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Tony Westwood
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Portuguese_Kitt
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Portuguese_Kitt
Portuguese_Kitt
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Mon Nov 07, 2011 10:00 pm
Hello my friends,

i am from Portugal and i just bought a 1982 Pontiac Firebird.
The car is in bad condition, i will have to rebuild it, and i will need some parts there are missing.
The previous owner had started to build a replica from it, but never ended.
I would like to make a nice replica myself.
The engine runs perfect for a car that was stoped more than 20 years. Hi was affraid that the engine doesn´t work, but last friday with some hours of work, it come back to life. Very Happy
I post some pictures for you to see.
Congratulations for the very good forum!

Cheers
Helder




Last edited by Portuguese_Kitt on Sun Nov 13, 2011 8:25 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Mon Nov 07, 2011 10:08 pm
Hello and welcome to KRUK. Make yourself like home.
Looking forward to get to know you and your KITT better.

Marina
Creator of KRUK
Portuguese_Kitt
Portuguese_Kitt
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Mon Nov 07, 2011 10:16 pm
Thanks! Very Happy

More about me:
I am 31 years old, i am a car seller, and i really love cars.
I always dreamed to have a KITT replica.

More about the car:
Pontiac Firebird, from 1982, auto transmission, 5 liter V8.

Cheers
Helder
Newcastle knight
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Mon Nov 07, 2011 10:38 pm
Hi helder, welcome ! glad you got it running again, although watch out for problems now, if a car has been stood that long it can just be the start of things.

looks like the previous owner made the front nose himself ?!
Portuguese_Kitt
Portuguese_Kitt
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Mon Nov 07, 2011 10:45 pm
Newcastle knight wrote:Hi helder, welcome ! glad you got it running again, although watch out for problems now, if a car has been stood that long it can just be the start of things.

looks like the previous owner made the front nose himself ?!

Hi,

the engine seems to be in good condition.
But i will have to replace the cooling hoses, because they are full of rust.
I will need too, the air conditioning compressor, and some more parts there i will have to find out.
What kind of things can be wrong, caused by the (20years plus) stood?
Yes, i think the front nose was home made. Is it so ugly? With some changes i think i can put it ok... Whats your advice?

Cheers

Newcastle knight
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Mon Nov 07, 2011 10:53 pm
quite a few things i guess, id give the car a complete service for peace of mind. Oil and oil filter, transmission fluid and filter change, fuel filter, new spark plugs and leads, and id change the distributor cap and rotor arm too as they are quite cheap. i would also change the oil in the rear axle.

then as you mentioned the hoses, id flush out the cooling system properly, i disconnected my top and bottom hoses and put a garden hose pipe in and let it run right through the engine until nothing but clean water was coming out then i done the same with the radiator Smile you will be surprised how much brown crud comes out !

Portuguese_Kitt
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Mon Nov 07, 2011 10:59 pm
Thanks for the advices.
I will have to clean the cooling system this weekend! Very Happy
What do you think about the front nose? A new one is the solution?
Newcastle knight
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Mon Nov 07, 2011 11:09 pm
i think so yeah, it looks ok but by todays standards it doesnt fly ! lol i think a knight passions nose would be the way to go for you as he is in Holland so the shipping would be reasonable within Europe.

Let us know how you get on with flushing the system etc, time will tell how the car is really, you will have to drive it around for a while and see if anything else goes wrong.

you might also want to check the suspension if its been sitting a long time, things like drop links and swaybar bushes might be perished and need replaced.
Portuguese_Kitt
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Mon Nov 07, 2011 11:13 pm
Thanks for the advices...
I will let you know, about all the process.
I will have to buy too, the cowl hood and the 15" Turbocast whels, because this hubcaps are horrible! Shocked
Tony Westwood
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Tue Nov 08, 2011 12:02 am
Hi and welcome.

My advise is to forget about the knight Rider parts at the moment and concentrate on getting the car into tip top condition first.

If it has been standing for 20 years then you are probably going to have to replace most of the parts on your brakes & suspension, this can be costly if you need to replace discs & calipers etc, so do the sums first before spending lots of money.

I made this mistake with my first (Hardtop) KITT, I purchased it for ÂŁ1,100.00GBP and then had to spend another ÂŁ2,400.00GBP on it JUST to get it road worthy (and mine had only been stored for 3 years).

