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107,597 Posts
Hi folks,
Don't know where to start. Just bought a spectacular 77Z. It has a highly modified 82 engine in it. The owner, who I know to be extremely credible and honest, is out of town due to a family illness. I wanted to get some ideas before he returned so I know what questions to ask.
Here's the problem. Throw in a fresh set of plugs and it starts and runs very strong and I do mean strong. Drive it for a half an hour around the neighborhood and bring it back in the driveway shut it off and it will not restart. Let it cool down and it fires up again and smokes like crazy. Pull out the plugs and they are black shiny and fouled. Clean them up and you're off again.
The motor has a fresh rebuild on it and 185 lbs. of compression across each cylinder. However, due to an illness in the owner's family the car sat for the last few years. I emptied all the gas (man did it stink!) and blew out all the lines and put in fresh gas and some injector cleaner.
Here are my questions:
Any ideas for what sensors to look for?
I noticed there was no O2 sensor. Did they not have them in 77 and should I ask if he used the 77 ECU or if he replaced the ECU with an 82 version when the 82 motor was installed? I know the 82 model has an O2 sensor but I'm not familiar with the older models. I didn't think you could have EFI without an O2 sensor?
I have known this owner for many years and I know this was his daily driver. So I have some expectations for this car being reliable but the electronics and the sensors of the EFI throws me and has never been one of my strong points.
Aside from that, this Z is a cosmetic restoration. Sitting in the sun for the last few years wrecked a candy apple red paint job and destroyed the interior. In addition to the engine being modified the front and rear suspension have just about every high performance piece of equipment you can install. The ride is brutal but it handles like it was on rails. When you're in the car it doesn't even sound like a six cylinder. All you hear are the headers and the mechanical noises coming from under the hood. What a nice sound. The manual steering and the heavy duty clutch make me think of a 60's muscle car when I'm driving it. Except this one can handle.
I look forward to the responses and thank you ahead of time. Also, I thought it was a 78 when I looked at it. Turns out it is a 77. I will have to get my user name changed. Thanks again folks. John.
Don't know where to start. Just bought a spectacular 77Z. It has a highly modified 82 engine in it. The owner, who I know to be extremely credible and honest, is out of town due to a family illness. I wanted to get some ideas before he returned so I know what questions to ask.
Here's the problem. Throw in a fresh set of plugs and it starts and runs very strong and I do mean strong. Drive it for a half an hour around the neighborhood and bring it back in the driveway shut it off and it will not restart. Let it cool down and it fires up again and smokes like crazy. Pull out the plugs and they are black shiny and fouled. Clean them up and you're off again.
The motor has a fresh rebuild on it and 185 lbs. of compression across each cylinder. However, due to an illness in the owner's family the car sat for the last few years. I emptied all the gas (man did it stink!) and blew out all the lines and put in fresh gas and some injector cleaner.
Here are my questions:
Any ideas for what sensors to look for?
I noticed there was no O2 sensor. Did they not have them in 77 and should I ask if he used the 77 ECU or if he replaced the ECU with an 82 version when the 82 motor was installed? I know the 82 model has an O2 sensor but I'm not familiar with the older models. I didn't think you could have EFI without an O2 sensor?
I have known this owner for many years and I know this was his daily driver. So I have some expectations for this car being reliable but the electronics and the sensors of the EFI throws me and has never been one of my strong points.
Aside from that, this Z is a cosmetic restoration. Sitting in the sun for the last few years wrecked a candy apple red paint job and destroyed the interior. In addition to the engine being modified the front and rear suspension have just about every high performance piece of equipment you can install. The ride is brutal but it handles like it was on rails. When you're in the car it doesn't even sound like a six cylinder. All you hear are the headers and the mechanical noises coming from under the hood. What a nice sound. The manual steering and the heavy duty clutch make me think of a 60's muscle car when I'm driving it. Except this one can handle.
I look forward to the responses and thank you ahead of time. Also, I thought it was a 78 when I looked at it. Turns out it is a 77. I will have to get my user name changed. Thanks again folks. John.
