Is this bent or is it right??? first gen firebird

[jbake]

I just bought this car couple weeks ago and started working on it today. When I bought this car I was told he put a camaro subframe because the other was toast. This is my time with a first gen and have no clue what I've dove into. This drag link looks bent backwards to me but i have no clue. Any help would be greatly appreciated. 5484554846

[MIKE67]

If you assume firebirds are the same as Camaros, then this is way bent. Like it got hung-up on something when the car was being towed out.
See this link for a photo of how it should look.

http://www.pozziracing.com/camaro_steering.htm#Steering_linkage

[jbake]

Thank you. It was like that when I bought it. Didn't think it looked right, hell it would be sitting in middle of oil pan. Looks like its another part to buy. Thanks again for the help.

[David Pozzi]

67 & 68 Firebirds are same as Camaro linkage, 69 Firebirds are different. Yours is badly bent for sure. I'd replace the pitman and idler arms too in case they are damaged. Looks like someone pushed forklift forks into it.
David

[bretcopsey]

Isn't it put together backwards as well? The centerlink should follow the profile of the crossmember, with the tie rods attatched from the firewall side, no?

[ehummelman]

That thing is F'ed up. I would take careful measurements of your subframe and frame to make sure the whole thing isn't tweaked. There are diagrams in the manuals that show all the measurements. It would be better to find out now and have it on a frame machine that later down the road.

[jbake]

The old man I bought it from didn't inspire a lot of warm n happy feelings with what I saw in his workmanship. Pass fender was tack welded on car all 4 tires where held on with stripped out lug nuts. Lots of wires have been cut and duct tapped together. If its nice weather this weekend ill dig the tape out n measure everything.
I was wondering if it was bent or backwards. Think it will be best to just replace it all with all new stuff. Thanks guys I'm way over my head here.

[chevnut55]

I went through the same thing a few years ago on a 69 bird I was building..luckey for me I have a 69 camaro too.
the frame and almost everything is the same so I put in a camaro pitman arm because there was no more adjustment left in the firebird ty-rods then it got worse with the camaro arm so I measured and they were different for some reason. turns out the draglink was bent (not as bad as yours!) also check the 2 frame bolts on the sides..mine was yanked through without noticing until I took it apart.

[jbake]

I went through the same thing a few years ago on a 69 bird I was building..luckey for me I have a 69 camaro too.
the frame and almost everything is the same so I put in a camaro pitman arm because there was no more adjustment left in the firebird ty-rods then it got worse with the camaro arm so I measured and they were different for some reason. turns out the draglink was bent (not as bad as yours!) also check the 2 frame bolts on the sides..mine was yanked through without noticing until I took it apart.

thanks for the heads up. I heard firebird and camaro's had diff drag links. I've got a call to duh I bought from to see what all he did to this sub. His story and the parts I have don't add up. Starting to think he has a nova sub in it. I pulled a caliper off and it was for a 71 nova.