Enter your username:
Do you want to login or register?
  • Forgot your password?

    Login / Register



    Page 1 of 23 1 2 3 4 5 6 11 ... LastLast
    Results 1 to 20 of 443
    1. #1
      Join Date
      May 2006
      Location
      Rhode Island
      Posts
      676
      Country Flag: United States

      pro-touring '68 firebird...on a budget

      What's up everyone? I've actually been a member of the forum for a while now, but I had taken quite a few years off from building the car. Its been sitting under a car cover in the garage as my wife was using it as a shelf. Just this past week I removed all the wifes crap, pulled back the cover, and finished removing the front suspension. I couldn't be more excited to try and get this done for next years cruise nights and what not. I've got a budget of course, and its a relatively low one at this point. I've got some parts already waiting to be installed (hotchkis 2 inch drop springs, hotchkis/bilstein shocks, global west subframe connectors, global west solid body mounts, front end rebuild kit, and a hotchkis front sway bar on the way) As of right now tubular control arms aren't in my budget, so I removed the stockers and I'm having a buddy at work sandblast the 40 years of crap off of them. mostly everything else up front will be replaced with new parts. I also don't have the room to pull the engine and subframe out, I've got a pretty small garage, so I'm actually cleaning the subframe up while its on the car, then I'll just tape everything off and prime/paint it that way, gotta work with what I have!!! I've got a long way to go, but I'll keep updating this thread with pics and let you guys know how I'm doing on the budget.

      this is what it went in hibernation looking like

      cover pulled back for the first time in about 4 years!


      drivers side control arms off, alot of cleaning to do to thesubframe

      Off to the sandblaster!!!


      More to come..................

      Rene P.

      My 1968 firebird build thread--->https://www.pro-touring.com/showthre...rd-on-a-budget


    2. #2
      Join Date
      Apr 2004
      Location
      Cedar Rapids, IA
      Posts
      999
      Nice looking car.
      Some times I'm fast sometimes I'm half-fast

    3. #3
      Join Date
      Oct 2009
      Location
      Reno, NV.
      Posts
      481
      Country Flag: United States
      Very nice, I'm looking forward to seeing your progress
      Joe M
      '67 Firebird

      My build thread: https://www.pro-touring.com/showthre...irth&highlight=

    4. #4
      Join Date
      Oct 2004
      Posts
      2,544
      Country Flag: United States
      Red Forman: "The Mustang's front end is problematic; get yourself a Firebird."

    5. #5
      Join Date
      May 2006
      Location
      Rhode Island
      Posts
      676
      Country Flag: United States
      68 formula, I actually have that template! I called guldstrand years back and got it. That's another mod to be done!
      Rene P.

      My 1968 firebird build thread--->https://www.pro-touring.com/showthre...rd-on-a-budget

    6. #6
      Join Date
      Oct 2004
      Location
      Winter Park, FL
      Posts
      143
      Good luck with the bird. Looks like she's in pretty good shape to start with.
      69 Firebird Convertible.
      www.stevegarrison.com click Firebird link at bottom of page

    7. #7
      Join Date
      Mar 2009
      Location
      Houston, TX
      Posts
      1,193
      Country Flag: United States
      Cool. Another bird on this forum. Looks like the car is in great shape to start with.
      Tu Ho
      Firebird V2-LS swap

    8. #8
      Join Date
      Apr 2010
      Location
      Sunny Flordida
      Posts
      345
      Nice Bird! Can't wait to see what all you do with it.

    9. #9
      Join Date
      Nov 2008
      Location
      Lawrenceburg, TN
      Posts
      4,083
      Country Flag: United States
      welcome BACK!!! love that early bird!
      keep the lower control arms and put either poly bushings or the global west Del-a-lum sets, and do a Guldstrand mod on the top its free and works well and the later get some global west tube upper arms and your good! and rockin the budget!

