@@loganv944 the body style is called a T-top. It's a halfway step to a convertible. While retaining the coupe roof line, there's 2 removable glass panels. Which leaves a center support running front to back when removed, for strength. The seals on the glass panels are well know for leaking as they age a little.
I'd take a Trans Am over a modern Toyota. If you can fix a Lexus rx300 then you can fix anything. As changing the power steering hose on a Lexus takes more effort than changing a transmission on a Trans Am...
Love your videos. Had to comment on this one, because I have a similar story, if somewhat reversed. As a 16 year old (1996), my dad helped me buy an '85 Firebird. I had trouble with it passing smog but revving it in the parking lot of the inspection place fixed that. As an idiot 16 y/o, I nearly wrecked it numerous times, and was finally successful by slamming it into a wall trying to take a turn too fast. My uncle, who sounds a lot like yours, bought it off of us because he knew he could fix the front-end damage for cheap with ubiquitous junk yard parts. He got it back to 100% again and loved that car. He too lived a hard, but party-filled lifestyle after a bad marriage sent him down the other path. He was the black sheep of the family, but I always liked him. He drove that Firebird until the day he died, far too young, for being hard-headed and not taking care of himself. RIP to all those crazy uncles that danced to their own song, likely coming out of a Pontiac down by the beach.
I'm sorry to hear of your uncle's passing. Better a crash while having a good time than bedridden dying of cancer, good on the crazy dude. Glad his car went to someone who'd make a video about it. Too many people view the "stuff" as just that after someone dies. It's refreshing to hear the stories that went with the stuff, the personal side.
This is my car. I love your uncle, I love your videos. Your uncle sounds like a pretty cool guy. I aspire to be like you, keep up the great work with your videos.
so are the seatbelts, they don't lock. the relays are for a newer version mine is a 1984 with some weird ass wiring stuff so I wouldn't be the one to ask anyway about wiring.
As an owner of one old American Chevy I can tell you that this is most likely normal for the seatbelts to not react to yanking. In a square body Burb from 1989 the seatbelts lack any mechanism that would lock them up under fast unreeling, only a swinging weight that locks them under G forces. Combined with super weak retractor springs it feels unsafe compared to any other car I've ever driven.
The relays that you noticed at 9: 28 are supposed to attach to the firewall. I had to remove all of them to do my clutch master cylinder (don’t ask). There’s a bracket that holds them up there. I’m letting mine flop in the breeze, until I’m sure I don’t have to take the brake booster off again.
Hi. It’s me again, strtmstr with the 88 GTA. you are correct: the shoulder straps on this car are worse than useless. Mine go through a little opening attached to the seat that proved useless the first year I owned it. you might want to not get rid of those seats. I’m going to get a pair of racing seats, and weld some brackets to the original seat bracket. I’m then going to use a four-point harness. It will undoubtedly work better than the OEM, and, might actually help me survive a crash.
I’ve seen that as well. You might check any junkyards in your area. There’s bound to be a few fourth gens there. Also, FYI if you didn’t know already, you can interchange a lot of parts for Camaros. sometimes it’s easier to look for Camaro parts.
in the seatbelt mechanism in the b-pillar, there is a literal metal ball bearing that when it rolls under g-forces the seatbelt locks. So, that is considered normal for 80's pontiac. Source: Bedraggled fiero geek.
I’m 43. When I was growing up everyone had 80s boats and pickup trucks. I got to drive one of these when I was 16 and it was like a F1 car compared to everything else I had driven.
i know you made this video two years ago, but every now and then on this godforsaken site, i find a video that feels important. this is one of those precious few. sounds like your uncle was a hell of a man, and it sounds like you're learning to be one of a good one too. americana is a funny thing, but you truthfully captured some sort of spirit in this video, one that i don't know by any other name. the best any of us can do is make sure that when death finds us, it finds us alive. god speed brother and i hope life gives you many beautiful sunrises
The turn signal stalk feels that way because it’s actually the voltage switch! A lot of old cars run the voltage to the blinkers and lights directly through the stalk control, you just move the switch handle They also had clicker mechanisms to make that noise instead of a speaker and board like today
Ford used to state in the owners manual that the turn signal lever could be lightly depressed for lane changes. So at one time the broken feeling was considered a feature. I don't think a lot of people don't realize those old blinkers a lot of times were a bimetal switch, and the blink speed was dependent on the burden from the bulbs. So if you had a bulb out the blinker would come on but not actually blink. Now people put leds in them and don't understand why the turn signals blink slow or won't blink at all
i thought those were pennsy inspection stickers! i'm from bucks county, but i like to think i may've been in the same place at the same time as uncle bill. i'm only 4 minutes in, and absolutely loving this. thank you so much for sharing this story dude. and thank you, uncle bill. that guy is everyone's uncle
My dad had a 1988 Blazer in the mid-90s that had the EXACT same turn signal/windshield wiper-washer/cruise control stalk. I hadn't thought about that car in 30 years, but as soon as I saw the way your turn signal stalk operated, I instantly remembered the Blazer: the turn signal stalk operated the same as yours and felt like it was broken from the day my dad brought that car home. (The turn signal stalk action never got any worse or actually broke; it always felt cheap and crappy.)
