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Old 08-24-2011, 10:56 PM
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Default Project F...bird - suicidal Firebird 68 vert!

Latest Chop of the bid:





So time to step to the plate and start documenting my project. First I want to thank for all the information and bad influence (you know who you are) here.

To start with, I have MAJOR project ADD, so bear with me as I have about 5 projects on the line, but main focus ow is on the vert.

Some background... I have always been very passionate about muscle cars, specially first gens. 65 to early 70's deffinitelly make my heart melt, but my main love is for first gen Firebirds. Something about them just struck me from teh first time I saw one, and just could not shake it off. LIttle did I know it would end up as an addiction, or more like a disease but moving on to the 68 vert....

I have been working on my 67 400 for a while, and as it is a pretty much all original numbers matching kinda car, was really hard to resist the temptation to modify it further than some 18's an low profile tires. But I itched for something more and just did not have the heart to start chopping this puppy...

On I started searching for another bird (the so called project for the wife...hmm yep right...) I bought and sold a few birds while learning more and moving towards what I wanted and ultimately started focusing like a mad man on a vert 68. I almost bought some rust piles on the process, and glad I did wait some more.


Bear with me kinda long but interesting story:

On comes the devil (craigslist), and I find a vert that looks mostly unmolested, female owner (pretty much original owner), but a long drive away. I tried contacting her a few times, some emails exchanged then suddenly thee ad was gone, ugh..... BUt then wait, the ad came back up, but no contact info, no e-mails, etc. I remembered then the city that the car was in on the original ad, and remembered calling the number posted (now out of service bar )... yep looked legit right?

I called the local chamber, and looked for the contact of the owner of the bar and got her name, then information, and called her at home! She was like who is this, I changed my mind about selling the car (was her first car), but I asked if she would sell for the original full price (high!), and she suddenly started interviewing me over the phone for about 30 minutes to consider if I would treat the car well, and I finally talked with her about me coming over (5 hour drive) with car to look at the car on the same freaking night....

Long drive, got to the car...not running, sitting in the garage for several years, cats starting to move in literally, but at this point I was committed, buying a car at night, load of cash on hand, trailer, etc. loaded the car and grin from ear to ear as I drove back home She was a nice lady (semi-cougar), and told me she bought the car when she saw it fro the first time at 17, working form a Foster's freeze. The car was a few years old when she bought it but she has had it ever since with plans to keep for her kids who ended up not showing any interest on the car. She did several things to the car, 6 banger was rebuilt a few times until a Chevy 307 was popped in (upgrade?), interior redone, etc. All in all a chick's car that had not been abused (well no idea about the back seat ugh!)

The car was pretty solid and that is what mattered since I had some wicked plans on the back of my head...

Last edited by geberhard; 12-15-2011 at 06:53 PM.
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Old 08-24-2011, 11:00 PM
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Driving her home (Actually a kitten was o n the engine bay and almost made the drive with me...) Probably a sign that this bird will attract P..ah nevermind







of course long drive hangover the next day and WTF thoughts through my head seeing the car in daylight

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Old 08-24-2011, 11:09 PM
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First thing I noticed was the front 67 valance on the 68, but I looked through everything inside and all seemed good, no signs of collision, etc. Teh color of the car was originally a yelllowish\baby cream color (teh name escapes me), and was covered in the last 40 years with a crappy Miracle white coat and some weird pinstripping. The top is halfway good (rera part was half cat eaten), the interior is pretty decent but red so taking some getting used to... As the interior is good it is hard to justify changing it just yet...

I put some time for the next days, fluid changes, go through electrical (someone started a half ass tune up that involved disconnecting and mixing wires everywhere), replacing the fan clutch as the current one looked beat, then battery, some new gas, and ....ommppph with clouds of smoke she lived again!!

I was stoked and coudl not contain myself and had to take the bird for a short ride, which was not really bad, considering braking was marginal with the leaky MC. I made afew feet, then back to the driveway, and a few more weeks of playing with the bird and she was half ass road worthy!!

Took her for a spin, aired up the crunchy tires, and she dorve amazingly nice and smooth!!

As I was working on two other birds and a Jeep, I put her on storage for a few weeks until I had space again. In the mean time, craigslist to the rescue looking for some roller tires\wheels, and parts to start the build

I bought some Billet Specialties 20 and 18 with decent tires, some 18" Foose Nitrous and test fit the stuff:

Crappy phone pic of the Foose mocked up:



wiiiideee





Last edited by geberhard; 08-24-2011 at 11:16 PM.
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Old 08-24-2011, 11:42 PM
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So now on to the heart of the beast.... I knew the Chevy 307 would not cut it, so time to thing through a heart transplant on this puppy...

