Most don't know, but I found this forum searching a specific VIN number to decode it.
I came across this thread: Hall of Fame
I have owned this car for about 8 years, and it was a complete mess. I read all the topics on the wordpress site he created, and it was basically a piece of garbage. I got a pretty good deal on the car, I think I paid $8500 for it. It was marketed as a 67 Firebird 400, which it is not. It is a base that came with a 326 and 2 speed trans. I pointed this out and the price came down dramatically. In a nutshell, mechanically it was a mess...although the dual quad Edelbrocks looked cool. Electric fuel pump mounted in the engine compartment (included picture of how hot wire was spliced into electrical system), wiring, lots of shortcuts (soda cap on speedo cover)... I have attached a few photos. The worst was the placement of the shifter. It had a B&M Star Shifter in it (I like these) but it was moved to almost between the two front seats so you had to reach behind your shoulder to shift.
After 8 years or so, this has been taken apart, put back together many times, mostly due to my mechanical failings. Including 2 trans rebuilds (new head location put exhaust pipe too close to speedo cable, melted and pumped all the tranny fluid out..BOOM). Finally, I got tired of overheating, timing and running issues and decided on a rebuild on the 400. What did I find? A cracked piston ring.. So, I went a bit overboard on the new engine and the results are amazing. I moved all gauges to Dakota Digital, fixed all the holes, trans mounting location, fuel pump location, rewired and cleaned up some chipping paint. It is not perfect, but it is back on the road. I hope I have saved this one from being chopped up or left for neglect. I did buy the Tin Indian Valve covers, and they look SHARP. QFT Q-850 sits on top. I'd like to opportunity to thank all those here who have helped me as I have had my trials and tribulations. I don't think I have ever gotten a bad piece of advice here. The amount of knowledge on these forums is truly staggering. So, thanks to all who have read, replied and helped me out on this journey.
It is much appreciated!
Drew