After a long time, I'm finally back in the old car game! I recently purchased a 1967 Firebird hardtop. A little sleuthing online with the VIN, body tag, body broadcast sheet, and paperwork I got with the car gave me this: the car is a 326-2V, powerglide. Originally Montreux Blue body and roof. Bright blue interior. Options added were, console, full size spare, rear mounted manual antenna, remote control outside mirror, and deluxe front seat belts. It was sold from Dave Waite Pontiac in Indianapolis, IN. The car still has the original engine, carburetor, and rear axle. The paperwork I have indicates the original transmission was replaced in the early 80's. According to the numbers I have, this was the 6901'st Firebird to be built. The picture isn't the best but here she is:
The good: its all there. One thing I've learned is that everything costs, so all those little seemingly insignificant parts will nickel dime you death as you try to reassemble the car. All the glass is excellent except the windshield. No serious accidents: a light hit in the rear left, and in the front right. Cheap: purchased and transported for 2K.
The challenging: It's a rust belt car. It will need a hood, floor pan, rocker skins at a minimum, trunk floor, rear quarters, inner and outer rear wheelhouses, trunk extensions, front valence, and at least some fender patches. But as the man said "I ain't skeered." I have a Lincoln PrecisionTIG 225 and I know how to use it!
So far I am just disassembling, cataloging, boxing, and researching, planning. I plan on doing the job thoroughly and correctly even if it takes a long time. I hope you folks won't mind me picking your brains as I go, I will certainly offer what little I learn/know as I go.
Congrats! Great find, I hope you enjoy yours as much as the rest of us enjoy ours! Nice color combo... I'm sure you'll have he apart, repaired and back together in no time!
I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not sure. I feel like I am diagonally parked in a parallel universe. 1968 400 convertible (Scarlet) 1976 T/A - 455 LE (No Burt) 1976 T/A New baby, starting full restoration. 1968 350 - 4 speed 'vert - 400 clone (the Beast!) 1968 350 convertible - Wife's car now- 400 clone (Aleutian Blue) (Blue Angel) 2008 Durango - DD 2008 GXP - New one from NH is AWESOME! 2017 Durango Citadel - Modern is nice! HEMI is amazing! 1998 Silverado Z71 - Father-daughter project 1968 400 coupe - R/A clone (Blue Pearl) (sold) 1967 326 convertible - Sold 1980 T/A SE Bandit - Sold
Good find, and glad to hear that you're willing to get down 'n dirty with it!
I'd recommend setting the TIG welder off to the side for a while and get a MIG for the sheet metal work. The TIG can be used if you know what you're doing though: to find out, get a sheet metal shop to sheer up a dozen or so strips of 20 gauge about 12" x 4" and practice butt-welding them with the TIG. I learned to do this a long time ago with gas welding but prefer a MIG.
I don't know what your prior experience welding the thin stuff is but whatever the welding process you use, the big trick is to tack the two strips together first, going slowly enough to allow the metal to cool and the edges to come back together after each tack before moving on to the next at one inch intervals. If you do it right, you'll have the two strips tacked so that they are dead even without warpage. A good sign when using the TIG is being able to tack the two strips without using any filler rod.
Patience is the key; most people get excited and start tacking too fast and warp the metal. The five minutes that you take to tack the strips together seems like a long time but is nothing compared to the time and skill needed to fix warped pieces. Add tacks between all the first tacks, then another set after that. That should set you up for the last step.
Finally, the welding can commence, with the same slow pace for the same good reason. The welds should be about the size of two tacks to keep the warpage down. Some people recommend hopping around when stitching the panels together but I go from one end to the other, again letting each weld cool and making sure the edges are staying level. If things start to get out of line, stop and hammer them lightly back into position, then continue.
Expect to spend an hour each on the first few strips. Tedious but well worth the time, as straightening a warped panel after someone has rushed a patch can take two or three times as long.
I use a MIG as that keeps the temp down but requires grinding after and isn't as easy to correct edge misalignment as you go. If things need to be hammered, the tacks need to be ground flat first. I find using a MIG also reduces the time needed to do a patch by a fair amount.
TOHCan: I'm going to stick with the TIG. I did it for a living for about ten years. I don't know if you're familiar with the product, but I welded metal hose; VERY thin material, I'm extremely comfortable with the process. Thank you for the advice on warpage prevention. It was not a big issue in the work I did, but certainly something I need to be aware of. I appreciate the pointers. Funny you mentioned cutting some sheet metal into strips and butt welding them. Back then, that was one of my tests for prospective employees who claimed TIG experience.
Excellent, we love to see new projects on old birds get underway...lots of help resources here as well, so don't hesitate to ask....no question is too stupid, I know, I asked some of them years ago
looks like good start for a project....and if you are not too eager to have a perfect numbers match original etc, they make windshields for these at pretty good prices...I bought one here in Houston for $120, installed myself , a friend bought one too and got it installed by them for $145..."Discount Auto glass", now have mine for 9 yrs , and over 25k miles, glass still good , with an exception for a small rock chip...
TOHCan: I'm going to stick with the TIG. I did it for a living for about ten years. I don't know if you're familiar with the product, but I welded metal hose; VERY thin material, I'm extremely comfortable with the process. Thank you for the advice on warpage prevention. It was not a big issue in the work I did, but certainly something I need to be aware of. I appreciate the pointers. Funny you mentioned cutting some sheet metal into strips and butt welding them. Back then, that was one of my tests for prospective employees who claimed TIG experience.
I worked with one guy who claimed that a good TIG welder could weld the foil in cigarette packs. Great machines if you get the right one.
Not knowing your experience, I may have laid the patience thing on a bit heavy but better too slow than too fast. Sounds like you have things in hand but if you have any questions I'll try and help out!
TOHCan: I'm going to stick with the TIG. I did it for a living for about ten years. I don't know if you're familiar with the product, but I welded metal hose; VERY thin material, I'm extremely comfortable with the process. Thank you for the advice on warpage prevention. It was not a big issue in the work I did, but certainly something I need to be aware of. I appreciate the pointers. Funny you mentioned cutting some sheet metal into strips and butt welding them. Back then, that was one of my tests for prospective employees who claimed TIG experience.
I worked with one guy who claimed that a good TIG welder could weld the foil in cigarette packs. Great machines if you get the right one.
Not knowing your experience, I may have laid the patience thing on a bit heavy but better too slow than too fast. Sounds like you have things in hand but if you have any questions I'll try and help out!
I like the cigarette foil quote!
I don't think you laid the patience thing on heavy at all. I appreciate you taking the time to share your experience with a newcomer.
hey jim, welcome aboard. as a professional welder also i think you might like the mig better. tig will put a bit more heat into the panel than you want. also you wont need the penetration in the steel as with other things. while you can control the heat indeed it will likely be more time consuming and costly in the long run running with the tig. just a thought. know you have it and not the mig so it might b even steven. tig might need more finish work in the end because of the hear and possible warpage issues. even though you can produce a finer weld with the tig. you might relieve the stamping and distort the panel in doing so with the tig more so than the mig!!
also i have a 67 in the middle of restoration so if you need anything let me know. also take one panel at a time to fix. will take less time to complete it this way
Andy
due to budget cutbacks, the light at the end of the tunnel has been disconnected for non payment.