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.
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.
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.
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.
Brian Hobaugh SCCA National Tour June 2014
First Hemi 'Cuda Convertible Ever Built
Short clips: Goodguys Pleasanton autocross and pit videos
69 Firebird project "RE-ENGAGED"
Hybrid Mode
