Project Anchor (68 Firebird Coupe)

[blitzer454]

My nephew originally brought this project car to work on during his spare time. This is what it looked like the day he got it:
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It doesn't look to bad in that picture, but it's definitely a 100 footer with rust in all the usual spots, big dents in the roof and a bad engine block. He started tearing it down and got as far as replacing the left and right floor boards and cut out the trunk floor.
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Being in the Coast Guard means he moves around a lot as he works his way up the ranks and on one of the moves he had the car on a rotisserie on a trailer but didn't have enough bracing in the rear and during the move the rotisserie collapsed causing the frame rails to twist into a pretzel. So basically the car is now an anchor, hence my project name!
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[blitzer454]

My intentions were to update this project more often, but since my last post Texas had the snowpocalypse which left me without internet and intermittent electricity for a week. Then I just got lazy. Then an 18 year old girl with no driver license driving a 2015 black Camaro ran over my foot while I was attempting to mow my lawn this Saturday morning, so now I have a fractured foot I can barely stand on, so time for an update.

Unfortunately I forgot to take some photos of the car the day I received it, but instead went right to work. One of the first things I did was build a jig to hold the body in place with the correct elevations for the body support points. Then cut out the quarters and tail panel. My nephew already replaced one of the frame rails and he didn't do to bad a job considering he just eyeballed it into place. It sat a little high in the rear but I was able to correct that. I also installed the other frame rail and new trunk pan.
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[blitzer454]

Here's some more photos in no particular order. Mostly just replacing bad metal with new metal.
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- - - Updated - - -

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[blitzer454]

gapping the trunk lid

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[blitzer454]

New roof and fix the subframe mounting points

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[blitzer454]

DSE subframe connectors going in:

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[blitzer454]

Got the body on the rotisserie. Installed the Ridetech 4-link cradle and started shooting some epoxy and Lizard skin. I'm using both the sound control and ceramic insulation products. I'm hoping to make it quiet and cooler than my Camaro.

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[blitzer454]

My rainy day project are some homemade sequential tail lights. I designed them to work with my power distribution modules (check out my Camaro build (https://www.pro-touring.com/threads/125689-Project-Misguided-Angel-(67-Camaro)) to see what that looks like). The tail lights will operate via CAN bus and I made the top and bottom rows of LEDs independent of each other which should allow for some unique sequential displays.

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Testing the boards to see if red LEDs are working so I created a small program that uses PWM to make the LEDs go all the way bright then dim to off.


https://youtu.be/ADkpCR2xdgI

Testing the reverse white LEDs also using PWM. I probably won't be using PWM in the final code, but I designed the hardware to support PWM so testing it now.


https://youtu.be/2bjLZYco8-4

[blitzer454]

Fixing the door to quarter gaps:

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[rohrt]

Excellent build.

Subscribed.

[Motown 454]

Nice job, it looks great!

[David Sloan]

Looking good! Thanks for sharing!

[blitzer454]

During my down time while I wait for my foot to heal I did some programming on the tail light boards. I completed the LED sequence displays. I'm thinking I will have the blinkers cycle through the various LED sequences which should keep the guy driving behind me entertained. Do you like the drag race sequences?

https://youtu.be/rD1aqS-DwDQ

[ryeguy2006a]

I really like your brake lights. The drag race is entertaining haha.

[blitzer454]

I wire brushed and sanded the entire interior and treated it with RustBlast and sealed it with RustSeal black satin. RustBlast creates a nice zinc phosphate coating to prevent future rust and the sealant does not scratch easily. Even though I applied it with a brush you really can't see the brush marks. That was my first time using this product so I'll have to give it a :twothumbs. I think I may use it on the subframe next.
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[blitzer454]

Next up was smoothing the firewall. In this picture and the next I started cutting away what I didn't need. In the end I cut away quite a bit more than what is shown in these pictures but unfortunately I forgot to take a picture before welding on the new firewall. But in the end I cut away most of the passenger side firewall up and around the transmission tunnel.
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After I had everything cut away that I didn't need I created my own template for a new firewall and spent a whopping $71.45 on some 16 gauge sheet metal. I got a little bit of oil canning effect on the passenger side which I will fix with a piece of angle iron welded on the inside, but that will wait until I test fit the air conditioner unit as I plan on using that as a mounting bracket. A bead roller sure would be nice but it won't fit in my garage.
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I also filled in all the holes that I won't be needing. Actually I will be making new holes for the clutch master cylinder and a new hole for a bulk head connector for the wiring as I won't be using the stock connector. I also don't need the parking brake as I plan on using electric parking brakes. It' hard to see in the picture but I left a couple of holes where the VIN tag will be reattached at a later time.
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[blitzer454]

