68 Firebird (Project: Firechicken)

[Bob's68]

Insane to think this started 3 years ago. Never thought I would be into this much but not really be anywhere.

It never panned out to be a father son project, just turned into it being myself. I have had other priorities which is my own fault. I need to get it going, its sad to see such a wonderful vehicle sit.

Big changes in 2013. Note to anyone, if it is not running and driving by the end of next year I will personally give whom ever my address and you can come to my house and punch me in my face.

Merry Christmas to everyone and I hope you all are having a wonderful holiday season.

[im4u2nvss]

Note to anyone, if it is not running and driving by the end of next year I will personally give whom ever my address and you can come to my house and punch me in my face.

I like that one! Keep up the work, you will be happy you did in the end.

[Bob's68]

Well I do not know if I will get it running by December but I will try!

Small update I have been chugging along on the car, got a new job so that makes buying parts great!

I picked up a master kit from energy suspension, also picked up a set of Dirty Dingo motor mounts.

my next order should make some real progress.

[Bob's68]

I do not want to make a thread for this question but has anyone used Tanks Inc EFI fuel tank? It is budget friendly with everything priced out at 465.

Please and thank you!

[Tom Welch]

Check out Speed Tech Performance and Proforged for solid subframe bushings, Call Tobin at Kore 3 for brakes, SPC for upper and lower control arms, A Ford Explorer or Mercury Mountaineer rear axle assembly will bolt in with minor mods and will already have disc brakes, good gears and a posi diff, not all of them but quite a few. The Ford 8.8 diff is strong, too. PSI for wiring harness, We have used Stainless Works headers with excellent results.

[Bob's68]

I decided to just use energy suspension body bushings. Kore 3 is the company I am going through for my mounting brackets. ford 8.8 rear ends are great, just then my rear axels would have 5x114.3 bolt pattern which isnt a bad thing, its just the fact my front hubs would be 5x120. I was just looking at PSI harness about an hour ago, I still have my complete harness, but for only $500 from PSI that would save me one hell of a headache. Stainless Works headers simply amazing, just out of my budget for now. I have been debating between Hooker's and Doug's headers.

[Bob's68]

Small Update, picked up my frame mounts from summit.

[Bob's68]

I did not make my deadline of having it running by December. However the project changed directions for the better.
Pulled the subframe, I have it over at a friends ship and we are making necessary repairs to the frame and I we are seam welding it, switching over to speed-techs Chicane coil over set up, and will be off to powder coat.

[Bob's68]

Oh, I also took another forum members advice and snatched a 8.8 from a ford explorer. Will be swapping the axles out to moser units.


I guess not turning back at this point.



I might have also picked up a set of my favorite wheels for dirt cheap. HRE 540s




Sorry for crummy photos.

[Bob's68]

Ordered some parts for the LS1 from Improved Racing. Great company! Ordered a LS1 oil pan baffle, LS6 PCV assembly, and all of my gaskets. But dummy me forget to order the coolant crossover tube.
Speedtech Chicane Coilovers with be here Monday, then once the brackets are welded up, the frame will be off to powder!

[lucky13firebird]

NICE, i love how you swapped over to the ford exlorer rear end. BTW no need to swap over to moser axles... the 31 spline axles on those things are beefy enough to wheelstand a first gen F-body without worry. i hope you got posi with that. 373 or 411 gears? or were you lucky enough to find a 355 explorer rear?

also, the explorer 8.8 is basically a ford 12 bolt, c clips and everything, so just pull out the axles and take them to a local machine shop and have them drill the axles and rotors for 5x120.6 and you'll be just fine... drill in between the 5x114.3 holes so you wind up with 10 holes.

OR just order custom moser axles like you wanted and order them in 5x120... won't cost you any more really. and then just drill the rotors.

[99 blue bird]

Why go with the 8.8 instead of the gm unit in the car? It's an 8.2 10 bolt right? I have seen them hold power compared to the new 7.5 10 bolts. Just curious if it's a cost effective thing?

[lucky13firebird]

its a cost effective thing. i got an 8.8 for $134 bucks one time with 373 gears, limited slip and disc brakes. Also they are 31 spline axles and super beefy.

i modded the leaf perches to match the 68 mustang i put it in and bought a 1310 u joint thing for the yoke for $35 bucks... so under $200 and it was under my car with all of the above said goodness. they are 60" wide and fit mustangs and gm F body cars with no changes to wheel offset or anything else. you'll need to drill the axles for 5x4.75 for a gm application so lets say that costs you $100 with new studs... so $300 bucks and its under your camaro or firebird with a stout gear ratio and limited slip. AND they are unbreakable... or for $200 you throw it under and just use ford wheels...

now lets say you take a stock 8.2 ten bolt with 2.80 gears and add up basic math.

gears and posi will set you back $550, i just looked on ebay at a no name complete kit with 3.73 gears.

then you need to spend $250 on an ls1 brake setup for the rear plus $35 for the bracket spacer thing from BRP hotrods or whatever...

