 83 car.. Explorer engine, 030 over with a Stage 1 cam. Machinist looked over my " P" heads and did a basic valve grind and surfaced them... I installed new beehive springs with viton oil seals... I wanted a roller cam engine and one piece main seal which is one reason I did not rebuild the original engine....
My car is carbureted, as it was from the factory so I did get a new summit carb.
Went with a TKX as my car had a SROD in it.. SROD bell fits a TKX...
I hope to have a nice running street engine/car....
Look around. I found those on Amazon for $81... When you look at different headers read the fine print.. It usually will say " does NOT fit P heads" or says it DOES fit p heads.....That’s a nice looking setup! I hope mine turns out that clean.
I wanted to ask you, what headers are you using for those GT40Ps? I know the spark plugs are different and there’s only a few sets of headers outside the stock explorers that work, and even then I’ve seen people recommend using spark plug sleeves.
Watch out for those Cougars around the pools.....In other news, I just got what sounds like a pretty decent job so hopefully I’ll have some cash flowing in soon. It’s pool maintenance so I’ll be baking in the South Carolina sun, but it pays well, I get a company truck, and I’d still have time to go to school on the side.
Yes, those are your condenser hook ups/Friends, I have a question about AC components…
Does this mean the evaporator is already in the dash?
If your going threw there trouble with new parts, replace it.. Its probably been sitting open for years and rotted to all hell.Friends, I have a question about AC components…
I’ve long wanted to install AC in my car. This became a more urgent item on my list after moving to the swampy sweatbox that is South Carolina, but I assumed I needed to take out the dash and put in an evaporator to do it. However, I also know there’s a couple of pipes on the firewall that look suspiciously like factory AC hookups:
Does this mean the evaporator is already in the dash? And if so, is there a flushing process I’d have to do before hooking it up to a compressor and condenser?
If you’ve read my previous posts, you’ll know that I have some bigger, more chronic problems to resolve in the future, but if I can make the car more bearable to drive in the meantime I’d like to pursue it.
In other news, the pool job fell through at the last minute and I’m now looking at a job in landscaping that looks promising. School started up as well, so I’ll have less time to tinker in the garage for awhile, which will probably be good for my bank account.
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