Onto the fuel and rear brake plumbing. I decided to go with the Tanks fuel tank. I love the simplicity of the fuel regulator being built into the fuel filter but I am wondering how loud this setup will be with the pump running full speed all the time. I hope I don't regret it. Here's a pic of the fuel pump after cutting the hoses down to size.
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And here's the fuel sender which I really do not like. I brought this setup as a kit and it came with this universal fuel sender which IMO is a piece of crap. It would probably be okay in a fuel tank that is deeper but in this tank I had to cut the float rod down so much that it barely falls down under its own weight. I decided to crimp on a little more weight to the float to make up for the weight of the rod that I had to cut off. So we'll see if this works, but I fully expect I will be swapping it out later for one of those tube senders.
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For the tank vent I decided to use the roll-over valve that came with the kit versus a canister. I figure I can always upgrade at a later time if the valve pukes gas or there is a fuel smell. I tucked the valve up between the frame rail and trunk pan which puts it above the tank, but not by much. I used a nylon hose to connect the tank vent to the pump vent then to the valve.
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I ran the nylon hose up to the valve such that it's always running uphill. In retrospect I may swap this out for a hard line as that would make it easier to control the angle of the dangle. But for now I will use the hose until I decide if I'm going to keep the valve or use a canister. Part of the hose will be zip tied to the muscle bar once that is installed.
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I attached the filter/regulator with a bolt I welded to the inside of the trunk which also makes for an excellent ground point for the fuel sender.
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I made a new bracket for the center rear brake line hose as the original one was missing. At first I planned on making it exactly like the original but that looked like it would interfere with the upper control arm so I flipped it around to add more clearance. It still needs to be painted.
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I ran 3/8" Nickel copper hard line for the fuel line and 3/16" for the brake line. This was my first time using this kind of hard line and I like how easy it is to bend. I still have some bends left to make but I need to attach the subframe first.
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[blitzer454]

So I was getting ready to work on the firebird's subframe which got me looking at my camaro's shocks as I was trying to remember how I had routed the airline for the air shocks (I originally had air shocks on this car) and that is when I discovered this:

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The top of the shock mount was ripping itself away from the subframe. The passenger side was also starting to come apart but not quite as bad as the driver's side. I always knew there was something not right with the suspension as I could feel it when driving and the stick would shake violently at speed. For the longest time I thought it was something in the rear of the car as that is what if felt like. At one point I even had the car in the air looking for loose or bad components and at that time the only thing I found was a bad transmission mount that was coming apart. But now I know why that mount was failing.

I think the problem started at the top of the shock mount where the hole is located for that the top of the shock to pass through. There was a crack from the side of that hole all the way to the edge. I decided to add a metal plate to reinforce and box in this area and welded every thing back together again. Hopefully it will hold now.

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[blitzer454]

After fixing that problem I got back to work on the firebird. I had it sand blasted first. I feel much better about my welds after seeing this mess.

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I then performed the same reinforcement as I did on the camaro,

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I also patched up some holes, widened the holes for the air shocks and fixed an area where someone had bent the crap out of the front where I'm guessing they towed the car with a chain. Then sent it out for powder coating. Got it mounted to the car and started adding the new stuff.

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The original core support was missing, so I got a new one from Summit.

[blitzer454]

Added air shocks and ride leveler components. Just a test fit for now the steering arm may need to be replaced with a longer one.

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Flaming River rack and pinion.

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Yea, yea I know what you're going to say, rack and pinion doesn't work on stock subframe. In my defense I brought this setup even before I started working on my camaro. One of those spur of the moment purchases I regret. Anyway I'm going to take some bump steer measurements then decide if it stays or goes. But that's a job for another day.

[blitzer454]

Installed door jamb wiring boots. I got them off Ebay for just under 20 bucks. I think they will work fine.

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[blitzer454]

Test fitting fenders. They still need more work but the fit is not bad for non-OEM parts. This is actually the first time I have seen the car with the front parts attached as I brought it disassembled.

