Learning About Muscle Cars
Discussion
I drive an automatic and have always owned a fairly affordable, non-flash car but lately I've really been wanting to get a Trans Am. The thing is, if you own a car like a Trans-Am, you need to know a lot about cars and I don't know much. No older brothers, Dad doesn't know anything about cars. What's the best way to learn the ins and outs of muscle cars before actually investing the money into a Trans Am? I know it's a lot to learn but I'm not sure if I should go to college, approach a car club, etc. Any ideas would be much appreciated!
Best thing would be to see if theres any American car clubs near you , join speak to members have a look at their cars ,
See what your getting into so to speak . Get yourself to a few shows that specialise in americana all the info you need should be at a show book wise theres bound to be stuff on sale , theres numerous magazines on American cars on the high
Street . A basic mechanical knowledge would help of course , but a club member should point you in the direction of an American car specialist , not my cup of tea though i can see the attraction Tvrs are my passion .Best of luck .
See what your getting into so to speak . Get yourself to a few shows that specialise in americana all the info you need should be at a show book wise theres bound to be stuff on sale , theres numerous magazines on American cars on the high
Street . A basic mechanical knowledge would help of course , but a club member should point you in the direction of an American car specialist , not my cup of tea though i can see the attraction Tvrs are my passion .Best of luck .
Which Trans Am?
They range from the rare 1st gen "Trans Am package" to 70s bullnoses and "Smokey and the Bandit" cars, through to the 3rd and 4th gen models which ended production in 2002.
The "sister car" was the Camaro Z28 which tend to be a little cheaper and more common.
In essence, anything 70s is going to rust so bodywork skills will be required. They tend to rust in doors, roof, around the rear window - can be a nightmare.
The rest is a basic and primitive pushrod V8 powering through an auto gearbox and driveshaft to the rear wheels.
Largely bulletproof but obviously now very old.
These are going up in value but are far from well made.
The 6.6 was Pontiac's own but they soon began sharing Chevy's V8 instead.
3rd gens arrived in 1982 and ran through to 1992 but most are fairly low-powered - sub 200hp cars with the 5.0 V8 and weak brakes and 5.7s (over 200hp) are harder to find.
The 4th gens ran from 1993-2002 and came with a bit of power - 275hp from the LT1 up to 1997 which had a weird and often troublesome Optispark ignition and the far superior LS1 which claimed 305hp, usually had a lot more and has 8 coils so it is much, much better.
these cars have many plastic panels so bodywork is not often an issue.
They range from the rare 1st gen "Trans Am package" to 70s bullnoses and "Smokey and the Bandit" cars, through to the 3rd and 4th gen models which ended production in 2002.
The "sister car" was the Camaro Z28 which tend to be a little cheaper and more common.
In essence, anything 70s is going to rust so bodywork skills will be required. They tend to rust in doors, roof, around the rear window - can be a nightmare.
The rest is a basic and primitive pushrod V8 powering through an auto gearbox and driveshaft to the rear wheels.
Largely bulletproof but obviously now very old.
These are going up in value but are far from well made.
The 6.6 was Pontiac's own but they soon began sharing Chevy's V8 instead.
3rd gens arrived in 1982 and ran through to 1992 but most are fairly low-powered - sub 200hp cars with the 5.0 V8 and weak brakes and 5.7s (over 200hp) are harder to find.
The 4th gens ran from 1993-2002 and came with a bit of power - 275hp from the LT1 up to 1997 which had a weird and often troublesome Optispark ignition and the far superior LS1 which claimed 305hp, usually had a lot more and has 8 coils so it is much, much better.
these cars have many plastic panels so bodywork is not often an issue.
How about looking at local college courses too. As someone said the cars will use pretty basic mechanics so if you wanted to learn servicing, brake pad/shoe replacement etc then I would have thought a typical evening class would still cover this sort of thing.
Get involved with other owners via clubs too.
The other thing to do is look for model specific forums, Americans love there cars and I suspect you'll find a forum or two full of information and owners doing repairs/restorations.
Nothing wrong with using howstuffworks.com, similar websites and general engineering books to understand how everything works - ignition systems, carburettors, hydraulic brakes etc.
