[Project] budget build

[01badbird]

A little while back I picked up a 96 for $350 so I could get sail panel for the 01 and would part out rest. We stripped it and took to scrap yard and got $175 back. Well always wanted a hardtop to build a racecar and seen a 96 hardtop shell for a $100 and since we still had most parts to from the other bird I can almost make a roller out of it so what the heck. Looking for a Trans am front bumper cover to use instead of the firebird one. My biggest thing now is a K member so I can put in a PONTIAC motor (pre 81) in it. It will be stripped of everything not needed and will be a track only car will be trying to put in at least a 400/400 combo spraying 250+ shot but prefer a 455/400 if in budget. If any one has link to similar project I would appreciate it! WARBIRD.jpg

[01badbird]

Decent day out so went out and removed stuff not needed and to save weight since no interior going in and getting ready to have it blasted.

[C2YT]

Talk about a shell... lol

[01badbird]

Have lots of parts left over from another 96 and takeoffs from my 01 so for $100 I always thought on the next build wouldn't it make sense to start with a shell and put on what you want instead of taking off parts and they sit around or almost have to give away to put on parts that you want and heres how the story goes. It all started with rollbar for my other car BADBIRD we had interior out and getting ready to put in rollbar this past winter (and a coule of other things) and something came up that had to be taken care of with some family issues so budget was ate up. Well just put it back together as was and during one of the startups I noticed odometer reading 75075 so as if car was telling to me I decided to make car more of a PONTIAC 75th anniversary tribute car and keep more steetable since my family enjoys taking car to cruises shows etc. Will have more on that car and some of the new changes I have in mind and a couple things I've been up to but that is what started this build and this will be a street legal car (for drag tech so basics) so grandson can take to high school nats where they have a class for 13-16 year olds! He is turning 11 soon so hoping ready next year to work out bugs but until then my son can help me take out more cars at PONTIAC Nats in Norwalk that we attend every year! Figure the best way to have a street/strip car is to have one of each instead of each in one!

[01badbird]

Picked up hood for "THE RAVEN" now just need a front trans am bumper and thats it for body parts!

[formula218]

cool project!


is that the hood that was acid dipped? i think i remember seeing it for sale a while ago.

[01badbird]

Thanks! No this one is a fiberglass one but from same guy. This hood also goes all the way to windshield and no need for headlights (corners not notched out) also got the aluminum rails that bolt to fenders and front aluminum piece that covers space between radiator support and front end for fasteners.

[formula218]

that's badass!! i've said a few times it would be cool to mount projectors in the fog light holed and then get rid of the headlights. is the goal to make/keep it as light as possible? are you planning to cut extra weight out or just remove as much unneeded stuff as possible? mine has got quite a bit of weight pulled out but i've never had a chance to weigh it. i need to get it onto a scale this year.

[01badbird]

Ya trying to lighten as much as possible have been drilling out spot welds on the interior brackets and others and removing them since no interior going in. if front bumper support has to go in I will cut it up like the one in my other bird. frt.bumper back view.jpg

[01badbird]

Well I had a 350 in the '78 wagon in the background in above pic and looked up the numbers on it and it is a '69 350 w/265HP out of a firebird. I have a parts bird that sits where the wagon was now and before I scrap it I thought I would test fit. I was hoping for a 400 but can get this this stroked to a 383 with a lil over 400 HP for around $1500 in parts then maybe a 150 shot. I had a chromoly 6 point for my BADBIRD but once I placed it in it takes away from the drivability out of it (getting my 51 year old butt over it) so using it in this bird and taking some more parts off the old BADBIRD (more on that later) to switch up some stuff and to help out with this build.