OLDFLM's (Ty) 71 Firebird comes to Fletcher's Customs!! Giving back for my Freedom!!

[gearheads78]

I've been talking back and forth with Ty via email but just saw this. I knew the paint shop was taking much longer than expected but I had no idea it was turning into another on of those body shop rip off stories.

Is there a Paypal or snail mail address I can send a little something?

-Richard

[rlplive]

Originally Posted by OLDFLM

I don’t know whether to be embarrassed or humbled by all the attention this project is getting… but I am truly grateful!

(I thought) The car was a pretty nice “restomod” but I wanted to go the pro-touring route… call it my mid life crisis… but I sold my daily driver Pontiac G6 GT to eliminate the monthly car payment/free up funds and pulled the money for the wheels, brakes and paint out of my Roth IRA. I know, I know… don’t beat me up too bad over it… but that’s the only way I could afford to give the car the facelift I felt it deserved. I’d have probably lost the money by now anyway right! LOL

As Chad described, his part of the project started out as just getting it out of a local 4 month paint jail… a scuff-n-shoot job that was quoted to take only 3 weeks. That was mid-June. Fast forward to the present and I think “good things do come to those who wait” because I’m certain I’ll end up with a MUCH nicer car in every aspect than if it had stayed where it was! I can’t thank Chad and Jerry enough for taking on this project and the deal Fletcher’s Customs is giving me on the car!!! He’s literally doing the entire car for what the local guy originally quoted me for just the scuff-n-shoot! About 1/4th of what he would normally get for the same job! These guys are amazing!!

Even taking Chad’s generous discount into consideration I’m still trying to avoid project creep as I am on a very tight budget. I’m certain that the car has never been taken this far down before since it’s a 71 and I bought it in 1985 and it shows. It seems that nothing on the car has ever been apart and nearly everything needs to be replaced. Chad’s doing a great job of staying focused on what’s really “needed” to do it right this time and not letting me get carried away “dreaming” about what I’d like to do to the car if the budget allowed.

Here’s what we know is “needed” to continue:

- LUGNUTS! LOL I've misplaced the lugs that came from DriverzInc somewhere!

- Master Cylinder... either a 77 Malibu manual MC or the Wilwood deal

- Body bushings… Chad said the original rubber core support bushings crumbled in their hands when they took them out!

- A-arms… bushings weren’t installed correctly back in 1990 (PST kit) and the A-arms were bent

- Bushing kit… A-arm bushings, sway bar bushings etc.

- Ball Joints and Tie Rod Ends… 18 years old and need replaced.

- Rear spring bushings and shackles… the bushings are the original rubbers and the shackles had to be cut to get them out!

- Bolt/fastener kit… 90 percent of the bolts they touch either break or have to be cut out!


Here’s a laundry list that I had already started before Chad got the car… what I “wanted” to get to give it a deserved facelift:

- New shocks… the KYBs were put on there in 1990 along with the PST rebuild kit… it’s gonna be a driver!

- Gas tank/sending unit… had to buy new fuel and brake lines when they cracked while patching rust in the rear frame rails…

- Morris Concepts 3-point retractable seatbelts… front belts are inop... 3-points provide added safety factor!

- New glass… original side glass is badly scratched… front and rear glass is pitted/scratched… needs replaced

- Vintage Air… it’s gonna get hot down here next summer and I plan to use the car as my sunny day daily driver

- P O N T I A C emblem for trunk filler panel… Formula 400 emblems for the fenders…

- Hedman 28150 headers… freebie Summit 4-tubes are showing their age and one hangs an inch lower than the other

- Trans cooler lines… just prebent replacements needed…nothing fancy

- Overflow jug… junkyard find doesn’t seem like it’ll fit the car when done any longer!

- New Carpet… Original carpet is badly faded and smells like dead mice! LOL

- Dynamat/Hushmat/Second Skin… something to put under the carpet and quiet the interior

- New sill plates… just the $25 repops… no need for expensive NOS stuff here…

- New seats… even though they’re in good shape the stock seats don’t offer much support or bolstering

- Battery tray… the stocker is only about half there! Or we could move it to the trunk?

- Dash pad cap… the stock dash is badly cracked as is common in 2nd Gens…

- Washer bottle, hose, filter… missing in action… the car hasn’t had one since I’ve owned it.

- Interior trim screw kit… would like to replace all those dry wall screws

- Dome lens kit/bulb… again it’s MIA and has never been in the car since I’ve owned it.

- Remote battery kit (trunk mount)

- Bright Driver Headlights

- Upgraded altenator

- Selecta-speed wiper kit

Now, IF I weren’t on a budget and could build my dream: (c:]

- 462 stroker kit for the Poncho 400, KRE 290cfm D-port heads, Hyd Roller cam... OR...

- LS2/3/7… with a Schwartz drive by wire TBI intake and a repop Ram Air air cleaner to work with the hood…
(and Pontiac baby blue valve covers!)