I'm sorry that I got rid of the Oldsmobile Delta 88 with the Rocket 454 engine that had been my dad's. I recall the engine compartment was so huge that the engine actually looked small. It was pretty rusted out and I was happy at the time to get $125 for the thing. But that money is long spent while the memories of the effortless miles that car ate up remain.
12:18 Those songs seem to be most appropriate for those cars 😅 The constant repeat is a feature not a fault 😂 (I’m a Miata NC guy and had an NA before so it’s all good 😅) Beautiful glorious NA Miata specimen. Nicer even perhaps than my NC. Great story about your uncle.
Working at a classic american auto shop but owning an 86 Volvo 240 that's always broken in one way or another, I can relate with this video a lot. I hate these things. Always a crapload of water damage and never taken decent care of. Yeah, those plastic parts just do that. That signal lever is probably normal knowing those. Pretty sure the seatbelt issue is a really common GM thing. Id swap em but that's expensive. Most customers who own these don't care since their rusted out frame makes a crash unsurvivable anyways. Changing carpet, I've found rust so horrendous in these that I didn't know how it hadn't collapsed under it's own weight, so check that. Those T tops leak like crazy. I've never changed the seal but it doesn't look difficult.
Beautiful story man. The issue with the head units is hilarious, especially because you somehow ended up with two of them. I'm starting to see a pattern with this channel.
Absolutely masterful transition from discussing your uncle's fun in the car, to you giving the interior a deep clean. I also appreciate the savagery on Columbus. Regarding the engine service light, it was probably too scared to come on while your uncle was around. The headunits thing is wild! Both cars playing absolutely appropriate songs for the car. Do not delete. Honour your uncle in the way only you know how.
5:47 - 90s Toyotas probably seem less damaged because all the plastic was made with 10-year newer material/technology and was cooked in the sun for 10 less years. 10:10 - They don't lock up because they probably didn't have that technology yet. It would not be uncommon for an 80s car not to have locking belts equipped because those were only required to be equipped on vehicles starting in 1996. They may have been optional. The newer ones you showed have an internal centrifugal clutch, which is why they pull slowly and lock on harsh pulls. It is a safety feature designed to keep you in your seat in the event of a collision that would otherwise toss you out the windshield. On my car, I have two separate seat belts, one for the lap and the other for the shoulder, and they do not have any retractable device or locking device, they are just bolted directly to the body interior and have an adjustable latch for tightness. Works great for keeping you in your seat, but not great if you need to pick something up in the interior while driving such as a water bottle rolling under the pedals. 11:03 - Cooper Cobra Radial GT, good enough tires that won't break the bank. They got raised white lettering on one side but are a soft tire. They look pretty good on older cars, I have them on my 1968 Ford Galaxie 500. Daily drove it for 2 years in California and didn't need to replace them. Car's been getting worked on since. Not sure about your area, may need different tires depending on road conditions and weather. 11:45 - That plunger switch is almost assuredly for the trunk interior lights or for the dash warning for open trunk. It is possible that it is connected to the electronic close circuit, but I wouldn't count on it.
Damn this hit me so square in the feels you could level a mill bed off it. Rememberances of the shadetree derpgeineer. I hope I can seem as cool to my nephew and nieces when I punch off to the Great Reward for them to adopt all my janky crap and have them find meaning in skinning their knuckles on it just like I did.
Thank you for honoring his life and memory, while at the same time expanding your own! Your mercy to his memory, rather than judgement gave you freedom to grow and learn. Thank you for the great content.
As a Fbody enthusiast… and one that has owned many 3rd gen’s… I feel very sorry for you. lol I do love the video, and your goals! The car is really cool - on an Fbody scale.. enjoy it, your uncle will smile everytime you return home from driving it!!