At the same time my present KITT came up for sale (which is a T top) and had correct 15" Turbocasts & GM hubcaps for ÂŁ3,500.00GBP, so I sold my Hardtop for what i'd paid out on it and purchased this one instead (it is much better car to do a replica with) Laughing

As you say yours is in bad condition, the best advise I can give you is work out how much it is going to cost to restore the car before you do anything else, and if it needs too much work then think carefully about whether it is worth restoring this one or if it would be better and cheaper to sell this one on and buy one in better condition.

I know this seems harsh advise, but it may save you lots of problems & money in the long run.

All the best,
Tony
Portuguese_Kitt
Portuguese_Kitt
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Tue Nov 08, 2011 12:10 am
Tony Westwood wrote:Hi and welcome.

My advise is to forget about the knight Rider parts at the moment and concentrate on getting the car into tip top condition first.

If it has been standing for 20 years then you are probably going to have to replace most of the parts on your brakes & suspension, this can be costly if you need to replace discs & calipers etc, so do the sums first before spending lots of money.

I made this mistake with my first (Hardtop) KITT, I purchased it for ÂŁ1,100.00GBP and then had to spend another ÂŁ2,400.00GBP on it JUST to get it road worthy (and mine had only been stored for 3 years).

At the same time my present KITT came up for sale (which is a T top) and had correct 15" Turbocasts & GM hubcaps for ÂŁ3,500.00GBP, so I sold my Hardtop for what i'd paid out on it and purchased this one instead (it is much better car to do a replica with) Laughing

As you say yours is in bad condition, the best advise I can give you is work out how much it is going to cost to restore the car before you do anything else, and if it needs too much work then think carefully about whether it is worth restoring this one or if it would be better and cheaper to sell this one on and buy one in better condition.

I know this seems harsh advise, but it may save you lots of problems & money in the long run.

All the best,
Tony

Hello Tony,

thanks a lot, for your advice.
The car has no rust or holes in the body, i am affraid of the mechanic components, like you`d said.
I will check everything you`d said.
Let`s see what happens.


Cheers
Helder

P.S. I am sorry about my English, but i try my best! Embarassed
stue
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Tue Nov 08, 2011 12:36 am
welcome,where are you based in portugal,i work with two portuguese guys and i know when i tell them there is a new kitt over there they will ask lol

stuart
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Tue Nov 08, 2011 8:41 am
Looks like a good starter car.
As most have said, the engine is the heart of kitt so its best to be sure that is kept well maintained unless your trailering the car to shows, once coolant has been drained, be sure to check transmission fluid, oil, air filter, oil filter, spark plugs, distributor cap and leads, check around the engine for any oil leaks that could let any oil out or get worse with heavy driving.
If there are parts not readily available over there you can try [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] for service parts they are pretty good on price.
The scanner looks interesting, is it LED or halogen, looks quite thin compared to most of the scanners on the market.

Stu
KnaresboroughKnight
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Tue Nov 08, 2011 8:49 am
Wow, looks like a great project - Stu is right about the scanner, would be interested to see it running.... if it still does!?
Portuguese_Kitt
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Tue Nov 08, 2011 11:26 am
stue wrote:welcome,where are you based in portugal,i work with two portuguese guys and i know when i tell them there is a new kitt over there they will ask lol

stuart

Hi Stuart,

thanks.
I am from Leiria, Portugal.

Helder
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Tue Nov 08, 2011 11:33 am
looks good mate would love to see the progress continue
Portuguese_Kitt
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Tue Nov 08, 2011 11:34 am
Kitt wrote:Looks like a good starter car.
As most have said, the engine is the heart of kitt so its best to be sure that is kept well maintained unless your trailering the car to shows, once coolant has been drained, be sure to check transmission fluid, oil, air filter, oil filter, spark plugs, distributor cap and leads, check around the engine for any oil leaks that could let any oil out or get worse with heavy driving.
If there are parts not readily available over there you can try www_rockauto_com for service parts they are pretty good on price.
The scanner looks interesting, is it LED or halogen, looks quite thin compared to most of the scanners on the market.