$550+$285

thats $835 for 373 gears, a no name posi unit and decent disc brakes (not even fancy mind you) and all that with crap 28 spline axles and a pretty weak ring gear that'll only hold stock power levels....

or save $500 and throw all the power you want at the 8.8 (NOT the mustang one, those are 28 spline) and never worry about breaking the 31 spline axles that were meant for truck abuse...

i went gm for my firebird and used a $400 chevelle 12 bolt housing with $235 moser axles and a $350 camaro ss posi unit and $125 1350 yoke and $350 for LS brakes with drilled rotors and $35 spring perches i had to weld on myself and a $150 rear bearing support girdle cover...

i'm in it WELL over 1k and i built it myself and did my own welding and reused the 331 gears... same setup is upwards of $2500 or more...

i dunno man, $300 and using your gm wheels or $200 and using ford wheels sounds REALLY good after that...

[99 blue bird]

Ok cool. Thanks for the insight. Gives me something to look into with my firebird. I'm probably gonna go with a 4 link in the rear so that can be fabricated to work with the 8.8 I'm sure. Cool to know there is other budget minded options out there.

its a cost effective thing. i got an 8.8 for $134 bucks one time with 373 gears, limited slip and disc brakes. Also they are 31 spline axles and super beefy.

i modded the leaf perches to match the 68 mustang i put it in and bought a 1310 u joint thing for the yoke for $35 bucks... so under $200 and it was under my car with all of the above said goodness. they are 60" wide and fit mustangs and gm F body cars with no changes to wheel offset or anything else. you'll need to drill the axles for 5x4.75 for a gm application so lets say that costs you $100 with new studs... so $300 bucks and its under your camaro or firebird with a stout gear ratio and limited slip. AND they are unbreakable... or for $200 you throw it under and just use ford wheels...

now lets say you take a stock 8.2 ten bolt with 2.80 gears and add up basic math.

gears and posi will set you back $550, i just looked on ebay at a no name complete kit with 3.73 gears.

then you need to spend $250 on an ls1 brake setup for the rear plus $35 for the bracket spacer thing from BRP hotrods or whatever...

$550+$285

thats $835 for 373 gears, a no name posi unit and decent disc brakes (not even fancy mind you) and all that with crap 28 spline axles and a pretty weak ring gear that'll only hold stock power levels....

or save $500 and throw all the power you want at the 8.8 (NOT the mustang one, those are 28 spline) and never worry about breaking the 31 spline axles that were meant for truck abuse...

i went gm for my firebird and used a $400 chevelle 12 bolt housing with $235 moser axles and a $350 camaro ss posi unit and $125 1350 yoke and $350 for LS brakes with drilled rotors and $35 spring perches i had to weld on myself and a $150 rear bearing support girdle cover...

i'm in it WELL over 1k and i built it myself and did my own welding and reused the 331 gears... same setup is upwards of $2500 or more...

i dunno man, $300 and using your gm wheels or $200 and using ford wheels sounds REALLY good after that...

[lucky13firebird]

Well, you gotta keep in mind Buick Olds pontiac 8.2 rears are a lot stronger than the Chevy ones and also have bolt in axles. C clip eliminators are a joke when trying to corner hard on 275 mm or bigger tires, they're for straight line drags.... so for a light firebird with an ls swap (less torque but more hp than a pontiac buildup) a bop rear with a $500 posi unit and and upgraded axles would cost $750 or so BUT you're making that back with the time=money thing... The rear is already under the car and a lot of pontiac came with 355 gears in even the straight six birds... it's six of one and half dozen of the other sometimes ;-)

[Bob's68]

Could have said it better myself. It truly came down to cost effective. I paid 200 for my 8.8 on a somewhat lower milage Explorer, came with a trutrac and 3.73 gears. To be honest the only real concern I have with using the rear end is the substantial offset of the differential. If I remember right it is a little under 2 and .5 inches over to the right. Using the BOP rear end is still in question but after building it I would have an easy 1k in it from axels,diff, and brakes. I snatched the 8.8 up because it fell right into my lap. There is some debate on using it though however still. But the time involved is the only real set back with the 8.8.

[Jetfixr320]

The 8.8" from the Explorer is very easy to narrow. Cut 3" from the drivers side tube and weld it back together. Use another passenger side axle. Good to go.

[lucky13firebird]

Yup, or do what I did for the mustang and just don't worry about it... I know of people who wheel stand stock explorer rears with no mods under a way fast 68 camaro and neither the offset or the stock axles were a problem