Great video you and him sound like great men. This one hit me in the feels and really made me feel like i need to spend more time with my uncle's and or my dad. you never know how long we got before the good lord calls us home.
I was worried about the seatbelts not locking in my grandfather's 1990 F-350 when I inherited it, but as others have said, that was apparently normal back then. Apparently the thing that locks them is called a pre-tensioner, and the ones that lock from being pulled hard only started showing up in the mid 90's. While I was looking that up, I also found out that most seatbelts actually have a small explosive to immediately pull the slack out in a crash, which is pretty metal. (I just noticed this video is 2 years old, d'oh!)
Your Ford has a big button near the door latch which is depressed when the door closes. That is what controls the seatbelt ratchet. That's why, I'm sure you've experienced, sometimes the seatbelt won't roll up when you go to get out, but then when you open the door it rolls up. Im not aware of any explosives in there, there may be any I just don't know it
This one caught in my throat a little & prompted me to hit the bell. Keep her the way your uncle had her & just fix what's broke. Just my personal .02 - your mileage may vary. basically just cherish her. prolly way past the pull date on this one, what with the two years & all. Condolences on your loss.
As a weirdo "liberal" guy, my whole philosophy is "Don't be an asshole." Or as a classical libertarian would put it, "Do whatever you want as long as it doesn't infringe on the freedom of others." Not the tax dodging live in the woods neo-classical libertarian. The kind that just doesn't give a shit as long you don't fuck with people. Then I rant about how we need to yield to certain things to ensure the group is supported over the individual blah blah blah that's the Liberal part. Not the point. So all this windup is just to say, don't fuck with people who understand society is a reactive construct built on glass pillars of unspoken, self-imposed Lockean contracts. Because you will always get 1 before society gets you. Now be a good human being, do whatever you want, live how you want; just don't stop others from doing the same. Unless you want to break that Lockean contract and thus void all the safety it granted you. ((Now a John Locke tangent)) Lockean contracts is not a common term. I just can't remember what it was called. Basically we are all born with liberties which are represented in actions or things we can do. We have the liberty to murder, eat, steal, and rape. But we don't want those to happen to us. So we decide that we will give up that liberty if others also give it up. Thus we live in a tenuous limbo built on trust. Society then codifies these "giving up of liberties" as laws.
You're gonna love that snapper even more once he really gets used to you. Check out Clint's Reptiles guide on how to hold em and make sure you take the time to interact with and feed him out of his tank. Also, when you feed him out of the tank give him soft chunks a good bit smaller than you feed him in his tank. Snappers don't swallow food as well out of the water but they still like eating when they're chilling with you. Once you have him socialized he really will act like a puppy, probably demand that you scratch his head and everything. Enjoy your new best friend!
10:04 the seatbelt arrestor has a pendulum that swings during hard breaking or a sudden impact to lock the belt, and unlock again when you stop pulling Gs.
As a current mechanical engineering student who’s high school car was an ‘83 El Camino pulled out of a landscaping lot, I know the feeling. A lot of “what does that do?”
I was also used to working on Toyotas and then bought a C5 Corvette. The difference in build quality is insane. Love the video, it’s a great tribute to your cool uncle.
Welcome to the GM world, I can say once you start you can’t go back. I love work on my ‘90 K1500, I try not to touch the subaru anymore. (Yes the multi-function switch just feels like that)
All GM turn signals from the late 80s and 90s feel broken don't worry. They only click over at the very end of the travel. I actually found it nice once I got used to it because it means signaling a lane change is less likely to trip the blinker on all the way.
Love the honesty and just hilarious Americana of this. You’re right. Buy a dumpster fire (or inherit one) and make that thing boogie. Just to say you did.
I have one of these turds and worked relentlessly to polish it into something special. At every step of the way I asked myself "What were they thinking?". The most amazing thing is that out of every muscle car ever made up to this point, this was pretty much the pinnacle. The 4th gen car was pretty much the same except for a new front suspension!
These cars will always be cooler than anything made today. They drive well in my opinion because they allow you to actually feel the road, like a sports car should. I dislike how soft modern cars arez they give you tactile feel of the road.
