D2K Motors on YouTube managed not just to rescue but also to breathe life into a hopeless Pontiac Firebird Trans Am that was abandoned in the woods.
D2K Motors on YouTube recently found an abandoned 1980 gold Fireblade Trans AM that has long been forgotten. This car wasn’t in a garage or a barn either; this one was in the woods. Really, it was under the woods!
The classic Pontiac was so covered in plants and vegetation that it appears that they may have walked right past it initially. We don’t know why the car was left to rot, but the license plate indicates it was last on the road in 2002, meaning it has been twenty years since this F-body was last driven.
The first walk-around reveals this car is a little worse for wear, but that doesn’t stop the duo from attempting to breathe some life back into this neglected American muscle car. What you’re about to read may surprise you and make you wonder why this car was left to rot in the woods.
Rescuing The Gold 1980s Trans Am
The first order of business is to attempt turning the motor over by hand to see if it has seized up from sitting. When the motor appears to be stuck, a battery is added to try and force the engine to spin using the starter.
This method of freeing a stuck engine is usually not a good practice, as the force from the starter motor can damage any internal parts that are genuinely stuck or break the starter if it cannot overcome whatever has made it unable to move freely.
Despite the risky move, it pays off, and the engine begins to spin. The next obstacle to overcome is the faulty ignition system. A quick spark test shows there is no ignition being delivered, but a new cap and rotor quickly remedy that problem.
Further investigation reveals the carburetor was not actually bolted to the intake manifold and needs to be in better shape, but a donor part crosses that problem off the list.
Bypassing the fuel system with an auxiliary tank and external electric fuel pump and correcting a few vacuum leaks have the Trans Am running once again. The first try at moving the classic muscle car from its wooded grave made it look like it was parked because of a defective transmission.
Still, a few quarts of transmission fluid had the car moving under its own power, even with the front brakes locked up, as the front tires are stationary while the vehicle is still moving.
Why Was This Trans Am Abandoned?
We are given no history of the car and its previous owner, and we can determine from watching that only a few of its original parts seem intact. The original 301-cubic inch Pontiac V8 was removed at some point in favor of a small block Chevy. Most of the interior has also been removed; whether it was used in another vehicle or to protect it from the leaking T-tops remains a mystery.
The factory Trans Am wheels are also missing, and the steering column has been replaced with a column-shifted unit, leaving the console and floor shifter bezel vacant but still inside.
At the beginning of the video, D2K motors state that there are concerns that the car may be rotted and non-salvageable. Footage of the car on a lift at the end shows that the floor pans, trunk, and frame are in excellent condition for a vehicle that obviously sat so long in a damp and unprotected environment. This alone makes the rescue worth it; the fact that it runs and drives is a bonus.
Abandoned For Decades But Rescued Successfully
Miraculously, the Trans Am leaves its resting place and does so under its own power. The pair navigates the Golden eighties classic through puddles, mud, and brush and back to their shop to start the restoration process.
Back in the garage, plans are discussed about the future of the Pontiac. They were surprised that all the drivetrain components were in working order. The first thing on their list was to rebuild and replace all the brake system components and replace the tires.
In addition to that, the radiator needs to be replaced, and a seat needs to be permanently attached to the floor. One thing is clear; they intend to have the cool classic car roadworthy again and promise future videos about the car’s progress.
There may not have been a good reason for dumping the car all those years ago. Three days of work to get a previously dormant vehicle running indicates that it wasn’t abandoned for any severe mechanical issue. One thing is for sure, though, this classic Pontiac’s best days are yet to come.