- TKO600 5 speed

- 9" rear or 12 bolt

- Full Tubular Arm package

- Coilovers

- 4 link rear

- Aluminum Radiator

- Upgraded Seats

- 5 point cage

- Power windows, locks and an alarm system

- Killer stereo system

Again, I truly appreciate and am humbled by all the attention this project is getting! (c:]

V/R,

Ty

Heck at least you know you will be getting active duty retirement pay when you get out. I Have been in the air guard for 7 years and already have almost 4 years of active duty. Almost wish I would have went active duty for the retirement. Glad to see your car getting the care it deserves. Thanks for your service.
Ryan

[OLDFLM]

Originally Posted by L n L

Too Cool!

I first met Ty about 11 years (I'm guessing, you know, "memory"....) over at www.classicalpontiac.com. Not very often you meet someone so genuinely a "good guy", you gotta hang on to friends like Ty when you find them

A few years ago, my son and I took a road trip in my '03 Mach 1, and drove up through Colorado Springs, where Ty was stationed at the time. Ty gave us a key to his house, and graciously let us "base camp" out of his place! My son still speaks fondly of the experience.

I know there are alot of flakes out there, but Ty is NOT one of them! He is an all-around great guy/friend/dad/husband/serviceman/gearhead. To all of those helping out on this, I congratulate you for doing a wonderful deed, and assure you that Ty is a very deserving person.

Thanks,
Lee Atkinson

Lee is responsible for taking what I had and making some real Poncho power!

I had an anemic 8.0:1 (or less) Pontiac 400 with bad heads and a WAY too small cam and was lucky if it made 200hp at the crank! Lee spec'd the custom Bullet cam that's in the car now, sourced the somewhat rare #13 Ram Air III heads (off a 70 GTO) and helped me sort it out to make nearly 400hp! And that's with cast iron home ported heads and cast pistons!!

Thanks for the kind words Lee!! You know better than anyone how long it's taken to get the car to this point! Has it really been 11 years since we first started talking about the "new combo"? LOL

V/R,
Ty

[OLDFLM]

Originally Posted by boilermaker

Thanks to SPCHIV for coming through with a gracious gift

He donated a full Poly bushing kit and full stainless bolt kit from Year one!!!

Thanks to Syborg tt for his gift of a set of locking brushed hood pins from hoodpins.net

I can't thank Steve (spchiv) and Marty (Syborg tt) enough for their generosity!!! MUCH appreciated guys!!!!!!

[fletcherscustoms]

Originally Posted by gearheads78

I've been talking back and forth with Ty via email but just saw this. I knew the paint shop was taking much longer than expected but I had no idea it was turning into another on of those body shop rip off stories.

Is there a Paypal or snail mail address I can send a little something?

-Richard

PayPal:
[email protected]

Snail:
Chad Fletcher
c/o Fletcher's Customs
21971 US Highway 319 North
Coolidge, GA 31738

[OLDFLM]

Originally Posted by boilermaker

the final look

Here's a pic of my Rushforth Superspokes with my son Tyler!

I can't thank Jon and JayR enough for all their help in selecting these wheels!!

I'm simply blown away by the quality of these wheels and their truly personal service!!!

V/R,
Ty

p.s. Now if I could just find the dang lugnuts!

[OLDFLM]

To complement my Rushforth Superspokes I called Tobin Knighton @ KORE3 and ordered up a complete C6 Z51 brake kit for my Firebird. You can't believe the quality and service that Tobin provides! He guided me through every step and offered great advice geared toward my intended driving applications.

My Firebird will have DBA 13.4" & 13" rotors front and rear with KORE3s matching black powdercoated PBR calipers and all the hardware to make the install a breeze for Chad and Jerry. And the best part? He had everything in stock and I had them in just over a week!

Tobin is great to deal with and I highly recommend KORE3 to anyone who wants a great product delivered in record time with great advice and customer service!

Check out KORE3s kits @ www.KORE3.com or call Tobin at 1-800-357-5467

V/R,
Ty

[fletcherscustoms]

I am truly honored to be apart of this!! Giving back means so much to me and it really floors me to see the amount of respect and help folks are wanting to give back also! WE have people donating money and parts and we have some great companies coming along also. Wow what more can I say... you guys are the best!!

We have some great companies that have addressed interest in partial sponsorships and some freebies!!! But we are going to need to raise some money for Ty to get some of these parts. I'll have some more info after SEMA, but you vendors and folks are the best!!!

Companies that have expressed interest or given something already:

Hoodpins.net- thanks for the hood pins!!
Fesler
Anvil Auto
Marquez Design

You guys rock!!!

[gearheads78]

Sent a small donation last night. Thanks for helping Ty out!!

[OLDFLM]

Originally Posted by gearheads78

Sent a small donation last night. Thanks for helping Ty out!!

Richard,

Thanks so much for contributing to the project!

Although I had to go through the whole paint jail ordeal it will be worth it in the end as I’ll end up with a MUCH nicer car (thanks to folks like you!) than if I had left it where it was!

I have Frank @ Prodigy to thank for putting me in touch with Chad @ Fletcher’s Customs.

AND I have Chad to thank for taking on the project to get it completed for the same amount as what the first shop quoted me for just a scuff-n-shoot! What a blessing and what a stand up guy to take on the project and then dig deeper to make sure it IS done right this time!

With the help from Chad and all the others who contribute I'll finally get to see this lifelong dream come true! (c:]

Thanks again my friend! Truly appreciated!!!!!

V/R,

Ty