It has a manifold leak. It would be wise to go to a junkyard and just find a 350. It's not really worth it to put much money or effort into a 305. A rusted out Express Van, Silverado or Sierra HD with an LQ4 6L and 4L80e would be the greatest thing to do. If you found an earlier version with iron heads they're usually cheaper, a swap from 317 to 706/862 heads plus a thinner head gasket than stock to bump the compression more, the NBS/TBSS intake, a cam and valve springs, lifters and trays, swap headers, a converter. I would recommend Sloppy Mechanics for research. Matt Happle over there will tell you everything you need and everything you don't need. If you use his Don't B.S. Me build formula, all you really need is a 4.8/4L80e from an Express/Savanna then do your cam+springs, injectors, fuel system and chinese turbo. You can make frightening amounts if power with just a 4.8 and a GT45. Your Holley Terminator EFI is going to be the part that is most costly. Even if you set the boost low, you would have a more economical on fuel and reliable setup than the old TPI305 700R4.
With all due respect, the "just get a 350" is such unnecessary advice in today's day and age. You can still get good power out of a 305 using the same upgrades you'd do to a 350. You just don't want to use a 2.02 valve. That TPI has centerbolt heads on it so he can run vortecs. The hate 305s get is totally undeserved considering at the end of the day the issue is and always has been the peanut cam.
Iconic car. I would fix it up and enjoy it daily. I grew up when these were new and just as British love jags, I find myself love late 70’s and 80’s American cars. Build quality 😅😅 bla bla , awesome curb appeal 😊😊😊😊
![[ TEASER ] เงาะป่า - วงL.กฮ. | TMG RECORD](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/M4ObdFfcPww/mqdefault.jpg)
The fact that the trans am is stuck on Motley Crue and the Miata is stuck on Barbie World is beyond freakin hilarious and perfect 😂
Fax 📠👏🏽😂🤣
Actually fitting. 🚗 🎶
Old mate had the courage to do what few men actually do: live instead of waiting to die.
Damn
real man I was thinking this guy sounds like the most badass drunk uncle I aspire to his greatness.
> has cancer
> dies in a motorcycle accident
what a chad.
Well said
Cancer wasn't gonna control his life
On top of all the mechanical issues with the car, the radio is stuck on the same Motley Crue song? Has anyone considered that the car may be posessed?
The old ghost story says the owners of this car begin to grow a complete mullet out of there control…
Better possessed than repossessed!
I had one once that they wouldn’t repossess 🤦🏻
Just need to push the car backwards about 130,000 miles and it'll be good as new
Banshee of the mountain perhaps
Bit of a warning. Buy a set of T-top seals. You're going to need them. 😂
T-top as in tip top or what are T-top seals? Nevermind.
@@loganv944duh duh duh
@@loganv944 the body style is called a T-top. It's a halfway step to a convertible. While retaining the coupe roof line, there's 2 removable glass panels. Which leaves a center support running front to back when removed, for strength. The seals on the glass panels are well know for leaking as they age a little.
🎯👏🏽😂🤣
@@loganv944get lost,BOT!
Damn, casually dropping the bit about the sudden motorcycle accent hit me hard in the feels
Same here. Sounds like he was getting tail right up to his last day.
At least it was the manliest way to go, didn’t die to the projected major illness but rather cool shit
Glad to hear your uncle had the respect of his nephew. I bet it meant a lot to him.
What a beautiful and criminally under-viewed video.
The fun begins when you take those valve covers off!
Excellent video Trans Am brother. My condolences to you and the family. Well done. Btw, welcome to 80s GM QC and engineering. God bless.
I'd take a Trans Am over a modern Toyota. If you can fix a Lexus rx300 then you can fix anything. As changing the power steering hose on a Lexus takes more effort than changing a transmission on a Trans Am...
The car is old and not worth much but fixing it up and taking that trip for your Uncle is priceless.
they are going up in value. he will make money.
How did this video evade me for 2 fricken *YEARS* Edit: Actually how did your channel not show up for all this time??
Love your videos. Had to comment on this one, because I have a similar story, if somewhat reversed. As a 16 year old (1996), my dad helped me buy an '85 Firebird. I had trouble with it passing smog but revving it in the parking lot of the inspection place fixed that. As an idiot 16 y/o, I nearly wrecked it numerous times, and was finally successful by slamming it into a wall trying to take a turn too fast.
My uncle, who sounds a lot like yours, bought it off of us because he knew he could fix the front-end damage for cheap with ubiquitous junk yard parts. He got it back to 100% again and loved that car. He too lived a hard, but party-filled lifestyle after a bad marriage sent him down the other path. He was the black sheep of the family, but I always liked him. He drove that Firebird until the day he died, far too young, for being hard-headed and not taking care of himself. RIP to all those crazy uncles that danced to their own song, likely coming out of a Pontiac down by the beach.
