My new 85 TA (A few quick ques.)

[Riceburner]

I just bought a white 85 TA 305/700r (600 bucks) with the intention of using it as a project car, it has the 4bbl comp. quadra jet a damaged front facia no drivers seat belt, and it needs a new drivers side door skin. After spending about six hours tuning it up I did manage to get it to run really well despite the fact that its been sitting for a year and a half.

I have had a hard time tracking down specific info on a few topics so I am hoping that you guys wouldn't mind helping me out on a couple points. My wife wont let me invest more than 6k on restoring it so I have to be a bit budget minded.

First off I need to know how a motor/carb swap will effect the ecu and how to work around the problem or just how to squeeze a decent amount of power out of this sluggish 305.

Someone also told me that pouring a bunch of diesel fuel in the carb and letting it "bake" overnight would clean out the fuel system, having worked mostly on injection vehicles I have never heard of doing this, so does it work?

One other thing, what do you guys usually use to preserve the vinyl interior?

I don't expect anyone to write me a novel on this but if you could point me in the right direction it would be much appreciated.

thx.

[ReEntry Racer]

it has the 4bbl comp. quadra jet

Toss that. Install TPI or go with a small (600 CFM) modern carb with an Edelbrock Performer intake

First off I need to know how a motor/carb swap will effect the ecu

Just change the ECU at the same time, its all available cheap. Find a donor car maybe.

how to squeeze a decent amount of power out of this sluggish 305.*

It will cost a bit to change up to a 350, but the long term benefits are there, like everything fits a 350, but heads, pistons, exhaust issues with the 305 will limit what you can do with it. Then again, if power above,say, 230 HP isn't necessary, just keep it if it doesn't need anything inside done right now.


Someone also told me that pouring a bunch of diesel fuel in the carb and letting it "bake" overnight would clean out the fuel system

It won't do anything at all for the fuel system, you will be putting into the intake manifold, past the intake valves, and into the cylinder head/piston areas. If the engine is running good as you say, what's to be gained by taking a risk that carbon will be loosened and stick onto rings/grooves/valve seats etc.? I wouldn't do it.

(Others can comment on the interior, etc. I just us Meguires interior products on ours) Have a good time with your project!

[Drakar]

I would check your vin, if it's an ECU controlled carb then it is most likely either an american original car, which helps you with nothing.

OR

It's an L69 car, that is a 190hp 305 that is pretty good for it's time, better then the LG4 and TBI motors and would take most of the weak TPI motors. As to confirm, all canadian carbed cars (except L69) where vacuum advance non computer controlled carbs.

[Riceburner]

The car has on it somewhere that it was made in canada, but what in the vin (or vehicle) does it state that its an l69, it has a 4bbl rochester if that helps.* I did take an 89 5.0 on its first test drive and it seems to have more power than 155 and doesent have any wiring to the carb.

[89vert]

I would check your vin, if it's an ECU controlled carb then it is most likely either an american original car, which helps you with nothing.

OR

It's an L69 car, that is a 190hp 305 that is pretty good for it's time, better then the LG4 and TBI motors and would take most of the weak TPI motors.* As to confirm, all canadian carbed cars (except L69) where vacuum advance non computer controlled carbs.

i'll eat any stock carbed third gen

[91Vert]

As for your question about vinyl care i have a spray bottle of Maguires leather conditioner that works great on my leather n for rubber or vinyl i have this mothers rubber n vinyl conditioner/cleaner. They is many different brands it goes by what u prefer kinda like Ford or Chevy, though i do believe in the cliche u get what u pay for. The products i listed above are all located at NE Lordco deal for a bout 10 bucks a bottle so i mean it ain't cheap but whats the point of driving a car if it don't look the part.
H/P gains 89 vert is right u shoulda bought a TPI but cause 305 r not the greatest but a tuned port really helps there cause. If i was looking for h/p i would convert to fuel injection for starters maybe add a super chip(20h/p) n maybe a performance exhaust at least 3' I'm running a 3in magnaflow with a high flow cat. Sounds good n adds about 15 h/p.

[Riceburner]

Thanks for you input, but the whole reason I am doing a carb'd t/a is because I'm tired of working with electronics and wanted a straight simple muscle machine which the l69 (now that I know what it is) delivers. *I would sooner swap the power plant than deal with a carb-inj. swap. *My first ride was a '74 impala that I loved working on then I got into imports and realized that as soon as electronics get old the become very unreliable. *Even though the tpi cars may not suffer from this I have spent too many nights chasing down shorts with my fluke meter to deal with the headache.

I would really rather choose displacement as a power builder than more wiring at this point.

THX

[89vert]

Thanks for you input, but the whole reason I am doing a carb'd t/a is because I'm tired of working with electronics and wanted a straight simple muscle machine which the l69 (now that I know what it is) delivers. *I would sooner swap the power plant than deal with a carb-inj. swap. *My first ride was a '74 impala that I loved working on then I got into imports and realized that as soon as electronics get old the become very unreliable. *Even though the tpi cars may not suffer from this I have spent too many nights chasing down shorts with my fluke meter to deal with the headache.

I would really rather choose displacement as a power builder than more wiring at this point.

THX



tpi is childs play compared to fuel injection these days
can diag 90% of tpi problems with a multimeter and a paper clip :D

[3.4ltr huntin]

amen to that man