Up on the docket for this spring was my kids 1994 Pontiac Firebird Formula V8 project. He gets his permit in late October of this year so I have been on him the past year to get his vehicle in order. We picked up the firebird in pretty much bare non-rolling condition as it was purchased this way. It's obvious someone was planning on making this vehicle a drag strip car, but the kid is seeing to it that this Pontiac see's some more years on the streets as a daily driver. To date the kid has $1250 of his OWN money into it. That fancy computer I built my other son for Christmas? Well my oldest took the cash option and poured it into his car.
Here is the car as it was purchased from a customer who was only interested in the high dollar 383 stroker engine for their 1975 Corvette Stingray project. It was stripped of its engine and drivetrain, interior and eventually the complete front off-road tubular suspension, rendering the car to less than a "roller" status and into the "Shell" citatory.
In these photos above it still has it's front suspension, but eventually it would come to pass that they were sold off to someone with off road drag racing aspirations. That being the case, we had to find a suitable donor car to put this very clean, low mile 1994 Formula Firebird back together.
After months and months of the kid bugging me to look at all the local craigslist listings for low dollar donor cars we come upon a nice car with lots of meat on the bone. The only problem was the guy wanted $1500 and the kid only had $800 left... Well, ole' Dad (me) come thru on the wheel and deal and got the guy down to $850 and I loaned him $50 and this is what we got.
You might be thinking the same thing we were thinking at the time, that this car is nice enough to just drive and fix up as is! But our hopes of such an easy score were dashed when we got a closer look at the vehicles chassis that was rusted out to the point of no return. It made no difference as we were really just looking for a parts car, and obviously it's the reason we got the car so cheap.
Outside of the rust, the vehicle had a great running LT1 engine and Automatic Transmission. It had lots of non-rusty body parts (most made of plastic, obviously) and a beautiful black interior. It also had some performance goodies like Hooker Headers, and a Borla Stainless steel exhaust system with quad polished stainless tips. It was just what we needed! Now all we had to do was swap the parts.
So we got to working on the getting the donor vehicle stripped.
Now, with the donor and all of it's parts ready for transfer, we have to muscle the "non" rolling chassis from the house to the garage. This is done with the assistance of the entire family, a 2 ton jack and a heavy duty dolly.
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
So we start to install the donor LT1 350 into the firebird. Keep in mind the car already had a gear, sub frame connectors and aftermarket rear lower control arms.
So now the car runs and drives under it's own power. Not only that it's a low mile, 2 owner, rust free Formula Firebird that will have earned "classic" status in just 3 short years. I am proud of the dedication my son had to this project, it was a pleasure to help him along the way! Not only that it is PAID FOR, and he has a respect for the vehicle along with an intimate knowledge of ALL the systems in the vehicle. We have a few things to finish here and there, plus we have to put some wax on the beast. Most of this car was built from the scraps of not only the donor vehicle he purchased, but of that monster 1975 Corvette Stingray project that is lurking.
He has a nice black interior he is waiting to install from the donor Trans Am, he's saving up for his stereo wires before he lays the fresh black carpet. He has 6 more months before he can drive on his permit with an adult in the vehicle but by far I'd say he is well ahead of the pack for his age.
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
I'm sure glad we don't have a need for salting our roads where I live, as seeing the results made me nearly shit-my-pants...( Or did you maybe have Stoma living in the back seat for a while ) ?...
Can't wait for a video once she's completed.
Cheers,
Rastus
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"Only an alert & knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial & military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods & goals, so that security & liberty may prosper together". Dwight D.Eisenhower.
And no, we don't let Stoma live in the donor cars. LOL
I do have a video of the kid driving it out of the garage when we got it running but I haven't uploaded it to YouTube yet. We are waiting to do the burn out video before we post a video. LOL
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
Also, no doubt your son knows how to drive, but geez, a 350 in a little coupe is a really hot package....I sincerely hope you can instill some "sensibility" into him before they're both unleashed onto the streets.
If possible, I'd consider disconnecting the kick-down cable, just to make sure that those double-kick-downs at 50mph that send the car side-ways are avoided...
