Straker

iTrader: (1)

Car has been in my garage the whole time. Hasn't moved a millimeter. I don't know **** about cars but willing to learn some things.

I'm eager, yet really scared to spark this thing up again. Obviously I'll need to replace the battery. The drag radials shall be replaced. Once she's mobile I have a great mechanic I can take it to to give it a good look over, although he doesn't **** with high performance/mod type stuff. What else should I do?

Here's the mods:

99' Trans AM - HKE 346 - 6spd

Ummm... not stock.

Tuned by RPM - 458 rwhp 432 rwtq on motor, Built by HKE

New GM LS6 Block
Callies Forged DragonSlayer Crankshaft
Scat Forged H Beam Rods
Mahle Forged Pistons w/4 cc valve reliefs
Precision Race Componets Stage 2.5 CNC'd 5.3 heads milled to a 59 cc combustion chamber 2.02/1.575 valves
Comp Cam 239/242 dur .649"/.609" 111 LSA
Comp 7.375 Hardend push rods
GM LS7 replacement lifters
Kooks 1 3/4" x 1 7/8" stepped headers w/ off road Y-pipe and 3" Flowmaster Super 40
Lucas 42# Flowmatched injectors
Fast 90mm intake
Nick Williams 90mm Throtle body
Rollmaster Double Roller timing chain
TSP Ported LS6 oil pump
ARP Head and Main Studs (12 point)
SLP Pulley
Racetronix Pump and hotwire kit
Toyo Drag Radials




Trans:
Tremec T-56 six speed
Pro 5.0 Shifter
McLeod Street Twin Borg & Beck Clutch
McLeod Adj Master Cylinder
New GM Slave Cylinder

Rear:
GM 10 bolt w/ 3.73 ratio
Brakes:
Bear Eradi-Speed cross drilled and slotted rotors (2 piece front, 1 piece rear
Hawk HPS Pads

Thanks!

conan

iTrader: (5)

New battery, fresh fuel, change the oil/filter and the fuel filter... Let her rip

idahoz28

iTrader: (2)

Hell yeah Let that baby rip!!!!! Oh and be careful... Lol

R6cowboy

iTrader: (3)

Change motor oil and filter, replace in-line fuel filter, siphon fuel tank if not near empty (3 yr old fuel is no good, not a chance I would trust it), add fresh 91-93 octane fuel. And becasue it has been sitting for so long, I would disconnect the spark plug wires and crank the engine over for a few seconds to get oil moving throughout the engine before firing it up. Just for safe measure.

Mercier

iTrader: (15)

Check your power steering, brake, clutch fluids, coolant. Also do several short test stops to take the funk off the brake rotors from sitting before you get out on a highway at higher speeds.

--RADIO PRESETS!--

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

No need to go to all that trouble. You can just pull the ign. & fuel pump fuse/relay rather than pulling all the wires.

Never a bad idea, but there should be nothing on the rotors at all since it's been sitting in a garage, unless humidity in there is off the charts. I've gone considerably longer than 3 years with a few garage kept cars and the rotors were spotless.

Mercier

iTrader: (15)

In Louisiana, 3 months in the garage and you've got surface rust starting.

How about "make sure the damn thing stops a few times before you go fast."

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

It's amazing how much difference the local climate can make. I had an old Cadillac sitting in my garage for over 7 years and it specifically needed new brake lines, so brakes had to be addressed prior to driving it. Even after all those years, the rotors looked basically like they had just come off a lathe.

Things are definitely different in the south though. I had a friend recently move to FL with an carb'ed SBC Nova. For 12 years he had no issues with engine bay rust of any kind here in a Chicago garage, but after just one year in FL the distributor had developed rust in the advance mechanism. Apparently this is not uncommon where he lives.

Mercier

iTrader: (15)

Yeah it's definitely a challenge. I have a 5.3 on a stand with one head off and I have to fog the thing with WD-40 every week to keep surface rust from starting. Rotors are by far not the worst. I had a lightly used but pristine cam wrapped in bubble wrap in a cardboard box in the garage for a few months and it has some surface rust on it. And that's in the winter when we have half the humidity. My garage isn't air conditioned but it shares walls with my house. Doesn't help.

It's hard to keep truly nice stuff down here. The environment just reclaims anything you don't maintain very regularly. Everything has to be bathed in oil, painted /well/, or kept in A/C. But the food and fishing make up for it.

R6cowboy

iTrader: (3)

I just thought the plug wires because it takes roughly 30 sec to unplug from the coils...?

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

If the plug wires haven't been off in a very long time, it will likely take quite a bit more than 30 seconds to remove all 8. Plus this won't stop the fuel system from operating.

It takes about 5 seconds to pull a fuses/relay for the pump and ignition.

R6cowboy

iTrader: (3)

I didn't mean completely take the plug wires out, just unplug from the coils. But you're right, pulling the ignition and fuel pump fuse/relay is a better idea.

If it were my car, I'd give it a full tune-up anyways, replacing all fluids, replacing all new plugs and wires, etc. because I'm **** like that.

Straker

iTrader: (1)

Great tips guys! This is good, straight-forward and easy to follow info and I feel a lot better about getting this done now.

I bought everything I need last weekend. I'm trying to roll her out of the garage, it's too tight to work properly inside, unfortunately one of the Toyos is flat. Damned if I don't have the lug nut key to get the wheel off! I think my buddy has a matching key so I'm getting that tomorrow and hopefully I'll be able to proceed.

I really appreciate all of you taking your time to help! This is a great community!

Orange Juice

iTrader: (3)

Yes, pull the fuel pump fuse and turn it over.

Straker

iTrader: (1)

Heh, I pulled the ignition and fuel fuses and it turned over almost instantly anyways. I killed the engine and pulled yet more fuses and it still cranked up instantly so I killed it again. I had good oil pressure so I just put all the fuses back, cranked her up and let idle for awhile.

She's running like a top, just as I'd left her all those years ago. I got the locking lug nuts broke off, mounted fresh Toyos and now I'm just putting around to the beer store n' such. Figured I'd take it easy for a bit.

RONSBLACK1998TA

Good to hear she's alive again! I took mine off the road for only 1 year and couldn't wait to get it back on the street! Congrats!

1Beastnstl

Post pics if you can!!

johnnybravo

When you are done driving for the day, be sure to crack open a beer, step back and admire your handiwork. Mmmm, feels good, doesn't it?

myk

iTrader: (4)

Why did the car sit for three years?