I'm sorry to hear of your uncle's passing. Better a crash while having a good time than bedridden dying of cancer, good on the crazy dude. Glad his car went to someone who'd make a video about it.
Too many people view the "stuff" as just that after someone dies. It's refreshing to hear the stories that went with the stuff, the personal side.
Dude that was a great story and told very well 👍
This is my car. I love your uncle, I love your videos. Your uncle sounds like a pretty cool guy. I aspire to be like you, keep up the great work with your videos.
the turn signal stock is also not broken, its just that way, it works fine.
so are the seatbelts, they don't lock. the relays are for a newer version mine is a 1984 with some weird ass wiring stuff so I wouldn't be the one to ask anyway about wiring.
As an owner of one old American Chevy I can tell you that this is most likely normal for the seatbelts to not react to yanking. In a square body Burb from 1989 the seatbelts lack any mechanism that would lock them up under fast unreeling, only a swinging weight that locks them under G forces. Combined with super weak retractor springs it feels unsafe compared to any other car I've ever driven.
The relays that you noticed at 9: 28 are supposed to attach to the firewall. I had to remove all of them to do my clutch master cylinder (don’t ask). There’s a bracket that holds them up there. I’m letting mine flop in the breeze, until I’m sure I don’t have to take the brake booster off again.
Hi. It’s me again, strtmstr with the 88 GTA. you are correct: the shoulder straps on this car are worse than useless. Mine go through a little opening attached to the seat that proved useless the first year I owned it. you might want to not get rid of those seats. I’m going to get a pair of racing seats, and weld some brackets to the original seat bracket. I’m then going to use a four-point harness. It will undoubtedly work better than the OEM, and, might actually help me survive a crash.
I’ve heard that 4th gen seatbelts can be retrofitted… those are modern inertia style and should be much more trustworthy.
I’ve seen that as well. You might check any junkyards in your area. There’s bound to be a few fourth gens there. Also, FYI if you didn’t know already, you can interchange a lot of parts for Camaros. sometimes it’s easier to look for Camaro parts.
Who needs seatbelts in a car you own when you're just about to die? This is a rhetorical and circular question.
in the seatbelt mechanism in the b-pillar, there is a literal metal ball bearing that when it rolls under g-forces the seatbelt locks. So, that is considered normal for 80's pontiac. Source: Bedraggled fiero geek.
Came for the neat car, stayed for the TNG references
Wiping the steering wheel like that was the icing on the cake. Amazing video
This is the kind of stuff that's best about Y/T.
I’m 43. When I was growing up everyone had 80s boats and pickup trucks. I got to drive one of these when I was 16 and it was like a F1 car compared to everything else I had driven.
This video is one of the best hidden gems of automotive content on YT.
As you were describing your Uncle Bill, I realized I'm turning into a Uncle Bill. Including a 1992 Camaro. Same gen as your TransAM.
i know you made this video two years ago, but every now and then on this godforsaken site, i find a video that feels important. this is one of those precious few. sounds like your uncle was a hell of a man, and it sounds like you're learning to be one of a good one too. americana is a funny thing, but you truthfully captured some sort of spirit in this video, one that i don't know by any other name. the best any of us can do is make sure that when death finds us, it finds us alive. god speed brother and i hope life gives you many beautiful sunrises
i didn't realize me and the miata had that in common: i've been told by many lovers that i, too, am easy to service
The turn signal stalk feels that way because it’s actually the voltage switch! A lot of old cars run the voltage to the blinkers and lights directly through the stalk control, you just move the switch handle
They also had clicker mechanisms to make that noise instead of a speaker and board like today
Ford used to state in the owners manual that the turn signal lever could be lightly depressed for lane changes. So at one time the broken feeling was considered a feature.
I don't think a lot of people don't realize those old blinkers a lot of times were a bimetal switch, and the blink speed was dependent on the burden from the bulbs. So if you had a bulb out the blinker would come on but not actually blink. Now people put leds in them and don't understand why the turn signals blink slow or won't blink at all
I can't believe this video has just 30k views. Absolutely marvelous. Your Uncle must've been such a character. Rest in Peace legend!
I was going to say I’m definitely going to fallow along for this but I seen the video was two years old so hell I’m going to fallow and catch up
i thought those were pennsy inspection stickers! i'm from bucks county, but i like to think i may've been in the same place at the same time as uncle bill. i'm only 4 minutes in, and absolutely loving this. thank you so much for sharing this story dude. and thank you, uncle bill. that guy is everyone's uncle
Great video dude. Every kid needs an uncle like that.
