Rescuing An ABANDONED 1981 Trans Am! Will It Run and Drive After 18 Years?
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- Опубліковано 25 лют 2021
- "He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour." - Proverbs 21:21
Drew is helping out some family by getting this 1981 Trans Am back up and running after 18 years. He gave me a call to help get this one owner 80s icon back on the road where it belongs!
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I've never actually seen a Trans Am defecate before...until today. Wow, that was a lot of crap coming out of the tailpipes!
i honestly paused the video just to see who'd commented about that too haha
HAAHAHAHAHA just thinking the same thing
Dam rats
My ‘69 Nova shot acorn out… with a ton of force it was like getting shot🤣
What's your plan for the trans
One of the things I like about the driving shots is seeing the landscape in that part of the US. So much space.And lovely looking.
"I guess I should start working on Pontiacs"
Dude please do! This is an awesome car and we'd love to see more of it!!!
40 feet of wire won't help either. What a beauty machine. I remember when I could find these for literally $1500 all day long. We all should have bought every single one and stashed them away.
@barfass, and never restored them? Wow, that is just as bad as letting them rot in a field somewhere. :(
@@paxhumana2015 - THey didn't need to be restored in the early 90's Bud... stash them away in a heated storage would have been ideal.
@@barfass yep. Paid 1,200 for a 87 Iroc,54k miles, last year of 4bbl... Back in 2000. Now anything you find is Trashed or A Garage queen asking 20k for...
Yes I remember when they were everywhere. I bought a 1977 in 1993 for $450. Running driving licensed the whole deal. Black with camel tan interior. It was just a neat used car back then. Coulda shoulda woulda saved it.
I like how the Mopar man says that the GM has a terrible sounding starter 😂
It does he right yay
Mopar starters sound like a cat stuck in the fan blades lol.
@@robertbisson9499 you mean a dolphin on crack?
That's good right ??
Mopar starters sound like a girlfriend who doesn't get her way.
That floor jack sounds like a injured puppy 😅
...right?!
I had this video going through my speakers and my dog started going crazy whenever they were pumping it.
@@revolutionday1 lmao, I bet that confused the hell out of him
Looks like all our dogs at home with us, picked up on the 'injured puppy' squeal.
lol, my dog started barking when he heard it lmao
Yeah my beagle trixie started looking around the room when she heard that
Glad to see the brake light magically started working again.
Couple donuts in the field fixes everything
2 80s GM’s in one day Dylan Mccool and vice grip garage guys are kicking butt
I love how half of car nerd UA-cam has spent their afternoon/evening the exact same way I have haha
Mullet Power !
80's cars do deserve love, even if they sre underpowered. Love to see that thirdgens and late second-gens are getting more and more attention.
Well I’ll be dipped!
@@mig25foxbat lol you know it
27:11 They pushed the car so hard the brake light came back to life
i seen that lol
I said the same thing 😂😂😂
😂😂
I would never get rid of that T/A... It's a keeper. Priceless.
I thought that year ta would have a pontiac 301 in it. That looks more like a small block chevy to me
@@matthewrushmore1440 IT IS
@@matthewrushmore1440 in 81 if you wanted a 4 speed it only came with chevy 305....auto could be had with 301 carb or 301 turbo
@@matthewrushmore1440 thee ol bread n butter I like to call it.
I want to get one with the 6.6 400ci and a 4speed if they exist or if I could ever find one
I think you need to trade that yelping dog in for a new jack lol.
Dang. Son. By 2035. You can't get gas or be taxed at the MVA OUTA THUS WORLD FOR HAVING A GAS POWERED CAR.
I'm near 64 years old and have never riden in a Trans Am. Good to see this one roll out of storage on it's own power. Good job boys!
Sounds like we'll be seeing a Trans Am revival belonging to Dylan before too long
I hope
Wouldnt that be something!
That eagle on that hood.. It will never go out of style!
That's a Phoenix. It's not an eagle.
Is a fire chicken
2nd generation Trans Ams are among my all time favorites. By '81, Trans Ams may not have had a big inch engine anymore, but when new they looked great & handled very well.
