darrensls1

I have been on these boards from as far back as 2003. But I have been away for awhile as I went through some real hard times. Let me share with you guys my story and then ask for your advice.

In 2009 I lost my job. That was a bad time for this country so I was definately not alone. But unlike most of the other people who lost jobs back then I could not collect any unemployment. Forget the extended benifits because I couldn't even claim the normal six months of benifits. See my boss back then had been paying me in cash for two years prior to losing my job. So the unemployment office said they had no record of me in the workforce the past 18 months and therefore I could not claim any benifits. I showed them my tax return where I had claimed all the money to both the federal and the state but they said it didn't matter.

So 6 months with no income at all made several bad things happen. I lost both mine and my wifes cars to repossession, my wife left me and I ate through all my savings. I also sold everything I had to anyone who would buy (except for the 99 Formula in my sig). I only kept that because I was also homeless and needed the car for transportation as well as somewhere to sleep. By Februaru 2010 I was working at Walmart as an IMS supervisor but after taxes and child support my take home pay was only $350 every two weeks. I couldn't live on that and had to remain living out of my car.

So one night after work I am heading to the truck stop to go to sleep. It's 1:30 AM and the roads are clear but it was below zero so the roads were so cold I knew I needed to keep my speed at or under 55 mph to be on the safe side. I am on the expressway entrance ramp trying to get up to 55 mph but my car won't accellerate. I mean it was brutal, I think it took 15 seconds to go from 10-30 mph with my foot mashing the gas pedal almost to the floor.

Now this wasn't the first time this has happened. I had this accelleration issue before and if I am patient then it always kicks back in to normal after a little bit. I am trying to get up to 40 MPH and at that point I was going to get off the gas and just coast along in the right lane. But somewhere around 35 MPH my engine roared to life like someone just flipped a switch. Next thing I knew my revs were sky high, my wheels were spinning and I was out of control. My car ended up going head on into the guard rail. Here was the damages:

Front bumper destroyed
Hood destroyed
Both headlights destroyed
Both front quarter panels damaged
Transmission cooler destroyed


Now the tranny cooler didn't get destroyed by the accident but rather by the tow truck driver when he hoisted my vehicle onto a flatbed at a severe angle that bottomed out the cooler and leaked my tranny fluid everywhere. It looked bad but when I took a real close look I saw all the damage was cosmetic. The engine was fine, the frame was fine, the radiator was fine, ect.

With a new hood, quarter panels, bumper, headlights and tranny cooler the car would be back. If I did all the labor myself I estimated the cost of parts to be about $1,500. So I had the car shipped to Illinois where my cousin could store it for me for free on his property.

In June of 2011 I gave up on living homeless in New York and moved back to Illinois where all my family still lived including my mother and both my sisters. I have since gotten a good job, a beautiful girlfriend and I live very comfortably in Lake Holiday located in Sandwich, IL. Now I want to get my car going again. But here is my dilemma.

The car was sitting outside during two winters. The rims are now shot, the rotors are shot, the frame under the car is covered with surface rust and the interier is even in rough shape. The more I look at it the more I think rebuilding this car isn't worth it. But the motor still turns over right away and the motor makes over 400 HP with a great dyno tune by Mike @ New Era Performance.

So here is my idea:

A). Buy a 98-02 TA or SS roller car with no motor and drop my motor in it.

B). Buy a running 98-02 TA or SS and swap motors. I could keep the stock motor for a backup.

I was also kicking around the idea of using this opportunity to swap to a manual. So here are my questions that I need advice on.

1). Should I rebuild my existing car or should I pull my motor and gears and scrap my car. Or should I pull the cam, lifters, gears, intake, ect and put them into another f-body's exisiting motor even though it would require another $500 dynotune?

2). Would there be any complications from swapping a ls1 motor from an A4 car and dropping it into a manual car?

3). What do you guys think caused my accelleration issue that in turn caused my accident? I was way overdue for new plugs and wires so could that be it? Or could it be the transmission? Something engine related?

Remember it did this sometimes when it was cold and would kick on like someone flipped a switch. Once it flipped on so to speak the car would drive and accellerate normally for the rest of the trip.

Thanks so much in advance for any advice or imput.

Darren

lemons12

iTrader: (71)

You could buy a roller and as long as its the same as yours.. If yours is 98 it must be 98.. If yours is 99-02 it can be 99-02.. Then you can swap the computer and no need for another tune. As long as its same gears same trans etc... But all that could be touched up via a cheaper mail order tune.

The motor itself doesn't matter if its a manual auto etc..

Nice rollers sell for 2-4k depending on what's included condition etc...

Your issue sounds like a possible maf/tps type issue. Were you throwing codes? Did you pull the lid off and make sure nothing was blocking it?

Hope that helps a little.

RJDio

reaching here, but maybe stuck throttle body blade? if gas pedal is down and wire is pulled, won't it still pull the spring on the TB, then if blade pops open instant air into engine...hang on.

lemons12

iTrader: (71)

I was thinking electrical not mechanical.. Its weird he could pick up speed though. Stuck blade shut would mean idle.... No increase in speed.
Good thought though.

ULTIMATEORANGESS

iTrader: (4)

could a slipping trans cause this?


i hope youre up and running by summer.

RevGTO

iTrader: (12)

First of all, what a harrowing story. Thankfully you emerged from it all with your health and sanity intact and rebuilt your life.

As to the car, I'd pull your motor and scrap or part out the rest. Then I'd find a nice good running example and swap the motors when you're ready. I wouldn't buy a roller because more likely than not, a roller has been a thrasher. A roller is good to build a race car, and not for much more.

As suggested above, since the only the throttle controls the speed of engine revolutions, and our throttles are mechanical, it had to be a mechanical issue with the throttle. A sticking throttle plate due to icing or other conditions could cause the lack of accleration, and then as RJDio said, perhaps the sudden acceleration if it broke loose and popped wide open. Or if your car has TCS, maybe a problem with that cable system?

darrensls1

Thanks. I'm very glad to have survived with anything resembling sanity. I was a little concerned about the roller idea too. I mean you never know what may have been sold or removed besides the obvious. I'd hate to have my motor dropped in and then find out it needs 20 other things that the previous owner took or sold.

When I would try to accellerate it sounded terrible like it was sputtering and misfiring. But it would ever so slowly gain speed if I stayed heavy in the throttle. Then all of a sudden it kicks on like someone flipped a switch and it runs perfectly fine after that.

I think I'm gonna shop for another 99-02 Trans Am/Formula and just swap motors. Hopefully with a new set of plugs, wires and transmission the issue will not follow me to the next car. If it does then I'll report back and see if I can't get more feedback.

Thanks for the replies,

Darren

DANOZ28

iTrader: (1)

i would probably use the new cars throttle body since yours is in ?. (swap). dang thats a bummer of a story. i hope things get better 4 you. cheers.

01 Trans-Am WS6

iTrader: (5)

Just rebuild your current car. It'll be cheaper and easier in the end IMO. Cars sit out in harsh climates often and are always used again.

ssfast99

iTrader: (3)

Has anyone else thought about a Cat going bad or in the process? Would explain the temporary power loss yet slow acceleration then when cleared full power. Just a thought since I can't see a throttle blade being stuck yet the pedal moving freely all the way to full throttle. I also see he has a NW TB and my personal experience as well as research showes those never have issues. Maybe a bad TPS but I would assume a code would appear.

Good luck with your future decisions reference the car. Only you know how bad the car is now, how much you want to spend time and money, and your attachment to this car.