69 Firebird project "RE-ENGAGED"

[gearheads78]

Well if was bound to happen. You hang around this place long enough peer pressure gets to you. You eventually have to own a 1st gen F-body. I bought a 69 Firebird project today and even gonna give it a cheesy name so it will fit right in.



No pics yet as its hidden in my neighbors garage until next weekend. Gonna supprise the wife on her 29th B-day.



Here is the story behind the name. I bought her a new 02 TA as an engagment gift. She loved the car but some finacial things came up and I had to sell it to git rid of the payment a few years later. She understood but hated to see it go. She does not bring it up much but I see the sad look on her face when a cammed LS1 car drives by.



Her father got killed when she was 3 and some of her only memories are of seeing pics of her dad standing beside his 69 Camaro. That same car in very good condition was still in her grandfathers garage until a couple years ago. I had talked with him on several occations and he had promised when the time was right I could buy the car so I could restore her dads car for her. A couple holidays ago I asked about the car again and the piece of crap had decided to sell it a few weeks before and never called me. My wife found out and was extreemly upset a so were several others in the family. I was able to track the car down but the new owner had just stolen a very rust free 69 Camaro sitting since 1983 and was wanting a whole bunch more than her grandad sold it for. I just could not come up with the $$ to make it happen.



The RE-ENGAGED Firebird is sort of a tribute to the lost 69 and her 02 TA. It will be built in a JoeTouring type buget build. I have some specific plans but I want to iron it all out in my head first. She will get her cammed LS1 in it though for sure.



stay tuned..........

[Ssynister13]

It's very cool that your fiance is such a car nut too. Great idea for a build and I like the name too. I cant wait to hear how supprised she is and how the build comes along.

[gearheads78]

Well I did not want to block my neighbors garage entrance any longer than I had to so I took her over there tonight.



We have to destroy all plates at work so one of my techs had an idea to make a fake personalised plate from cutting up old plates. I told her we were going out to dinner but I needed to pick up a tool my neighbor had borrowed. I drove up his driveway right up to the closed garage door and handed her the plate from under my seat and said happy birthday. She was looking down at it a little confused as I hit the garage door button and she figured out what the plate was.



I will get some better pics of the car later but here are a few for now. She's been on cloud 9 all night. I might even get lucky tonight.

[Vegas69]

Great looking family....that bird looks rough.

[gearheads78]

Originally Posted by Vegas69

Great looking family....that bird looks rough.

Thanks Todd. The little one thinks she can help with anything unless the air compressor kicks on. Then she becomes the fastest 3yo in TX.

As for the bird it has seen better days but its complete , not a total rust bucket, fatory tilt, power windows, power seat car and most important it was cheap enough I has able to scrape the pennies up for it.

[markss28]

I love it and the whole its yours honey routine is good one that I should try. J/K.

[simbad's68]

Originally Posted by markss28

I love it and the whole its yours honey routine is good one that I should try. J/K.

It doesn't go over very well, she just didn't know how 18 X 12 would look in the back of her Expedition.

[gearheads78]

Originally Posted by markss28

I love it and the whole its yours honey routine is good one that I should try. J/K.

I've already been warned its her car and she will be driving.

There is a little more to the story of my oweing her a car. I had bought her a cheap ragged out 98 TA and cleaned it up to a decent stock car for her to enjoy. In the mean time I was building a heads up small tire car to compete in the local true 10.5 racing organization and dumping a ton of money in a car that would at best qualify and go a round or two. We then had a baby and I had to stop spending any money on the car at all. After the baby was born I was going crazy not havng a fast car together and I talked her into making a few small changes to the TA. Through some horse trading and using some parts I had I probably went a little overboard and "her" car became a high 10 sec street car that she was a little timid to drive and it sort of morphed into my car. I sold both it and my race car project to build the 66 Olds I have now.

Just got a call Sunday night from the guy that bought my old 10.5 car. he finished it and just took it out for the first time last week. My goal was a car that would run 5.9x He has a little more motor than I had but the rest of the car is the same. He said on 100 test shot it went a 5.7x off the trailer.

Think she will get mad if I start measuring where I car mount a turbo on the 69?

[70rs]

That is a really great back story on her dad and her old T/A you had to sell. This is a great way to tie the two together and get her back in her own car. I would imagine she is forgetting about the old one and looking forward to the "new" one? (my 5yr old has the same compressor issueLOL!)
Any wife that lets you spend ANY money on a project car is a keeper in my book!
I'm looking forward to watching this one come together. If you give it the same kind of attention you gave the olds it will be a sweet ride for sure!
Eric

[gearheads78]

Originally Posted by 70rs

That is a really great back story on her dad and her old T/A you had to sell. This is a great way to tie the two together and get her back in her own car. I would imagine she is forgetting about the old one and looking forward to the "new" one? (my 5yr old has the same compressor issueLOL!)
Any wife that lets you spend ANY money on a project car is a keeper in my book!
I'm looking forward to watching this one come together. If you give it the same kind of attention you gave the olds it will be a sweet ride for sure!
Eric

Thanks still tossing ideas in my head. I had silver in mind but I think she is going to veto me to paint it blue. It will be a little while before I get started. I still have to button stage one of my Olds and a major shop overahaul. I've been tripping over hoses and cords for far too long. Its time to build a little shed for the compressor, move it outside and plumb the shop. I also need to add plugs everywhere and set up a blast cabnet, bandsaw, press brake, shinker stretcher set, and box and pan brake I have collected over the last couple years. I want to eventally take on some local small jobs to help pay for my addiction.