Just Got Carried Away with the Family Project

[SoulTerror]

That's awesome! I love the blue on the engine.

[OVRKILL]

Awesome read Jim and you've been holding out on me!! You've got some skilz my friend!! For a minute I was excited to see my heroic contribution on the build only to have the rug ripped from under me that is was replaced by something less appealing - I'm sure it turned out just as nice as everything else!! Great story and cool resurrection Jim anyway

LOL on your buddy with a couple LS2's laying around the garage!!

You think I can recruit the BlacBirdDaddy Team to put mine back together...?

Gotta get you some wheels now

[nascarnate326]

Wow!!!

What a sweet story and your kids are so lucky to have a dad do a build like that.

Will this remain "mom and dads car"?

[BlackBirdDaddy]

Over the past 6 months a few of you guys have helped me out in part acquistion and advice so I feel inclined to update you all on WTH I got myself into. (I will try to keep current updates shorter)

It all began this past Janurary when I stumbled across a Craigslist ad listing a 2000 Firebird for $1100. It had a trashed 3.8 but the body was straight and interior all there. Now, my twin 17 year old sons each have 3.8 f-bodies (2000 Camaro & 1998 Bird) and I figured that this would be a "cool learning experience" for them to revive this black Bird with a LS1 drivetrain.

This is where it sat for months prior to us finding this "diamond in the rough"



Removing it from the snow piles



Finally got it home and this is where the "transformation" will happen!



Once we defrosted the bird, it was time to evaluate the car and my brain on why the hell I just dragged this hulk home from downriver!
A couple of days later we started the teardown. Hood off, torn front fascia off, fenders off and the iron paper weight out.





This next pic tells it all! I actually got $53 for this at the scrap yard.



Now the work begins! Cleaning, cleaning, cleeeeeaning...... After removing every bolt and part from the underbody it is time to paint. DP90 epoxy is what I used to coat everything underneath. But first, construct a paintbooth......


A fresh bottom!



Between all the cleaning & painting we were on the hunt for parts and that's when I discovered Mich F-body, LS1Tech and others. I have been searching several weeks for a low mileage LS1 engine with all the accessories. I found a few out of state and was ready to start driving when one day I mentioned my project to my buddy at work (Performance Variant Manager - ZL1!) when he said that he had a couple of LS2 engines in his garage. (He races road track 02 T/A) I quickly drove 10 miles to his house and bought a "choice" very low milage LS2 06 Vette engine with all accessories.
Just brought it home



So we have the power now we need all the supporting "stuff." Another Clarkston find, a set of Livernois Motorsport Stage II heads. Why would I want these? This is the about the point where it started to get away from me!



The 3.8 single spin rear end was not going to do. So to the rescue, Brent with a 3.42!
Also, bought some UMI ass end hardware. (Color to be changed)



Fast forward another month or so, more parts - wire harnesses to convert from the 3.8 to LS2. Dropped fuel tank to install Racetronix fuel pump. Trans rebuilt by a great GM Powertrain tech. Then I scored a 3.73 complete axle assy from Flint., sorry Brent! Ground it and painted.



So, this is now around April and I have been looking at the W68 package stuff on the car and I want to dump it. I listed it and sold it to a guy in New Jersey for $500. That takes the price of the car down to $450 with everything I sold from it. Good lesson for the boys!



With the torn front fascia it became apparant that this car is screaming to become a T/A. I located a T/A front fascia in California for $275 but it had to be shipped here and that cost was more than the part. Then we came up with the idea of shipping it via Greyhound bus!! It only cost $82 to ship from Cali.



We searched and found the rear fascia along with the rocker cladding in Cleveland, Ohio and a F/G WS6 hood in Cicinnatti. A single road trip scored all items.



Moving along, we started to detail the engine compartment, suspension parts and all the other stuff.


Starting to install harnesses and whatever



Seeing that we are now so deep into this project, I am having the entire body refurbished (painted) by one of our "concept vehicle" painters at work. Since this is remaining black, he is doing 2 panels at a time. We are "prepping" the parts and taking them to 400 grit prior to giving them to the painter. Fenders and bumpers are completed and curing in my basement. They should be nice and dry once we get them mounted and ready for sand and polishing. Working on doors now.







May - New rear is installed with new shocks, slotted and drilled rotors, calipers, new fuel and brake lines. Engine time - I wanted to do something different and "Pure Pontiac." I decided to pain the block the ol GTO pontiac engine metallic blue. I sanded, primed, sanded, primed, sanded, painted and cleared the LS6 Intake.







Time for the engine to go togather and detail. Ported annd polished throttle body, stainless bolts, powercoat pulleys.
(Yes, there is break-in lube on the cam, this is my son in a photo op)


We are extremely pleased with the mileage on this engine. very clean



Found some used Kooks headers and cleaned them although they will look like crap once we fire the beast up.










That is the story in a nutshell and takes us to today. I had the original C6 vette oil pan on there and it would not fit the LS1 k-member. So, quickly posted the issue and I found a LS1 pan and pick-up and will try mounting the engine on the k-member this weekend and here we go!


Here are pics of my sons f-bodies. When we get this project complete, we can have our own Meet'Greet in our driveway!





Thanks for all of you help guys! I will total up all of the costs soon and let you know how much I have into this build. It was intended to be a budget build and I think it still is with doing most of the work ourselves and buying
parts reasonable with the help of our forum buddies.

Time to go to bed, too many brews!