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Both inner fenders were also beyond repair. I found a used one for 50 bucks and Summit had the other one in stock. The used one is from a camaro. It only required some modifications to the front to make it into a firebird inner fender. So they are not exactly the same.

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[blitzer454]

Here's a tip for removing rust. Instead of buying a $100, 5 gallon pail of Evaporust I brought a 10lb bag of oxalic acid for about 35 bucks. You mix 5 lb per 5 gallons of water and it works the same as Evaporust. However I think it is more toxic so keep it away from the kiddos.

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Here's some before and after of the hood hinges.

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works great.

[blitzer454]

Worked on the head light assembly. Mostly just needed new hardware and some fresh paint. I also fabricated the metal support braces that hold the grill in place.

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[blitzer454]

My lower valence is in pretty rough shape. After taking it down to bare metal I can see where someone had done some work on it already as there was some brazing in places and and plenty of bondo hiding some hammer marks. The parking lamps were also cracked and rusted so I decided to do something a little custom with what was left.

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I found some LED lights that were designed for '07-2017 Jeep. I plan to use them for DRL's and blinkers. I made some brackets out of 3.5 inch expanded muffler pipe.

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Ignore the misaligned hood, bumper and fenders they are not fully bolted down. I still need to do some more work on the fenders.

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What do you think? I'm not sure if I like it yet, but going to wait until after paint to decide if I keep it or not.

[Vimes]

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Thought they might look better on the outside of the opening, perhaps centered between the headlights or under the brights. My Paint-Fu is sloppy. Good job on the lights though, it would be neat to see the blinkers in action with the driving lights on.

[blitzer454]

I thought about doing it that way as well, but I was afraid it would make the openings look too small, but after looking at your picture I think it would look okay. I was thinking about filling in the openings and make it look more like a 69 camaro valence, but I also want the extra cooling capability. I still I think I'm going to wait and see what it looks like after paint. I feel like it stands out too much right now because the valence is in metal whereas everything else is in primer. I think it will look more proportional when everything is the same color.

[rickpaw]

Nice work. Really enjoyed your Camaro thread.

Following along on this build. Thinking about adding similar lights to my 67 Firebird, but using the stock location of the turn signal

[blitzer454]

I've been working on fixing the fender gaps and installing a Camaro hood scoop.
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First I created a template for a base plate that I could build off without having to weld directly to the hood.
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I bonded the base plate to the bottom of the hood.
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Then created another template for the scoop and cut my hole.
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Then created a third template for the rain gutter
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Welding in the gutter support brace
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Pretty happy with the fit just not sure if the rain will dump ahead of the engine. I may need to create some extensions to the gutter using my 3d printer.
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Final product fits surprisingly good with little to no gaps around the edges. Should be easy to perfect with minimal body filler.
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- - - Updated - - -

Dialing in the fender bumper and hood gaps.
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[blitzer454]

I added a ring using some metal rod around the parking lights. Probably not a huge difference in how it looked before but I think it gives the lights a little more depth and completes the look I wanted.
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[Jimmy Sean]

This is a known issue with the shock mount ripping off, mine did it twice even after I reinforced it. Keep an eye on it. It was never designed to support the weight of the vehicle. I ended up using the BMR coil over mount for a first gen. Hood insert looks great!

[blitzer454]

This is a known issue with the shock mount ripping off, mine did it twice even after I reinforced it. Keep an eye on it. It was never designed to support the weight of the vehicle. I ended up using the BMR coil over mount for a first gen. Hood insert looks great!

Thanks, I'm definitely keeping an eye on it.

[blitzer454]

I attempted to make a custom rear spoiler that doesn't swoop up as much as the stock one and is laid back more.
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But it fell apart on me when I did the finish welds and fill in the bottom pieces. The heat warped it too much to save. In retrospect I should have just removed the entire trunk lid and treated it as one new piece. Anyway I got upset and decided to just go with the fiberglass one.

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But it's going to need more work as the gaps on the edges look terrible. So I'm walking away from that job for a bit. So which spoiler do you prefer? I'm wondering if I should give the custom one another shot or fix the fiberglass one.

