Hi all,
Is this the right place to post for a newbie? I have two 68 Firebirds both are super crappy but its all I could barter and trade up for, I hope to make one driver out of the two. The one that looks a little better is actually way worse but it does have a complete drive train and running and smoking 350 . I think the mostly complete car will be my parts car since the other one seems less rusted. Someone did the floors( not great but not rusted) I just finally got it into my tiny garage after sitting outside untouched for years. Starting to clean it out( trying to find places to put the parts) My current plan is to open up the rear framerails from the top to get a better look at them to determine whether a partial or full rail replacement is needed. I have a full trunk pan but that's all i have right now for it. This will be a super slow mode resto. Go easy on me guys I know the cars are horrible but I am a poor guy with no budget so I have to try to use whatever crap I can salvage. On the bright side I did just score a 67 400 long block that I can't afford to build. Also 6x-4 heads that came off a running motor.

Do I keep up dating this project here or somewhere else? Sorry I have some learning and memory issues etc

Big WELCOME !!! You've come to the right place for help, there's a lot of knowledgeable and helpful people here. Is that a FORD hood scoop on the bird with the camaro 1/4 panels?

I got the car that way with that hood. Don't worry I don't plan on keeping it I want a 400 hood. I have seen a couple other Firebirds with the same scoop though weird huh? The car also had 400 badging on it , false advertising I found out its just a 350 with crappy heads.

Here is another pic for your entertainment

Welcome from Massachusetts, Where is all your snow?

melted today mostly. I am originally from Mass by the way.

You ride sleds?

no never have. I actually hate the cold and snow and two stroke noise.I do have a ATV but mostly use it around the yard and now for plowing.
So do I continue posting updates right here or somewhere else?

This works good.

ok thanks. What is your firebird situation? Projects? drivers? show car?

Got my radiator support off. Also the second leaf spring pocket. Had to cut off one out of two bolts. Seeing more work it needs of course. I definitely need to do the whole drivers side rear frame rail. Might be able to salvage most of the passenger side. Looks like I am going to have to redo the prior owners attempt at floor pans, uggg.They are overlapped and sloppy. I think I am about ready to pull the sub-frame off.

Yes those are BB chevy frame mounts. Originally I was going to make it into a Camaro (sorry purist) but plans changed It will remain Pontiac. Actually I traded the 454 I had for the second 68 Firebird with the running 350.

Its finally happened we have separation! It was actually scary how easy it came off

Looking good, just keep moving forward and you will make it. Once you shelve a project the restart can be a bear. I have had quite a few first gens starting back in about 80, 81. I first fell in love with one on my school bus route back when I was about 12 or 13 in the 70s. My latest is a low mile barn find with all it's original sheet metal and no rot but many years of mice torture and non use so I am going through it to make a solid driver/survivor.

Barn find! awesome good for you, is there a link to your pictures?

I only have about 2 or 3 of when it was being pulled out of the barn but am not very computer savvy.

OK so after getting a closer look at the poor floor pan install the prior owner did I am having second thoughts about restoring this car over my parts car. How do I decide which is the less of two evils? The first car needs full trunk, rear frame rails, inner and outer wheel houses, and total body reskin. outer rockers, roof skin, maybe inner rockers. The good was supposed to be the floors and firewall. problem with the floors is they overlapped and crappy welded. i am not confident they are sitting where they should. also they looked warped. Only way i see to correct this is to do a full one piece floor install.

That leads to my parts car. Now I haven't dug into it but it need all the same work as the first car plus not sure on the firewall since the car is complete with a drive train. The plus on the parts car is it is a straighter car, roof skin is OK except probably the window channels. Also i think the inner rockers are good and most of the outer rockers. I am trying to do the car that makes the most sense. I guess I need to push the first car out of my cramped garage and drag in the parts car for a better evaluation.

My recommendation would be to look for a better shell in the long run it would be much cheaper and you would end up with a better product with more oe sheet metal. A friend down the road from me has a decent one he would probably part with very reasonably but it is a 67 and there are differences. It's also a 400 car making it worth more in the long run.