    10. #10
      Join Date
      Mar 2009
      Location
      overseas
      Posts
      3,433
      Country Flag: United States
      looking good!
      Kevin S. (overseas in Germany)
      1963 Chevrolet Impala 2d ht Coupe

      www.CruznArt.com
      CRUZN - Automotive Artworks

    11. #11
      Join Date
      May 2006
      Location
      Rhode Island
      Posts
      676
      Country Flag: United States
      Quote Originally Posted by Nor-Cal Speed View Post
      welcome BACK!!! love that early bird!
      keep the lower control arms and put either poly bushings or the global west Del-a-lum sets, and do a Guldstrand mod on the top its free and works well and the later get some global west tube upper arms and your good! and rockin the budget!
      Yup, I've got poly bushings going in. I do have one question, should I get the offset shafts for the upper arms or just clean up the stockers and use those? I'm not sure if the offsets make much of a difference, especially after doing the guldstrand mod.
      Rene P.

      My 1968 firebird build thread--->https://www.pro-touring.com/showthre...rd-on-a-budget

    12. #12
      Join Date
      Oct 2004
      Posts
      2,544
      Country Flag: United States
      Quote Originally Posted by 68firebird View Post
      Yup, I've got poly bushings going in. I do have one question, should I get the offset shafts for the upper arms or just clean up the stockers and use those? I'm not sure if the offsets make much of a difference, especially after doing the guldstrand mod.
      Definitely go offset shafts or you're going to be shimming the heck out of the arms to get a minimum static camber. I can't believe how many shims it took just to get -1° static camber. Makes me a little nervous having all those in there.
      Red Forman: "The Mustang's front end is problematic; get yourself a Firebird."

    13. #13
      Join Date
      Feb 2006
      Location
      Wisconsin
      Posts
      546
      More Firebirds on here every week it seems. I like it! Car looks nice good luck with the mods.


      1968 Firebird. Owed and operated since 1981. 455 5 speed 4 link mini-tubed ect.....

    14. #14
      Join Date
      May 2006
      Location
      Rhode Island
      Posts
      676
      Country Flag: United States
      Ok, just a couple of minor updates. Got the old bushings and ball joints out of the drivers side control arms today at work, and the control arms are just about done being sandblasted (got a buddy at work doing the blasting for me). I'll probably have those back before the weekend to get them primed and painted. Tonight I started cleaning up the subframe of all the grease and grime, much more cleaning needed. I wish I could pull the motor out and the front clip off to take the subframe out and be able to clean it better, I just don't have the room!!! oh well, I'll just have to spend a bit more time and effort to make sure its really cleaned well. Man I wish I had more time to work on this on a daily basis.
      Rene P.

      My 1968 firebird build thread--->https://www.pro-touring.com/showthre...rd-on-a-budget

    15. #15
      Join Date
      Dec 2009
      Location
      Los Angeles
      Posts
      83
      Awesome! Thank you for sharing this
      Long Live the Muscle Car

    16. #16
      Join Date
      May 2006
      Location
      Rhode Island
      Posts
      676
      Country Flag: United States
      small update: drivers side control arms and both steering arms are blasted, primed and painted, now on to the passenger side control arms...

      Rene P.

      My 1968 firebird build thread--->https://www.pro-touring.com/showthre...rd-on-a-budget

    17. #17
      Join Date
      May 2009
      Location
      Minnesota
      Posts
      615
      Keep up the great work. I would also go with the offset upper shafts. It will help a lot when it comes to shimming.

    18. #18
      Join Date
      Aug 2002
      Location
      Waleska Ga.
      Posts
      2,710
      Country Flag: United States
      Looking good !
      Thanks for sharing.
      David Sloan

      If you’re suggesting sending men with weapons of war to take my weapons of war,then I’m fairly certain that’s what’s called an act of war… and the definition of tyranny.which coincidentally is the reason for the second amendment to begin with!


      https://www.pro-touring.com/showthre...ght=fun+camaro

      https://www.pro-touring.com/threads/...lcamino-build!

    19. #19
      Join Date
      Sep 2009
      Location
      tampa fl
      Posts
      176
      looks good.. im trying to talk my buddy into starting his dads 69 bird that has been siting 10 years or so..

    20. #20
      Join Date
      Mar 2010
      Location
      Rochester NY
      Posts
      403
      keep it up - looking good
      Don
      Grace - 67 Camaro daily driver with upgrades along the way.

      https://www.pro-touring.com/showthre...-Camaro-Driver

    Page 1 of 23 1 2 3 4 5 6 11 ... LastLast




    Advertise on Pro-Touring.com