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

[hotrodneb]

Color is "House of Kolors" green

It is their HOK82-03-Q01 Karrier mixed with their HOK82-FX35-HP1 green pearl

And thanx.....done colorsanding and buffing now.....new pics coming soon

[gordonr1973]

Pics??

[hotrodneb]

Here are a couple pics post color sand......WELL worth the effort

[hotrodneb]

Hotchkis lowering springs...'74 Nova housing with 8.5" Eaton Posi....LS1 brakes.....and a cheap-o rear sway bar

[hotrodneb]

Fat-mat......Ensolite and some MLV to follow before carpet

[mikewoods]

Looking Good!

[hotrodneb]

Ensolite installed, fit carpet and controls. Tilt column is '84 camaro, Brake MC/booster is 98 Firebird. Steering box is JGC.

[hotrodneb]

Modern version of the Cragar S/S in Aluminum .....8X17 with 4.5 Bs

Tires are some 225-50/17 scabs to run until I get the drivetrain bugs worked out.

[FireBeater]

Man!

Those 69 Bird fog lamps are soo cool. I see alot of 1st Gen with the 69 Camaro fog lamps. I think creating a little mods like that really snap up a car. Keep it up!

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---

Attachment 78648


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---

Attachment 78649


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-----

Attachment 78650

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.

Attachment 78659


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.

[vannatta20]

Did you use camaro front fenders?

[hotrodneb]

Why yes I did........not many would notice that still after the mods. They came with the car when I bought it....and happened to fit nicely into the eventual outcome. All the side marker lights are getting replaced with small LED markers. Those pics will come later.

[hotrodneb]

Saftey being of utmost importance.......I certainly dont want to hurt someone, or myself after all this hard work.

I have hired an inspector for ALL of the work I've done. He seems to be an expert at everything, and he works cheap too. But sheesh he nit-picks EVERY little detail.

[Wall]

Looking really good man, can't wait to see it back together with all the bumper and valance mods!

[hotrodneb]

It might not look like much....but it took alot of work

Fabbed my own bracket (adjustable) to hold the '68 shifter cable on the side of the 4L60E
Re-worked the arm for proper travel of the cable in relation to shifter operation
reduced shift detent resistance to accomidate the '68 shifter
cut my OWN detents and modified the '68 shifter to operates the 4-speeds

Also put together my driveshaft----

'98 Firebird transmission yoke
'68 firebird driveshaft shortened 3" MYSELF
Diff yoke from the '74 Nova

[hotrodneb]

Interior progress-----

Steering wheel installed and clocked
Brake lines plumed and readt to bleed
Accelerator pedal hooked up
--'68 firebird 6-cyl pedal with modified '98 Firebird LS1 cable

Please note---I am running the PROPER Accel pedal and dimmer covers for someone who "came of age" in the 70's

[hotrodneb]

Enging bay progress----

Power steering hooked up
--Re-bent the pressure line that came FREE with my JGC box from junkyard
--only need to slip on a longer return line onto the barbs
TRSA1A AC compressor installed in stock F-body location
--heavily modified Trailblazer SS AC bracket
--BIG notch in frame for AC compressor
Hope I put the Cruise module in a place it wont be seen or get in the way
Booster and M/C are donated from the '98 Firebird.
Stock '68 sway bar with new bushings and links

[rohrt]

Subscribing. Nice work

[hotrodneb]

UPDATE---Vinyl roof installed

[Gil]

nicely done !
Push her outside and take pictures
Gil

[hotrodneb]

Interesting idea....but there are a couple small obstacles at the moment.....

I COULD have brakes if I bled them....
and the car DOES have park now and a driveshaft.

But the REAL problem with that is-----

After my nice level garage floor there is a 20' drop in my driveway over about 60'.......I could get it out....but would never get it back IN <smile>