Project thread--'68 Firebird with a "Beak-Job"

[hotrodneb]

OK---guess it's about time for my "build thread'

The plan
LS1 / 4L60E from '98 Trans Am
Hotchkis lowering springs front/rear
Tubular A-arms, tall ball joints and tie rods
LS1 brake system front/rear with LS brake booster modified to stock pedal
Vintage air Gen-3
Mostly stock interior
Tanks Inc fuel injected tank


I've liked the Firebird but REALLY didnt like the fact that the front bumper looks like an after-thought, and truth be told it really is. Pontiac had to "hang" their nose onto a camaro. So my mission was to make it look like it belongs there---




It took a million trial fits and removing just under 1/2" from the chrome edge but the end result is that the lines of the hood and fenders follow nicely onto the bumper now. In total the bumper is moved back just over an inch from where the factory hung it. I was also fortunate that my car came with camaro fenders which gave me 3 tabs inside the headlamp bucket to mount the edge of the bumper to. This will allow it to remain in-line with the fender edge and not chew the paint there. I will have it re-chromed. Simply put---it got a NOSE-job.

Well' once that was finished the mods needed to continue to the lower vailance---




To complete the nose, a camaro vailance was used. The air openings were narrowed about 6" giving me just enough room to put in a set of "frenched-in" '69 parking lamps. The narrowing of the openings put their start at the inside edge of the headlamp instead of some random point the factory chose, and the park lamps are centered between the headlamps. ALSO---the center X of the park lamp grill was removed and to my pleasure the shape of the remainder matched the curvature of the bumper perfectly.

And well, Since we are on the topic of bumpers, I don't like the Firebird rear bumper either. It is WAY too much for the car-----



I knew I couldn't just put a Camaro bumper on a nice Firebird, puritsts and mod-guys agree on ONE thing-that. So I set out to make something that was neither camaro or Firebird. The rear "split" bumper is 2 camaro bumpers that gave their life and were split-chopped-modded-and welded back together. It is tucked in nice and close with 1/4 gap all around and I plan on having it re-chromed. The '68 fuel fill is filled-in and fueling will be accomplished behind the flip-down liscence plate using a '69 Firebird gas tank.






All/all the cal has the "feel" of the stub-nose Camaro, but still maintaining the Firebird styling. I plan on the original black vinyl roof and a modern charcoal grey paint.

[srh3trinity]

I need to go and google some stock pictures to appreciate the work that you are putting into it. There was a build years back that has probably been finished or the guy ran out of money. It was a high dollar 67 or 68 Firebird build and he had a lot of body mods. They actually accentuated the nose and it was really shaping up nicely.

[hotrodneb]

You're prolly referring to this one......thought about something along those lines but it was too far away from Pontiac for me



Here are a few more closeups of the beak-job

[JHunter]

The amount of work you have in to those mods, and the result is Very impressive - thanks for sharing

[T_Raven]

Nice work on those bumpers

[hotrodneb]

Time for a little updating....here a pic the wife popped during fab. I spend alot of my work on the phone

[hotrodneb]

And NOW.....it's a holiday weekend, rain/drizzle in the forcast....a perfect time for a garage paint job. Here is everything in primer. This weekend will consist of painting, color sanding, and buffing. The best holiday I can think of right now.

[hotrodneb]

More Primer pics

[Gil]

Bumpers mods are very nice !
Keep plugging away & have a good paint holidays.
Gil

[hotrodneb]

Just an additional note....this pic sux....the tail panel is actually MUCH smoother that it appears. Lighting and breakthrough on the primer makes it look bad. The entire car gets a sealer before color so this wont be an issue.

[68400BIRD]

You did some nice mods to your car. I really like them. I see we did a couple of the same things. I welded up my tulip panel, welded in the rear tail light panel, and welded up the seam on the lower quarter to rocker. I almost did the fender extensions. Looking forward to seeing some paint pictures. Good luck with the spraying.

[lucky13firebird]

I dig it, lots of work involved but the results are looking nice.

[hotrodneb]

It's been one LONG day......but Ahhh I like the smell of fresh paint in the morning.

Started about 5am....and a little sealer, color and clear and following is what I ended up with. I SUCK at painting so tomorrow will be filled with a ton of color sanding. There are sags, and then there are runs.......but there is actually clear dripping off in a couple places.

[hotrodneb]

and a couple more---

[AtomicFirebird]

Very nice

[gordonr1973]

Color looks awesome!!

[hotrodneb]

Color sanding is a wonderful invention



Orange peel almost gone......It is taking ALOT of color sanding.........that IDIOT i hired to paint it will never earn a living in body work.

[AtomicFirebird]

That's hilarious, I had to go back to see who you were talking about. I thought maybe I missed something. I think it's great you let him paint the car. You gave him a start and it should improve over time.

[CamaroJesse]

I love the color. The cars coming along nicely. I can't wait to see it done.

[Wall]

Looks awesome! What color is that?

I am doing similar work to my bumpers. I already finished the rear bumper which is a firebird bumper that I cut and fit snug to the body, also welded up the bolt holes. Now though I wish I would have gone with the camaro rear bumper.

I am still trying to decide what i want to do to the front bumper but it will at least be sucked in to the body.