Introducing Ms. Firebird

[MARBIL]

I have been a member for a short while and have bought some things from other members. I bought my firebird in 1982, I flew to Wisconsin and drove it home to St. Louis, I drove it for a year and decided to fix some minor rust and a few other things. I then got married, had three kids, built a house, sent our kids through private schools, our youngest graduated college in 2013 and I told my wife, I’m going to finish the firebird so I can drive it before I’m dead (LOL). I worked on it very little off and on over the years, buying things like weather stripping, a 455, 400 hood, hotchkis TVS, tubular uppers etc….
So in 2014 I tore the 455 down after it sat in my garage for years, wish the guy I got it from would have told me it sat outside, it still had standing water in 3 of the cylinders. Took the block to an awesome machine shop, about a month and a half later had the block and heads back ready to assemble.
Here is some info on the engine and drive train, forged pistons, forged rods, mild cam, mild head work, HEI ignition, port matched stock intake with a Q-jet built to Jeff Ruggles specs for the engine, a T56 out of an 01 ws6, a strange S60, C-5 brakes all around.
At this point the floors are welded in and I am trying to decide how to clean all the nooks and crannies prior to painting the underside, once that’s done it can go back on its wheels, and that is the short version of it.
She will be the factory colors Liberty blue with a pearl interior.
So! everything above this I wrote several weeks or months ago, HAHA!
I had the bottom of the car dustless blasted, holy crap the s#@t gets everywhere, in hind sight I would have had it dipped, bottom of the car is done ( I’m in St.Louis if anyone wants to buy a rotisserie cheap).
Here are some pictures.

[MARBIL]

I don't know why some pics duplicated?

[68400BIRD]

Looks like a great start. Love the long branch manifolds. I was so tired of leaking headers on past cars. Keep the updates coming.

[Justin@EntropyRad]

sweet setup

[Gil]

Very nice !
Did you relocate the oil filter with an adapter ?
May I ask a picture from the other side with oil filter & manifold, please ? I'll have to do the mod's myself soon when rebuilding the whole exhaust.
Thanks a lot
Gil

[MARBIL]

Yes it is an adapter, got the headers and adapter from ram air restorations, they are larger inside diameter than factory, not cheap but they are awesome, I'm thinking of coating them with eastwood's high temp header coating.

[Gil]

Thank you very much for the picture ! Now I see how the adapter relocates the filter clockwise to clear the manifold.
I have the same manifolds from RamAir & the adapter too. Same 6X heads also, Dports right ? I hope as my manifolds are Dports...

I also see the starting exhaust tube will have a different elbow driver/passenger side... exhaust mock-up will be a fun part.

I think coating them is a good idea, I also bought them uncoated...

Gil

[MARBIL]

See if this link works, its a video of the motor running.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v...15&pnref=story

[chickn]

What kind of mess did the dustless blasting make? I want to have my car blasted but I was always concerned about the mess.

[MARBIL]

Yes the down tubes are different, I went with Pypes all stainless 2 1/2" mandrel bent with mufflers they were pretty reasonable. As I'm writing this I am thinking, do you guys think welding in my subframe connectors with the car on cribbing blocks is OK or should I take it somewhere where they would have a platform lift??

[MARBIL]

Chikn there was Media everywhere, in every nook and cranny I spent an entire day vacuuming, brushing and that crap still appears when I rotate the car or beat around on it. And I just had the bottom and trunk blasted. It leaves an awesome finish (tooth) for paint.

[MARBIL]

Good day in the garage today, got the rear end in, moved the subframe out of mothballs, my son spent the day helping me we had a few beers and a great time, wish he had a place with a garage I would give him our 70 Bonneville conv.
I should have the engine and trans in the subframe this week, still trying to make up my mind on wheels I really want these.



If the aftermarket rally II wheels would clear the brakes I would go that route

[MARBIL]

Pics

[MARBIL]

Good progress, all the brakes and associated plumbing is done, Eastwoods flaring tool is awesome, just have to pull the master back off because I forgot the pedal carrier studs hold the master on, haven't ordered the wheels yet but I'm pulling the trigger on them this week, hopefully I will have a day or two over the next week to shoot the jambs, interior and trunk with primer.

[MARBIL]

Things have been slow going, as usual, swamped at work (is good) but the outdrive went south in the boat and now my truck is making oil, time for fuel injectors, I did get a few things done on the car, got the new fuel tank in and plumbed, the shell is in epoxy, I now wish I would not have drilled the trunk lid years ago for a Camaro spoiler, I would rather have the TA spoiler or none at all. Still trying to justify billet rally II wheels but after dropping several thou for injectors its not going to happen anytime soon. I may end up selling our 70 Bonne vert for wheel $$, I would love to keep it but I don't have room in the garage for it much less if I were try to build it, trying to store parts everywhere, seems like everything on the car is eight feet long. Here are some recent pics of the firebird.

[MARBIL]

Wheels came Saturday they are sweet, local tire shop is getting a set of BFG Gforce rivals, should have them in a few days, she has not rolled on her own since the early 90's, I was freaking at first with wheel fitment in the front but soon came to my senses and realized the suspension is topped out without and engine and tranny. I took a few pics.

[MARBIL]

pictures not uploading???

[Josh@Ridetech]

Looking good!

[Justin@EntropyRad]

So far, so good!

[MARBIL]

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Holy crap I hope this works, it took like 15 tries and too much time.