[blitzer454]

My fuel door won't stay shut. The casting for where the spring mounts is broken so I can't simply buy a new spring and get it working again. A new door would cost around $95 so I decided to make a fix using a cabinet push latch (Sugatsune Magnetic Touch Latch SKU: PM-4NHB). I 3d-printed a spacer for the latch.

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I then drilled a hole next to the filler neck and stuck a washer to the end of the latch and some epoxy to the fuel door then closed the door to place the washer into the epoxy insuring I get it placed just right. The fuel door must be a zinc cast as the magnet will not stick to the door alone.

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Yes, I did remove the rust from the filler neck and gas cap and applied epoxy primer to both. After the epoxy dried I gave it a try and all seemed good, until I pounded on the bumper with my fist at which time the door would fling open. The magnet is not strong enough to withstand this kind of bump and I suspect the same thing would happen when driving and running over a rough road. So I decided to epoxy a neodymium magnet onto the end of the latch as it's a much stronger magnet. I redid my test and now it performs much better. Time will tell if it works on the road.


https://youtu.be/jrPfa1ZfKg0

[blitzer454]

I made this on my 3d-printer.

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Which assembles into this.

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It's a wheel fit tool to determine what size wheel I can fit on the car. I can select the tire width and tire diameter and by sliding the gauge I can determine how that tire size will fit under the fender and determine wheel offset. I forgot to take a picture of it in action with the fenders still on the car so here's one without the fenders.

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It looks like I can fit a 245 tire with around 6" backspace. But I want to dial in my toe, caster, and camber before making final determination which is why I pulled the fenders back off.

[blitzer454]

Went down to my local European salvage yard and scored this for $200. Not a bad price considering that I got all the electrical connectors, master cylinder and reservoir for that price. It came off a 2018 Honda Accord. The same unit is also used on the newer Tesla's.

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It's a Bosch iBooster to replace my vacuum booster. I was going to use a hydro-boost setup but then I started reading about how some people were using these electric boosters with success. It has a 25mm bore master cylinder and only requires power, ground and a switched power source to operate. It also has a additional features that could be used by a computer to control regen braking and autonomous driving via a CAN interface, but I don't plan on using that anytime soon.

Here's a picture showing the location of the original firewall holes for the vacuum booster. In this pic I was getting ready to weld on a round plate to level the mounting surface for the iBooster.

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Here's the new hole locations. Essentially I just reused the top left hole and new holes for everything else. The iBooster has a bore stroke of about 35mm and with this placement I have about 60mm of brake pedal travel. The other hole is for the clutch master cylinder.

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This is the pedal mount assembly after I removed the 4 mounting studs before I modified it for the new hole locations.

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Here's what it looks like after the modifications.

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[blitzer454]

For the clutch master cylinder I fabricated some metal from a buck to take the shape of the base of the master cylinder. This is a pic before I cut in the required angle to make it work with the clutch pedal. In this pic you can also see the tab I welded to the brake pedal for the iBooster.

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Here it is welded in place. This master cylinder has a bore stroke of 28mm. To get the correct pedal distance I had to angle the master cylinder by 110 degrees which gives a pedal travel of about 31mm.

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[blitzer454]

Since there isn't enough room to mount the clutch master cylinder under the brake booster I had to place it to the right of the booster which means I will need an extension for the clutch pedal to reach the rod. So I made this from a 1/2" pipe and a bolt some nuts and a washer all welded together.

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Here's the completed pedal assembly with extension welded on. I also added a clutch pedal stop, clutch switch (for cruise control and starting engine), some landing pads for the two switches and some new rubber foot pads.

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View from inside the car. The pedal travel is perfect for both pedals.

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[blitzer454]

Here's how I did the brake lines. I used a Wilwood proportioning valve although I think I'm going to remove the pressure sensor as I don't need it since I already have a brake switch on the pedal assembly.

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I also wired up the brake pedal position sensor on the iBooster and got it so there are now only just the 3 wires I need to make it work. I tested the booster using a power supply and all seems to be working properly.

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- - - Updated - - -

Applied Lizard Skin to inside of front fenders and wheel housings.

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[blitzer454]

Test fitting Dewitt radiator I purchased last black Friday. Still wasn't cheap, but it does have a lifetime warranty.

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I need to fabricate some kind of bracket to hold it in place on top as the well nuts are pulling through the firewall. I probably should also add two more well nuts to help hold it in place.

