'69 Firebird - Counterfeit Trans Am

[Josh@Ridetech]

Hey guys,

I wanted to go ahead and start a new build thread so I can document the new build for myself and anyone else who cares to see it! I parted with my '79 Trans Am a couple of weeks ago (great car but I've always had a thing for earlier Firebirds, GTO's, etc...). I absolutely love the '69 Trans Am and this car is a super solid foundation to start on. It needs the ram air hood, fender vents, and spoiler to play the part but I'm extremely happy to have this car. I've learned alot over the years and can hopefully build a pretty slick car out of this. I have all kinds of ideas in my head... but for now, here's the car and what I'm starting with. Original Pontiac 350 is gone and replaced with a Chevy 350/350 combo which will be removed this winter. It runs and drives fairly well so the plan is to get suspension, brakes, and a new rear end in it. I'll get the engine/trans in when the winter comes around!

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[dontlifttoshift]

That's awesome! I thought for sure you were making room for another Fox.

[Josh@Ridetech]

That's awesome! I thought for sure you were making room for another Fox.

Haha, there is a fox sitting next to this one in the garage :cheers:

[Jk918]

Sweet looks super clean

[gscherer78ta]

Looks like a great start! Nice find and have fun with the build!

[garickman]

Nice project, looking forward to the build. Speaking of builds, did you guys ever finish that 67 Chevelle? I think it might have been for Bret's wife.

[Alponcho]

Very nice! Look forward to watching your progress.

[gto406]

Keeping an eye on this one, thanks for sharing Josh! [emoji869]

[Josh@Ridetech]

I haven't made a ton of progress lately (life's just been busy) but that's about to change. The actual car hasn't changed a ton other than the new wheels and tires, trimmed the quarter panel lips for a little more clearance, and got everything lined out on the new engine. I just brought the car into the shop last week. I'll be putting the full coilover suspension on here, subframe connectors, Wilwood brakes, and a Quick Performance 9". While it's here, I'm going to go ahead and pull the engine out before taking it back home. The lift is a huge time saver... I'll keep this updated :cheers:.

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The engine is a fresh LS1, milled PRC 2.5 heads, and a TSP MS4 cam. It should be a fairly fun setup :D.

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[ryeguy2006a]

Great project!! It's so nice to be able to just do an engine swap or update the brakes and not having to worry about rust repair or interior work. Very nice foundation for a lot of upgrades.

[Josh@Ridetech]

Great project!! It's so nice to be able to just do an engine swap or update the brakes and not having to worry about rust repair or interior work. Very nice foundation for a lot of upgrades.

Thanks! I'm extremely happy that I'm starting with one that I don't have to worry about those with this car. It's not perfect but it's so much different than everything else I've started with!

[ryeguy2006a]

What frame connectors are you planning to run? I did the DSE connectors that recess into the floor pans and tie into the frame. I was very pleased with the fit and it really stiffened up the car. And if for some reason you are on the fence on engine mounts, just go ahead and do yourself a favor and get the Holley mounts and the 302-3 pan. It was so nice just bolting it in and it all just fit.

[Josh@Ridetech]

What frame connectors are you planning to run? I did the DSE connectors that recess into the floor pans and tie into the frame. I was very pleased with the fit and it really stiffened up the car. And if for some reason you are on the fence on engine mounts, just go ahead and do yourself a favor and get the Holley mounts and the 302-3 pan. It was so nice just bolting it in and it all just fit.

I've got our new bolt-in subframe connectors going in. I had them on my '79 Firebird and they were a tremendous change in the car. They don't hang super low and I don't have to cut into the floor so I'm happy!

I do have the 302-2 pan already. As far as engine mounts go, I ended up grabbing some of the ICT plates (to have some adjustment) and the Energy poly mounts. We've used this combo on several cars running our Tru-Turn and LS combon. It seems to work out well! I'll definitely be on here digging for info though, the 1st gen platform is one that I've never personally had so I may run into a few questions. Luckily, we've done a few of them here too so that helps! :D

[Josh@Ridetech]

I've made a little bit of headway with the car here at work. We've done mock up on a couple new pieces/tweaked a things for a little different geomtery. I can't let the cat out of the bag just yet but I'm loving the way everything is looking. The bottom side of the car was really clean to begin with so seeing the four link/coilovers, QP 9", and subframe connectors under it makes it even better :).

