1968 Firebird project

[gearheads78]

Love the project. Great wheel choice!

[Josue]

Awesome! I've read through your thread a while back and got plenty of great ideas from your car so I thank you for that. Funny, I stumbled on your photobucket while deciding on my wheels. Small world.

Ben

Glad my progress could inspire you! I know what it's like to scour thread upon thread on here, trying to gather ideas and form a plan of attack, so I tried to be as specific as possible with my thread for the more budget minded enthusiast!

And yea, I'm constantly getting compliments on the wheel choice around here! I love how it ties back to the original Rally II's. The inserts of mine are painted grey too, so that sets me apart a bit.

I'm anxious to see the 2004R install, that was on my list too, but I have no monies for a while. haha A guy on the Pontiac forums walked me through his install, but people always make stuff out to seem easier than it is!

[Bennsb]

Thanks Josh! Yeah, I saw the argent inserts and PMD center caps. My Dad painted his inserts black and used the 70's brushed center caps with the red arrow. I might go that route if I can score a nice set. I just installed the Bowtie Overdrives transmission crossmember and it was simple. If you had a TH350 it's about as direct a direct swap as you can get. You can use a TH400 crossmember but it blocks the pan and access to the transmission filter. I'd say the money spent was worth it.

Today's goodies:





TH350 crossmember won't work with the 2004-R mount:





Couldn't have been easier, plenty of clearance for exhaust:

[Bennsb]

And just for giggles, this is the last thing I built in my backyard:













My 1987 S10 daily driver with a HotCam LT4 T56 manual 3.42 gear 8.5" rear with Detroit TrueTrack posi, full ZQ8 suspension with Caltrac type traction bars. I average 21 mpg city, 26/27 mpg highway in it.

[68400BIRD]

Make sure to install your brake lines and fuel lines before installing the motor for good. It's so much easier. LOL

[Bennsb]

Make sure to install your brake lines and fuel lines before installing the motor for good. It's so much easier. LOL

Haha, yeah. It's coming out for the headers anyhow. I set the motor and transmission in to make more room in the garage. I have a shop crane so 4 bolts removed and it's out. I ran my S10's fuel lines and brakes while the drivetrain was out. I'll probably keep saying it but this car has been way easier to work on.

I'm going to coat the underside and inner panels/trunk area with bed liner then run NiCop brake lines. Guess that means the leaf springs and gas tank are on deck.

[Josue]

Love me some square body S-10's too! Nice job on that one!!

And yea, I've got a TH350 in my car now, but it originally had a powerglide. We needed a converter to correct all the issues the car was having due to NOT installing a bigger one with the cam swap (we didn't know any better at the time lol), so the guys on the Pontiac forums talked me into searching for a TH350 on craigslist because they were cheap, it would give me an extra gear, and they usually come with a bigger converter too. All was true, and I picked one up for $300 that's been working out good.

I drive the piss out of mine though, as much as the weather lets me, so an OD gear would be great for me. My understanding of "lock up converters" and "lock up controllers" and stuff like that is where the swap gets foggy for me. I guess "locking up the converter" gets you even more RPM back, like a 5th gear?

More and more people are opting for the 4L80E's because of the power they can handle, since the 2004R's were made during a time when they were being put behind 305's with less than 200hp lol, but that swap is well into the $3000-$4000 range...eff! There's a pretty reputable transmission guy around here who builds 2004R's for the Turbo Buick guys, I'm sure his transmission would hold up to anything I could throw at it for years to come. My friend has one in his 1000+hp T-type and has no complaints.

[Bennsb]

With a servo, billet drum and upgraded shaft and a few minor parts a 2004-R will stand up to 1,000 hp. The lock up converter is like an electric clutch that stops the torque converter from slipping. It helps the trans run at cooler temperature and drops you about 300/350 rpms in your OD cruising speed, acting like a "5th gear" if you will. You can run a manual switch or a switch made to install on your brake pedal. (Unlocks automatically and will only allow locking in D and OD gear) It uses the 4 pin output by your gear selector bracket. I'm going to buy the switch and install it. I had a manual switch on my old '85 S10 with a Vortec 350 backed by a 700R-4. I got tired of flipping that switch real quick.

