Turning our attention to the engine compartment, we found the first generation L98 TPI engine looked quite tired, as did the engine compartment.

Upon startup, the dreaded "Check Engine" light was on, and copious amounts of black smoke poured out the exhaust. A scan of the onboard diagnostics found trouble in the mass airflow sensor circuitry. We repaired 6 different shorts to ground in the MAF circuit alone, (the fuse kept blowing, triggering the "Check Engine" light), but we were fighting an uphill battle. The engine harnesses on ’84-’87 C4 Corvettes are known for poor insulation, and this car was no exception.

We decided on a different course of action, but it would have to wait...