Looking forward to the videos.
Cheers,
Rastus
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"Only an alert & knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial & military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods & goals, so that security & liberty may prosper together". Dwight D.Eisenhower.
I'm waiting until after we install the radiator and fans to do the burn out. Right now we have them removed to do some touch ups here an there on the radiator support where we scratched it a little moving it with no front end.
I'd agree with you on disconnecting the kick down cable but these vehicles do not have them. Kick down is electronically worked out thru the throttle position sensor. I also agree with you about a 350 engine in the hands of a rookie driver, and that's one of the MAIN reasons I refused to re-build the kids engine with some nice internals. This setup should be MORE THAN ENOUGH to see if he can keep his spurs from jingling and jangling. If he can make it until 18 years without too much trouble I might consider showing him how to build the engine for max performance. I feel somewhat bad though, the kid has to try and make it two years without a ticket in a bright red Firebird with an exhaust system that screams "LOOK AT ME!", lol.
I already gave him the ole' "With great power comes great responsibility" speech. lol, may the force be with him!
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
Ah what the heck... After a week straight of working on the kids car we got it to move under its own power for the first time in many years. At this point I pretty much kicked the kids car out of the garage and told him to get things ready to finish it off once I got caught up on customer pay jobs.
Keep in mind a few sensors were disconnected, a few vacuum leads plugged and no radiator or cooling fans installed at this time. I joined the Trans cooler lines with 3/8 hose so it could be driven in and out. We later had to change out the fuel pump and filter as the one in the red car had given up the ghost from sitting so long. Kid was lucky to have an entire parts car though. Pretty much only had to buy a $4 filter and $9 of gas to get it to this point so far. (Not including the cost of the donor car of course).
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
That sounded fine ! And no smoke or anything to be concerned about either.
A stock EFI 350 would be plenty for anyone I'd guess, & possibly no need to modify in the future if she's still running fine. The beauty of a small light car is that the lack of weight is like free-horse-power anyhow ! I'm sure the motor would rev to 5,500 in std trim ( or close to, 5,000 rpm would be enough for an auto ), so that's got to be enough doesn't it ? Maybe one of your 100hp dry shot NO2 packages is all that's needed one day...Or....Why not pop-in a 5.0 ltr for now, while he works on the 350 over the next few years ?...
I'm surprised that PowerStroker hasn't chimed in yet. Even he would be thinking what a cool car to get around in I'm sure.
Cheers,
Rastus
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"Only an alert & knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial & military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods & goals, so that security & liberty may prosper together". Dwight D.Eisenhower.
My son, Rex Brandon, started his first day of Driver Training today with All Star Driving School!
They put his butt right on the road and he says that he loved every minute of it! Not only that, I have never seen the kid study so hard at something. Reviewing his driving tests indicate that he needs to pay close attention to the study guide, as most all test are derived from actual wording of said guide. Not reading into a question often means remembering verbatim key instructions as they are referenced in the study guide. Test administered on such curriculum seemed to be of quite detail with the All Star study guides. I feel confident he's getting a better education than I did at my age, and that my friends is what it's all about!
Getting back in theme with the thread, Rex already has his car out from winter storage and is in the process of getting the interior up to top shape. In that time I'll have to work some magic on his wiring and tuning. Should turn out real nice and once he has his permit maybe we can take the vehicle to some private property so I can show him the art of understeer driving!
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
Enjoy your car when it's finished, & drive like an old-lady going to church around town is all I've got to say.
Keeping yourself alive is your responsibility, as there's always a chance of you taking some-one out, along with some-one else, taking you out too. Eyes & ears at full attention & at all times, especially with that much mumbo you've got.
Spend some time searching out a good, quiet, 5-10 mile stretch of road, where you can really let that motor breathe & play with a few revs. Keep out of town.
I hope you finish it soon.
Ciao,
Rastus
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"Only an alert & knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial & military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods & goals, so that security & liberty may prosper together". Dwight D.Eisenhower.
This is where he left off last fall before it got put away for the winter.
As you can see he has already installed the "Trans-Am" spoiler and got all of his black interior parts in order and stored them indoors over the winter so he could clean them.
