69 Firebird project "RE-ENGAGED"

[gearheads78]

Well if was bound to happen. You hang around this place long enough peer pressure gets to you. :enguard: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.

stay tuned..........

[dropit69]

awesome story man..its sad you couldnt have gotten the 69 camaro back for her but crap happens im sure she will love it ..make sure you get lots of pics of her when you show it too her..good luck

[68FBODY]

hats off to you!

[T_Raven]

That's messed up. I'll help beat a grandpa if you need me to.

[SamHatco]

Plus a Texas guy. I'm definitely subscribing to this thread. Good luck with the build.

Sam

[Motown 454]

She will be thrilled with the new car, just for the thought you put into it. With the work I've seen you do on yours it will be a sweet ride. I'll be watching . Good luck.
Every time granpa has a bad day tell him its because his son knows what he did to your wife.
Wayne

[jackfrost]

damn. I wish my wife sighed when a cammed LS1 went by. :razz:

sounds like a cool project. don't forget about the Olds. ;)

[gearheads78]

Thanks everyone........She's a pretty good woman so I'll keep her a little while.:razz: I may do something this comming week or even Sunday. Next weekend she is really busy Saturday and Sunday we have a real big family dinner for mothers day so we won't be home all day.

[BossaNova]

Richard, I think you have all the motivation you need.
Just do it!

[Radlark]

Richard that is awesome man, I just picked up a 69 as well! Good luck

[gearheads78]

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. :bananna2:
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

[dhutton]

I'm looking forward to following this project after seeing what you have done with your Olds. I've accumulated quite a pile of spare parts doing mine so if you need anything let me know.

Are you going to keep the trailer hitch? :)

Don

[gearheads78]

I'm looking forward to following this project after seeing what you have done with your Olds. I've accumulated quite a pile of spare parts doing mine so if you need anything let me know.

Are you going to keep the trailer hitch? :)

Don

You don't have a dash pad or gauge bezel do you. At this point I don't need a good one. Right now there is none just the gauges sitting in a real big hole.

As the the hitch it's still up in the air. :geek:

[Steve Firebird]

Great story I will be watching this thread. Good luck on the build. She sure looks happy!

[dhutton]

You don't have a dash pad or gauge bezel do you. At this point I don't need a good one. Right now there is none just the gauges sitting in a real big hole.

As the the hitch it's still up in the air. :geek:

Sorry no dash pad. I sold my spare uncut dash bezel on ebay about a month ago. If you can settle for one with the radio hole cut up you can usually find them on ebay fairly cheap.

[Code Red]

wow car needs a little TLC get luck with it

[zman1969]

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. :bananna2:

+1 for a girl impressed with a old car! :smoke:- make her proud!! let me know what else you may need I'm local too I may have an extra bezel in the attic of my shed- Ill look net time I get to the old house

[IrvJr]

Man thats an awesome story. Best of luck. Keep us posted with your progress and plenty of pics.

[gearheads78]

+1 for a girl impressed with a old car! :smoke:- make her proud!! let me know what else you may need I'm local too I may have an extra bezel in the attic of my shed- Ill look net time I get to the old house

That will be great. No hurry its put away in the garage for now. I have a few more weeks on the Olds then several small home project need to be done that I have been neglecting in the last year building the Olds.