I like seeing these older cars brought back to life. The T/A & Z28 back in the day was every guy’s dream car. 👍
Sweet, I’m always looking for those, I have two, my 15 year old son bought one last year for his first car, never too many
Everybody wants a trans am those lines are the sexiest on any car of that time.
I have a 79 Z28,basically the same car, different nose cones, but I personally think the late 2nd gen Z's, Trans Ams , the OLD Challenger's and Cudas were probably the coolest/toughest looking cars to come out of Detroit!
@@docsmallblock6584 > Everything you said is correct. I'm a '79 T/A guy,
but I always loved the '79 Z-28.
I had an 80 for ten years one of the best cars I have ever owned.
Love how once he started playing around in the driveway the other break light started working lol
That transam is a keeper, put some love in to it.
Thank you for saving this car. I wished I had the skills to do that. What a cool car!
My 79 Firebird had those T-tops P wind. AC When you opened the door and looked in it was a complete flashback!!!!!!!
What a great find, she sure is a beast and would love to see her brought back to her glory, awesome guys. great Vid.
I can see mullets growing!
valvetrain: dying
Dylan: Sounds pretty good!
fun fact: you can tell an 81 from an 79 or 80 from the rear because the bird emblem on fuel filler door was 81 only.
And the bird on the hood is just a sketch rather than being shaded in, AND the 81 has a check engine light, first year. If the turn signal indicators in the dash are arrows, its a 79, 80-81 are round.
81 also had computers in them believe it or not lol
You can also tell from the master cylinder also.
Nice catch, but I believe it was 80 and 81!?
Also the emblems on the shaker hood would only say t/ a 4.9 for the 80 and 81 models.
It's so good when a classic old car gets back on the road... and you know, I love to see the body stay in the shape it was when found.
You can clean up and maybe renew the interior, but all the makes and paint problems are what it is.
That thing came around pretty good. It'll be a solid ride without too much hassle
Sounds like it's got a healthy cam in it.
Problem with the 301 is the cylinder head. The valves and ports are just too small; even a healthy cam won't help much. The Chevy 305, on the other hand, can make decent horsepower with even a small cam.
That isn’t a 301, it’s a 305 or a 350 somebody swapped in. You can tell by the valve covers and the decal says 5.0 when if it were a 301 it would be a 301. Anyways, he said the engine had only 300 miles on it and it wasn’t the original engine. I bet it’s a gm good wrench 350 crate motor that’s been warmed over. Definitely has a lope that no stock smog motor can have.
Sorry I meant if it were a 301 it would say 4.9
@@danhoyland142 could be 327, I'm with you though. Probably a mild built 350.
Sounds really nice
@@PapiDoesIt now we need to have them put a flash light on the block , we need answers 😆
Oh a Quadrajet Kevin's favorite carburetor.
Fundamentally misunderstood by mister junkyard digs. You can’t have a carburetor sit for 30 something years take it out an not even rebuild it and bitch about the accelerator pump not working lol
I'm a holley carb fan. Never liked qudrajunks
@@incognito4rico love a quadrajet... The Sound cannot be Remade
@@Expatriate1977 Holly's are great at the track, but nothing ran better than a QJ for the street and everyday driving in any condition. Tiny primaries have good economy and throttle response, and those monstrous secondaries ... yikes. They're a bear to rebuild though.
@@incognito4rico ive literally never had a power valve “blow out” and trust me I’ve had a lot of backfiring holleys. I love both equally and I can tell you that thinking holleys just blow out power valves every day is completely facetious.
Nice find! It doesn't even smoke after sitting that long, and sounds really healthy. Good on you for bringing it back to life.
[13:11] Dead mice flying out of the exhaust pipes. Too funny.
a good start. now for a pressure wash and maybe a new clutch. some buffing and new carpet etc and that thing will be a going to town car.
I don’t know about anyone else but I would love to see some more Pontiac stuff .
me will too.....lol
I had a 1986 Firebird over 20 years ago. Not a Trans Am, just a beautiful Firebird with a 2.8L V-6, and 5-speed trans, T-tops, the shark-nose front end and a factory wing on the rear deck. I had to trade it in when my daughter was born for a family car (Ford Taurus) and the water pump blew out on the way to the dealer! It had 92K on it when I bought it (my 39th b-day gift to myself) and it had 153K on it when I traded it in. It was royal blue on top with silver rocker panels; I REALLY miss that car today! You reignited happy old memories in me with this video!! Keep up the good work!!