I snapped the picture below when I pulled it outside after installing the front coilover kit (I'll post pictures of that install later). The four link went on after this picture so the rear ride height is a little lower.

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Pictures of the rear install:

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[ryeguy2006a]

Very nice update!! Really showcases the new parts. :headbang:

[Josh@Ridetech]

Very nice update!! Really showcases the new parts. :headbang:

Thanks Ryan! I've got a ton of things that I'm ready to start on now that we've got all the info off of the car we needed here. I should be making progress on the drivetrain swap now!

[thumper877]

Excited to see what you have in store! You aren't kidding about the underside being clean.

[Alponcho]

Love it!

[68Formula]

Awesome build.

For reference how high your ceilings and which model Rotory Lift is that?

[Josh@Ridetech]

Excited to see what you have in store! You aren't kidding about the underside being clean.
Thanks! I feel like a I got lucky finding this car. I'm very happy with how the underside of the car is. Now just to do everything else!

Love it!
Thanks!!

Awesome build.

For reference how high your ceilings and which model Rotory Lift is that?
Thanks! I'm not entirely sure. This is the shop at work, I'll try and get some info for you.

[Josh@Ridetech]

Brought the car back to my shop. Time to tear it down now!

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[Josh@Ridetech]

Just a few small things happening here. Pulled the nose/fenders off, pulled the engine/trans (and sold them), and now about to pull the rest of the stuff off the firewall. I'm going to paint the firewall and inner fenders satin black next. Once that's done, I'll get to installing the Vintage Air setup and Wilwood MC.

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[TANKMASTERJ]

Cool build but I wanted to go drive it as it sit when you brought it home lol!

[Josh@Ridetech]

Cool build but I wanted to go drive it as it sit when you brought it home lol!

Haha, it'll be very different than that for sure when I get it going again!

[Josh@Ridetech]

Still working on the firewall but I'm happy with the progress I've made with the little time I've had to spend in the shop. I filled in the hole from the heater box and then got the Vintage Air setup mocked up behind the dash/welded some mounting studs for it before I started on body work on the firewall. When the previous owner painted the firewall, he just filled the seam running along the firewall with filler so naturally, it cracked. I wire wheeled all of that out, did some work to make everything a little more straight, and got it in primer along with seam sealer along that line (I've always liked that look for some reason on these cars).

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My headers from Ultimate also came in :)

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[Josh@Ridetech]

Engine bay is now black and things can start going together! Making a little bit of headway on the engine as well :D.

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[Josh@Ridetech]

Bolted the engine and TKX bolted together/sat in the car with some help from my buddy, Herb! I've got just enough room between the head and the firewall to attach a ground strap :rotfl:

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[Jk918]

What engine mounts are you using for this, i am doing a similar swap in a 67 firebird and debating on what motor mounts to use.

[Josh@Ridetech]

What engine mounts are you using for this, i am doing a similar swap in a 67 firebird and debating on what motor mounts to use.

I wanted some adjustment to play with instead of a fixed mount so I had purchased the ICT plates w/ Energy mounts for this one (Jeg's was out of them and substituted their brand, they appear to be the same from what I can tell). However, I personally wouldn't use these again. I'd like to have a little more adjustment than what these give. In a perfect world, I'd like to move the engine about 1/2" to 3/4" forward for a little more firewall clearance. The next set of holes available in these would move the engine several inches forward which isn't needed. I'm thinking some of the slider mounts would be a good fit in this situation, however, I don't have any experience with them on this platform.

[btmatt]

we used dirty dingo sliders, moroso solid engine mounts, BBC engine stands, and Speedtech trans crossmember in 1st gen Camaro subframe. It allowed plenty fore and aft adjustment (currently 1-2" off the firewall) and offset the engine 3/4" to the passenger side providing additional steering clearance.


I wanted some adjustment to play with instead of a fixed mount so I had purchased the ICT plates w/ Energy mounts for this one (Jeg's was out of them and substituted their brand, they appear to be the same from what I can tell). However, I personally wouldn't use these again. I'd like to have a little more adjustment than what these give. In a perfect world, I'd like to move the engine about 1/2" to 3/4" forward for a little more firewall clearance. The next set of holes available in these would move the engine several inches forward which isn't needed. I'm thinking some of the slider mounts would be a good fit in this situation, however, I don't have any experience with them on this platform.