Stu


Thanks for the advice Stu. Very Happy
I will make all the oil/filter changes, spark plugs, sparl leads. The distributor cap seems perfect. Question
I will give alook at www-rockauto-com, and see. cheers
The scanner is an halogen one. I will keep it, if it works.

Helder
Portuguese_Kitt
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Tue Nov 08, 2011 11:37 am
KnaresboroughKnight wrote:Wow, looks like a great project - Stu is right about the scanner, would be interested to see it running.... if it still does!?

I don`t know if the scanner works. But it is well buit halogen one.
I think it misses the control box. I will have to check! Wink
Portuguese_Kitt
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Tue Nov 08, 2011 11:38 am
simonb33 wrote:looks good mate would love to see the progress continue

I will keep you informed! Wink
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Tue Nov 08, 2011 1:26 pm
Always best to check unless the distributor cap looks brand new, you can get carbon deposits on the rotor contact points which can cause issues later on in the cars life, if there is one thing I know about these cars is that they seem to constantly need work to keep them going lol.
Mine looks like its going to need the engine out at some point and a bit of an overhaul, there is a leak somewhere causing the engine oil to become low on its filler level.
Mine is also an 82 but the engine is not stock its a 6.6L V8 from a 69GTO.
Like yours I started off with the flat bonnet and plastic hubcaps inserts for steel wheels (at least I think that's what they are?)

Stu
Portuguese_Kitt
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Tue Nov 08, 2011 7:39 pm
Hi,

i will follow your advises.
It is always good to ear, from who really knows the car. I am just a newbie! Embarassed

My car has hubcaps, but i don`t like the look of them.
There are Toyota Hiace hubcaps, that with a little bit of work will do the same look.
Thanks.

Helder
Tony Westwood
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Tue Nov 08, 2011 8:12 pm
Portuguese_Kitt wrote:

Hello Tony,

thanks a lot, for your advice.
The car has no rust or holes in the body, i am affraid of the mechanic components, like you`d said.
I will check everything you`d said.
Let`s see what happens.


Cheers
Helder

P.S. I am sorry about my English, but i try my best! Embarassed

Hi Helder, if you have no rust issues on the bodywork then you are over half way to success my friend, all mechanical parts (both new and used) can still be found for these cars, but a few tell-tale rust bubbles in the wrong place on the bodywork (rear sills for example) can mean a non financially viable project and money wasted.

If you've got a good body all is not lost even if your mechanical items are all bad.

Find out what you need to replace, do the maths, and if the price of parts needed is more than the cost of buying another car then think about looking for one with good mechanicals and rotten bodywork (you should be able to pick one up like that dirt cheap), and then swap all the mechanical bits onto your good shell, simples Laughing

As for your English, I can promise you that it is better than my Portuguese (which is non-existent) Laughing

Regards,
Tony
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Tue Nov 08, 2011 8:46 pm
welcome to knight rider UK
Portuguese_Kitt
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Tue Nov 08, 2011 9:25 pm
SteveFawcett wrote:welcome to knight rider UK

Thanks! Wink
Portuguese_Kitt
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Tue Nov 08, 2011 9:37 pm
Tony Westwood wrote:

Hi Helder, if you have no rust issues on the bodywork then you are over half way to success my friend, all mechanical parts (both new and used) can still be found for these cars, but a few tell-tale rust bubbles in the wrong place on the bodywork (rear sills for example) can mean a non financially viable project and money wasted.

If you've got a good body all is not lost even if your mechanical items are all bad.

Find out what you need to replace, do the maths, and if the price of parts needed is more than the cost of buying another car then think about looking for one with good mechanicals and rotten bodywork (you should be able to pick one up like that dirt cheap), and then swap all the mechanical bits onto your good shell, simples Laughing

As for your English, I can promise you that it is better than my Portuguese (which is non-existent) Laughing

Regards,
Tony


Hello Tony,

the only place that needs attention in the body, is the battery compartement (there is a hole on it).
The engine runs and pulls well, i will change all the oils and filters, spark plugs, leads, distributor cap...
I have to try the automatic gearbox better, and see if it is fully operational.
The brakes work well, but they will need a rebuild, of course.
I`ll see how many money will i spend and then we will see what to do.
In Portugal, it is very dificult to find a Pontiac. I will have to find everything i need, outside my country.
Thanks. Very Happy

Helder
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