Get involved with other owners via clubs too.
The other thing to do is look for model specific forums, Americans love there cars and I suspect you'll find a forum or two full of information and owners doing repairs/restorations.
Nothing wrong with using howstuffworks.com, similar websites and general engineering books to understand how everything works - ignition systems, carburettors, hydraulic brakes etc.
as long as its not your only car , park it up when theres a problem and get on the forums and ask away...when i started driving all you had was the haynes manual and get on with it , now theres access to 1000s of other owners , youtube videos and parts from all over the world at the click of a button
i think as far as cars goes you could do alot worse , theyre pretty basic and simple to maintain
i think as far as cars goes you could do alot worse , theyre pretty basic and simple to maintain
Can't fault the advice of those above my post.
All I'll add is that you have to identify the exact model or models you're interested in and look everywhere for information on them.
Books, internet, forums, YouTube, DVD's. Hungrily consume any and all information available. Some will be good and some will be not so good and some will be truly fantastic, but it's all useful.
Find out about the engines, transmissions, prices, options, maintenance, aftermarket suppliers, parts availability and much, much more. It'll take time but you should enjoy it thoroughly and it won't feel like hard work if you're truly passionate about it.
Look at adverts for the model or models you're interested in, too. Especially so if you're planning on buying one.
I don't own a Trans-Am, by the way. But I do own a 1971 Mach 1 Mustang and I applied the above to my own research before I bought mine.
All I'll add is that you have to identify the exact model or models you're interested in and look everywhere for information on them.
Books, internet, forums, YouTube, DVD's. Hungrily consume any and all information available. Some will be good and some will be not so good and some will be truly fantastic, but it's all useful.
Find out about the engines, transmissions, prices, options, maintenance, aftermarket suppliers, parts availability and much, much more. It'll take time but you should enjoy it thoroughly and it won't feel like hard work if you're truly passionate about it.
Look at adverts for the model or models you're interested in, too. Especially so if you're planning on buying one.
I don't own a Trans-Am, by the way. But I do own a 1971 Mach 1 Mustang and I applied the above to my own research before I bought mine.
OP
If you have an interest in cars full stop. learning the in's and outs of cars in general is probably a good start. You have one of the best mediums in the world 'You Tube'. All the basics can be learned from there.
In terms of car ownership, the only way you can really learn is by experience. If you are part of a club then this can help as people will give you their knowledge.
Joining a club is great idea. Browsing Piston Heads and posting/reading technical help forums is pretty helpful. Read magazines and specialist forums.
I like you had no one I knew into cars. I just learned the hard way but you can avoid the pitfalls.
If you want a American car and to be frank they are pretty simple beasts in reality I would do my net research. Peruse the Yank forums, ask questions.
When you are going to take the plunge, buy the best car you can afford and get someone to look it over for you. Pay for an inspection. I was once advised that if you couldn't afford an inspection then pay a garage to do a Mot test and also test the engine for head gasket failure or any other issue with the motor, such as overheating and general running.
Best of luck. Just go for it.
If you have an interest in cars full stop. learning the in's and outs of cars in general is probably a good start. You have one of the best mediums in the world 'You Tube'. All the basics can be learned from there.
In terms of car ownership, the only way you can really learn is by experience. If you are part of a club then this can help as people will give you their knowledge.
Joining a club is great idea. Browsing Piston Heads and posting/reading technical help forums is pretty helpful. Read magazines and specialist forums.
I like you had no one I knew into cars. I just learned the hard way but you can avoid the pitfalls.
If you want a American car and to be frank they are pretty simple beasts in reality I would do my net research. Peruse the Yank forums, ask questions.
When you are going to take the plunge, buy the best car you can afford and get someone to look it over for you. Pay for an inspection. I was once advised that if you couldn't afford an inspection then pay a garage to do a Mot test and also test the engine for head gasket failure or any other issue with the motor, such as overheating and general running.
Best of luck. Just go for it.