[Josh@Ridetech]

we used dirty dingo sliders, moroso solid engine mounts, BBC engine stands, and Speedtech trans crossmember in 1st gen Camaro subframe. It allowed plenty fore and aft adjustment (currently 1-2" off the firewall) and offset the engine 3/4" to the passenger side providing additional steering clearance.

A little more clearance would be beneficial. I'm not mad about the placement, I'd rather have the engine as far back as possible. It's just a pain to get it in the car like this haha.

[Jk918]

I wanted some adjustment to play with instead of a fixed mount so I had purchased the ICT plates w/ Energy mounts for this one (Jeg's was out of them and substituted their brand, they appear to be the same from what I can tell). However, I personally wouldn't use these again. I'd like to have a little more adjustment than what these give. In a perfect world, I'd like to move the engine about 1/2" to 3/4" forward for a little more firewall clearance. The next set of holes available in these would move the engine several inches forward which isn't needed. I'm thinking some of the slider mounts would be a good fit in this situation, however, I don't have any experience with them on this platform.

Appreciate you sharing this, I've been looking at the ICT heavy duty plates that work with the clamshell type mounts, also considering the holley mounts, just can't wrap my head around paying $200+ on some motor mounts.

[68Formula]

we used dirty dingo sliders, moroso solid engine mounts, BBC engine stands, and Speedtech trans crossmember in 1st gen Camaro subframe. It allowed plenty fore and aft adjustment (currently 1-2" off the firewall) and offset the engine 3/4" to the passenger side providing additional steering clearance.

I thought about using my existing offset mounts for additional header clearance, so great feedback.

Josh, coming along great! Is that a DSE firewall smoothing plate?

[Josh@Ridetech]

I thought about using my existing offset mounts for additional header clearance, so great feedback.

Josh, coming along great! Is that a DSE firewall smoothing plate?

Thanks! It's just a piece of metal that I cut out and welded in, I kept it simple on this one :twothumbs

[Josh@Ridetech]

Just a little update! The driveshaft is built and in, now it's getting the exhaust fabbed up (just have to get the tails finished up. Once I get the car back home, I'll get the accessory drive and intake on, and start wiring everything up!

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[Liams69RS]

Great build Josh! I just got my Ridetech 4 link in a couple weeks ago and am eager to install it! I’m just debating because I know I will have to cut my exhaust, which is a brand new Magnaflow kit.

[ricerscott]

Very nice build! That is an incredibly clean bird! I have always had a soft spot for the 69 TA's as well.

[jlwdvm]

How did your headers fit? Back when I installed the TruTurn on my 69 the problem was having to dimple or modify certain tubes to get them to live with the TruTurn bracket.

[ryeguy2006a]

Love the updates!! My father-in-law is getting a TKX for his 56 Belair this fall, so I'd love to hear your impressions when you get it up and running. FWIW, not sure if you have thought about a radiator, but Auto City Classics make a really nice LS swap radiator. I used their radiator and modified shroud along with a C7 fan and did a fantastic job cooling.

[Josh@Ridetech]

Great build Josh! I just got my Ridetech 4 link in a couple weeks ago and am eager to install it! I’m just debating because I know I will have to cut my exhaust, which is a brand new Magnaflow kit.
Thanks! I'm sure you'll have to do something with the tail pipes going over the axle. They didn't plan on us putting upper bars there when they designed that exhaust, haha!

Very nice build! That is an incredibly clean bird! I have always had a soft spot for the 69 TA's as well.
Thanks! I do love this car!

How did your headers fit? Back when I installed the TruTurn on my 69 the problem was having to dimple or modify certain tubes to get them to live with the TruTurn bracket.
I didn't have to touch a thing on these to be honest. I'm clear on the TruTurn by a mile. They're tight on the steering box but that's probably a combo of inconsistency on my subframe, engine mounts, and the Borgeson box.

Love the updates!! My father-in-law is getting a TKX for his 56 Belair this fall, so I'd love to hear your impressions when you get it up and running. FWIW, not sure if you have thought about a radiator, but Auto City Classics make a really nice LS swap radiator. I used their radiator and modified shroud along with a C7 fan and did a fantastic job cooling.
I can't wait to drive it with the TKX! I've heard great things but have only got to drive one across the parking lot lol.

I did pick up a Cold Case radiator a while back so I'm hoping it works well. I was trying to not spend a ton on the radiator but wanted to put something better than making a parts store one work.

