1977 W72 Y82 SE build
 

Some of you guys might remember I posted picking up a 77 SE a while back. It's time I finally did something with it.

The short story is I found it listed online in Maine, and bought it from the son of the original owner. His Dad bought it new at a local dealer, and spent its life up in Milo, ME. Somewhere along the line it was lightly customized by having the original striping hand painted, along with the bird being hand painted and gold leafed.

It's been sitting since 1995. It was shuffled from garage to garage, before being stuck in the woods and forgotten. We made a deal and after a 7 hour round trip it was in it's new home.

It still retains all its original panels, although will need some work on the quarters. Everything structural is perfect. The floor pans need some help, but I have a one piece floor for it. The trunk, rear rails, and tail panel are great.


I dropped the gas tank and surprisingly it was fine. I changed all the fluids, power washed the entire bottom of the car, threw in a fresh battery and a good carb I had laying around, and it fired right up. Great oil pressure, no smoke, no top end noise, nothing. Pretty cool.

My plan is to put it on the rotisserie and completely do it over, but currently my 70TA is on it, and I have a 78 W72 Y82 currently being painted, so instead of this bird sitting in the garage waiting its turn I decided I'm going to drive it like it is for a while.

I'm in the process of installing FiTech fuel injection, getting new tires, and giving it a once over. I'll be sure to document its journey back to life after 25 years of slumber in the woods.

The pics of it on the trailer is when I picked it up. The one of it up on the lift is after buffing the paint back with some agression compound on a rotary buffer. It actually shines up pretty good. lol





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That's an exciting acquisition! I'd like to see more of the hand-painted trim. Also, not too bad underneath... my first '77 T/A had rust holes in the rear frame sections (the same ones you pictured) by 1987 and I had to rebody it.

After living in AZ for a quarter century, my views on what's worth taking on as a project car have changed, but that one would still be tempting. :)

no a/c 4 speed i love that.

It's a pretty low optioned car. The big ticket item was the deluxe interior, W72 and Y82. They definitely knew what they wanted when they bought it! I gotta look at the phs again, but I think the only other options were HD Battery and HD Headlights.



I test fit the FiTech throttle body today. I was surprised to find it fits under the shaker base no problem. It's installed in the pic, and you cant tell at all.

I removed the intake so I can modify it to fit the throttle body. I need to open up the 4 individual holes designed for a Q-Jet and make them two large openings, like a typical dual plane into. I could use a spreadbore adapter, but it would push the shaker up too high, and then I'd need a drop base. I'm not doing that nonsense. The 4 center bolts on the intake were a nightmare. They rotted to the point they looked like carriage bolts. A cut off wheel, air hammer, and stripped bolt sockets eventually got them out.


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Damn, wish I would find one close to that condition! All my cars are apart. Keep telling myself to buy better projects. Would love to have a survivorish se some day.

So guys who ticked more options didn't know what they wanted?! Or just wanted more haha.
One thing about a neglected car, you know not much has been messed with! Still very cool to inspect.

I started cutting the intake today. I put on a 4 hole gasket to give a visual on what's getting chopped out. I got it roughly cut out, and JB Welded the EGR hole closed on the inside of the intake. I'll blend it and snap a pic when it's done.



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Heres a pic after the rough cut (very rough). I'll get in there and smooth out and blend everything nicely with a burr bit.

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Got the intake blended out, installed with new gaskets, and got the throttle body on. Ran the fuel lines, which is Fragola Push-lok in -6AN. Got the fuel pump mounted out back. Just have a little wiring to do, and it'll be done.

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Update:


Called tech support. They say it sounds like the ecu is dead. They want $250 to look at it. Asked if I could return the unit and they hung up.*


Screw them, screw this ****ty ass unit, and I'm going with a Holley Sniper as soon as they're in stock again. I guess for now I'll rebuild the Q-Jet and suffer with that thing.

I know a lot of folks like modern stuff like the FI unit you have, but Cliff can send you ALL the parts you need, including an electric choke conversion AND ANY tech support you my need, if you were closer and not injured, I'd volunteer to help. Cliff can even send you new jets and metering rods to calibrate your for today's current gas and the exact state your engine is in.

I'm a fuel injection guy. I hate not having any faith in my Q-Jets to not boil fuel after I shut it off. I hate the long cranking time if it's been sitting a few days and I dont have an electric pump to help it etc. etc.

That said, this car has the correct carb, so I will rebuild it and eventually put it back on. Nobody wanted to touch it as its frozen shut, but I've had it soaking in a concoction of stuff in a large bucket, and it's starting to break free. I guess carb shops nowadays only want to rebuild ones that are already fully functioning.

Right now I have an Edelbrock on it. It fits beautifully as I already chopped up the intake for the fuel injection. I just blocked off the egr with a freeze plug and tac welded it in place for good measure. Runs great. I was actually able to take the car down the street for its first time in 27 years!

Good job on the intake mods!!!

Put its first miles on it. Just a little shake down to see what it needs and what can wait. The power steering pump is a little weak and noisy when turning while not moving. The clutch release point is on the high side, but seems to grab ok. Oil pressure is good. Overall not too bad for sitting 27 years!


A little black duct tape takes care of the seat covers for the time being. Installed a spare pioneer head unit I had on the shelf in the console (not cutting the dash) and some 6x9s out back. Sounds pretty good.

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Love the license plate! And I've always liked the way the '77 shaker scoop sits lower in the hood than other years.... it's slightly more subtle from the driver's seat.

