95 Firebird Makeover

[LT slow]

Looking great so far. What strip is that going down the side?

[New2chevy]

Looking great so far. What strip is that going down the side?

Hey thank you. The guy who sold me the car had put a Dodge Challenger striping kit on it. I peeled it all off just a week ago. It was drying out and peeling off anyway.

Got my engine and tranny in a few days ago, after my stall converter finally arrived!! Just have some wiring to do and have to install the valve covers and FRC's/coils/ignition wires.

I'm going to change the color of my FRC's, too. I don't think the body color would look too good.

Stall.JPGEngine Install 1 (1).JPGEngine Install 1 (2).JPGEngine Install 1 (3).JPG

[New2chevy]

Almost ready for first startup! I got a newer steering column (it STILL has the same "down and to the left" play in the steering wheel that my old one had ). Since I have a different key now, I had to bypass the starter relay wire that gets power from the theft deterrent module, and I finally got the starter to spin! It was a small yellow wire with a black stripe, and I grounded it, on the relay side. The engine turns over nicely. Disabling the VATS in the PCM only allows the fuel pump to work. It doesn't bypass the TDM that sends power to the starter.

All the engine needs now is spark, but I still have to put the tranny dipstick tube in and add tranny fluid. Then, I need to install the new braided tranny lines. I've been putting that off, for some reason.

I changed the color of the fuel rail covers:



Old fuel rail color:


Used VHT "Cast Iron" color, instead:

[New2chevy]

Here are some up to date pics of my bird finally on the ground and waiting for a new TPS pigtail. The voltage was stuck at .04, and the % was stuck at 23, and the car drove like crap. I got it to work right, for about 2 minutes, and the car ran like a beast. The paint matches fairly closely. Close enough, until I get a full paint job. I am thinking Cyber Metallic Grey

I got all the Trans Am body parts on, except for the passenger side skirt. I'll do it later LOL. Obviously, no full exhaust system yet. I welded a crappy old muffler right at the y pipe, and it makes the floor hot and is loud as f***.

I still have to take it to the car wash and spray the hatch and get the protective coating off of it, from when it was painted. I'm working on my hood right now. I'm going to paint the two valleys flat black, so there will be some black up front, to balance out the black on the car. I painted the center caps of the wheels flat black, and they aren't on the car in these pics. I didn't screw in the license plate light, in these pics. I also took that long decal the PO put on there, and it tore some of the clearcoat off on the rear quarter-panel on the driver's side.

After I drove the car, the ride height settled down nicely, and it seems to be where it is supposed to be, with the Strano springs. I'll take pics when it's cleaned up and with the hood.

I'm also powdercoating the intake tube flat black. It looks kind of cheap and toyish with the polished tube, in my opinion.

Anyway, here she is.

Bird Out1.jpgBirdout2.jpgNew Engine1.jpgNewEngine2 (1).jpgNewEngine2 (2).jpgNewEngine2 (3).jpgNewEngine2 (4).jpg

[New2chevy]

Why is it posting my pic sideways? OK, so now I am pulling the engine again and building a 383 stroker out of it. Heck why not?

[New2chevy]

Went with a Scat 9000 series crank.



engine ready to be pulled again.