Words: Tommy Parry
Motivated by the Firebird his father had owned some thirty years ago, Ben finally grabbed his own classic Firebird and went the distance in restoring this car into a semi-daily driver with presence, power and reliability in spades.
That is meant both literally and figuratively. After getting being tipped off by his girlfriend’s uncle about the car, he flew from Florida to Ohio, where he grabbed the partially-restored ‘68, loaded it on a trailer and hauled it 900 miles home.
The firewall, cowl and rear seat bracket were the only original metal left. Once he’d set up shop, he stripped the interior and finished coating the floorboard, inner firewall, back seat brace and package tray with POR-15.
He then picked up a block that had been bored 0.30 over and fitted with a turned crank and rebuilt 6X-4 heads. After adding a set of Harland Sharp rockers and a coat of metallic blue, he had a potent and pretty powerplant to place in the engine bay. The missus wanted to drive the car, so to match her auto experience he chose an automatic transmission: a 2004-R which sends power to the 3.55 LSD Pontiac 8.2″ rear.
Unfortunately, the car had been hit on the passenger front and the upper control arm was bent, along with both tie rods. Thankfully, the frame was true and untouched, so Ben added a pair of ’68 Camaro upper and lower control arms off. He prepped and painted the UCAs and LCAs with POR-15 and pressed in the red Prothane bushings. After adding a set of “LS1” brakes, 2002 F-body rotors, and 2” drop coils, he had the front end a build of this caliber deserves.
Complementing the front brakes are a set of ’98-’05 S10 Blazer rear brakes. With the powertrain and footwork addressed, he could start focusing on the cosmetics. Since the US Mag Bandits reminded him of the wheels on his father’s car, he sprung for a set measuring 17×8” in the front and 17×9” in the rear.
After tearing the front end apart and separating the subframe, he hoisted the motor in place, added a 2004-R crossmember and began installing the engine/transmission package.
After clearing some cancer from the firewall and the surrounding area, he fitted the Hedman headers. He then eyed the front lawn eagerly for the UPS truck to arrive; on the way were a BRP fuel injection tank and a FiTech Go EFI 4 Power Adder 600.
With a coating of bed liner on the car’s underside and a layer of Dynamat inside, the car could surely cruise in comfort — even with the burbling Pypes SGF70 exhaust system.
Ben plans to retire in roughly 10 years, when he may go all in. Then, if his stars align, he might opt for a 650-horsepower LT4/4L70E combo, a C5-based subframe and independent rear suspension! Until then, he’s sticking with the budget build and aiming for a reliable cruiser with great presence. In fact, he’s currently preparing the car for primer and paint — not that the car needs any aesthetic improvements.
Those who would like to keep tabs on the beautiful Firebird can follow its detailed build thread.
