1981 VAM Rally GT - Revival

Reviving this thread after some years.

Now that Photobucket does not allow remote linking there wont be pictures in this post. If anyone knows of a site where I can upload pics for free please let me know.

I had to put my car on hold for some time due to other piorities. I finally had the chance to resume the restoration back in 2015.

Here goes the current progress,

My 1981 Rally GT was carrying several problems when I let it sit for months before I retook the project.

First

The clutch had NEVER worked well since I bought it. This was also due to my complete lack of knowlegde and experience in car repairs and restoration. The first time I fixed the clutch I made the mistake of having the disk rebuilt.  The pedal worked very well now instead of being VERY wobly and with better response. However, the problem of the car shaking up while accelerating from a stand still in reverse persisted.

Another mechanic I met later who specializes in customizations insisted that I replaced the just rebuilt disk in favor of a bronze unit due to other performance upgrades I was making to the car. I accepted. The car got a bronze disk and the shaking up problem got worse. It some times even shook up while acceleraring in first gear.

The rumbling had taken its toll several times, as my transmission mount, my engine mounts and my two exhausts got busted at least three times.

With a new mechanic and more conviction and experience, I changed the clutch for a third time. I got an original-type clutch disk only slightly stronger than the original and ALL other clutch components were checked one by one and rebuilt.

For the first time since I own the car, the clutch will be working as good as new. Smooth acceleration from a stand-still, correct pedal operation and good performance.

First Side Effects

The lack of use plus the car sitting for at least six months with mechanical problems carried before it was stopped took their toll.

Not just the clutch needed to be complately repaired. My transmission turned out to have problems. The TREMEC 176-F four-speed manual with Hurst link had oil leaks at the rod bushings and the front shaft had loose space around it (what is this called in English?), the part moving partially instead of being strong in its place.

The rear differential followed, the retainer no longer the worked, thus the part was almost dry from the lack of oil. Also the differential shaft was also loose around its hollow and had to strengthened out.

Second

The same tortous path I went through with the clutch happened with the exhausts.

As far as I know, the car has the stock suspension height. It was the same after I completely rebuilt the suspension.

Mexican streets have humps near the block corners and my exhausts have almost ALWAYS hit against the humps.

Regardless of how soft or strong the suspension is, it is entirely a matter of suspnsion height. If I am by myself in the car the exhausts it hits on half of the humps, the taller ones. I am with with another person in the car, even if it is just a child, the exhausts will be DRAGGED harshly against the humps.

I really considered the possibility of rising the height of the suspension one inch at least, two at most, but I also don't want to get to the edge of the car's stability range.

Then apparently, the problem was located.

Once again, my lack of knowledge and experience in the first years I had the car took their toll.

I had the exhausts fixed twice. The mistake I made was to have the exhaust fixed by a general mechanic instead of an exhaust specialist. The "new" pipes were just cut and welded together instead of being properly bent and obtaining the correct curves based in the car's floor and lower lines. I realized very late that my had the two exhausts out of two different diameters and three different metals.

The pipes were practically just "hanging" under the car behind the engine instead of following the shape of the floor and transmission crossmember.

I finally contacted an exhaust specialist who made the pipes from a scratch with the correct equipment and following the car's bottom correctly.

It also seems that for the first time since I have the car the exhausts will be in correct working order and if I'm lucky, no longer hitting against the humps.

Third

The carburetor had issues. I originally had a Holley 2300 installed in the car with VAM's stock two-barrel aluminum intake manifold. Since the car had smoke problems I decided to remove it in favor of a Motorcraft 2150 unit I have. With the Holley carburetor removed I decied to mail it to a friend in Mexico City to check it out, fix any possible problems and to  tune it correctly for VAM engines. My friend is the most reliable person I know in regards of carburetors, so he was a secure bet. The number 60 jets were replaced in favor of 54 units. The number 75 power valve departed in favor of a 85 unit. It was serviced completely and after it was tested in friend's car, he sent it back to me through delivery service.

However, the carburetor problems were far from over.

Now the Motorcraft 2150 unit developed problems. For some reason the car started sucking gas like a professional drinker. The carburetor was taken down and it turned out that the bowl was pierced by two bolts and gasoline was leaking out. This was caused by the carburetor being serviced by a previous mechanic who made this mistake while reparing another leak in the rubber round seal.

So, in this current process of my car's mechanic repairs I ended up paying DOUBLE fee for carburetor troubles in a single-carburetor engine.

Fortunately, now both carburetors are completely rebuilt and working correctly.

Fourth

My car despite the year still carried the original Prestolite elctronic distribuitor unlike the AMC Spirits which had the Ford Duraspark unit.

I decided to remove it and replace it with the AC Delco Chevrolet High Energy Ignition unit. After sometime and difficulty, I was able to locate a unit at a jukyard. I bought it and lubricated it, changed the original gear in favor of the VAM and installed the unit in my engine. At first sight it seemed to be working fine, but it almost literally starting falling apart piece by piece. First the cap no longer conducted electricity correctly, then the ignition moldule had to be replaced, then the coil got busted. After every service th engine started to expell smoke that progressively got worse and worse. The spark plugs quickly got dirty. The engine did not burn fuekl evenly.

