KevinR

Greetings all - my apologies in advance...this may get a little long. Bear with me.

I'm Kevin, 45, i manage technology super geeks by education, and i've always wanted a car that made my wife cringe when I cranked it. Couple of problems - 2 kids with one on the way to college so no money and I know squat about real automotive DIY. Lucky for me, I love learning new stuff and I had a 20' bayliner boat dying to be traded. And so I did about 2 weeks back.

Enter the 1985 trans am. it is black, beat to crap cosmetically (there is actually a strip of duct tape that has been spray painted black...I'll post pics if you need to smile), and had to be trailered to my house. the former owners should be shot - the guy who traded it to me never had time to mess with it so it sat for years. the 305 has been swapped for a 350 with (I think) a 700 tranny, quadrajet, what looks like a Delco/Remy HEI with tach drive on top (it has no vacuum advance so I'm guessing mechanical?). I have zero clue about engine year - just know its a 350.

Here's the goal - I want to restore it bit by bit. Here's the other problem - I need help. If you're willing, it will be a kind of "Daniel-san Miagi automotive thing" - you trans-am-say...I trans-am do. I'll study, buy books, watch youtube vids - whatever. I enjoy the learning part so I'm pretty stoked.

so far, i figured out the mechanical fuel pump was shot, so I temporarily wired in an electric one (6-9 rated). The car does start - currently has no exhaust so its coming straight off the manifolds. needless to say - "the exhaust note is authoratative". then I discovered some genius put the accelerator return spring on BACKWARDS, so it was holding the pedal to the floor. after that was corrected, the engine cranks quickly and runs buts its rough. i've had a couple of small carb fires, so I started by checking the firing order and wires. Looks fine. I did loosen the distributor hold down bolt and rotated a little. The more advance I give it, the better it runs (to a point, obviously).

Your mission - should you choose to accept it - is to help this rank newb time the engine, thereby saving both newb and engine from a catastrophic carb explosion. I have basic tools including a timing light. Just to add a little challenge to this first step: i've got vacuum lines hanging loose, cut and everything else all over. vacuum that should be helping the carb probably isnt - again, if you need pics, will do...just remember I'm not to blame. Again, the engine will start and run. the warmer it gets and/or the more gas you give it, the more likely it is to spit back out the carb.

I cant even hope to return the many favors I'm about to ask - unless you need advice on wide area networking, VOIP telephony, 10G LAN uplinks or a variety of other technology geek-speak. So I'll thank you in advance for your knowledge. If you get any charge out of seeing someone get excited about learning to do what you do, then you'll love me.

with great appreciation - Grasshopper

KevinR

UPDATE - timing is better but not perfect. I'm wondering if there is an advance I need to unplug. No vacuum advance. see pic of carb - delco/remy with tach connector on side. think its HEI. last night, i'd get it set then a few minutes later it didnt sound as good - as if an advance had changed something. that's question #1 - do i need to unplug something before setting timing?

question #2 - carb is quadrajet. car had 305 TPI - now has 350 w carb. there are unconnected vacuum lines hanging everywhere. on the quadrajet, what vacuum lines MUST be connected or plugged off?

Thanks all. Kevin