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[Senna]

DEWITTS radiators are awesome, zero issues with mine.

I also noticed in your earlier post on your fuel filter that you are using the adapter with the blue plastic tab to hold the adapter in place. I was advised on my build to replace that with the style that have an aluminum locking tab. This a safety issue to prevent the car burning down in a fire.

[blitzer454]

I also noticed in your earlier post on your fuel filter that you are using the adapter with the blue plastic tab to hold the adapter in place. I was advised on my build to replace that with the style that have an aluminum locking tab. This a safety issue to prevent the car burning down in a fire.

Are you saying that the locking tabs fail allowing gas to leak and potentially cause a fire, or that they can melt in a fire then fail?

I looked up the part that I used and I got it from Summit, it's listed as a "Tanks Inc. Fuel Rail Fitting Adapter 640863". Actually both adapters on that end of the filter use plastic locking tabs and they both are Tanks Inc parts made for fuel lines. I see that the adapters with aluminum locking nuts cost about the same as what I used, probably would have been better.

On my camaro build I used an adapter with the aluminum locking nut on the fuel rail. I had a self-created failure with it as I initially only had the aluminum nut secured finger tight and it eventually vibrated off (about 800 miles from home) and the fuel hose popped off and sprayed gas everywhere under the hood. I'm still amazed it didn't catch fire on the headers. So if you forget to tighten the nut with a wrench they also can fail! :lmao:

[dhutton]

Those plastic tab adaptors are bad and easily fail. I would replace them as recommended. Carl at Vaporworx sells a very nice one. Worth every penny.

Don

[Senna]

Are you saying that the locking tabs fail allowing gas to leak and potentially cause a fire, or that they can melt in a fire then fail?
:

Yes, the plastic tabs fail.

[blitzer454]

Good advice, thanks guy. I'll be using them for now on.

[CarlC]

It's not so much the plastic tab that is the problem but the aftermarket aluminum housing. The plastic clip was used for decades by the OEMs with good results.

Jimi Day had one come off of his AMX's LS3 fuel rail and point right at the header late at night during 2013 One Lap of America. Fortunately it was raining.....

I recalled every one sold through VaporWorx and replaced it with the U-nut design.

[k72nova]

Going to have to watch this build, it's looking great! I have tanks inc. kit on my 72 Nova and I had to replace the sending unit, luckily tanks inc. sent me a replacement, I have my vent mounted up at the highest point of the rear frame rails and get some puking on hot days but only when the tank is completely full, I've been told a hard line with a few loops helps a lot with the issue but i haven't had the time to try it out yet. Did you find the stl online for that tire fitment tool or did you design it yourself? I've been debating on buying one but I'd rather print one.

[blitzer454]

Going to have to watch this build, it's looking great! I have tanks inc. kit on my 72 Nova and I had to replace the sending unit, luckily tanks inc. sent me a replacement, I have my vent mounted up at the highest point of the rear frame rails and get some puking on hot days but only when the tank is completely full, I've been told a hard line with a few loops helps a lot with the issue but i haven't had the time to try it out yet.
I wasn't impressed with the sender unit. IMO that sender was made for a tank that is deeper than the camaro/firebird tank. So by the time you finish cutting it to length it doesn't seem to operate very smoothly anymore. It needs some of that extra weight that gets cut off.


Did you find the stl online for that tire fitment tool or did you design it yourself? I've been debating on buying one but I'd rather print one.
It's my own design. That was my first version and I made a couple of mistakes that I still need to fix, but it still works as is.

[BikeMaker]

Hurt my heart a bit to see all the rust surgery, but looks GREAT now!! Very similar to the concept I had for my Camaro. Good luck!!

[blitzer454]

Time to re-visit the front end alignment. As you may recall I am using a Flaming River power steering rack and pinion with the original steering arms. I'm also using hubs from Kore3. I want to see how bad the bump steer is with this setup compared to stock settings and the Ridetech Tru-Turn setup that uses a stock steering box.