[Josh@Ridetech]

Got tired of the white dash causing glares last year so I decided to pull the windshield and do a little body work and paint it and the rest of the dash components satin black. There were a couple scratches in the windshield too so it gave me an excuse to pull it out. Now I'm going to finish putting some sound deadening in the interior and start wiring. LS Fest is creeping up faster and faster so I need to get this buttoned up.
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[LCA1971]

Very nice!!! Love those cars...

[ryeguy2006a]

Came out beautifully Josh! Glad there weren't any surprises under the paint for you!

[Josh@Ridetech]

Very nice!!! Love those cars...
Thanks! I do too! Haha

Came out beautifully Josh! Glad there weren't any surprises under the paint for you!
Thanks Ryan! I was lucky enough to see pictures of the car when it came from being blasted a couple of years ago and was on the rotisserie. There were a few things I planned to fix when I bought it and here we are, haha. It isn't going to be a perfect show car but I'm shooting for a pretty nice driver at the end of the day!

[Josh@Ridetech]

Hey guys,

I was able to get quite a few things completed and believe that I'm going to start on the wiring shortly. For now, here is where it sits:

Vintage Air, heater hoses/AC lines mounted and ran, pressure regulator/fuel lines ran, power steering hoses, radiator/fans, new windshield, and brake lines all done.

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Interior is all sound deadened.

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Hopefully I can make some more progress and get it running shortly. I was hoping for LS Fest in Bowling Green but it's not worth rushing it. I just want to get it together and running to enjoy until the snow comes. I ran into some issues getting the clutch master cylinder to bleed. Pumped the life out of it, gravity bled, pressure bled, etc. After messing with it for a few days, I bought a new Tilton master. Turns out I just had a bad/new Wilwood piece out of the box unfortunately.

[Josh@Ridetech]

Quite a bit of progress since the last post. I've done quite a bit of wiring, fenders are on, got the radiator hoses and intake tube figured out, plus alot of other miscellaneous stuff :D. At the moment, I'm trying to figure out where I'm going to mount the Holley and Dakota Digital ecu's. These cars don't give much room to work with (I'm not running a center console so everything pretty well has to go behind the dash).

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Decided to make a panel for the Vintage Air AC controls that looked a little nicer than cutting up a piece of ABS. I should have this done this week.

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The UPS driver also dropped these off a few days ago... 18x9's for the front and 19x10's in the rear.

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[Pedigry]

Vintage air is the best mod on the car. lol. Love the build, gonna be awesome.

[OLDFLM]

I was hoping for Pontiac baby blue valve covers...

[Josh@Ridetech]

Vintage air is the best mod on the car. lol. Love the build, gonna be awesome.
Thanks bud! I'm pretty excited about having AC! Haha

I was hoping for Pontiac baby blue valve covers...
Haha, maybe one day. I have a thing for the satin black look. I may switch it up some time though!

[Vimes]

You're one lucky *******. My legs are too long to be comfortable in one of those, otherwise I'd be doing one instead of a pickup truck. Firebirds always looked way better to me than Camaros, not that Camaros are bad cars. Know this, there's at least one person out there that's jealous of you. :worship:

[ryeguy2006a]

Looking great Josh! When I did my Camaro, I mounted the DD module for the gauges to the support rods for the steering column. And for the ECU, I built a box and mounted it in the glove box area. Definitely a tight fit though.

[Josh@Ridetech]

You're one lucky *******. My legs are too long to be comfortable in one of those, otherwise I'd be doing one instead of a pickup truck. Firebirds always looked way better to me than Camaros, not that Camaros are bad cars. Know this, there's at least one person out there that's jealous of you. :worship:
Haha, I appreciate that! I love these cars. Hopefully I get to hear it run shortly!

Looking great Josh! When I did my Camaro, I mounted the DD module for the gauges to the support rods for the steering column. And for the ECU, I built a box and mounted it in the glove box area. Definitely a tight fit though.
Thanks Ryan! There definitely isn't much space available with everything going into the car. Trying to make it clean behind the dash is tough for sure.

[Josh@Ridetech]

Been doing a lot of shakedowns and trying to finish up the wiring. At this point it's just a lot of tedious stuff. I need to finish the Vintage Air install and finish the interior. This is how it sits at the moment though!

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I finally got it up on the lift and took a picture of the completed exhaust too :D

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[Gmc427]

tire size on the rear?