81, last year for the 2nd gen, love these and the 3rd gens even more (they are 500 lbs lighter) and own and enjoy both. The lifter clacking made me sick in the beginning, I just kept praying you would shut it off and change the oil. YIKES! This car has huge potential, Thanks.
Normally I would click on a VGG video first... but when I saw this old TA I had to change my watch order!
chunks coming out of the exhaust, that was awesome!
I wonder how many mummified mice were jettisoned? 😁
No question this is worth a restoration! What used to be a $450 car from some guy's yard in 1993 has become untouchable in 2022. I bought a 1977 in 1993 running driving registered and inspected. She's so sweet with so much potential.
Love this car! Hope to see more of this car. Thanks for sharing your video.
"Will it run and drive after 18 years?"
It didn't run and drive right after 18 months!
Good luck with this one!
A little known fact was they started using internal plastic parts in the auto transmissions.
Thats a very sweet ride, would love to see it fully restored and running leaving 11's on the road!
Learned to drive in a Trans Am. I had a very cool driving instructor. Brings back good memories. Wish I still had my Formula 400, but it was stolen a few years ago. Looking forward to seeing her restored and with EFI.
From the sound of that floor jack it has seen better days as well 🤣
Gotta keep the "Turbine" Rims!
No it needs to keep the factory Snowflakes rims.
@@TanCalHan or go to Year One and get the taller versions. 17 inch snowflakes would be sweet!
@@SomeBigFatGuy I prefer the originals. I like sidewall on my classics.
@@TanCalHan Both the Snowflake and Turbo Flows could be had in 1980-1981. The Turbo Flows debuted on the 10th Anniversary Trans Am and were only available on that model in 1979. They were also only a true 8" wide wheel in '79, they were 7.5" wide in 1980-1981.
Looks like it has both on now....
The right front is mismatched.
Something about cold weather makes us try and start old neglected vehicles
You caught my attention right away. Was not expecting a Pontiac video from you. I love all of your videos. As the owner of a 1978 Trans Am, this video got me itching to go start my TA up after sitting all winter long. Once the salt is washed off the roads after a few good rain storms, I will get her out on the road once again. Had the 400 rebuilt last winter with some added HP as well.
I really hope to see you FULLY revive this thing. Would love to see all new drive train, interior, suspension, etc. just like the Challenger!!
Been waiting for this ever since the teasers on Insta! Ready to see how this went!
I want one so badly now 😂does something else screams 80‘s than a Trans Am with a big bird on the hood and T-Top roof ?
No problem not
Be more 80’s if it had a line of cocaine going across the passenger side of the dash
Actually, it screams 1970s. An IROC would scream 1980s.
@@joeday4293 Smokey and the Bandit man! THE classic. I think that was a '76.
@@if66was99 1977. I was five. See profile pic.
There's several Trans-ams showing up on UA-cam and here you are with one on your channel now. Trans-am fever even effects the Mopar guy. 👍
After hearing what you said. I am almost 56. A ride in Trans Am. Is now on my bucket list.
Pontiac TransAm, meu sonho de consumo, lembro que em 84 um amigo, filho do dono de uma empresa de ônibus importou um carro deste, ano 81. Bons tempos, cheguei a andar nele, um monstro de 4 rodas. Parabéns aí aos mecânicos, tratem esta máquina com muito carinho !!!
"those never work" "I can't believe it was this easy" that's because it's a GM 😏
Cant say ive ever seen or heard of a 5.0 Trans Am.. 305 i guess. Great video, nothing like seeing a car come out of hibernation for so long.
Yep, 305. They started using them sometime in the late 70s and continued up to 92.
Those "Quadrajunks" are awesome when they work and when set up right. When they go, they're gone.
Great revival man. That thing sounds healthy.
My 13 year old son loves watching your videos thanks for sharing! He dreams one day to be a UA-cam, doing the same as well as fishing videos one day!