I dialed in the camber, caster and toe settings the best I could before measuring bump steer. I made a tool to measure the bump steer from a piece of MFD board.
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I used my folding table as a flat stationary plane and a bolt in the brake caliper bracket to prevent the board from rotating on the spindle. I then measured the distance from the front and rear (spindle center point) of the board to the folding table then subtracted these values to obtain the toe-in/toe-out values as I compressed and de-compressed the shock from the middle riding height in one half inch increments. I used a wire mounted to the subframe as a pointer to the board. This method may not be as accurate as using a tool designed specifically for measuring bump steer, but this is free whereas the tool is kind of expensive for something I probably would only use twice.
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I found a good thread on this forum (https://www.pro-touring.com/threads/127498-Ridetech-bump-steer?p=1255949#post1255949) that had some data of the stock settings before and after installing the Tru-Turn hardware. From that data (columns A and B) I added my own measurements for comparison.
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It appears that the Flaming River is pretty close to the stock bump steer and of course the Tru-Turn looks much better. Sooo that means I'm going to forget that I ever seen this data and keep the Flaming River setup for now since this car is primarily going to be driven on the street. I may however change my mind once I attempt to get the engine and headers installed. Comments?? Is there an inexpensive way to improve bump steer?

[blitzer454]

Started working on a rear seat delete. The design is pretty close to what I made for my Camaro (https://www.pro-touring.com/threads/125689-Project-Misguided-Angel-(67-Camaro)?p=1268908#post1268908)but with a few improvements.
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I changed the inner structure braces so I could accommodate some plastic storage bins.
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Made some changes to the latches and now they are counter sunk into the lid so that the top of the latch is flush. Also added some LED strip lights and 3D-printed some switches so they only come on when the lid is off.
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I plan to line the inside of the tubs with some unisuede fabric so you can't see through the tub, but that will happen latter.
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The back of the top fits over the existing seat hooks in the car. I will be adding some cross bars into the slots latter to hook it into place and some tie down straps mounted from the back of the board down to the original seat mount points will lock it down. I'm also thinking about putting in some forward facing speakers into this board.
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There's some other minor improvements I want to make before I call it done but that will have to wait until I start working on the interior in full force.

[blitzer454]

I modified the Vintage Air bracket so the evaporator box now slides onto a bracket then locks down with 2 bolts. I did not want to make any holes into my smooth firewall.
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This bracket also fixed the oil canning I had in the firewall.
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It's pretty easy to install and remove the evaporator now.
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[blitzer454]

Test fitting the Tremec TKX. I started with modifying a cross-member that I already owned. I had one cross-member from my '67 camaro and the original from the '68 firebird. I thought they would be the same, but they are not. Top is firebird and the bottom the camaro.
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I ended up only using the cross-member from the camaro. I cut the center section and moved it back to align with the TKX mounting holes then welded it back together with some additional support material. I also added some spacers on each end to lift the transmission as I want it as tight as I can get to the top of the transmission tunnel.
208225

I modified one side so that I can install the cross-member by simply lifting it into place and bolting it in with 3 bolts. If you ever tried installing a stock cross-member after subframe and transmission is in place then you know how much of a pain in the ass in can be to slide into position this mod make to super simple.
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I created a trim ring around the hole for the shifter.
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Then used my 3d printer to make a gasket holder around the shift boot. I used some 1/2" foam weatherstripping to seal the gap.
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It tucks up nicely. I'm right at 3 degrees down.
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[blitzer454]

Got the wiper motor installed. I did a poor man's version of the raingear system. The wiper motor is from a '97 Jeep TJ and a Cole Hersee 75600-04-BX intermittent wiper switch with washer control. The motor is mounted behind the firewall under the cowl.

I created a simple L-bracket with side support for the wiper motor and spot welded it onto the firewall. I used the original wiper arm but modified by twisting it 90 degrees so now it mounts to the wiper motor horizontally instead of vertically. I also had to re-key the hole so that the park position was in the right place.
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I made a wire harness that connects the switch to the motor. I forgot to take a picture of the finished product but you get the idea.
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The only thing I don't like is that the wiper switch does not fit properly into the firebird because the box of the switch is too wide to fit into the recessed area of the sheet metal of the dash. The switch angles down so I will need to make a spacer on the shaft to correct this problem. I see Raingear has an extended threaded mount to deal with this problem. I wonder if I could just buy their switch???
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Here's the wiring diagram showing how the wiring harness connects the switch to the motor. Note that I added the correct colors for the switch and motor that I used.
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https://youtu.be/V_NVgUgaHok

[blitzer454]

I ended up ditching the Flaming River rack and pinion in favor of the Ridetech Tru-turn system with a quick ratio Borgeson steering box. I did not like how the Flaming River steering column shafts aligned with the steering column. It looked like it would bind and interfere with the exhaust pipes plus it did nothing to improve bump steer. The more I worked with it the more I hated it.

