[grd777]

saw a nice trans am today completely restored to the tees , when he stared the car a lot of black carbon came out of the tailpipes i have no issues with the body and the interior , what should i check or worry about the engine . he said it was also rebuilt

[77 Canamman]

I would be concerned with visible smoke and leaks. It's a carbureted vehicle, so there will be a fair amount of carbon in the exhaust system, even with a healthy catalyst.

[grd777]

Originally Posted by 77 Canamman

I would be concerned with visible smoke and leaks. It's a carbureted vehicle, so there will be a fair amount of carbon in the exhaust system, even with a healthy catalyst.

it seemed to run smooth after the start up , there were no visible leaks . could it be to fuel and the carb needs to be adjusted

[Wick]

You are looking to buy the car?

[77 TRASHCAN]

If the car is a cherry original, the carb is likely untouched, and needing attention, especially if starting up cold.
My gut feeling is, the current owner doesn’t want to touch the carb, afraid of making it worse...

[grd777]

Originally Posted by 77 TRASHCAN

If the car is a cherry original, the carb is likely untouched, and needing attention, especially if starting up cold.
My gut feeling is, the current owner doesn’t want to touch the carb, afraid of making it worse...

i see the rivets , on the cowl i know on all the trans am i see you never see the rivets
will try and post a photo

[grd777]

Originally Posted by grd777

i see the rivets , on the cowl i know on all the trans am i see you never see the rivets
will try and post a photo

is this correct

[pippintook]

With regards to black soot coming out the exhaust - I'd warm up engine and so its idling around factory stock (750-800rpm?) and check the engine vacuum.I would think idle vacuum reading should be around 18-20? and nice and steady (at idle). See how vacuum responds to engine rpm. Check water temp- should normally be around 180-190 at idle? Pull driver's valve cover cap and inspect underneath ? signs of milky white residue might indicate engine problems (blowby). Pull passenger pcv vent tube and check inside tube for wet oil - could indicate engine has some blowby. Let engine warm up and then rev engine with valve cover cap pulled - check if you see any smoke coming out. Pull air cleaner lid and check air filter - see if its oily - check where pcv tube comes into air cleaner - again , is it oily? is pcv breather oily? These checks can help give you some ideas of engine condition. All engines will have a bit of blowby and older high mileage engines will usually have more blowby. Blowby can come from piston rings, valve seals , bad pcv valve (and other areas). It is also possible the engine needs a tuneup - possibly plugs are fouled and / or engine timing is off. I thought factory started putting caps on qjet idle mixture needles in late 70s. So, could check if idle mixture need caps are there ? From what I have read factory typically set idle very lean on these late 70s qjets.

[Aus78Formula]

yes, those rivets are original for the final years.

[grd777]

the car is fully loaded and fully restored i sent him a offer ,lets see what happens

one more thin the car is missing the duct work from the air cleaner ,look at photo is the the correct duct work for a 301 n/a

[Aus78Formula]

The standard 301 uses the smaller duct hose and elbow adapter, but of course, these aren't repro'd yet.

https://www.firebirdcentral.com/1979...p/10007530.htm

[grd777]

the air cleaner on the car looks different with a wider boot

[Aus78Formula]

Yes, they've used an earlier Pontiac base, not the angled 301T base. If that even fits the 301 correctly then the rest of that larger ducting can be sourced as usual, the flex hose drops in and out of availability.

[grd777]

Originally Posted by Aus78Formula

Yes, they've used an earlier Pontiac base, not the angled 301T base. If that even fits the 301 correctly then the rest of that larger ducting can be sourced as usual, the flex hose drops in and out of availability.

you got a great eye , so is this from a 79 301

[Aus78Formula]

Actually, it hasn't got the slots for the clips that I thought it had to attach the adapter so it may be the original type. But it takes a hard to find round-to-oval ducting that also isn't available. I'm not sure if a 4" ducting would squeeze out of shape and stretch to fit of not. There's a few different 301 snorkels over the years, plus the Turbo downpipe style.

[Grand73Am]

Originally Posted by grd777

the air cleaner on the car looks different with a wider boot

Looks like it should use this hose, and I don't see the plastic ductwork over by the fender.

80 ta air cleaner by grand73am, on Flickr

[grd777]

Originally Posted by Grand73Am

Looks like it should use this hose, and I don't see the plastic ductwork over by the fender.

80 ta air cleaner by grand73am, on Flickr

would this be correct for the 301 n/a engine

[Greg Reid]

If it's 'totally restored' he may have one of those 'factory re-conditioned' carburetors on it since many don't understand or want to learn anything about quadrajets.
If it has one of those on it, it's likely junk. I had one for a while and it would literally cause your eyes to water and clothes to stink.

[grd777]

Originally Posted by Greg Reid

If it's 'totally restored' he may have one of those 'factory re-conditioned' carburetors on it since many don't understand or want to learn anything about quadrajets.
If it has one of those on it, it's likely junk. I had one for a while and it would literally cause your eyes to water and clothes to stink.

i think i will stay away from this car .What do you guys think of the 1981 turbo
i know one that is restored and orginal for sale

[Grand73Am]

Originally Posted by grd777

would this be correct for the 301 n/a engine

Yes, that's what that drawing is for (not a turbo) .