Another Firebird project

[BirdsThaWord]

I just looked back at your pre wet sand pics. Is that a girly mag on the fender? A little inspiration to keep you working, eh?

[rickpaw]

I just looked back at your pre wet sand pics. Is that a girly mag on the fender? A little inspiration to keep you working, eh?

Haha, good eye. It was the wife's Macy's catalog.

[BirdsThaWord]

Haha, good eye. It was the wife's Macy's catalog.

Hey, that'll work!!!

[BirdsThaWord]

Any new pics, progress?

[rickpaw]

Any new pics, progress?

Not much going on. I've been block sanding the panels and filling in the low spots. Hopefully I can shoot the primer again next weekend, wet sand and the car will be ready for paint.

[venturabeachpup]

I saw this thread for the first time. I love what you're doing with this car! I know what you mean by taking a long time for things to happen. Keep up the good work. You'll get there.

Kudos on the way you fitted and welded your quarter panel. :-)

[ponjohn]

I just read the thread front to back.

Nice work. Your body work skills are inspiring.

[GM_muscle]

looking goood i am at a dead stop right now with my 69 bird as i just had a baby girl 3 weeks ago.

[rickpaw]

Thanks for the compliments guys. I picked up a lot of tips/tricks/ideas from this site and camaros.net. I knew nothing about body work or welding when I first picked up the car.

[68400BIRD]

BUMP we need some updates over here.

[rickpaw]

BUMP we need some updates over here.

Not much going on that worth taking pictures. Been wet sanding the car for the past 2 weekends to get it ready for paint. Will post pictures up when the sanding is done.

[AtomicFirebird]

Hey man, hey man, hey man I neeeeed a fix rrrrright now. IIIII will take whatever you cccccan give me. Please don't make me beg. Please, please, please don't make me beg. I only need a little shot. Can you help a brother out? Just one photo shot. I NEED MY FIREBIRD FIX. Sorry, I'm just hurting. Pleeaassseee.

[rickpaw]

Hey man, hey man, hey man I neeeeed a fix rrrrright now. IIIII will take whatever you cccccan give me. Please don't make me beg. Please, please, please don't make me beg. I only need a little shot. Can you help a brother out? Just one photo shot. I NEED MY FIREBIRD FIX. Sorry, I'm just hurting. Pleeaassseee.

Well not much done on the bird, since I've been recovering from pneumonia (in a middle of July, weird) for the last 2 weeks.

Here are couple of pictures. Can't tell much from them, but did get the sides and tail panel wet sanded with 320. What left are the roof, hood, trunk lid, cowl panel, valance panel. And start all over again with 600. No wonder paint and bodywork are so stinking expensive.





Hopefully I can get the car painted by end of the summer. Any of you guys know of a decent body shops around Portland/Vancouver area? I have a recommendation on one, but would like to get more than one quote.

[AtomicFirebird]

Thanks for the fix, that feels better. The car looks very primered but soon very painted. I hope you and the family get better & feel better. Wow, you are far away.

[rickpaw]

Thanks for the fix, that feels better. The car looks very primered but soon very painted. I hope you and the family get better & feel better. Wow, you are far away.

Thanks. Glad I can help.

[rickpaw]

Well, quick update. I've been working on the bird off and on for several weeks, so it was time to get it painted.

Got the car wet sanded




Loaded it up to trailer to get to the body shop.

[rickpaw]

So while the car is at the body shop, I pulled the engine out to freshen it up.

Painted with 2 coats of high temp primer, followed with 2 coats of aluminum engine paint, then finally 3 coats of pontiac blue







Replaced all the gaskets and installed the accessories (alu intake and water pump, new balancer, long branch ram air exhaust manifolds, etc..)

[rickpaw]

Stopped by the body shop earlier today and snapped some photos of the painted body and panels. Car is coming home this weekend.

[68400BIRD]

Looks great Tu. Man you passed me right by. I can't wait to see more pictures of it going back together. I like the detail work on the motor. Come on over and help me finish mine. LOL

[rickpaw]

Looks great Tu. Man you passed me right by. I can't wait to see more pictures of it going back together. I like the detail work on the motor. Come on over and help me finish mine. LOL

Thanks. I have a very understanding wife. She's going back to work in a few weeks, so time for the firebird will be cut short.

Your motor looks great as well. In fact I used your pictures of the motor as a reference to figure out where things go. Next order of work is pulling out the rear end. I would have done it before the paint, but got an opening window at the body shop so I went ahead with the paint.