Man, just read your whole build! What a well detailed build and done by you in your garage, impressive to say the least. Now I get to the end and see that you're about to start another Firebird! Giving the readers what they want! Haha.
Thanks for updating us. Congrats on getting the firebird featured at SEMA. That must have been cool. Hope you're able to get some track time with it this year. Good luck with the new one!
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Trey
Current ride: 2001 BMW 540iT soon to be manual swapped.
Former rides: 1979 Trans Am WS6: LT1/T56, Kore 3 C5/6 brakes, BMW 18in rims
As I get into this build I'm starting off with some small unglamorous things as my free time permits. I've been de rusting some parts and rattle canning them black, and setting them out of the way. I also need to repair the subframe as I plan to use this one instead of the restored one that came with this car. I sold that one, along with all the stock restored parts that were on it as I plan to do some mods and reinforcements on this anyway.
The front passenger end was smashed in and that needed fixing. I enlisted my neighbor to help get me started as he has a oxy acetylene torch to really heat up the metal so we could start to push it back to where it should be. Afterwards I decided to just rebuild the sides to get a cleaner look to them.
one quick frame mod I pulled off this afternoon is a reinforcement for the idler arm. It always bugged me on these frames that the driver side has so much more strength by comparison where the steering box bolts up- shaped metal, the sleeves for the bolts, etc whereas the pass side just bolts up to a flat panel. no ribbing, no reinforcement, none. So I made an additional plate to weld up on the inside with a rib to help give it some lateral strength and plug welded it in.
Brian Hobaugh SCCA National Tour June 2014
First Hemi 'Cuda Convertible Ever Built
Short clips: Goodguys Pleasanton autocross and pit videos
Hybrid Mode