Thanks, Wish I could but I am disabled and broke and no budget. I got both these cars barter and trading

I hear you I'm in the process of trying to come back from a couple of strokes and not doing the greatest myself.

very sorry to hear that. Hope you are OK I had some recent heart issues as well but i am stable in that department. I have something called a left bundle branch block. Its not actually a blockage though. Between my past injuries, disabilities, and health scares and age (a rough 56 next month) is the main reason I want to have a first gen Fbody to toy around with.

So I decided to drag the shell out of the garage today so I can eventually bring the parts car in for a better evaluation. Took me by myself probably half a day, one of the caster wheels ripped off during the process. My driveway is horrible very lumpy and uneven and ruts and divots etc.Also the first guy to build this body cart did not use swivel wheels.

Just threw this on NH craigs list just to see if there is any interest.

https://nh.craigslist.org/pts/d/raymond-68-firebird-project-shell/7260592097.html

Ok so today I dragged the parts car out of the snow covered back yard. Mixture of my truck and my 4 wheeler and finally got it into my garage. I'm sure you all thinking what's the big deal? But for a small guy one man band that took 5 years to clean out my cramped garage enough to fit a car in it. Its a big deal for me.

I get it, dragging cars with a chain and no one in the other vehicle to steer is always fun even if your 6'4 like me.

Is the parts car a camaro with a firebird tail panel and front clip?

Parts car is a vin tag 68 Firebird with camaro rear quarter skins.

Parts car pics when I first got it. It did run crappy and kind of yard drive.

The parts car looks buildable on the outside, hopefully it'll have nice inner structure and frame rails, if not, find a shell that does.

no no and no.
No floors, no frame-rails and trunk pan no good. I do not have any money to buy a better shell. Almost every shell has the potential to be saved and built. I have seen many better ones for to much money and many worse ones for to much money. Obviously starting with a more solid shell would be preferred in a perfect world. My world is far from perfect.

I am disabled, I don't work. I live in pain 24/7 and literally have some brain damage. I am fully functional though and have almost all the basic skills. I am financially poor but happy to accept your donations.On the bright side I have time to devote And plan on doing all the work myself.

Just passing along some information here on the trunk pan and frame-rail assemblies you can purchase from real deal steel. I wrote them asking what was the installation procedure and will paste the reply.

Daniel,
It is bet if the main floor is already installed. That way, the forward frame rails and forward edge of the trunk floor have a place to land. From there, it just needs to be square. If you need a measurement from a point on the floor to a point on the trunk floor assembly, we can help with that. Or, you can purchase the entire assembly:

https://realdealsteel.com/i-2183568...l-floor-and-trunk-panel-with-braces.html


Joe Whitaker
Real Deal Steel, LLC
407-585-1957

OK ,
Changing plans yet again. Now that the parts car is in the garage I got a better look at it. Turns out it is worse then the other car. Now I have to drag it out again and the other one in. It is still good for parts though. I should call the parts car the illusion because it looks better but is actually much worse where it counts.

My end goal is not to build a perfect show car but I am just shooting for a solid safe driver.

Well yesterday I started to take the parts car off the wheel dollies and tripped and landed hard on my wrist, feels broken but is a sprain. Yes I am accident prone.

Sucks getting old.

Agreed Barnbird!
Hey does anyone on this site live in or near NH that has a frame/chassis jig they would be willing to lend out? Seems like a fair amount of cash to burn on materials to make one for a one or two time use. I have a strong looking homemade rotisserie I bought off craigs list I would be willing to swap use for,

Hey,
at the risk of offending the purists is anyone besides me not a fan of the fake rear quarter louvers? Being a 67/68 camaro fan I like the smooth plain rear quarter of a 67 camaro. I don't mind the 67 Firebird quarter but I think the fake louvers look cheap and cheesy. Has anyone done any mods to the louvers to make them look better and or functional?

Personally, I think they are beautiful!
I cringe every time I see 'Maro repop quarters on a 'bird!

I have seen or read about the gills missing because Camaro quarters were used as replacements, the chrome being painted, or bondo used to fill them in. It's your car and project. Make it the way you want it. Personally, this "purist" thinks they are part of what gives mine its identity and good looks as a '68 Firebird.

Just squint your eyes and pretend it's a 69 Camaro when they were playing catchup with the firebird with their own "fake" louvers.