Edited by Renn Sport on Friday 26th August 09:50
I was like the OP once - I knew FA about cars and mechanics but hankered after a TR6. Admittedly Dad was a highly skilled engineer – and some of the basics must have rubbed off – but he was a biker who thought all cars were for pansies. So anyway I bought a TR6 and it was a disaster. But from the adventure of changing the cabin heater regulator I've come a fair way and there's nothing I wouldn't have a go at now, but for time. So my advice is read as much as you can about the cars you fancy, find some experts to talk to, then just buy the best you can afford and get stuck in. BTW there's nothing like having a classic as your only car for focusing the mind to keeping it going, otherwise it quickly becomes another hulk rusting its way to eBay.
get over the the american car forum on PH.
the Trans-am shares the running gear (to varying degrees age dependent) with the camaro and is an F body. There are loads of web pages of info, although with a US slant. wikipedia will get you started https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_F_platform
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Camaro
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac_Firebird
I don't know how old you are going. Any aging car tends to require more maintenance - either expensive or time consuming.
I am biased having had three forth generation Camaros. Looks divide opinion, but they are easy cars to run, Rugged, low tech and great fun. A forth Gen Firebird/transam is mechanically the same.
I was nervous first time, but there is no reason.
if you go pre 4th gen, then watch out for rust!
the Trans-am shares the running gear (to varying degrees age dependent) with the camaro and is an F body. There are loads of web pages of info, although with a US slant. wikipedia will get you started https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_F_platform
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Camaro
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac_Firebird
I don't know how old you are going. Any aging car tends to require more maintenance - either expensive or time consuming.
I am biased having had three forth generation Camaros. Looks divide opinion, but they are easy cars to run, Rugged, low tech and great fun. A forth Gen Firebird/transam is mechanically the same.
I was nervous first time, but there is no reason.
if you go pre 4th gen, then watch out for rust!
Edited by OverSteery on Friday 26th August 09:59
Thanks so much for the encouragement and ideas! I'll definitely be heading over to the American car sub-forums next. I guess I should clarify that I just threw Trans Am out there because it was the first American muscle car that popped into my head but I'd be equally happy with the right Camaro, Firebird, Hemicuda, Chevy Nova, etc. I'd definitely be looking for something from the mid-70s to early-80s. I live in California where there's a pretty strong car culture and I know there's auto shows fairly regularly in Pomona so I'll head over to one and see of I can find any car clubs or specialists there who could point me in the right direction. Thanks again, everyone, I really appreciate the help!
Well, you're in the right place to get in to the car scene!
For a bit of inspiration you could head up to Pleasanton this weekend, the Goodguys west coast nationals are on at the fairgrounds. You'll see a whole mixture of stuff from 20s hot rods through to '72 (72 is what some regard as the end of the muscle car era). See https://www.good-guys.com/wcn-2016
For a bit of inspiration you could head up to Pleasanton this weekend, the Goodguys west coast nationals are on at the fairgrounds. You'll see a whole mixture of stuff from 20s hot rods through to '72 (72 is what some regard as the end of the muscle car era). See https://www.good-guys.com/wcn-2016
Thanks, Crafty! I'm seeing this a day too late but I was in Vegas for the weekend to see Alice Cooper so I'd have had to miss it anyway! It's funny because in my mind, I always think of the late '70s and muscle cars so I'm probably going off a lot of personal misconceptions. Looking forward to ironing them out through this forum and some car show trips.
A little piece I wrote elsewhere.
I had a hankering for a Trans Am and found one locally, going cheap. It was a '76, so neither the earlier and spectacularly desirable Bullnose, nor the Bandit cars from '78 and beyond. That's why it was cheap, natch. I went to see it in the arse-end of Avonmouth, which is kind of like the arse-end of the arse-end of civilisation. Anyway, it was big and blue and noisy. We agreed a price.
I went to collect it with two mates; one recovery contractor and an American because, obvs, he would know about American cars. As it turned out, he knew that they had wheels and seats.
Between paying for it and leaving, I stepped in a biblically large pile of dog crap, but that's an aside really, and par for the course in Avonmouth. We left, recovery mate driving with American mate shotgun, me following with the windows open because of the dog s
t. Locals will know that Avonmouth to Chippenham is something like 30 miles. We managed 20.
