Re-introduction

[MybirdIStheword]

Since I didn't bother (nor cared to) backup my kinjoppo posts, and due to a lack of anything better to do on my lunchbreak, I thought I would do the best thing: talk about myself. Everyone loves that, right?

My car love goes back to preschool, where my mom would buy me hotwheels cars to surprise me after school. My chosen career path? Monster truck driver, apparently. Hey, it still could happen...
You know the story. Played all the racing games, go karts, bumper cars, whatever I could get my hands on. It started to wane a bit in my later years, due to Pittsburgh not being much of a car town. At least it wasn't back then.

Then I got my license. Was like I woke back up. It was exactly what I had hoped for.

Scraped and saved, and bought myself a Porsche 944 n/a as a highschool senior. No looking back at that point.

Unfortunately that car died from a combination of sams club tires, sleep deprivation, and a wet/oily road surface. RIP my beloved Stacy.

Following that, I bought myself a '10 cooper s R56. It sucked and I wont forgive Mini nor BMW.

Currently have my restoration+ project, a 1979 Firebird Trans Am, 403 3-speed auto car. Been trying to get it legal for 6 years now, but hey it was pretty rough and I am working out of an open air Pennsylvania driveway. Specs are as follows:
Rebuilt Oldsmobile 403 engine, kb hypereutectic pistons , 9.5:1 bored .024 over. Comp 260h cam. Pertronix HEI coil and module. Hooker competition headers. Trans go shift kit, Pro touring f-body subframe connectors and solid body bushings. Pypes 2.5 inch x flow exhaust w/glasspack style (street-pro) mufflers.
Makes 309 crank horsepower, but 425 lb/ft of torque.

Looks great in pictures, but it's pretty rough. About a 20-footer. Currently needs front suspension bushings, wheel bearings, front calipers and a powersteering rebuild and mechanically it will be pretty thoroughly overhauled at that point. Longterm plans are a 5 speed manual, rear discs, a better diff, fuel injection, and a nicer stereo on top of a cosmetic restoration.

Also, I have my lovely '18 FOST. I put mud flaps on it.

For the future, I plan to do some hyper mega crunch saving (which I have done successfully before) in order to have enough cash to partly finance both a house, and a Caterham Seven. Being that I am still fresh in my new career, I expect this will take several years (curse you student loans) but my eyeball math works out.
Here's to hoping everything goes back to normal. Should you have any questions regarding buying/maintaining a 2nd gen f-body, feel free to DM me. I am still a somewhat amateur mechanic but I know a great many of the pitfalls of these cars.

Hopefully my posts begin to transition from wrenching posts, to event posts....

[ClassicDatsunDebate]

@mybirdistheword Glad to see you made it over to the Hyphen! Looking forward to seeing more T/A content!

[rctothefuture]

Glad you made it!

What trans are you planning to use behind the Olds? I've been looking at T/A's as 77 and 79's are still somewhat cheap and I don't really want a 3rd gen.

[TheJWT]

Love the T/A and I support your Caterham 7 aspirations 1000%

[FTTOHG]

@mybirdistheword I scrolled through quick before actually reading the post and as soon as I saw the FoST my first thought was holy crap that’s somewhere Pittsburgh isn’t it. I was born at Magee and grew up in Mt. Lebanon on the border of Dormont and Brookline in a neighborhood full of houses just like that one. You’re right Pittsburgh isn’t too much a car town but there are some cool pockets if you know where to look. Quite the motor build in that TA!

[derp]

[MybirdIStheword]

@fttohg thanks, the motor itself is really only a mild build at best. Haven't touched the heads or the bottom end, but the olds motors start to have structural issues above 400hp so I think i'm pretty happy as is. Feels plenty fun even with the dogshit gearing the car came with.

[just-a-scratch]

it sounds like the mechanicals are in pretty good shape now. Congratulations. As for making it look prettier, that kind of work takes a kind of patience I haven't found yet. Best of luck. I look forward to updates.

[MybirdIStheword]

@rctothefuture probably a tremec TKO 5 speed. They make kits that fit these cars I believe

[MybirdIStheword]

@just-a-scratch the bodywork I plan on farming out. The interior is not that challenging since they make upholstery kits

[Qaaaaa]

Mudflaps on an ST, eh? I didn't realize you were already up to stage three!

[MybirdIStheword]

@qaaaaa yup. Thinking about putting in an application for a race team after that one...

[rctothefuture]

@mybirdistheword Very nice. Thought you would go with a rock crusher, but a 5 speed would be nice for cruising.

[MybirdIStheword]

@rctothefuture with the vintage stuff not in junkyards anymore, dollar per dollar new stuff makes more sense.