I miss my annoying 88 Trans Am something fierce. I never should have sold it, and I sold it for cheap too. That car was the best DD, even in snow.

I’ve seen strange things happening in my area the last two years or so in regards to vehicles from the 80s. Third gen F bodies have been climbing in value at a rapid rate; as have the 4th gens. G bodies are starting to get up there now too; not just the Grand Nationals which have always been high value, but the Monte…

The bomb squad:

I finally sold my old Apollo project and made enough to get a huge start on the Grand National project.

Connectors are still just as shit now as they were in the 80s and 90s, they’re just more complex. I don’t know exactly how many solutions to electrical issues in my shop are solved with the words “terminal retention issue” but it’s a lot.

I really think that depends on where and how you get trained. I’m currently undertaking a GM apprenticeship and I’d say more than 1/3 of my training in the schooling sections has been electrical, both diagnostics and repair. Meanwhile others in my courses who have transferred in from other programs like regular AST…

Makes me angry both as a manual performance car owner and as a dealership technician.

Oh yeah, tail panel rust is murder. I didn’t delve deep enough into mine before I got rid of it to see how bad that part was, but considering the rest of the car’s underbelly was shot I wouldn’t have been surprised if it was gone too or covered in tar like the rest.

My bonehead mistake of the year was installing the pitman shaft seals in the wrong order. I knew my mistake when after a test run I crawled under to do a leak check and found the seals, washers and snap ring jammed against the pitman arm.

The heater controls in my Buick Apollo. They’re sliders that seemingly do nothing and everything at the same time. Push it to ‘off’ the blower motor runs push it to ‘vent’ the blower motor runs. It always runs, high or low as soon as you turn the key “click whrrrrrrr”.

Ugh. Brockville a couple years ago. I was driving the Apollo through there to get gas on my way home from my dad’s where I’d been doing some work on her. As I pulled out of the station (turning right on a red, which is fine here) a cop lit up his lights behind me and pulled me over.

Ever since I was a kid my car obsession has been a 1986 Buick Grand National. Has been and always will be the one car I will move heaven and earth to one day purchase/find/rescue. One day. Maybe not today, ‘cause I got a Camaro to look after. And maybe not tomorrow because I have my Apollo to rebuild.

Can’t believe I missed this one I had the perfect car for this.

No lemon law protection here in Canada outside of some very specific areas. They are only required to repair under warranty until the problem is fixed.

Thanks!

This is what I worry will happen if the 40 year old u bolts let go in my Apollo.

Update: she has graduated to a new level of vindictiveness. Leaks. Leaks everywhere. Mystery fuel leak, leaking master cylinder and even a leaking tire.

I want to make multiple accounts just so I can give you more stars.

Good luck wih your trip.

My old baby is both the best and worst car I own.