Behind the Wheel

HUW EVANS, BARRIE, ONTARIO, CANADA

1985 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am

I’m sure, for many of you, 2020 has proved to be a very ‘interesting’ year for classic car ownership. For me, the absence of car shows and events has resulted in a very different experience, but I have taken an opportunity to at least stretch the legs of my beloved T/A.

An initial start up and test-drive last spring following a long winter hibernation revealed a number of issues that needed to be addressed. The car wasn’t running all that great, something I primarily attributed to old fuel (even with stabiliser). I also realised that in the disruption of moving house the previous year, plus other work commitments, the Trans Am was in need of some TLC. Besides not running at its best, it was leaking transmission fluid and the gas-charged hood struts were shot, making tinkering under the hood a pain.

So a