I hope a family member takes care of my Mustang when I’m gone.
My dad had a 1988 Blazer in the mid-90s that had the EXACT same turn signal/windshield wiper-washer/cruise control stalk. I hadn't thought about that car in 30 years, but as soon as I saw the way your turn signal stalk operated, I instantly remembered the Blazer: the turn signal stalk operated the same as yours and felt like it was broken from the day my dad brought that car home. (The turn signal stalk action never got any worse or actually broke; it always felt cheap and crappy.)
I have the same stock on my 92 1500. I replaced it with a new on for 30 bucks and greased everything up while I was in there. Its much nicer now.
I'm crying over your ol' uncle :(
I'm sorry that I got rid of the Oldsmobile Delta 88 with the Rocket 454 engine that had been my dad's. I recall the engine compartment was so huge that the engine actually looked small. It was pretty rusted out and I was happy at the time to get $125 for the thing. But that money is long spent while the memories of the effortless miles that car ate up remain.
12:18 Those songs seem to be most appropriate for those cars 😅 The constant repeat is a feature not a fault 😂
(I’m a Miata NC guy and had an NA before so it’s all good 😅)
Beautiful glorious NA Miata specimen. Nicer even perhaps than my NC.
Great story about your uncle.
You can take the steering wheel off, clean and regrease the turn signal switch if you haven't yet.
Just found this- update please. Please!😊
I aspire for someone to tell my life's story in this manner once I'm gone.
Working at a classic american auto shop but owning an 86 Volvo 240 that's always broken in one way or another, I can relate with this video a lot. I hate these things. Always a crapload of water damage and never taken decent care of. Yeah, those plastic parts just do that. That signal lever is probably normal knowing those.
Pretty sure the seatbelt issue is a really common GM thing. Id swap em but that's expensive. Most customers who own these don't care since their rusted out frame makes a crash unsurvivable anyways. Changing carpet, I've found rust so horrendous in these that I didn't know how it hadn't collapsed under it's own weight, so check that. Those T tops leak like crazy. I've never changed the seal but it doesn't look difficult.
Like your content and quirky-ness. Watched a couple videos. You earned a sub for your no nonsense unforgiving comment about owning a few firearms. 👍
Beautiful story man. The issue with the head units is hilarious, especially because you somehow ended up with two of them. I'm starting to see a pattern with this channel.
Man that sucks, I'm Really sorry for your uncle and I wish you the best.
Absolutely masterful transition from discussing your uncle's fun in the car, to you giving the interior a deep clean.
I also appreciate the savagery on Columbus.
Regarding the engine service light, it was probably too scared to come on while your uncle was around.
The headunits thing is wild! Both cars playing absolutely appropriate songs for the car. Do not delete.
Honour your uncle in the way only you know how.
Son, you can tell a story! 😅
2:03
- Good Lord, Cotton! You gave him a loaded shotgun?
- Well, you don't give a toy without batteries...
Absolutely love how each car has music permanently stuck that fits the car
What a guy. Treasure that old beast.
Thank your uncle for the entertainment. I hope you have a few more stories he can tell us.
Beautiful, well-executed, video and eulogy for your late uncle. You've honored his memory. Thank you for sharing.
5:47 - 90s Toyotas probably seem less damaged because all the plastic was made with 10-year newer material/technology and was cooked in the sun for 10 less years.
10:10 - They don't lock up because they probably didn't have that technology yet. It would not be uncommon for an 80s car not to have locking belts equipped because those were only required to be equipped on vehicles starting in 1996. They may have been optional. The newer ones you showed have an internal centrifugal clutch, which is why they pull slowly and lock on harsh pulls. It is a safety feature designed to keep you in your seat in the event of a collision that would otherwise toss you out the windshield. On my car, I have two separate seat belts, one for the lap and the other for the shoulder, and they do not have any retractable device or locking device, they are just bolted directly to the body interior and have an adjustable latch for tightness. Works great for keeping you in your seat, but not great if you need to pick something up in the interior while driving such as a water bottle rolling under the pedals.
11:03 - Cooper Cobra Radial GT, good enough tires that won't break the bank. They got raised white lettering on one side but are a soft tire. They look pretty good on older cars, I have them on my 1968 Ford Galaxie 500. Daily drove it for 2 years in California and didn't need to replace them. Car's been getting worked on since. Not sure about your area, may need different tires depending on road conditions and weather.