[68Formula]

Is your Vintage Air using their new fully electronic control system that eliminates the cables and vacuum systems?

[Josh@Ridetech]

tire size on the rear?
275/35-19

Is your Vintage Air using their new fully electronic control system that eliminates the cables and vacuum systems?
Yes sir, all electronic. I also decided to use the knob style controls vs using the stock sliders.

[Josh@Ridetech]

Definitely the quickest I've ever pulled the engine out of something after first getting it running... but it's for a good cause :D.

Old subframe out and the new one is in. Put fluids in it today, bled the new clutch MC as the one I had in the car was already bad, and just tucking some things up now. I'll get more pictures posted up shortly.

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[ryeguy2006a]

That's incredible Josh!! Can't wait to hear your reports back on the improved ride quality.

[Josh@Ridetech]

That's incredible Josh!! Can't wait to hear your reports back on the improved ride quality.

Thanks Ryan! Incredible is a word that would describe the way the car feels right now. I've been around here for quite a while and I've always been very proud of what the cars have done with the stock subframe. I've always been curious as to when we were going to build a full subframe and I've got to say that I really wish that we would've done it sooner. The car felt good before but it's pretty impressive right now and I've done almost zero tweaking to the shock settings. It turns way different than it used to, it'll be a monster on the autocross. I can't wait to get more drive time on it.

[ModernMuseum]

Hell yeah. Always love seeing another 69 on these forums.

[Josh@Ridetech]

I haven't worked on the much at all lately with selling the house and moving/working on the new house. The good news is that we're getting ready to start on the new garage (pretty stoked about that, I'll post some pictures of that when it's going up too).

On a side note, the car isn't on the back burner completely. It's currently at the body shop getting a couple things put on that I think that it should've had put on when it got painted the first time! Sneak peak below :naughty:

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[68Formula]

Much better. :)

[Josh@Ridetech]

Much better. :)

Thanks! Haha, I think so too. Since I bought this car, I never have understood why the guy painted it like a Trans Am and left the base hood on it and put a Camaro spoiler on... Putting the right parts on it has been on my to-do list for a while. Hood pictures will be on here soon!

- - - Updated - - -


Much better. :)

Thanks! Haha, I think so too. Since I bought this car, I never have understood why the guy painted it like a Trans Am and left the base hood on it and put a Camaro spoiler on... Putting the right parts on it has been on my to-do list for a while. Hood pictures will be on here soon!

[Bulletpruf]

Gorgeous car; I always thought the '69 T/A was the best-looking version of the first-gen F-bodies.

[stevehoj]

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[Josh@Ridetech]

Gorgeous car; I always thought the '69 T/A was the best-looking version of the first-gen F-bodies.




Thanks guys! I knew I was going to change a couple things when I bought it. If it was going to be a clone of any type, I wasn't going to let it be bad clone :rotfl:

[Josh@Ridetech]

The stripe layout on the car wasn't spot on to begin with so I wasn't extremely set on making it match "what it should've been from the factory" but it's not far off from it. The roof isn't getting repainted so the width of the smaller stripes is going to stay the same. I played with lining everything up to my liking and came up with this. Dimensionally, it actually isn't far off from the GM manual specs on spacing and such (the outside stripes on my car are 1/4" whereas the OE ones were 1/8"). From looking at the survivor cars and textbook restorations, it doesn't even seem that those cars were consistent with how the layouts were. Some look straight from front to back and some are angled worse than mine are. I think these will be just fine for a counterfeit Trans Am. :cheers:


PS - the cowl panel is getting painted as well so it'll all line up properly.

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[Josh@Ridetech]

Got the car back from the body shop last week and put a couple hundred miles on it on Saturday. I'm loving the car more and more especially with the new hood and spoiler :cheers:

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[jaybee]

Fabulous, I've always loved those Gen 1 Firebirds.

[Josh@Ridetech]

Fabulous, I've always loved those Gen 1 Firebirds.

Thanks! I'm very happy with how it came out!

[Josh@Ridetech]

Hey everyone!

It's been a while since an update but I've had a ton going on (alot of good stuff). Got married, moved/getting everything situated, and built a new shop at the new house. Now that everything is more in order (and I can turn the lights on), I was able to bring my car back from my buddies house where I was keeping it. It's been a long time coming but I finally put the gauges in, trimmed the carpet and got everything fitting better, installed Morris 3 point rear seat belts, and put the new Corbeau seats in. I'm not thrilled with the way they're fitting but I'll live with it until winter and modify the bracketry then. I also plan to recover the rear seat to black at that point too.

