Show Us Your PT 1st Gen Firebird

[T_Raven]

I've got a couple other 1st gens stashed away. If I ever deside to come back to the U.S. I'll get crackin on them all.

[AtomicFirebird]

Change of plans, I am not going to just slap her together with temporary fixes and take her out to play. I am going to do this right. My firebird is in need of some serious help. I am going to start my own disassemble and PT rebuild. Birdsthaword, I blame you and Thank You for getting me started.

[BirdsThaWord]

Change of plans, I am not going to just slap her together with temporary fixes and take her out to play. I am going to do this right. My firebird is in need of some serious help. I am going to start my own disassemble and PT rebuild. Birdsthaword, I blame you and Thank You for getting me started.

Ha! Ha! I think I'm in the same boat. My engine is toast, so I'm halfway through pulling it. The "while I'm at it" bug has struck, so I'm making a laundry list of what else to do prior to it seeing pavement again. Seeing these nice 'Birds on here inspire me too!!!

[SamHatco]

Just finished up the trunk and now I'm changing out the intake tube to get the filter away from behind the radiator and get cooler air. I'll have pictures shortly

Sam

[BirdsThaWord]

SamHatco: Hands down the nicest '69 'Bird I've seen! I read your build thread and know you put a lot of hard work and creativity into it.

[makindue]

Hi T_Raven, Your car looks nice. :D Where is that place when you take photo of that car?

[SamHatco]

SamHatco: Hands down the nicest '69 'Bird I've seen! I read your build thread and know you put a lot of hard work and creativity into it.

Thanks, I've still got some "tweaking" to do but I've already put about 2300 miles on her. It's awesome to drive.

Sam

[[email protected]]

Love to see all these pro touring birds! Ive owned my bird since 1986, and Its time to get rid of the old school look. My furture plans include ridetech air suspension and new shoes, not sure what size yet..looking for poss. 18 inch. I want that low g-machine look! I think it compliments these cars much better and will improve the ride. I put the tremec tko600 five-speed in so Iam well on my way. Keep the birds coming!!! They look awesome!! Heres a couple of pics I dug up, Ill try to find more.

[SamHatco]

Love to see all these pro touring birds! Ive owned my bird since 1986, and Its time to get rid of the old school look. My furture plans include ridetech air suspension and new shoes, not sure what size yet..looking for poss. 18 inch. I want that low g-machine look! I think it compliments these cars much better and will improve the ride. I put the tremec tko600 five-speed in so Iam well on my way. Keep the birds coming!!! They look awesome!! Heres a couple of pics I dug up, Ill try to find more.

Good looking chicks.... Oh the firebird looks great too



Sam

[[email protected]]

Yeah I know the car gets lost when you add some babes lol, thanks. your 69 is amazing..thats alot of work. Must be a blast to drive. Take care and enjoy.

[BirdsThaWord]

birdboy: Looks like you have an excellent 'Bird to start with. I love the PT look, but yours sure does look nice as is.

Traven: Sure wish I had access to that barn! I bet you can't wait to get back to them!!!

[BirdsThaWord]

Thanks, I've still got some "tweaking" to do but I've already put about 2300 miles on her. It's awesome to drive.

Sam

I've had some people, usually women, say/ask over the years "why do you like those old cars? They just don't drive or perform like a modern car"! Nobody can say that about yours, that's for sure!

[[email protected]]

Thanks for the compliment. You sure do feel the road in these old cars..makes you pay attention to driving more..and you have to watch out for all the idiots in their civilian cars as well. lol

[BirdsThaWord]

Thanks for the compliment. You sure do feel the road in these old cars..makes you pay attention to driving more..and you have to watch out for all the idiots in their civilian cars as well. lol

I know what you mean brother! I've heard so many stories of folks rolling out for their first drive after a build, or after fresh paint, only to have some moron rear end them or t-bone them. As far as feeling the road, scariest drive I ever had was driving a '69 Vette I bought back from Georgia to Florida. Every single divit and crack in the road would make me swerve. Found out when I got home that the rag joint on the steering was being held together with next to nothing and that the trailing arms had no shims, allowing the rear end to just woller around as it pleased. Man oh man, the things we do for the love of these old cars!!!

[T_Raven]

Traven: Sure wish I had access to that barn! I bet you can't wait to get back to them!!!

Yeah it was nice having that shop during high school and those long Idaho winters lol. That's at my parents' house. It's only a 25'x35'. I'm gonna build a 40'x60' or bigger when I come back to the states and buy a house.

[BirdsThaWord]

So Mitch or Chris, which one of you guys cars was featured in Car Craft? Was killing time at the book store, opened up a Car Craft and said "hey, I know that car"!

[70TWO NOVA]

It was Mitchs bird. Congrats on the Ink Mitch!!!

[Josue]

Well, it's not Pro-Touring, and hell, it's not even mine...YET LOL, but both will come true just as soon as I can afford it! He picked up a '69 Firebird convertible project, and they want to keep the coupe in the family.

It's my dad's '68, been with us for 13 years now. Haven't done too too much with it over the years, just spruced up the engine with basic bolt ons (carb, intake, and dress up) then cam, headers and 2.5" exhaust, then the paint job got done about 7 years ago. He also put these god awefull trailer wheels on it when we 1st got it...



MY plans for the car, are to keep it simple, since it'll just be a cruise-in, daily driver (as much as I can at least). DSE Speed 1 kit, solid body mounts, DSE 3" drop leafs, DSE600 steering gear and PS pump, and a nice set of decently priced 18's. May sound like a wierd scheme to some, but I want to do a gold/bronze wheel with a polished lip. My dad had a 69 Camaro when I was real young. It was canary yellow with black SS stripes, and it had gold keystones with a chrome lip, so I'd like to comemorate that car a little. I wanted to get a 69 camaro to recreate his old one, but as I said, they wanted to see the 68 stay in the family, and it's a great car too.



Might do one of those complete, bolt-on drum to disc conversions too, the regular restoration quality ones that come with everything you need. I like the convenience of having everything you need all right there, instead of spending hours and hours online trying to research which brackets you need, finding the parts, looking through threads trying to figure out the install, troubleshooting the install when you eff it up, etc. Plus, I probably won't be able to tell the difference from having 14" brakes as opposed to 11". lol As I said, the car is just gonna be a driver, I want the look for now.

[BirdsThaWord]

Mitch: I second that congrats!
Josue: Looks like you've got a really nice car to start on. I like the keep it simple approach too. I'm going to keep it simple with mine too, when I get to it that is!

[Josue]

Yea, it really is a nice car! Got it for $1700; it ran and drove after an alignment and basic tune up, interior is original and in VERY good condition, just needs carpet, but the carpet isn't even that bad, and we just had to put fenders, doors, quarters, and inner quarters on it, so the body is very solid. I absolutly LOVE '69 Camaro's, and I really REALLY want to recreate my dad's old one, but this car is too nice to let go. They're also making me a good deal on it, since I'll be doing 95% of the work restoring their convertible. lol But, like I said, those simple mods, and it'll be a great driver! I wish I had the money now!!!