This is pretty much right where he will be picking up, as right now we have to treat a few rust areas before they become more than superficial while the carpet is out. After that we got to get his HVAC in order, along with a bit of wiring and we'll be ready for the carpet and wiring. From there he should be able to drive it.
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
Lucky for the kid the weather has taken a huge turn for the better this week! 50-60's, whereas last year this time we had single digits or lower temps with over a foot of snow!
He is working feverishly to finish the car before his learners permit is issued, why? I don't know... Maybe he can find someone in the family crazy enough to drive with him in the Formula Firebird... As for me, I'll be seeking the relative safety of the Mercedes when he drives me around. LOL
So far he has got his dash removed, door panels installed and is treating some superficial rust that was developing under the carpet before the new rug and interior is fitted. Honestly this little bit of rust is the only area that got festered up, likely because it's right under the drivers feet and gets wet.
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
"Only an alert & knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial & military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods & goals, so that security & liberty may prosper together". Dwight D.Eisenhower.
Your son better find all the back-roads he can, or his license will last about as long as Stoma on this forum...
Good work,
Rastus
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"Only an alert & knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial & military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods & goals, so that security & liberty may prosper together". Dwight D.Eisenhower.
Yeah, I kind of feel bad for the kid... It would seem it's going to be quite the challenge to drive this car without raising the eyebrows of the local law enforcement. Being a city dweller there aren't many back roads that don't have countless old people who love to call the police for anything and everything anyway.
Still, I keep telling him - "With great power comes great responsibility", this before and after I showed him how to do brake torque burn outs! LOL, hypocritical? Maybe... But I performed mine on private property that belongs to me... So if he want's to do a burn out in the driveway, so be it... But anywhere else it's not going to go un-noticed and I have told him this... I have also told him to put his red spoiler back on or at the least remove them lime green stickers from the back window as they scream "Pull me over", even just having the spoiler and hatch a different color isn't a good idea as it makes the car stand out even more... I mean it already sticks out like a sore thumb just because it's a Firebird, is Red and has a loud a$$ Borla exhaust.
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
Well, given the fact that my kids Formula Firebird already melts the tires off with little to no effort whatsoever a good friend of mine sold us something to help in the drag racing endeavors...
This should ensure that our first trip to the drag strip does not see us spinning our wheels out of the hole! A nice set of 26.0 X 10.0 X 15 inch Mickey Thompson slicks on aluminum Weld Racing Pro-Star rims with studs to keep the tires from spinning on the rims. This should allow for maximum hole-shot throttle, even if the kid does eventually get a stall converter and some nitrous. Down at 12 psi these wrinkle wall, FULL ON slicks should do the job... A little VHT traction compound aught to soften them up a bit on the staging line burn outs also.
Here is looking at a very interesting 2018!
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
Getting close to being finished with this beast but still needed quite a few parts to finish off both this project and that 75 stingray G2LT1 conversion... That being said the kid and I headed out to Swanson Ohio to buy another parts car.
The kid got a pretty good deal on the car and it even had a nice factory headliner, his Trans Am spoiler in red to match his car, and some dash parts that we were trying to find. The rest of it will be sold off and or scrapped but we did need some engine mounts from this car to jig up the newer G2 engine to the old school 75 Singray frame.
It was a pretty good trip, although much longer than I has anticipated.. it was under 100 miles so our AAA covered the entire tow. We drove the Cadillac that we fixed down there and it was a nice day to buy a car. We didn't get back in until 3am the next day and I have been dragging ass every since, but I am glad we got the car.
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
Damn parts car, even though it's 100% stock is still pretty mean... Not as mean as the other one, but man... Now we're thinking it would be a shame to put this one down..
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
"Only an alert & knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial & military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods & goals, so that security & liberty may prosper together". Dwight D.Eisenhower.
Didn't know you had a mini me, Stellar. Your son is a chip off the ole Block, so to speak. He's adorable - looks proud as a peacock, what kid that age wouldn't be ?!?