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and finally got a good rolling shot :cheers:

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[rickpaw]

Nice.

Jealous of the new shop.

[dontlifttoshift]

Car and shop look great Josh!

[Josh@Ridetech]

Nice.

Jealous of the new shop.


Car and shop look great Josh!

Thanks guys! I'm very excited for both of them. It's been a goal of mine for a long time!

[chevyz240]

Got the car back from the body shop last week and put a couple hundred miles on it on Saturday. I'm loving the car more and more especially with the new hood and spoiler :cheers:

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The car looks great! But I hope that you are planning to adjust the rear bumper angle. :naughty:

[Josh@Ridetech]

The car looks great! But I hope that you are planning to adjust the rear bumper angle. :naughty:

Thanks! I'll mess with it at some point I'm sure. Crazy enough, almost every '69 Firebird I've seen/found pictures of has the same (or worse) angle on the rear bumper from the side. I haven't tried to adjust anything yet but I'm sure there is some play in it. It is level from left to right if you're standing behind the car though, this picture makes it look crooked for some reason lol.

[Josh@Ridetech]

Morning guys! Just thought I'd throw one small update on here. I've made a few small updates to the car when time allowed. I've learned it's nicer to have a running car in the nice months so now that the winter months are here, I'm ready to rock. I've got some autocrosses planned for 2026 and the original brakes I put on the car a couple years ago were great (way better than the car has ever had) but lacking for more spirited driving. I put some Baer 14" Baer 6P's on the front and rear and what a difference... I haven't got them 100% bedded in yet but I can already tell this is going to be one heck of a change. I love the matte black/gloss black combo on these too.

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Also gave it a nice buff/wax! I can't stand the thought of decals on the car right now so I ordered some magnetic one's from autocrossdigits.com. These are super nice if anyone else is wondering!
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[NCSU68]

An amazing build. The wheel/tire package looks great! Thank you for sharing the pictures. Please update with your Autocross results.

[Josh@Ridetech]

An amazing build. The wheel/tire package looks great! Thank you for sharing the pictures. Please update with your Autocross results.

Thanks! I appreciate that. It's been a fun build and I'm looking forward to putting it to use! I'll post up some pictures and info :cheers:

[jaybee]

That caliper looks nice enough to be on display in your office or living room.

[Josh@Ridetech]

That caliper looks nice enough to be on display in your office or living room.

Haha, thanks. When I saw those colors as an option, I had the "Yep, that's the combo" feeling. I've caught mixed feedback from some guys that saw them, some think they're awesome, and some think they should be more visible. I'm not a bright/shiny color guy so I love this combo, subtle, but awesome when you realize what they are.

[Josh@Ridetech]

Took a couple pictures that I think turned out cool so I might as well post them here!

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[ryeguy2006a]

Love the pictures! Car looks amazing man!

[Josh@Ridetech]

Love the pictures! Car looks amazing man!

Thank you! I'm really happy with how it's turning out. I'm also ecstatic that I'm finding some time to work on it/drive it! It's a fun car for sure :cheers:.

[Rod]

looks great Josh

[Josh@Ridetech]

looks great Josh

Thanks Rod!!

[JLMounce]

Looking great! I noticed you are using the Dakota Digital gauge stack. Is the tachometer sandwiched inside the speedometer large enough for actual performance usage? It's the one thing that has kept me from purchasing a set.

[Josh@Ridetech]

Looking great! I noticed you are using the Dakota Digital gauge stack. Is the tachometer sandwiched inside the speedometer large enough for actual performance usage? It's the one thing that has kept me from purchasing a set.

Thanks! That's the only thing I'm not 100% thrilled on. I find myself looking around for the tach longer than I want to. I know where it's at but I wish it stuck out to me more. It's a super nice set of gauges but I wish the tach was the same size as the speedo. In my opinion, it would've been perfect if they put the tach in the left pod and then put the rest of the gauges in different locations.

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[JLMounce]

Appreciate your thoughts and the photo, that's quite helpful. Considering there is a gauge pod location just to the right of the cluster, I'm not sure why anyone isn't using that.

