A changeup! Meet the 1969 Pontiac Firebird to be restored!

Recently, we received in a 1969 Pontiac Firebird 400. Pretty much original, numbers matching, original paint and interior. It had been in storage, not running, for the last 15 or so years. There is the usual rust and wear and tear but it's all here-- nothing missing or repaired incorrectly. A perfect car to restore. 

Being that this is a popular American muscle car, good quality replacement parts are easy to come by (compared to a Datsun Z).  So, we got started stripping the car down to the shell. We then ordered all the brake, suspension and replacement sheet metal we needed. The original engine is being rebuilt with an aftermarket fuel injection system.  The original TH400 transmission is being upgraded to a 700R4 for overdrive. Ring and pinion are being updated from 2.78 to 3.55 ratio and limited slip is also added.

Back to the body...  Overall, the rust on this car is not horrible. The trunk floor needed replacement and section in the left rear corner, where the rear bumper wraps around the back of the car.  The back glass area is rotted out and will require custom sheet metal repair.

The LR quarter panel was rotted and damaged so we opted to change the exterior panel skin along with a LR inner wheel arch. As with supply issues in the world, we are still waiting for a few of these parts to arrive off back order. In the meantime, we mounted the shell on a rotisserie and removed the old panel to be ready for the new parts to arrive.

The paint will remain Carousel Red with black vinyl seats and matching red carpet. We have so much more to cover on this fun project.  Stay tuned!