My best friend had a 1980 Trans Am towards the end of high school. It was the pace car model in white with an offset hood scoop for a turbo 4.9L V8 (it actually had a 350). Very sharp and fun car. We gassed it up one day, and a guy at another pump made a scoff about it being daddy’s car. It most definitely was not. He and his step-dad built the car, along with another, and he bought it when they were done. That car ended up burning in a shop fire, but he now has an '81 Camaro Z28.
My cougar has a different story. Dad bought it in 1980 with a 289 and some body damage. He fixed it up and drove it until it hit 100k miles. In the late 80’s, he tossed that 289 aside and had a 351 Windsor built for its place. It got a mild cam, electronic ignition, bored 30 over, and eventually stronger valve springs. It got topped with an Edelbrock Proformer intake and a Holley 1650. The C4 got rebuilt with a Trans-Go shift kit. The car ran when I was a little kid, but got parked in '96 when my younger twin brother and sister were born. She got some attention almost ten years ago from Dad’s cousin and my brother, and it got some replacement parts.
Dad passed away in March 2015. Since then, it’s driven once, six years ago, and ran one other time. I was about to take it for a spin and noticed gas spitting out of the fuel line that supplies the back bowl on the carb. I popped the carb off, and it has sat in my garage ever since. Well, I’m getting married this year, and my fiance wants the car at the site. So, I rebuilt the carb a couple weeks ago, and I am heading up to get it from my cousin’s farm on Sunday.
The main goal for this car is to be a driver. A few runs down the strip would be cool, but it’s not ready for that. It will need some bodywork, but I’m not looking to make it a show car. I want a car that runs well and is fun to drive. Front disc brakes and a brake booster will be in the future.
As of now, most of this car has been bought an paid for by my dad, but it won’t be like that for long.