Thanks Hasle! He is 16 years old right now and knows everything! So if anyone gets stumped on any given issue, we got a know it all teenager we can ask. He probably looks proud because he pretty much found the car, negotiated a ridiculously good deal and has executed his plan to near perfection. This was even before we knew the damn thing ran, because it was all torn apart without a battery and half the top end apart when we bought it.
And yes Shawnee, I did post photos of the kids Formula on DH - many of them the exact same ones as this thread. Now the kid has a Formula which is in really good shape, and the ole' Trans Am that is rough around the edges.
Rastus, thanks for the complements on the driving.. It was stock so I did the best I could to achieve maximum ignorance - er, I mean show. I don't know what is in store for the Trans Am, but I know the kid will be taking out the headliner, top dash plastic and some other odds and ends for his Formula. He is also going to swap out the deck lids as he likes the bigger Trans Am spoiler apposed to the more low profile Formula spoiler. I myself like the side skirts (ground effects) on the Trans Am too but the kid says he don't like em. Odds are we will sell the entire car as a whole to ensure it has a better chance of seeing a little more action before someone either cuts it up or restores it. It's been damn good to us so far, but it's got lots of cosmetic and rust issues that would have to be tended to. Who knows, the only car around here not for sale is my Corvette! LOL, and the kids Formula of course, but that's not in my name or it might be! LOL
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
It has been awhile since I have updated the thread and recently after coming to a painful realization that my current project is many parts away from being ready to reassemble I moved back to this project. More on that project at this link -
Faced with the realization that I could find myself a vehicle short going into winter it was clear which one of my projects was the path of least resistance... the kids Formula Firebird! LOL, great weather for a car like this - right? But that is just what the auto gods have decided and who am I to argue with them!?
Spent my weekend putting the rest of the interior in the vehicle after being told by my son with a solemn and straight face that "Yeah Dad, the car has a few pieces not installed but you could drive it the way it is" - yeah... okay son...
Realizing I am not 19 anymore I put the kids interior together as he was really having a difficult time with this and was getting frustrated and starting to lose interest.
So to work I went getting the rest of the interior installed for him, knowing this beast had been naturally selected for duty,
So I get all the panels installed, the carpet fitted and most all of the cosmetics that were frustrating the kid. You could tell he was very excited after the interior bits got installed, and who wouldnt be with their Dad the donkey doing the work. lol, but I got it as complete as I needed it for my daily use, which for me amounts to a few trips to Burger King, the occasional Casino run, and of course the Wifes daily grocery getting. I left the knee panel under the steering wheel off because we have a stereo and remote start I plan on installing soon and I will need the access.
So the kid decides to blow all them leaves out of the cowel and must not have figured that a bunch of dry leaves in the engine bay would be a big deal... WRONG! On the test run around the block he failed to mention that he had a broken dipstick installed and them dry leaves were now lightly saturated in oil and of course laying on the hooker headers! After the smell of burning oil and smoke bellowing out of the hood we make it back into the driveway. I tell the kid to pop the hood and make sure it is not on fire (kidding of course) and when got the hood open the damn thing really was on fire! LOL! Them leaves lit up and with the small amounts of oil that escaped from the broken dipstick they combusted and we had rolling orange flames coming off the back side of the header! I am sitting there trying to blow it out, as it really only made the flame get bigger! I guess it is a good thing the kid was quick with the hose and it was put out before even any soot could form on anything.
So I go out to the test mule this morning,
Big plans to get me some Burger King and I start the beast to warm it up and to ensure the new dipstick fixed the problem... Let it run for 10 minutes with the heat on and inspected the area to find everything in good order, no leaking and no fires... just then as I was about to close the hood I notice one of the plugs and wires wobbling while the engine was running! Great... It was about to throw a plug on top of everything! Got my tune up sockets and tightened up that miserable cock sucker! I say that because the LT1 engine in an F-Body with headers is about the biggest pain in the ass to access plugs as there is!
Made it to Burger King without issue, and really this thing is ridiculous to drive on the road... Anything over 1/4 throttle is just wheel-spin... I mean literally at 40 MPH if you nail it the damn thing will kick sideways and rip the tires until you let off, and these rear tires are relatively new! Then there is the sound, as if I was driving a NASCAR down the road! The Borla exhaust is quite aggressive with its full thru sound plate installed. If by chance someone missed the bright red paint, they arent going to miss that hair raising exhaust!
