Deaty's GTS Project

[Deaty]

Hi all! I recently picked up an '85 GTS from a great guy named Colton (if you're reading this, thanks for the car!) in Kentucky for a pretty decent price.

The car itself is an original GTS, but somewhere down the line, someone swapped in an SR5 rear end. It has the original 4AGEC and T5. So far, I've got it to run like a top and kind of limp around the yard with no brakes and dry-rotted tires. Some positives are the electronics, which all work (minus the radio, which it doesn't have! ) including the lights, gauge cluster, and even the cigarette lighter!

Some of the downsides to the car is obviously the SR5 rear end. It also has some spare tire well rust, which is only in the wheel well. It did need a fuel pump, which was replaced just yesterday, and whoever put in the SR5 rear end forgot several brake components. Thank god I picked up a double-flaring kit and some brake line fittings.

Anywho, I'll embed some photos in my next post, and give you guys a run-down/explanation of this great car!

[banpei]

Wow! That's the first time I heard about a SR5 rear end being swapped in for a GTS one. I guess one of the previous owners must have difficulty sourcing a GTS axle and could only find this one.
You were a bit cryptic on the missing brake components: they didn't connect the rear drums to the brake lines?

[Deaty]

(04-09-2021 09:23 PM)banpei Wrote:  You were a bit cryptic on the missing brake components: they didn't connect the rear drums to the brake lines?

Apologies for the misconception!!!


They had the rear end complete, brake lines connected and all, but they removed the "T" section that runs to the main line. For some reason, the driver side rear brakes were also missing.

The fellow I picked up the car from stated that the previous owner might have used it for parts, which is absolutely ridiculous seeing how complete and functional this car is!

[Deaty]

Update time:


So I got the GTS going, street legal and all. It's been an absolute blast!

I live in East Tennessee, very close to the Foothills Parkway, (which has a direct connection to the legendary US 129, "The Dragon".) so I'm up on the mountain a lot. Last Thursday, I timed myself in a downhill run on the Parkway.

The car ran a 6:44.61, with the average time being ~8:05 in its bone stock form, with the SR5 Open Rear End. I have to say I'm nothing but pleased with the car.

Now here's the bad news.

After the downhill run, I parked the car along the side of Lake Chilhowee. After taking a few pictures of the car, I got back in to head home. I turned the key, only to be met with the very pleasant sound of a rod knock. My heart shattered.


I hopped out and checked the oil, which was full when I had left that evening, and found that it was not only full; it was a complete milkshake. The once brown oil was now a milky grey color. Not fun at all. So on that note, I limped it home, stopping and refilling a gallon jug of water every mile or so, and that brings us to today.


I have a new head gasket, radiator, injectors, exhaust, the whole works coming in the mail by the end of next week. This car will hopefully be as good as new mechanically at least. If anyone has any similar horror stories or questions, go ahead and lay them on me!

[Bean]

Some 10+ years back I've been stopped by the police (random check on the on ramp of new opened section of the motorway) on my way home. I was a bit annoyed so I opened her up when I whent through a short tunnel only to emerge from it running on 2 cylinders
Turned out a small piece of head gasket (~1/4") between cylinder 3 and 4 decided to vanish.
Fortunately I was only 5min away from my workshop so managed to limp it there (mostly down hill).
A week later I fixed it but not without hours and hours of swearing as I initially forgot to reconnect the injector earth tab on the intake manifold.

[Deaty]

(04-26-2021 04:47 PM)Bean Wrote:  Some 10+ years back I've been stopped by the police (random check on the on ramp of new opened section of the motorway) on my way home. I was a bit annoyed so I opened her up when I whent through a short tunnel only to emerge from it running on 2 cylinders
Turned out a small piece of head gasket (~1/4") between cylinder 3 and 4 decided to vanish.
Fortunately I was only 5min away from my workshop so managed to limp it there (mostly down hill).
A week later I fixed it but not without hours and hours of swearing as I initially forgot to reconnect the injector earth tab on the intake manifold.

Yikes! I'm still learning my way around the 4age; so far I've learned that the Metal Head Gasket is the way to go. Stories like this seem to prove it too!

[Bean]

Not sure why but somehow the raty look of your car works quite well. Just make sure to try and save those parts that are getting really hard (availability and price) to get nowadays.

BTW 'The Dragon' is still on my bucket list - I've done a few road trips in the US so far but didn't get to your neck of the woods just yet. Hopefully the world situation improves soon even if I'm almost exactly on the other side of the planet.

[Power_uP]

(04-26-2021 02:43 PM)Deaty Wrote:  If anyone has any similar horror stories or questions, go ahead and lay them on me!

Don't worry, you'll be finding them on your own soon enough. The cars are fun to drive, but are always prone to failure at the worst possible time.

Your car looks nice. I agree with Bean, the patina gives it a certain charm.

[Bean]

(04-26-2021 09:31 PM)Power_uP Wrote:  

(04-26-2021 02:43 PM)Deaty Wrote:  If anyone has any similar horror stories or questions, go ahead and lay them on me!

Don't worry, you'll be finding them on your own soon enough. The cars are fun to drive, but are always prone to failure at the worst possible time.

Your car looks nice. I agree with Bean, the patina gives it a certain charm.

To be honest considering the age they are extremely reliable cars. Most failures are due to neglect (excessive/improper storage, really bad maintenance) or bodged repairs/tuning.

Even Toyota themselves don't build cars that reliable anymore.
The amount of new cars failing in one way or another from reputable companies nowadays is mind blowing.

[Deaty]

(04-26-2021 08:32 PM)Bean Wrote:  BTW 'The Dragon' is still on my bucket list - I've done a few road trips in the US so far but didn't get to your neck of the woods just yet. Hopefully the world situation improves soon even if I'm almost exactly on the other side of the planet.

When you're over in this area, don't be shy! Let me know and I can take you on some great local drives in the mountains.


I'm mostly a VW Gearhead, so believe me, I'm used to near-daily catastrophic failure!