11:45 - That plunger switch is almost assuredly for the trunk interior lights or for the dash warning for open trunk. It is possible that it is connected to the electronic close circuit, but I wouldn't count on it.
The photo at the end is the bestttttttt.
Damn this hit me so square in the feels you could level a mill bed off it. Rememberances of the shadetree derpgeineer. I hope I can seem as cool to my nephew and nieces when I punch off to the Great Reward for them to adopt all my janky crap and have them find meaning in skinning their knuckles on it just like I did.
Thank you for honoring his life and memory, while at the same time expanding your own! Your mercy to his memory, rather than judgement gave you freedom to grow and learn. Thank you for the great content.
Rip Uncle Bill. Sounds like a helluva guy.
As a Fbody enthusiast… and one that has owned many 3rd gen’s… I feel very sorry for you. lol I do love the video, and your goals! The car is really cool - on an Fbody scale.. enjoy it, your uncle will smile everytime you return home from driving it!!
Great video you and him sound like great men. This one hit me in the feels and really made me feel like i need to spend more time with my uncle's and or my dad. you never know how long we got before the good lord calls us home.
I was worried about the seatbelts not locking in my grandfather's 1990 F-350 when I inherited it, but as others have said, that was apparently normal back then. Apparently the thing that locks them is called a pre-tensioner, and the ones that lock from being pulled hard only started showing up in the mid 90's. While I was looking that up, I also found out that most seatbelts actually have a small explosive to immediately pull the slack out in a crash, which is pretty metal.
(I just noticed this video is 2 years old, d'oh!)
Your Ford has a big button near the door latch which is depressed when the door closes. That is what controls the seatbelt ratchet. That's why, I'm sure you've experienced, sometimes the seatbelt won't roll up when you go to get out, but then when you open the door it rolls up. Im not aware of any explosives in there, there may be any I just don't know it
This one caught in my throat a little & prompted me to hit the bell. Keep her the way your uncle had her & just fix what's broke. Just my personal .02 - your mileage may vary. basically just cherish her. prolly way past the pull date on this one, what with the two years & all.
Condolences on your loss.
As a weirdo "liberal" guy, my whole philosophy is "Don't be an asshole." Or as a classical libertarian would put it, "Do whatever you want as long as it doesn't infringe on the freedom of others." Not the tax dodging live in the woods neo-classical libertarian. The kind that just doesn't give a shit as long you don't fuck with people. Then I rant about how we need to yield to certain things to ensure the group is supported over the individual blah blah blah that's the Liberal part. Not the point.
So all this windup is just to say, don't fuck with people who understand society is a reactive construct built on glass pillars of unspoken, self-imposed Lockean contracts. Because you will always get 1 before society gets you. Now be a good human being, do whatever you want, live how you want; just don't stop others from doing the same. Unless you want to break that Lockean contract and thus void all the safety it granted you.
((Now a John Locke tangent))
Lockean contracts is not a common term. I just can't remember what it was called. Basically we are all born with liberties which are represented in actions or things we can do. We have the liberty to murder, eat, steal, and rape. But we don't want those to happen to us. So we decide that we will give up that liberty if others also give it up. Thus we live in a tenuous limbo built on trust. Society then codifies these "giving up of liberties" as laws.
You are the coolest dude on TH-cam.😎
this thing is sweet. great homage to you're uncle, too
Man, that was surprisingly funny and heartfelt. Nice video.
You're gonna love that snapper even more once he really gets used to you. Check out Clint's Reptiles guide on how to hold em and make sure you take the time to interact with and feed him out of his tank. Also, when you feed him out of the tank give him soft chunks a good bit smaller than you feed him in his tank. Snappers don't swallow food as well out of the water but they still like eating when they're chilling with you. Once you have him socialized he really will act like a puppy, probably demand that you scratch his head and everything. Enjoy your new best friend!
Great storytelling and very funny that earned a sub.
this is by far one of my favorite story videos of all time. What an amazing life.
10:04 the seatbelt arrestor has a pendulum that swings during hard breaking or a sudden impact to lock the belt, and unlock again when you stop pulling Gs.
I believe you answered your own question at 0:57 with the comment at 1:10. "Hell yea brother!" is always the answer. 💪
Your uncle is a LEGEND.
Godspeed, and sorry for your loss.
As a current mechanical engineering student who’s high school car was an ‘83 El Camino pulled out of a landscaping lot, I know the feeling. A lot of “what does that do?”
