TAC Spotlight > Projects & Restorations

84 301T

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tajoe:
Well people, the attempt is being made. I'm determined now to try and get at least one of my T/As on the priority list. I've put them off long enuff, while struggling thru life with balancing work and raising family duty's, along with everyday chores of maintaining and fixing the list of worn out possessions we all have. Nothing new, you've all been there.

Between the 4 vehicles I have, (83 C-30 6.2 diesel stick shift dually, runs but rotted out, 93 2500 also 6.2 diesel, my work truck right now, my 73 T/A needing...everything, and my 84, 305 TH700 T/A), the 84 has the best chance of succeeding. The body is pretty good, with no rot, and the interior is tolerable. It had been garaged most of its life, but the tranny went away, and that's when I inherited it. Altho I've owned it for close to 10 years, I've never had it registered or driven, due to the tranny. I've kept it waxed and covered, with some of those years being stored outside. It has shown a bit of deterioration, but nothing that can't be cleaned up. So the 84 has the 1st nod.

Many people are probably saying, "Why put the 301T into the car? The chevy motor has more potential," or "Why ruin the originality of the car, by bastardizing it"? Or "If you're a Pontiac fan, why not a 400, or 455?" All are legit and accurate opinions. But for me, my reasoning is, I already have the car, and the engine. I'm not looking to be the fastest, or most powerful anymore. Those days are behind me. Plus the retirement finances have to be taken into consideration. My goal is to put together what Pontiac wanted to do in 82, but was squashed by GM. I won't make it the way the government would've mandated the car be built, with emissions, and all the other corporate restrictions, but something close enuff to resemble what a gear-head would've done to the car, to make it a little better performer. We all know the limitations of the little 301T motor, and I plan to do some up-grades to it, at some point in time. I love the fact, the power-bulge hood is functional, and the 301T places the QJ right under it, the way it was intended to be at Pontiac. But in the end, I would like the car to at least run 14s at the track, and would be thrilled if it'll touch the 13s. And because the 80-81 cars were so God awful heavy, and strapped with an automatic, 3.08s, and emissions, I think those numbers are do-able W/O lots of performance mods. Besides, the 84 is almost, (if not) 500lbs lighter. And with a T-5, and better rear gears, it's gutta help.

So, with all that being said, I have done a few things since spring, and am in the middle of figuring out the hydraulic clutch system. In a bit, I'll post some pics of where I'm at, and hopefully some of you might enjoy it. But please be patient, because, I'm still working for a living and "free" time, isn't so available. More to come. 

b_hill_86:
I like it. Something different for the sake of being different. Kinda like one guy I saw that put a 400 in an LS 4th gen if I remember right. Good luck to you and I’ll be following along!

hakitup:
I like the idea, looking forward to seeing progress.

Tom H

tajoe:
Hello Brian and Tom, so B4 I get back out there to the garage, I'll post a few pics for the interested.

In the 3rd gen category, I posted just a quick blurb about swapping the P/W regulators, over to mechanical ones, due to both motors blown, and no battery. So for years, I've been worried about water getting into it, because the RHS window was down an inch. Always had it tarped, and car covered, and have kept the water out, but it doesn't breath well, under a tarp, as we all have learned. With the mech, regulators, it's so nice to be able to crank the windows up and down at will, W/O the need for electricity. And even tho the car came with P/W, I swapped out the grey interior many years ago, that was all beat up, and found a salvaged car with a beige color interior, that I installed, to clean it up. But the donor car didn't have P/W. So the door panels were cut for cranks, which I left in place, to keep the holes filled. Now that I own it, and am not a fan of junk window motors, and problematic switches, I can now use the available window cranks, that have been un-functioning, after all these years. The old reliable mechanical regulators work fine. The donor car even had a stick shift, and I was able to confiscate the pedals, and console when removing the interior, so I now have the right console for the T-5, and no holes for the P/W switches.

I wish I had enuff fore-thought to look at the clutch system. (Maybe I did and forgot). Not sure what yr the car was I scabbed from, and don't remember if it had a mech.  Z-bar linkage for the clutch, or hyd. That's where I'm at now, and will share some photos when I get to a good point. My "biggest" concern now, (and might need some help from you guys), is whenever I try and post pics here, I get error codes. So I'm gunna run a test right now, and see if I can post something. Here goes.

b_hill_86:
I can agree with the power windows thing a bit. I have them in my 77, and they do work ok, but I almost wish I just had manual.

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