4 speed. that’s insane. can’t ever find those
79 is the hard year for 4 speeds. 80 and 81 aren’t bad because they had a bunch mated to 301s and 305s. They are also worth less than 79 auto cars just because they didn’t offer the big engines anymore but they are a hell of a bargain
@@danhoyland142 I bought a black and gold 80 "turbo" last year. The turbo must not have lasted that long as it has a 454 with a 4 speed in it now that was probably done in the early 90s. A blast to drive.
Haha yeah I had a black 80 trans am last year too! It had a 400 Pontiac swapped in it and the stock th350. Very cool cars. I would love a stick though.
@@danhoyland142 79 was the last of the 400 pontiac only came 4 speed 1980 you couldnt get a 4 speed trans am at all....1981 you could only get 4 speed with 305 chevy like this car....never made a 301 4 speed in a trans am
Can you mate a 400 to 4 speed. I’d like to find one and do it one day.
That car in the summer with the T-tops off is a lot of fun. I had a black 79 Z-28 w/t-tops. So many great memories
I hope you guys clean this one up nicely, new paint and all, it deserves better.
That’s so cool that you got a Trans Am that my dream car
You dream awesomely. 🤘
Always wanted one of these after watching Burt Reynolds, cheapest here in UK is $20k
Same in the states only a handful of each year is left
Currently I’m driving a 88 gta model trans am and that cost me a mean 22k for it the early 70 and late 80 cost around 30k 40k here
@@ultimateyeetgod8467 it’s mad how the prices have increased, 88 GTA are really nice cars, over the pond we don’t see many of them which is a shame, since my original comment the cheapest trans am over here is a 79 6.6 now $32k(£23k) .
A quick tip about hoods... never stand them up on the end like you have that one leaned up. The corners are prone to getting damaged. Standing them up on their side is the best bet if you can’t lay them flat.
Keep up the good work.
I always called them Quadrajunks, but they were actually not a bad carburetor. Not much for performance though. I’m a ‘77 firebird fan. I prefer the front end. I’d love to have one of these as a restomod and put late model equipment under it. Great looking car design.
I love Proverbs 21:21
Even more like the one a couple before it:
Proverbs 21:19
It is better to live in a desert land than with a quarrelsome and fretful woman.
Was that a mouse nest that came out of the exhaust when you started it up? Looked kinda like it.
This beasty has a strong heart and responded well to a few size 11 boot-fulls so much that she sounded absolutely beautiful toward the end of the video. Even the RH brake light started working after having a blast in the country! This baby is going to come up well with not much to challenge - just the sort of vehicle I'd love to fall across for myself too! Love the looks, love the sound and love that manual trans. Your mate has done well - and good on the pair of you for bringing her back to the road.
Just quietly, that's my favourite era of the Trans Am. First saw one on an 80s film called Blue Thunder and she was black with gold honeycomb wheels and gold striping. The nose with those four independent lights gleaming out - there's just something about it that just really appeals to me. Fell in love with them right then and there. Yet to own one....
Love bringing these old cars back to life!!
Chevy 305 with a 4-speed friend of mine had one back in the 1980's they were installed even in Oldsmobiles , local guy here in town has like a 79 Olds with the 305 4-speed setup. Does the clutch need to be engaged, some have a neutral safety switch.
Clutch safety switch, been yelling that at the screen for a while......
Yeah, I was looking at that, thinking "I don't think it's a Pontiac".
Damn, I Was Kinda Hoping He'd Say 301!
Yes, you have to step on the clutch or the vehicle will not crank. There is a safety switch on the clutch pedal. Same as my '79 10th Anniversary Trans Am.
The trans am still looks bad ass
Timeless styling.
My dog went crazy and started growling when you were using that injured seal 🦭 floor jack 😂😂😂😂
Awesome to see more projects getting started. Keep it up Dylan 👍
That body style, and the 1970 body style with the oval front end, my favorite trans am look. Love those cars. I think they're the F body series?
70-81 F bodies were classics
@@emeyer6963 Yes. yes. They were THE great American muscle car. With all props to the Stang, Charger and Challenger...
@@thedungeondelver Good times.Good cars.Keep thinking about all the nice ones that I should of grabbed while the prices were low in the 80's.