I was getting desperate and while consulting some friends, just like I did with the Holley carburetor, I ended up sending the carburetor through delivery to another friend to Mexico City, not just to have it fully reconstructed but also to modifiy the centrifugal advance for higher acceleration.

After some years, the distributor for the first time will be working correctly and reliably.

Fifth

The car already being located at the repair shop, the started got busted. Also, the cables of it were also very bad shape. So the started was repaired and all cables replaced, avoiding any problems and possible short circuits.

More to come.

Mitchito, unfortunately, leaving the Holley carburetor sit inside a cardboard box for six months seems to have taken its toll. One part stopped working and I going to have to send the carburetor back to my friend. When that happens I'll let everyone know how it turned out.

Finally, after two years I got the car back.

I have to say some things were rushed since my mechanic failed to meet the deadline and delivered not far from the last minute.

These are the results:

1.- Exhausts

For the first time in ten years, the exhausts seem to be in a near-perfect condition. Except for two times with only very mild scratches, the exhausts NEVER hit against the humps.

I have to admit this was not just due to the exhausts being correctly repaired, it also had to do with the fact that I also put taller tires on the car, replacing the previous 235 60 R14 units in favor of 225 70 R14 ones, the main reason for this was precisely due to the humps hitting against the exhausts. Also, my suspension (speacially the rear part) was customized into a very hard unit (near racing like) with stronger leaft springs and very hard shock absorbers. This keeps the car from plunging down after the front wheels pass over the hump and that keeps the exhausts from hitting.

Fortunately, it seems that my headers are not damaged and have NO fume leaks due to the frequent hits against the humps.

2.- Clutch

Just like the exhausts, for the first time in ten years the clutch is finally working perfectly. Shifting gears felt pretty smooth and I never had the problem of the whole drivetrain shaking up when starting to move in reverse from a standstill.

3.- Smoke entering the cockpit

Also, the smoke entering the cockpit problem seems to have vanished. I neved had to roll up my window due to breathing smoke at higher speeds.

I still didn't know what exactly solved this problem.

Aside from the exhausts for the first time being repaired correctly, the two rubber caps on top of the valve cover (the one for the PVC valve and the one that goes to the air cleaner) were finally replaced and no fume leaks from that part were present.

Also, no leaks from the exhausts were present or fume leaks from the union between the head and the intake/headers.

4.- Misc.

Other parts that were fixed and after testing were alright were the starter, the distributor, the differential, the transmission and the rebuilt engine head; all of them were fine apparently.

Unfortunately, as expected, some problems persisted, pretty much the same as when I first got the in the shop.

Aside from the just-repaired Holley 2300 carburetor not working at all, the Motorcraft 2150 carburetor also did not work well.

When I first got the car it had truly bad starting problems. With a cold engine, once you turned the switch and fire the car up you had constanly press the accelerator to keep the engine from dying again. Just pressing the accelerator and keeping it pressed was not enough to keep the engine from dying unless you went over 2000 RPM at least.

Once the engine heats up a little you can release the accelerator and it would run in idle flawlessly without dying. When I first checked the car, the minimum RPM range the carburetor was set to was 1500 RPM. That wasted a lot of gas and took toll on the engine getting very hot. We were able to keep the engine at 700 RPM at idle range.

This was only the first problem.

The car didn't work well at any of the four gears. The engine working cycle felt interrumpted (choking-like) while running under 2000 RPM regardless of speed. Once passing the 2000 RPM range, the engine would finally run in a stable and even manner.

A really annoying and even dangerous problem I had with the car was as follows.

Pressing the accelerator to the floor in a panic situation the car would NOT RESPOND. The car would just CHOKE for between two or three seconds before starting to rise the RPMs and finally take off.

The only way to avoid this and actually making the car respond instantly to the action is by slaming the clutch and the accelerator at the same time, that way the engine would FREELY rise the RPMs instantly and once above 2000 release the clutch and the rear tires would finally be burning rubber big time.

I have been consulting some mechanics/friends and it seems that my engine timing is off the track. The distributor is is a Chevrolet/AC Delco High Energy Ignition unit that has been modified from the centrifugal advance for higher acceleration. I was told by the person that did this modification to set the timing at 10 degrees, from what I was told from the mechanic who repaired the whole car is that this distributor is always set at 8 degrees. Apparently, this is part of the problem.

I have to set timing on the ignition correctly and then check if the carburetor has issues.

Finally, after taking the car on to the highway another problem emerged, the alternator got busted. It has the original Prestolite 55 amp unit. I will try to get it fixed since I was told the replacement parts are pretty scarce now. Or else, I'm going to have to install an aftermarket alternator from a different make.

Also, the battery went belly-up forever and I'll have to go for a new one.

So far, these are the novelties on my car.

It's pretty much alive, but there's still a long way to go.


Edited by Rambler Mexicano - Aug/05/2017 at 6:19pm