Sounds like you could benefit from some research into what's involved in restoring a car. I am going to include some of my favorite web based car restoration sites below and you can sift throught them. You can then compare what shape your car is in to the ones on these sites and have an idea on what's involved.

Muscle Car Restorations

Tom Yang\'s Ferrari Site

Sandy\'s Garage

1969 Camaro Z-28 Site

Mustang Restoration

2nd, I recommend collecting a "library" for your car. Send away and get copies of your car's original documentation from the Pontiac Historical Society, get all the factory Service Manuals from parts houses, get a Chilton's or other repair manuals and the 1969 Firebird Factory Assembly Manual which I now see is available from Classical Industries. Hopefully it is more legible than the one available from E-bay.

Last, I can feel some of your pain. My father was my inspiration for tinkering with cars. I started helping him do routine maintenance, enrolled in Auto Shop in high school and then had him helping me out doing stuff that he would not have tried himself.

I found a Trans Am in 1994 and started my 1st whole restoration. Unfortuately my father suddenly died in 1997 due to complications from minor surgery and he never got to see my car completed. I strongly believe he is up there smiling about the things I have accomplished.