What engine is this part two...

So I think I've got it.  After much contorting and hyper-extending my knees I found what I think is the block casting number up by the back of the block, on the passenger side.  At first I thought it read 800887, when I put in Y4 for the engine code here: http://www.wallaceracing.com/enginesearch4.htm I found a corresponding block code of 500557 for a '77 with a Y4 engine code.

I guess it must be 500557, which would make sense since my car is supposed to have the 400 in it, but damn, that number is a pain to read...

What engine do I have?

So I'm trying to figure out exactly what I have in the car.  According to the sticker and build sheet it should be a 400, but I can't seem to find the code on the block...  Best I can find is the Y4 shown below, but that doesn't correspond to any engine in the '77s I can find online.  I guess not knowing the history of the car is one of those endearing quirks of vehicles that have been played with for 30 years...

 

Stereo wiring plus

Maybe it's my OCD talking, but I'd call that a mess of wires

So a few days before Christmas I decided to really dive into the mess of wires behind the stereo.  After some confusion I figured out that one of the previous owners must have had an amplifier and cd-changer in the trunk - along with a different set of 6x9s then is currently in there.  That equipment was obviously hastily removed before he car was sold so now I get to clean up the mess.  Thankfully in the land of ipods and mp3s I'll never need to worry about disc-changers again so I pulled those wires out.  I also clipped and wrapped some other wires that may be of use in the future.  For now I've left the basic speaker wires in and have made it my goal to merely get the stereo working.  You can't cruise without music.  I'm hoping to get back out there in the next day or two and get everything hooked back up.  It's not the most exciting project but I need a small victory before I move forward on some of the other repairs.

Gauges and stereo

So in an attempt to fix my tachometer I pulled the gauge cluster.  All I could really do was look at the circuit board and take the front off the cluster to straighten the second hand on the clock.  I'm hoping the connection for the tach was just loose and when I reconnect it it magically work...

Also, while under the dash I noticed how disorganized the wires were so I decided this would be a good time to straighten them out and get the stereo working.  I clipped some of the zip-ties that were holding random wires together and then pulled the glove box and some of the air ducts in order to get to the back of the stereo which, as it turns out, had only been partially connected to make it look like it worked.  Oh yeah, and the ducts were mostly just sitting back there not really connected to much of anything - and ziptied together... So I picked up some plastic clips and am going to at least try to put it back together better than I found it.  Unfortunately I won't be able to repair the ac/heater right now but there will be plenty of time for that.

Baby steps...

When I finally received the car (I had it shipped up from Florida) I began my list of things to clean up, restore, replace and fix.  Pretty high up that list is the tachometer.  It might just be a pet peeve of mine but I like a working tach.  After looking over some videos on the web and surfing through the forums at transamcountry.com I decided the best place to start would be the connection at the back of the tach.  (To be honest I also thought it would be a good way to take a look at the mess of wires I see flowing out from underneath the steering column. Part of me is looking forward to dealing with that mess while part of me kinda dreads it...)  Anyway, this evening I dropped the steering column and took the bezel off as a first step.  Next time I have time I'll remove the dash gauges and see what the connections look like.  Unfortunately, given that the clock is also not working, I'm thinking I may have to replace the gauges but that's okay, for now it's fun just getting inside the car and looking around.

First Post

So after years of dreaming about having my own Trans Am I've  finally taken the plunge.  Like so many men of my generation I was captivated by the 1977 Pontiac Trans Am Burt Reynolds drove in the classic movie Smokey and the Bandit.  For as long as I can remember I've wanted to own a car just like the Bandit's, and now I do.

With this blog I will attempt to chronicle my efforts to fix up my new baby.  My goal is to have a sharp, drivable Trans Am that looks, feels, and sounds solid.  I'd like the interior and exterior to look as close to stock as possible, but I won't be pushing for 100% 1977 authenticity.  In fact, the engine that's currently in my car has been significantly modified - and I'm okay with that.  Actually, I can think of a few other parts of the car I will be looking to upgrade as well.

So please join me as I begin what will likely be a lengthy, but hopefully rewarding process.