When we fuelled up for the trip, my mate remarked that the steering was "heavy as fk" which was odd, because it had been very light when I test drove it. Additionally, it wouldn't go backwards. Still, it was dark, we were in Avonmouth and I stank of dog st, so we cracked on. I was convinced, as we cruised along the M4, that the T/A was pulling away from me because the tail lights were getting dimmer. If you have a modicum of automotive knowledge, you'll have connected the lack of power steering and the dimming lights. At J18, we cruised up the slip road, drifted sedately onto the hard shoulder and the bd thing went up in a huge cloud of steam.
A £50 tow later (turns out recovery guys look after each other) and the beast was back on my drive. With the belts replaced, it ran, roughly, for a month or so before becoming utterly un-startable. So I rebuilt the carb, armed with a Haynes "big book of Holley 4 barrel carbs". That made things worse, so I put it up for sale. A chap from Kent made me an offer on the basis he could hear it running. With somewhere around 4 gallons of carb cleaner, we got it to sputter into life, phoned the guy and told him to make haste with the flatbed.
He texted me a few days later to say that now he had put the main jets in the carb the right way up, it was running like a dream. Still, I sold it for £100 more than I bought it for, and only spent £750 on unleaded trying to get it running right, so I call that a win.
It doesn't show up on DVLA any more, so I can only assume that someone eventually did the decent thing and set fire to the big blue bd. And it never did go backwards properly.
I had a hankering for a Trans Am and found one locally, going cheap. It was a '76, so neither the earlier and spectacularly desirable Bullnose, nor the Bandit cars from '78 and beyond. That's why it was cheap, natch. I went to see it in the arse-end of Avonmouth, which is kind of like the arse-end of the arse-end of civilisation. Anyway, it was big and blue and noisy. We agreed a price.
I went to collect it with two mates; one recovery contractor and an American because, obvs, he would know about American cars. As it turned out, he knew that they had wheels and seats.
Between paying for it and leaving, I stepped in a biblically large pile of dog crap, but that's an aside really, and par for the course in Avonmouth. We left, recovery mate driving with American mate shotgun, me following with the windows open because of the dog s
t. Locals will know that Avonmouth to Chippenham is something like 30 miles. We managed 20.When we fuelled up for the trip, my mate remarked that the steering was "heavy as f
k" which was odd, because it had been very light when I test drove it. Additionally, it wouldn't go backwards. Still, it was dark, we were in Avonmouth and I stank of dog st, so we cracked on. I was convinced, as we cruised along the M4, that the T/A was pulling away from me because the tail lights were getting dimmer. If you have a modicum of automotive knowledge, you'll have connected the lack of power steering and the dimming lights. At J18, we cruised up the slip road, drifted sedately onto the hard shoulder and the bd thing went up in a huge cloud of steam. A £50 tow later (turns out recovery guys look after each other) and the beast was back on my drive. With the belts replaced, it ran, roughly, for a month or so before becoming utterly un-startable. So I rebuilt the carb, armed with a Haynes "big book of Holley 4 barrel carbs". That made things worse, so I put it up for sale. A chap from Kent made me an offer on the basis he could hear it running. With somewhere around 4 gallons of carb cleaner, we got it to sputter into life, phoned the guy and told him to make haste with the flatbed.
He texted me a few days later to say that now he had put the main jets in the carb the right way up, it was running like a dream. Still, I sold it for £100 more than I bought it for, and only spent £750 on unleaded trying to get it running right, so I call that a win.
It doesn't show up on DVLA any more, so I can only assume that someone eventually did the decent thing and set fire to the big blue b
d. And it never did go backwards properly.CharonCriss said:
but I'd be equally happy with the right Camaro, Firebird, Hemicuda
A lot of people would be very happy with a Hemicuda......
I assume your budget won't be allowing that though
Not an ideal first muscle car either with limited mechanical knowledge even if the budget stretched to a 6-figure sum!!
CharonCriss said:
I'd definitely be looking for something from the mid-70s to early-80s.
Tip No.1Don't use the term mid-70's to early 80's musclecar around any serious musclecar enthusiast though, as 99% of them consider the genre to have died in 1971
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