My 1968 Firebird has been mine for 30 years. I first saw this car when I was 13 years old. I walked past it twice a day, every day, walking to school. It was orange with a black vinyl top. It had black American Racing mags and sat low and mean. I loved it. I bought the car in 1980, when I was 15, with $500 I had saved up working in a greasy fish'n'chip place.
Since then I have had many temptations to unload the car. There was the time I was kind of poor, had just moved out on my own and needed cash. I couldn't justify owning two cars, so I sold my reliable Honda. Another time I drove it while working at a ski area - NOT practical! Luckily for me, as a stupid kid, I heeded the advice I had gotten from several old-timers. They told me about the great old cars they had let get away from them, and how much the regret hurt them. I resolved to keep this car forever.
Can I tell you about stupid things I've done in it and to it? I took the numbers matching 350-2 barrel engine to the dump. I cut massive, jagged holes in the package tray for 10" subwoofers. How about the time in high school I had a bunch of buddies in the car and the engine died. We were coasting down a hill and cars stacked up behind us as the slope eased. I looked out the door and judged that we were going slow enough for me to hop out and push - understand, I was the driver. I took two steps, fell, clung to the steering wheel, yanked it hard right (thank god) and drove up onto the sidewalk.
In the late 80's I realized the car was delapidated and needed a restoration. I took it apart. Family was quite sure it would never again be more than bags of small parts with labels on them. I persevered for 5 years and got it back together. I learned alot about wrenching on cars then. The First Bird was not restored but it had new mechanicals and supspension. It ran pretty well.
I never made the car look nice because I didn't have a garage till three years ago. Now I have a garage which I spent a year making into a shop, and the car is totally stripped. Plan is to do a full deal resto-mod, restification, whatever you wanna call it. I admire concours resto's but that's now where my heart is. I want to drive this car, even race it at Big Bend Open Road Race. There will be many mods and breaks from originality. But it will be a sleeper too: quiet exhaust, 15-inch wheels, vinyl top.
Here is a sample of the non-original parts: A rear spoiler is not stock but gives good downforce at 140 mph. High back seats will prevent whiplash - something people apparently didn't care about in 1968. 5-speed manual trans with overdrive, maybe 20mpg? Aluminum cylinder heads with modern swirl-port design = higher compression and more power (380rwhp) on 89 octane pump gas (plus they lighten the car by 55 lbs). Sequential LED tail lights will fit in the original housings, behind the original lenses, but now people will actually be able to see my brake lights! 4-wheel disc brakes replace the quad-drum setup. 'Nuff said.
I have rebuilt the rear axle. I will do all the body work and paint. I am currently building my own engine. I like the challenge of learning how to do these jobs. I look forward to helping club members with their cars too, if I can.
1968 Firebird 350 Coupe, currently being restored
Jeffy D