This is my first post, and I want to chronicle my build here. I anticipate it will take some years to complete, and I hope to enjoy the process. My dad is an award winning car restoration guy, and I’m hoping it’s in my blood too. I’ve built and raced custom hillclimb motorcycles, enjoy metal work in my machine/ fab shop, and working on cars and trucks. This will be my first complete restoration of a first gen Firebird. I’ve got two of them, both convertibles, a 67 & 68. The 68 is further along.
I bought the factory Pink Mist 68 last year And the previous owner started the restoration. The body is rust free and has 48k on the odometer. He pulled the non-running 350, 2 speed auto, open diff, and parchment white interior. He blasted the undercarriage and painted gloss black. He installed a Nova 4.11 posi rearend, a 1968 built 428 from a GTO loaded with Pontiac go fast parts and Dave Crane worked #62 Pontiac heads reported to produce ~500hp, coupled to a 5 speed tremic. He purchase a complete black stock interior with fold down rear seat.
I’m currently removing the white rag top, it’s in great shape. I’m gutting the interior so I can start the interior/ exterior body work. Someone previous to the guy I bought it from started to restore the body and repainted the body with new paint. I’m not a Pink guy so I’m planning on another special order color available that year, Windward Blue.
I just got done gutting the interior, dash and firewall. Labeled and bagged everything. Car is virtually rust free, so I have some minor dents and metal work to do before primer and paint.
The previous owner who started the resto., stripped out the factory white seats and door panels and sold them. He then purchased used black buckets with a black gold down rear seat, and new repo black door panels. I am planning on installing it as that’s what I have.
The top ended up being junk, so I need to purchase one when I’m ready. I’m torn on a black top or white. I’m gonna paint it Pontiac special order Windward blue, and white tops do look good with that color, and are cooler in the hot blazing sun. But a black top would match the rest of the interior, and from what others report, don’t show the dust and grim like a white top. Fortunately I’ve got a ways to go before I have to decide.
Ah ok. Just curious. I'm going the other way. I'm going from black interior and top to white. Looks like I'll be going blue as well because a buddy has a free gallon of paint for me.