So this is where I am at in life right now.. 43 years old and driving my kids Firebird - in the winter! Maybe I should have spent less time driving the Corvette this summer and more time working on the Benz!? LOL, it is going to be a crazy winter! Thing is, it does not even matter if there is snow on the ground or not, in this car it always feels like the ass end wants to come out!
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
Since the car has so much mumbo, why not consider a 305 for him ?...At least that way, he might get to 1/2-throttle before things go side-ways lol !
Do you still have the donor car ?...That would be better for winter IMO.
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"Only an alert & knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial & military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods & goals, so that security & liberty may prosper together". Dwight D.Eisenhower.
Naw Rastus, he is not heartbroken. Me on the other hand, well I have been demoted from an $80k MSRP luxury sedan to a $17k MSRP hot-rod... smack dab in the start of winter!
The car is parked outside, and I dont plan on driving it on heavy snow days or times when the road is a slushy salt mess. It is just a car and the kid can clean it up in the summer.
Donor cars are gone.. one cut up and the other sold.
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
I know that I have said that a Corvette makes you feel ten years younger, and a Cadillac makes you feel ten years older... but these Firebirds and Camaro's make you feel like you are a young punk all over again!
Making incremental progress on that blue 560 in the background. I figure it is the path of least resistance given my sentimental insanity with Goldilocks.
Driving this beast of a barely legal street car around it is clear that more horsepower will be needed... maybe a small limited run of LT1 engines as clearly it is the engine of choice around here! Well, except for them pesky M117 Benz engines.
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
I'd say the conversion of the Mercedes to have a 7.0-ltr GM heart & power-train would be a most excellent move. And cheap too.
Find out what your local laws state in this matter...The general rule down this way ( & we're like NYC here ) is that you can legally have up to a 50% capacity increase over the largest displacement offered by a manufacturer...( So you could technically go 7.5-ltr here if you wanted to ).
Though if you feel bound to MB propulsion, a 6.9 is in order I think.
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"Only an alert & knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial & military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods & goals, so that security & liberty may prosper together". Dwight D.Eisenhower.
Nah Rastus, I have come to accept that Mercedes-Benz are best fitted with Mercedes engines and GM with GM engines.
The enjoyment of driving the Benz was something different than that of blazing down the street in a hot-rod. That is not to say that I dont enjoy ripping around in the Formula, I do... But at the same time we are talking about Luxury vs. Raw Performance.
That said, it seems this firebird could use a tune-up... she was cutting out on me at WOT while sticking it to a newer Cadillac and we all know the LT1 is famous for the opti-spark issues. I am going to be looking into a digital alternative but in the meantime I have some extra parts laying around and the kid will be busy changing that all out soon.
Looking to remove the engine from Goldilocks here this week, then move the blue car on the front burner to get it on the road this month. The weather isnt too bad now, but come January I dont think this firebird will do well in snow.
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
I hope it sees-out the winter, & offers years of fun to your son !
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"Only an alert & knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial & military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods & goals, so that security & liberty may prosper together". Dwight D.Eisenhower.
Thanks, and I agree it is a really cool car now that it is up and running with an interior. I have probably driven it twice to Burger King, a hand full of times to the grocery store less than two blocks down the street and this was my first extended test drive outside of the immediate area. In other words, I am hardly the person who has been driving it but I think it is worthy of a plate if we dont pick up another winter beater this week. Full coverage insurance of course.
It is really a fun car to drive, very raw and unrefined. I say that because it has many performance add ons such as a 4:10 gear and traction arms w/ subframe connectors. The big wide tires make it a job to drive on these heavily crowned and rutted Michigan roads but it has a nice solid feel to it. I forgot how much fun it was to drive a car with a performance exhaust! Found myself giving it a goose of the throttle in neutral more often than I probably should have... once for each floor as I ascended up the levels of the parking garages at both Casinos! LOL
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