[Josh@Ridetech]

Appreciate your thoughts and the photo, that's quite helpful. Considering there is a gauge pod location just to the right of the cluster, I'm not sure why anyone isn't using that.

Anytime. I'm sure there are some guys that use/would use that location where the clock was. For me, I just haven't put anything there because I don't like I'd like something there that didn't match the Dakota setup now (I haven't found anything I like at least). When I bought the car, it had the fuel gauge there and then one of the universal 3 gauge panels below, and I hated the way they looked.

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[JLMounce]

There was a rarely chosen option U30 in 1969 for an in-dash tach and stacked gauges in the clock pod. There is a guy that is supposedly recreating these, but quality appears to be spotty and lead times are incredibly long. It would be great to see a quality product like Dakota set up in this fashion.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2026/01/stackset7-1.jpg

[dhutton]

Appreciate your thoughts and the photo, that's quite helpful. Considering there is a gauge pod location just to the right of the cluster, I'm not sure why anyone isn't using that.
This guy used to sell a gauge pod. In this day of 3D printers it should be relatively easy to make one.
https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=652972

[Josh@Ridetech]

There was a rarely chosen option U30 in 1969 for an in-dash tach and stacked gauges in the clock pod. There is a guy that is supposedly recreating these, but quality appears to be spotty and lead times are incredibly long. It would be great to see a quality product like Dakota set up in this fashion.


I've seen that setup and I love it. It would be great to see Dakota do something like that.

This guy used to sell a gauge pod. In this day of 3D printers it should be relatively easy to make one.
https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=652972

Very cool! 3d printing definitely opens alot of windows for sure.

[Rooster67]

Josh,

Does the ridetech subframe allow a low mount AC?

[Josh@Ridetech]

Josh,

Does the ridetech subframe allow a low mount AC?

I have had a couple customers use the lower mounted AC setups. I'm not entirely sure on the brands though. The mid-mount setups are by far my favorite on these though!

[Josh@Ridetech]

I got a chance to finally put the parts to use and do what they were built to do this past weekend. I ran the DriveAutoX event at NCM in Bowling Green, KY. The car did more than I could've asked for, especially being on 245 Continental's that are a 340 treadwear tire. I wasn't planning on using these tires but I had an open weekend and decided to sign up. I ran into an issue where I was pushing way more oil into the catch cans than what it should (I had to empty them after every 3 runs). After doing some thinking, I'm not entirely sure that the baffles are set up right in these after being modified for the 10an bungs that are welded into them. The large sweeping corners allowed the oil/condensation to run right out of the covers and into the cans (and I may have slightly overfilled the engine, who knows..). After some band-aid work to try and make the oil flow path harder, it helped out and I continued to run. I ended up having the fastest time in the GRV group on Sunday and then took first place in the GRV shootout. I couldn't be more happy with the initial performance of the car, not to mention how greatly ran the event was. I also got to go down with my good buddy, Herb (Yelcamino on here), he's helped me out in more ways over the years than I can remember. All in all, it was one of the best weekends that I've had for a while. I just wanted to do a quick update and post some of my favorite pictures from the weekend!
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[Vimes]

Excellent! I always liked those old Firebirds. 4 headlight noses look better than 2 headlights.

[Josh@Ridetech]

Excellent! I always liked those old Firebirds. 4 headlight noses look better than 2 headlights.

Thanks! I do too haha. This past weekend was a great time being out in the car.

[Josh@Ridetech]

Made a few additions and changes to the car to try and solve a few issues that I was running into with filling my catch cans sooner than it should have. The NCM autocross was a higher speed course that had a couple long/sweeping corners. Part of the cause was due to the way I ran the lines out of the covers. On the street, it wasn't and issue, the track was a different story. Before the autocross, I did add our rear sway bar to it and changed the rear springs over to a 250lb rate and it was a great change. It definitely helped plant the rear end in my opinion.

I switched over to a better baffled set of Motion Raceworks valve covers and ran the breather lines off of the front of the covers. Even if the oil pools in the back of the heads, it can't find it's way out into the catch cans/breathers. Not a hard install but just time in changing the lengths of the lines, new mounting places for the cans and drain lines. I also installed an Accusump for preventative maintenance so had to get everything mounted and run the line from it to the engine. Last night I buttoned things up with an oil change, Hawk HP+ pads front and rear, and adjusted the ride height a little bit. Just some tweaks and still learning what the car likes and doesn't like!

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