@@emeyer6963 I used to help my uncle work on his GM cars in the 80s. He bought a totalled Firebird and rebuilt it top to bottom for his daughter. I saw polaroids of it, when he got it before we moved to the town he lived in. Even today I wouldn't believe you could make that car roadworthy. Everything forward of the windshield posts, just annihilated. But he gave it to her in showroom new condition after a year and change of working on it on weekends and holidays.
He had a 67 Corvette hardtop, too. Sad story with that one. Had to sell it to stop the IRS from taking it, and the guy who bought it didn't pay him but half what he said he would then skipped out on him.
@@thedungeondelver That Corvette hurts.At least the Firebird project had a happy ending
I believe the plastic brake fluid reservoir is on backwards, might want to look into that. Great video otherwise! EDIT, it is definitely on backwards and needs to be corrected.
Dang! You've hit the trifecta of classic cars! Challenger, Charger, & T/A!
These are some of my favorite cars. Second to an 88 Firebird. Hood art is just beautiful.
I love the turbine wheels on these old trans am's
Not turbine wheels.. i don’t know why everyone calls them that.. look nothing like turbines. They’re snowflakes wheels.
@@TanCalHan he is talking about the one wheel that isn’t a snowflake. It’s the one that is almost solid with the exception of vents around the edge.
@@TanCalHan no not those I meant the one different wheel that wasn't the snowflake wheels, i know what snowflake wheels are
Yes a F-body sweet. I'm the proud owner of a 78 Camaro
I think the Bandit would approve! Sounds just like my 79 z28 I bought when I was 19, brings me back for sure. Thanks!!
Always loved the firebird.... had one when I got out of high school , but always wanted a TA with T- tops and a stick.... 👍🏻very nice
Chevy Electric Carburetor 🥵🤮
Hey Dylan, you keep talking about working on a Pontiac you do realize that’s a Chevrolet engine?
It's a pontiac car tho 🤷🏻♂️
Sounding good, im looking forward to getting this to my shop when you are finished to finish the restoration. This will be a beautiful car!
Awesome that you got the TransAm going again, that it only had some minor issues, that is a true rare bird, the color, standard shift, stop, among many other options Dylan you and the friend have made that bird go again,👍👍👍👍👍👌🏾👌🏾👌🏾👌🏾👌🏾👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Brings back such gr8 memories! Friend had a 77 TA and I had a 82 Camero...so cool to see you guys bringing back these great cars! My first car was a 68 SS Chevelle...loved working on them all back in the day when you could work on them without a computer tech degree!!!
I will never in my life understand why people call it a "camero" instead of Camaro. SMH
That's a solid project car! Keep us posted on this Dylan!
Love it. This is like some young person discovering Al Green for the 1st time. 😎🤘🏼
I got my first ride in a Trans Am in 1980, boy did that bring back memories! In the desert southwest we don’t find cars or tuck like the ones you post without people wanting crazy money for them.
Man I Love It! Awesome sliding around
Passenger brake light magically started working after the drive.
Well one of the 2 bulbs. Lol
my first car was a 79 fire bird. so much love for this build!
Awesome color combo and options. 4 speed. Ac. Ttop. Mullet just grew out while watching this. Badass
Imagine getting the engine & trans pretty much fit & cruising a "white" Trans Am all around your town that would be amazing seeing as black was the known color of most of them😉
What a beauty I would love to found a T/A like this. When I was a kid my
Moms bought a 79 T/A new like this in the same color with no T-tops. And black Interior. I cried when
It was stolen.
Love that Dylan is working on another car other than Mopar, proving that he can get anything can get going, the good thing is that the 1981 Trans Am is basically mechanical not computerized like the newer models
It does have a computerized 'feedback' carburetor though.
Keep it comming. I love how yall bring things back from the dead
That’s one of my bucket list cars! I love those, glad you did a video on it!
@Dylan McCool, I used to remember seeing these all the time in films, as well as in real life. The Southeastern part of the USA, and the Southwestern part of the USA, both seem to have a lot of these cars laying around. I also remember driving this car whenever I played Driver: San Francisco.
Bad ass! Now you got me going around and keeping my eyes open for Pontiac’s! There is about 5 of them rotting away in my area. Love the channel