Found the PHS for it. Doesn't have a whole lot of options, but has some good ones.

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Looks like it wouldn't take much to do some spot panting (although it would still be crude, in comparison to a proper repaint). A little sanding and some black paint would make that patina disappear!!!

Yeah, the previous owners kid went around it with some primer to protect the exposed metal, but he went a little overboard.


This car will end up on a rotisserie this winter and sent to the sand blaster, so I'm not too concerned about making it look much better. I did go over the paint with a buffer and heavy cutting compound, and it shines pretty good for what it is lol

LOVE IT

Great to see it driving again! It is a most worthy candidate of a high quality resto.

It's getting a nut and bolt rotisserie resto on it starting this winter. I basically have all the sheetmetal I need for it. NOS quarter, hood, and a 1 piece floorpan. I have a mint radiator support out of another 77, so that'll be correct looking and even date code correct.

I'll probably start tearing it down around December.

Question for you guys:

What operates the reverse light switch at the base of the steering column? The switch itself works, and the lights turn on, but whatever is used to move the switch is missing.

The entire back drive linkage is still present and working flawlessly. The neutral safety is still hooked up and working. It's funny how the reverse switch is the only thing not working.


It's not a big deal if they work or not, but I figure might as well give it a shot.

What's hand painted trim?

The back drive or reverse lockout linkage is connected to the steering column arm via a rod. If you can shut the car off without shifting it into reverse, then the linkage is not present or way out of adjustment.

Since my car has tube headers, the original back drive linkage would not work. I used an early '60's Corvette reverse switch and linkage mounted directly to the ST-10 trans, since those car used the T-10. I made a harness connecting the original reverse plug under the dash to the new switch on the trans.

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...0&d=1497231868

A crude exploded diagram of the linkage

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from FSM

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You definitely have the lower rod, which is the one that is usually tossed..

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I have everything I think. I can't get the key out unless it's in reverse, so everything is working correctly. I just don't have whatever hooks up to the reverse switch.

The switch is at the base of the steering column under the dash close to the firewall. There is a plastic tab on the switch that fits into a slot in the shift tube in the column. The back drive linkage connects to an external arm on the column which is connected to the shift tube. If you need to place the car in reverse to lock the column and remove the key, then there is an issue with the switch itself, or it's way out of adjustment.

Ok, I think I'm getting closer to understanding this lol

So that's exactly how my switch looks. It's mounted to the column, but there's nothing there that I can see that will move the switch.

I removed the switch from the column, plugged it in and can activate the lights with the switch, so the switch itself seems to be good.

The tab on the switch is inserted into the slot on the shift tube as circled:

https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...1&d=1662420784

Linkage it adjustable as well as the switch having slots.

Ohhhh, I see! I'll get under there again and see what's up. Maybe it was out of adjustment, and the previous owner just disconnected it instead of adjusting it? Because the switch works and the lights light up.

Thank you for the help!

What headers (brand), size pipes, brand of system, mufers do you have your car???

Hooker Super Comp ceramic coated, Pypes SGF70 transverse 2.5" system with the single Race-Pro muffler.

East bound and down! I almost sold my GTO to buy a new 1977 SE T/A
and couldn't bring myself to do it. Knowing what I know now, I would have
bought four of them and set them aside for my retirement. I never could have
imagined back then what these cars are worth now. I did own a 400 4 speed
SE T/A built with every factory option from 1982 to 1992 (one of 1107 400 4speed
SE's built and probably one of just a handful built with every possible option.
That car stopped traffic everywhere it went and I have no idea why I sold it.....dumbest thing I ever did. The guy who bought it flipped it to a guy who
exported it to Tokyo. In 1992 I sold it for 13,000 dollars which was all the money back then......the original sticker on the car was about 11,000 dollars. God knows what it would be worth today as it was a perfect 12,000 mile car when I sold it.

I think many in the hobby are in disbelief regarding the 1977-78 SE market. No doubt the star power from the late great Burt Reynolds has a lot to do with it. These cars most certainly have the looks, and were just about the only car in its day to still have any level of competent performance. Never mind the fact how easy it is to modify them to achieve early '70's level of performance.

As for estimated value of a perfect full option 12k mile '77 4 speed SE- my opinion has it anywhere between $175k to the current high water mark of $400k if marketed properly at the right venue.

Burt's influence is not fading and only helping our investments...

Amazing what the SE's are fetching.

My old rusty 74 T/A went to Kuwait last year and I can only think the movie had something to do with it...lol

Took it out for a spin tonight. It's pretty cool driving it around after a 27 year slumber in the woods of Maine.

I laughed to myself, after reading this post. A couple of "good Ole boy middle easterner's" cruising a TA wearing turbins, not like cowboy hats...

Exactly...i have a recurring dream I see her again on the TV 🙄

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I've been driving the 77 this past week. Put about 300 miles on it so far. Took it to a car show today. Great turn out (300+ cars), and even ran into two fellow PY members.

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Been racking up the miles. Have about 500 on it so far. Everything has been great, almost like it wanted to be back on the open road again.

Went to a cars and coffee event yesterday morning, and went cruising afterwards.

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It is a beautiful 74 degrees here today, which is crazy. Had to take the tops off one more time this year before winter comes! Each day that winter approaches, this bird is one day closer to going on a rotisserie, so I'm enjoying it while I can!

I didn't notice the damn shaker wasn't straight until I looked at the pics afterwards!

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so much fun...I'm jealous...snowing here

I'd be on the fence to just leave her alone if I was you lol