Well, it's been a little over 3 weeks since my GP just up and died on me, and I am having major withdrawals! Basically, the story goes like this:
Three weeks ago, Monday, I was on my way to work, when my 87 GP quit on me. I was headed up a pretty steep hill, and it just kept slowing down. I had the pedal to the floor, and it just kept bogging down, and finally died. I got a ride the rest of the way to work, and left the car there for a few hours, until my boss could go get it with the tow truck. He towed it to the shop, and it has sat in the back of the lot since. I had some minor idle issues, and a code for a TPS for quite a while. I changed the TPS about a month prior, and was still having some issues. I just kept kind of blindly guessing and making minor adjustments, so I am pretty sure it is a carb-based problem.
So, why didn't I just stay after work a few nights, and try to see if I could find out what was wrong? Well, first, my boss isn't exactly the charitable type, and generally doesn't do favors, so I didn't even ask if I could. Secondly, my mother-in-law had a 97 S10 that her father gave her a couple years ago, that she needed me to drive up from her (now ex-) boyfriend's house, since it was a 5-speed. I was pretty much given the truck, and told to pay her when I could afford it. Thirdly, the GP has had it's fair share of problems over the past 5 years I have owned it. No major engine problems, or anything that prevented me from driving it daily. It didn't really bother me, since it was mostly routine parts like ignition components, that wear out over time. The car was almost completely original when I bought it, and I knew after a while, I would need to start replacing things. That was fine with me...not so much with the wife. She sees it as very unreliable. Due in part to the fact that she wants to move by the end of the year (not just a city or town away, but cross-country), and the fact that I don't have anywhere to store the car, on top of pretty much getting a reliable truck for no more than registration fees and tax, it really made no sense to fix it, or even keep it (to her, anyways).
For now, my boss is letting me keep it at work. But, I am really hoping to have a new job by the end of the month, and I doubt he will let me keep it there if I don't work there. At this point, I can't see myself selling it. It only runs until it warms up, then it dies. It looks like complete sh*t. The body is 12903856827934 different colors of grey and silver, with some rust, and a fair amount of dents and dings. The interior is nice, aside from a sagging headliner, and dirty driver's seat.(I am a mechanic...)So, I doubt I would get very much for it. I had planned on getting the carb rebuilt, but all this happened before I had the chance.
Right now, my hopes are to get it towed to a carb shop, get the carb rebuilt, and get it running right. Get a new, much better paying job, to be able to afford to do the bodywork and paint it badly needs, and keep it as a summer cruiser. As far as moving goes, I'll get the ****ing thing shipped there if I have to, I don't care. I really do not want to get rid of it. (I can dream, can't I?)
Sorry for the rant. I have just been running all of this through my head for the past few weeks, and needed to let it out somehow. The lack of power is killing me. I know the stock 305 isn't a super powerful engine, but driving a 4-banger truck is far far worse. Hey, at least it's a 5-speed. Anyways, I am done...for now. Hopefully I will have a build thread or some other kind of progress to post, if and when I get this turd back in working order. Wish me luck!
Three weeks ago, Monday, I was on my way to work, when my 87 GP quit on me. I was headed up a pretty steep hill, and it just kept slowing down. I had the pedal to the floor, and it just kept bogging down, and finally died. I got a ride the rest of the way to work, and left the car there for a few hours, until my boss could go get it with the tow truck. He towed it to the shop, and it has sat in the back of the lot since. I had some minor idle issues, and a code for a TPS for quite a while. I changed the TPS about a month prior, and was still having some issues. I just kept kind of blindly guessing and making minor adjustments, so I am pretty sure it is a carb-based problem.
So, why didn't I just stay after work a few nights, and try to see if I could find out what was wrong? Well, first, my boss isn't exactly the charitable type, and generally doesn't do favors, so I didn't even ask if I could. Secondly, my mother-in-law had a 97 S10 that her father gave her a couple years ago, that she needed me to drive up from her (now ex-) boyfriend's house, since it was a 5-speed. I was pretty much given the truck, and told to pay her when I could afford it. Thirdly, the GP has had it's fair share of problems over the past 5 years I have owned it. No major engine problems, or anything that prevented me from driving it daily. It didn't really bother me, since it was mostly routine parts like ignition components, that wear out over time. The car was almost completely original when I bought it, and I knew after a while, I would need to start replacing things. That was fine with me...not so much with the wife. She sees it as very unreliable. Due in part to the fact that she wants to move by the end of the year (not just a city or town away, but cross-country), and the fact that I don't have anywhere to store the car, on top of pretty much getting a reliable truck for no more than registration fees and tax, it really made no sense to fix it, or even keep it (to her, anyways).
For now, my boss is letting me keep it at work. But, I am really hoping to have a new job by the end of the month, and I doubt he will let me keep it there if I don't work there. At this point, I can't see myself selling it. It only runs until it warms up, then it dies. It looks like complete sh*t. The body is 12903856827934 different colors of grey and silver, with some rust, and a fair amount of dents and dings. The interior is nice, aside from a sagging headliner, and dirty driver's seat.(I am a mechanic...)So, I doubt I would get very much for it. I had planned on getting the carb rebuilt, but all this happened before I had the chance.
Right now, my hopes are to get it towed to a carb shop, get the carb rebuilt, and get it running right. Get a new, much better paying job, to be able to afford to do the bodywork and paint it badly needs, and keep it as a summer cruiser. As far as moving goes, I'll get the ****ing thing shipped there if I have to, I don't care. I really do not want to get rid of it. (I can dream, can't I?)
Sorry for the rant. I have just been running all of this through my head for the past few weeks, and needed to let it out somehow. The lack of power is killing me. I know the stock 305 isn't a super powerful engine, but driving a 4-banger truck is far far worse. Hey, at least it's a 5-speed. Anyways, I am done...for now. Hopefully I will have a build thread or some other kind of progress to post, if and when I get this turd back in working order. Wish me luck!