I had to make a new bracket for the wilwood proportioning valve to move the brake lines over a bit.
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I took some new bump steer measurements using the same exact technique I used in my previous post. There is a notable improvement over the rack and pinion system.
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[blitzer454]

Not much action on the Firebird lately but I did fix some problems in my original wheel fitment tool. Here are 3d printer STL files for anyone who wants them: 209593

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[blitzer454]

I'm long overdue for an update. Year 2024 was spent doing the body work and getting the car into an epoxy sealer. I haven't decided on a final color yet, so I think I'm going to wrap the car and try out some different colors before going to paint.

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[blitzer454]

I realized that I still need to install some sideview mirrors while doing the bodywork. I like the look of the Mustang mirrors although they don't fit as perfectly as some people have stated on other posts that I have read. The Mustang panels have more of a 90 degree swoop to them than the Firebird, so I made some gaskets on my 3d printer to fill that gap on the bottom of the mirror mount area. I also made some backing plates from metal instead of welding in a bracket. I felt this works just as well, and I don't have to weld on the galvanized metal that is inside the door panels. The mirrors have the blinker lights built in and defroster. I may not wire in the defroster function as I don't see myself every using it.

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[blitzer454]

Order my rearend for Quick Performance. I had them weld on the brackets necessary for the Ridetech suspension and muscle bar. I also had them power coat it black for me. I went with 31 spine axles, 1/2" wheel studs, nodular iron center section with Eaton Truetrac and a 1350 yoke. The gear ratio is 3.25 keeping with my intentions of using this car as a long trip cruiser. The AF to AF is 54" and using the big Ford new style housing ends. I was worried about having them weld all the brackets and getting the pinion angle correct but they nailed it.

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[blitzer454]

Installed the rear end with the air shocks and ride height sensors. The Wilwood attachment point for the caliper brackets made a convenient location to attach the sensor arms. The sensors are attached to new bumper stop brackets that I fabricated.

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[blitzer454]

Installed the rear brakes. I was originally going to get some ebay Telsa parking brakes and fab up some brackets but I got lazy and brought Wilwood's electric parking brake solution. Expensive but painless. The Wilwood bracket allows for many different mounting options for the calipers but I found that there was really only one position that the parking brake would work without any interference issues.

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[blitzer454]

Then I got to work running all the airlines and parking brake wiring harness to the rear of the car. I drilled a hole in the trunk and ran all the lines through that hole.

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Installed the air management system on an MDF board that I carpeted and mounted it to the trunk using some rubber isolator stand offs.

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[blitzer454]

I got my taillight project completed. Normally I would get my brother to do the firmware but this time I did all the programming myself. What would probably take him a day took me several weeks but it was a good learning experience and I'm already working on another electronic project for the car, but I'll wait to reveal that later. I tested the taillights on my Camaro since it already has the same body control modules that I will be installing on the Firebird. The taillights are connected via CAN bus to the BCM. This allows me to have as many light sequences as I want. If you ever wondered why the Digitails have you install a wire for both the left and right blinkers to each taillight it is because this allows them to have 2 light sequences instead of 1. So when watching the video note that I have a different sequence for the blinker, brakes and hazards.


https://youtu.be/GslMYnxriCQ?si=bxghKJaXlbTX2mdU

Pic of one of the BCM's that I developed for the Camaro and Firebird.

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[blitzer454]

Test fitting the new wheels. I have a clearance problem with the valve stems on the front wheels so I got some shorter ones on order. Ignore the body gaps and body lines. The front fender is not bolted down and the doors are not adjusted yet. The wheels are Boze Intake, 18x8 with BS5.875 up front and 19x10 with BS 4.5 out back. Tires are Kumho Majesty 9 Solus. 245/40R-18 and 285/30R-19. I wish I would have went with a 285/40R-19 out back but at the time I worried about clearance issues, but I now see there is plenty of room. Next set I will change. I also got the gas tank re-installed and plumbed.