LS1 located, then started gathering a load of parts for the swap...



But remember my ADD, so working again on a few more projects, work and life, and then a buddy who built a 455 for his bird was selling his built GTO 400, so temptation gave in.... and a 400 followed me home.

I also located a 400 original hood in good shape, and in it went

So going back to the name of the project...suicidal... I had the bird back on enclosed storage, and postedan add on craigslist sellingthe current engine with everything very cheap. The engine was driving like a dream, so could find a new home with a new owner, plus was possible to have the buyer test drive the engine and check it out before I pulled it, what was great for him as well (I later found out that the engine was going on a Firebird he is building for his daughter who requested teh engine to be painted pink..more on this later).

I took my other bird in storage and left the vert outside as I went to work planing to pick her up at night. As I get to the storage place, teh manager mentions that she saw some individuals checking out the car (was parked outside on the street) and as she approached them they took off.... I was hping for teh worse (i.e. soft top ripped, parts missing etc, but got there and the bird was as I left, ugly as ever

I started her up, and started driving home... As I am coming home.. a thud thud sound starts and the engine dies... Duh! Feed me Feed me, I forgot that I had syphoned most of the gas out and left the gas container a the storage...smart... Call AAA, but the 2 hour window does not appeal so I wak to the gas station and get a rip off $20 gas container, and some gas and walk back to the car....good sign still there...



Pop some gas in, some on the carb and she starts up, as I close the hood I see lights behind the car and a cool CHP to the rescue asking if all is good talks a bit cars (he has a Camaro), asks if I need help or a push, etc I am good, he takes off I take off to the gas station, and see him over there. As I start driving that thud thud noise is still there (I was originally thinking fuel pump or something similar). I pull over pop the hood, check the tires all seem in good shape, and drive to the station. I should have stayed right there the run out of gas was the bird telling me something

As I am pulling over the CHP waves a hi, I wave back, then suddenly a louder thud thud, the car lifts the front in the air as if I drove over a manhole lid, and drops...the front wheel keeps going, rest of the car...not so much





SO whoever was at the storage place had plans to either steal my wheel(s) or at the last the lug nuts... Aside from a broken wheel stud, damaged fender and dirty underwear with a bruised ego, all else was good. We popped the car up, wheel back on and then for safety towed the car home. Things could have been much worse, so I am glad things happened as they happened. Lock nuts already bought and will locktite my nuts going forward...ok that did not come out well...


Ride of shame:
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Old 08-24-2011, 11:49 PM
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I know this is getting long

On to some good stuff: Bird in the garage, future engine (still needs love)...working on a car at 3:30ish AM to yank an engine is perfectly acceptable:



unsuspecting 307:



F...bird!



and out she goes!


Last edited by geberhard; 08-25-2011 at 12:15 PM.
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Old 08-24-2011, 11:57 PM
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So just got this picture on my phone today and was like Whatttttt??!! Then I remembered that the buyer was going to put the engine on his daughter's bird...

The color choice is debatable, but I gotta give him props, he actually did an excellent job on the 307 pimping it up...





I will keep the engine pic away from my wife before she gets any ideas, but will post up a pic of it on his daughter's car once he shoots it my way
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Old 08-25-2011, 03:11 PM
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What an adventure man! Too funny! (how you describe everything, not that you had to go through it all)
I'm glad the wheel incident was not worse. Cool car.

How about pics of the other birds?
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Old 08-26-2011, 04:15 PM
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Eric, thanks! Yep, I gotta get off my butt, I just put one for sale to help fund the vert. The other one is a 67 400:



back from paint-jail 68 bird (in progress, lots to do


Last edited by geberhard; 12-06-2011 at 03:49 PM.
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Old 08-26-2011, 05:01 PM
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great story. I picked up a 68 firebird vert last year. Similar to you, its has an LS1 going in it and the plans call for my girlfriend to drive it so we can take both cars (my camaro) to local events and road trips- power tour, crusin the coast, etc. I am gathering parts all the time, and I sold the 400/400 to a friend with 69 firebird that needed a motor. Can't wait to see your progress. I thought of starting a build thread for mine, we'll see. Subscribing to yours..
Scott
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Old 08-26-2011, 05:20 PM
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Scott, thanks yep, plans are still under...welll..planning stages

I will keep this updated
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