With all the LS craze you can find some awesome deals on old transmissions. I picked my 2004-R up for $180 cash.

The 2004-R is virtually the same length as the TH350 and you can use the driveshaft without modification. I'm going to drive it "spiritedly" and on long cruises. If it breaks phase 2 of my build will just happen a little early...

[Josue]

Nice. I'll be on the lookout for when you install all that! The other guy spelled it out pretty good, but when it comes to stuff I've never messed with before, I'm more of a visual guy. He's a good 2hrs away from me too, so enlisting his help in person with the swap is a stretch. lol

[Bennsb]

Driveshaft that came with the car was too long, not even sure if it was for this car. Scored a 49.5" aluminum driveshaft off of Craigslist. Guy said he had it made for his old Camaro and never installed it and it has sat in the back of his garage for 20 years. He said he spent a week's pay on it back then. I gave him 3 crisp Jackson's and a handshake for it.





My Dad came across a photo of his '67 when he first started working on it:

[68400BIRD]

Make sure to do a real nice write up on the 2004-R install. That is next on my list. I have one out of a 1987 Monte SS that I will install maybe next year.

[Bennsb]

Started tackling the firewall. I cut out the two rust holes by the doors. Not much welding to do for the patches. I also ordered the pedals and covers. Going to weld the necessary patches and seam seal the firewall. After it spraying matte black and coating the underside with bed liner, I'll run the gas and brake lines and mount the subframe.

[Bennsb]

Researched the control switches for the 2004-R lockup. Going to search for individual parts and price it out over a complete kit. I will be sure to document and have a step by step how-to for those of you wanting to do the 2004-R swap. May be a while, but I should get quite a bit going this month. I'm leaning on the notion of a Camaro horseshoe console shifter. I can get an overdrive selector kit for that shifter with a corresponding indicator plate. My friend had one in his '72 Monte Carlo and it reminded me of an airplane cockpit. I figure it will be less intrusive and look a little more like it belongs rather than a B&M Mega Shifter.

[Josue]

Sounds like a plan!

My mom just retired in July after a 30 year career for the FAA, 10 yrs as an Air Traffic Controller, and 20 in management. Her retirement present to herself was a 1969 Camaro Convertible. I searched for a while for her, and we ended up finding a great buy that just needed a few things she wanted to check all the boxes. The main thing was....a "pilot" shifter, in her words. haha So we're gathering parts for the column to floor shift swap.

[Bennsb]

The main thing was....a "pilot" shifter, in her words. haha So we're gathering parts for the column to floor shift swap.

That's awesome! Here is the ratcheting "staple" shifter detent I'm going to get:

https://youtu.be/AX0wtqKiHwE

[Josue]

What's the benefit there? Just more solid shifting under WOT so you don't skip a gear? lol I haven't looked into ratcheting shifters much.

[Bennsb]

No advantage per se if you don't run it at the track, just assurance I'm not going to miss a shift and grenade the transmission. Really can't count the weight reduction in the pocketbook as a positive, lol. I had a ratchet shifter in my old S10 and just got used to it. Maybe it'll keep the Missus from dropping in low gear and roasting the tires...

[Josue]

Ha...same here. My wife bitches about not knowing what gear the car is in because the shifter isn't perfectly lined up with the "D" on the shift plate! Seriously...if you can't count down 3 spots from park to know you have it right; R...N...D, then stay out of my car!!

[Bennsb]

My accelerator pedal and mount came in along with my brake pad cover. Still waiting on headers and radiator mount biscuits.

Got a little bit of firewall work done, ran out of motivation so I'll sand the filler later. Turned out okay.
Before;





Aftermath:

Door area plugged, no turning back now...









Seam seal, will sand down and paint. (Going to reseal entire firewall and will tape it off.)

[Bennsb]

Headers arrived on my porch today. I got them installed in about 25 minutes. Way easier than my S10. I used nord-lock washers on the header bolts. Happy with the fit of the Heddman's and I have plenty of room for the oil filter. Supposed to pick up entire bolt kit and stainless steel brake lines tomorrow. Another Craigslist score. I'm starting to get spoiled.