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[Mark69bird]

I realized that I still need to install some sideview mirrors while doing the bodywork. I like the look of the Mustang mirrors although they don't fit as perfectly as some people have stated on other posts that I have read. The Mustang panels have more of a 90 degree swoop to them than the Firebird, so I made some gaskets on my 3d printer to fill that gap on the bottom of the mirror mount area. I also made some backing plates from metal instead of welding in a bracket. I felt this works just as well, and I don't have to weld on the galvanized metal that is inside the door panels. The mirrors have the blinker lights built in and defroster. I may not wire in the defroster function as I don't see myself every using it.

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I like the way those turned out. Just wondering if you could give me a bit more detail on the door modifications to make them work. I have a 69 Firebird I’m wanting to do the same. I appreciate any advice you have. Thanks.

[blitzer454]

The door was pretty simple. I used the rubber gasket to make a template for the hole that I cut out of the door. Then I made a couple of half circle cuts on the inner metal structure so I could get a socket wrench on the nuts. The backing plate goes between the door panel and the inner structure.

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[blitzer454]

Here's another modification I hope will save me some pain when filling up the tank. I started with a filler neck meant for a '92 -2000 Chevy Stepside and cut away the only 2 pieces that I wanted which were the unleaded fuel hole and the ground strap.

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I put a piece of tape around my filler neck as a guide to where I wanted the unleaded fill hole to be positioned.

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Then drilled 3 holes that I would use to spot weld in the unleaded fill tube.

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Checked for leaks, threw some black paint on and called it good. I hope it works.

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[blitzer454]

My first time vinyl wrapping a car. I wet sanded the sealer coat with 500 grit before applying the vinyl. Started with easy mostly flat panels first.

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- - - Updated - - -

I also painted all the emblems. It's a red eye Firebird now.

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I made my own Pontiac emblem for the front bumper. I thought about replacing the Pontiac star with an anchor. but ultimately went with the star. What do you think, should I have used the anchor instead.

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[blitzer454]

Painted and installed the hood scoop, hopefully for the last time.

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[blitzer454]

Front spoiler and Holley LED headlights installed.

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[blitzer454]

Power locks

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Then power windows. Some of this hardware was near impossible to get off, but after using some PB blaster and fire I managed to get it torn apart without breaking any glass.

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Some of the zinc plating had rusted away, so I gave everything a coat of cold galvanized zinc paint after removing the rust in an acid bath. I have no idea how long that will hold up, but it looks better than it did. I decided to replace all the glass given that my windshield and rear glass were both destroyed. I also knew that I would eventually want tinted windows and I don't like the window tint that doesn't hold up over time so I got smoked glass.

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[blitzer454]

The only problems I had with the vinyl wrap was on the bumpers and tail panel everything else looks perfect. I think I over stretched the vinyl on the bumpers, so I will redo them along with the tail panel. Instead of trying to wrap with one piece I think I will have to use multiple pieces or at least that's my plan.

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[Rustychevyman]

Very nice job on the wrap. I am considering that route . My son does wraps for advertising on vehicles so I should have a source for help and hopefully a discount on Vinyl. What year Mustang are those mirrors from?

[blitzer454]

Very nice job on the wrap. I am considering that route . My son does wraps for advertising on vehicles so I should have a source for help and hopefully a discount on Vinyl. What year Mustang are those mirrors from?

Thanks. The mirrors were used on 2015 to 2020 Mustangs. You can get them with different options like built in blinker, puddle light and heated mirror.

[jaybee]

The mirrors look great. How did you go about adapting them to the side profile of the Firebird?

[blitzer454]

The mirrors look great. How did you go about adapting them to the side profile of the Firebird?

Refer back to posts 58 (https://www.pro-touring.com/threads/136105-Project-Anchor-(68-Firebird-Coupe)?p=1401517#post1401517) and 66 (https://www.pro-touring.com/threads/136105-Project-Anchor-(68-Firebird-Coupe)?p=1401573#post1401573). The last picture on post 58 shows the 3d printed gasket that allows the mirror base to fit snug against the profile of the Firebird door panel. You can kind of see the gasket in the two pictures above that one between the door panel and the original rubber gasket of the mirror. The mirror has a solid feel if I try to move it up or down. In fact, I can see the door panel wanting to flex instead of the mirror wiggling.

[jaybee]

Thanks! I love these extended construction threads, but it can be easy to lose track of things that have been covered earlier.