I was also used to working on Toyotas and then bought a C5 Corvette. The difference in build quality is insane. Love the video, it’s a great tribute to your cool uncle.
Welcome to the GM world, I can say once you start you can’t go back. I love work on my ‘90 K1500, I try not to touch the subaru anymore.
(Yes the multi-function switch just feels like that)
All GM turn signals from the late 80s and 90s feel broken don't worry. They only click over at the very end of the travel. I actually found it nice once I got used to it because it means signaling a lane change is less likely to trip the blinker on all the way.
Simply amazing video. So lucky to land on this. Take good care of that car and enjoy the memories.
Your uncles spirit is written all over that car brody¡! He’s with you, Trust¡! The radio is a dead giveaway !👏🏽😂🤣👍🏾
Came here for the cars, stayed for the history! Thank you for being in my recommended!
Once again Sir......Very Well Done.
You and your Uncle had a special bond! That's awesome!
Love the honesty and just hilarious Americana of this.
You’re right. Buy a dumpster fire (or inherit one) and make that thing boogie. Just to say you did.
Beautiful backstory, he certainly was one of the men of all time
Algorithm is is prompt with this video 🤦🏻
No matter.
This story about your uncle had me laughing 😂
Sounds like he was a fun character to hang with
loved your witty narration throughout
I have one of these turds and worked relentlessly to polish it into something special. At every step of the way I asked myself "What were they thinking?". The most amazing thing is that out of every muscle car ever made up to this point, this was pretty much the pinnacle. The 4th gen car was pretty much the same except for a new front suspension!
Wish you enjoy bringing this cra back! I like your sense of humour.
Your gonna love it, even on top of all the negative, and yes those gm turn signals always feel like your ripping them off
Excellent! Looking forward to more Firechicken vids and stories
These cars will always be cooler than anything made today. They drive well in my opinion because they allow you to actually feel the road, like a sports car should. I dislike how soft modern cars arez they give you tactile feel of the road.
It has a manifold leak. It would be wise to go to a junkyard and just find a 350. It's not really worth it to put much money or effort into a 305. A rusted out Express Van, Silverado or Sierra HD with an LQ4 6L and 4L80e would be the greatest thing to do. If you found an earlier version with iron heads they're usually cheaper, a swap from 317 to 706/862 heads plus a thinner head gasket than stock to bump the compression more, the NBS/TBSS intake, a cam and valve springs, lifters and trays, swap headers, a converter. I would recommend Sloppy Mechanics for research. Matt Happle over there will tell you everything you need and everything you don't need. If you use his Don't B.S. Me build formula, all you really need is a 4.8/4L80e from an Express/Savanna then do your cam+springs, injectors, fuel system and chinese turbo. You can make frightening amounts if power with just a 4.8 and a GT45. Your Holley Terminator EFI is going to be the part that is most costly. Even if you set the boost low, you would have a more economical on fuel and reliable setup than the old TPI305 700R4.
With all due respect, the "just get a 350" is such unnecessary advice in today's day and age. You can still get good power out of a 305 using the same upgrades you'd do to a 350. You just don't want to use a 2.02 valve. That TPI has centerbolt heads on it so he can run vortecs. The hate 305s get is totally undeserved considering at the end of the day the issue is and always has been the peanut cam.
Your uncle was my kind of person. RIP mate. From a fellow Trans Am owner.
That video is neat man, love that T/A! I have a '88 Firebird as well, never gonna get rid of her
3min in and you already earned my sub
I have a 92 Silverado with the 305 and I absolutely love it. I just got back from a 9 hour road trip. It ran perfectly and got nearly 30 mpg.
You'd be the first one on the planet to get anywhere near 30mpg out of a gasoline-powered GMT400.
@@johnfox3845 I know! I was shocked. It ran on propane it's whole life so the motor looks brand new inside
Any updates on this restoration? Fun video 😊
Man, I want my '84 Z28 back so bad now
they're both stuck on such fitting songs
Great video! Reminds me of the good ole youtube days. But where is part 2?!?!
Iconic car. I would fix it up and enjoy it daily. I grew up when these were new and just as British love jags, I find myself love late 70’s and 80’s American cars. Build quality 😅😅 bla bla , awesome curb appeal 😊😊😊😊
Dude great video the picture at the is freaking beautiful
Best car review Ever!
What a story... I also inherited some unmaintained stuff from my dad, who went through cancer.