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Car Forum / Pontiac / Pontiac Firebird / July 200479 sport to Formula?
I have a perfect 79 Sport Coupe that is starting to show it's age (only 35,000 original miles). I bought the car new in December 1978. I'm considering jazzing it up a bit and adding the Formula appearance items. This will also include a repaint - no body work or interior work is necessary. What exactly needs to be done to make the conversion? Also would adding T -Tops be a big deal? BTW any idea what a car like this would be worth? It's not fo sale, just idle curiosity. Thanks, David >Subject: 79 sport to Formula? >From: "D&LBusch" dlbusch1@frontiernet.net [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >BTW any idea what a car like this would be worth? It's not fo sale, just >idle curiosity. Thanks, David A Camaro sport coupe to a Formula Firebird? What blasphemy :). Value depends on a lot of things such as options, special or non special edition, etc, etc, etc. I'd keep the car stock as is and spruce it up without drilling into anything. Sounds like a solid restoration candidate with a lot of sentimental value. Joe--ASE Certified Parts Specialist & 10th Ann.Club Tech Director '80 Carousel Red Turbo T/A, 26k orig. '79 "Y89" 400/4 speed 10th Ann. T/A, 57k orig '84 Olds 88 Royale Bgm 2 dr, 307 "Rocket" (lol), 141k and still going.... '80 T/A project car... Plus: Putting in aftermarket T-Tops would make the car as worthless as tits on a Nun! Refinish King > >Subject: 79 sport to Formula? > >From: "D&LBusch" dlbusch1@frontiernet.net [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > '84 Olds 88 Royale Bgm 2 dr, 307 "Rocket" (lol), 141k and still going.... > '80 T/A project car... The car is a Firebird Sport Coupe not a Camaro. Now what about the necessary changes. Thanks, David > Plus: > [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] > > '84 Olds 88 Royale Bgm 2 dr, 307 "Rocket" (lol), 141k and still going.... > > '80 T/A project car... >The car is a Firebird Sport Coupe not a Camaro. Now what about the >necessary changes. Thanks, David Sport Coupe?? Available 2nd-gen Firebird models were Base, Esprit, Formula, and Trans Am.  Signature______________________________________________________________ Dennis Smith AIM SN: Dens71TA ICQ Pager #: 52009584 '71 Trans Am - 455 H.O. - M21 4-speed - Cameo white/blue stripe '73 Trans Am - 455 - TH400 auto - Buccaneer red '84 Trans Am - 5.0 L - TH700R4 auto - Royal blue/silver aero It's a base model. My bill of sale calls it a Sport Coupe. David > >The car is a Firebird Sport Coupe not a Camaro. Now what about the > >necessary changes. Thanks, David > > Sport Coupe?? Available 2nd-gen Firebird models were Base, Esprit, Formula, > and Trans Am. >Subject: Re: 79 sport to Formula? >From: "D&LBusch" dlbusch1@frontiernet.net [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] >Formula, >> and Trans Am. Sport coupe is the term used with Camaros that are usually Z-28s in that year. You could technically say that all of these Fisher "87" body styles are plainback sport coupes as that is what Fisher Body calls them. However, it's a Firebird. And you're wasting your time making it a Formula. I'd keep it stock. Joe--ASE Certified Parts Specialist & 10th Ann.Club Tech Director '80 Carousel Red Turbo T/A, 27k orig. '79 "Y89" 400/4 speed 10th Ann. T/A, 57k orig '84 Olds 88 Royale Bgm 2 dr, 307 "Rocket" (lol), 143k and still going.... '91 S10 Blazer 4.3Z >Subject: Re: 79 sport to Formula? >From: bigjfig@aol.com (Bigjfig) [quoted text clipped - 31 lines] >'84 Olds 88 Royale Bgm 2 dr, 307 "Rocket" (lol), 143k and still going.... >'91 S10 Blazer 4.3Z Rather that's "which are not Z-28 models" :) Joe--ASE Certified Parts Specialist & 10th Ann.Club Tech Director '80 Carousel Red Turbo T/A, 27k orig. '79 "Y89" 400/4 speed 10th Ann. T/A, 57k orig '84 Olds 88 Royale Bgm 2 dr, 307 "Rocket" (lol), 143k and still going.... '91 S10 Blazer 4.3Z > However, it's a Firebird. And you're wasting your time making it a Formula. I'd > keep it stock. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > '84 Olds 88 Royale Bgm 2 dr, 307 "Rocket" (lol), 143k and still going.... > '91 S10 Blazer 4.3Z Ok Joe, I gotta tease you some more... my buddy has a 72 Nova. 2 door. 6 cylinder. 4 wheel drums. Quarter mile times measured with a sundial. Stopping distance measured in miles... You wouldn't want that left stock, would you? Are you sure you shouldn't buy a Vette? They like stock. ;) Ray >Subject: Re: 79 sport to Formula? >From: ray bitbucket@rollingviolation.comnet.org [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > >Ray Ray: It's Ok, I have a car in my stable like your race car. It's a parts car though, a WS6 t-top with a running 400 and some goodies. I haven't decided what to do with it. I will not restore it or be caught dead driving it. LOL. Best part about it? It was free :). I'd take it as is over someone's "restoration" where they didn't have a clue about what they were doing and what parts went to what. If I did a conversion, you wouldn't tell. I'd take the time to make sure, aside from VIN#, you couldn't tell the difference :). Most folks would do a half a.s job on something like that and it never gets corrected. Unmolested examples to work with are getting rarer and rarer. :). Joe--ASE Certified Parts Specialist & 10th Ann.Club Tech Director '80 Carousel Red Turbo T/A, 27k orig. '79 "Y89" 400/4 speed 10th Ann. T/A, 57k orig '84 Olds 88 Royale Bgm 2 dr, 307 "Rocket" (lol), 143k and still going.... '91 S10 Blazer 4.3Z > >Subject: Re: 79 sport to Formula? > >From: ray bitbucket@rollingviolation.comnet.org [quoted text clipped - 43 lines] > '84 Olds 88 Royale Bgm 2 dr, 307 "Rocket" (lol), 143k and still going.... > '91 S10 Blazer 4.3Z I got an idea Joe. Why not find a 86 up T/A and do a poncho engine conversion. With a Richmond 6 speed, and a Moser 12 bolt. It would be interesting, have value, and probably win trophies at shows. Charles >Subject: Re: 79 sport to Formula? >From: "Charles Bendig" rarepartshunter@yahoo.com [quoted text clipped - 60 lines] >interesting, have value, and probably win trophies at shows. >Charles Noble idea Charles, but I'm not much of a third gen guy. They don't appeal to me much. Too "corporate". Joe--ASE Certified Parts Specialist & 10th Ann.Club Tech Director '80 Carousel Red Turbo T/A, 27k orig. '79 "Y89" 400/4 speed 10th Ann. T/A, 57k orig '84 Olds 88 Royale Bgm 2 dr, 307 "Rocket" (lol), 143k and still going.... '91 S10 Blazer 4.3Z > >Subject: Re: 79 sport to Formula? > >From: "Charles Bendig" rarepartshunter@yahoo.com [quoted text clipped - 54 lines] > >> '79 "Y89" 400/4 speed 10th Ann. T/A, 57k orig > >> '84 Olds 88 Royale Bgm 2 dr, 307 "Rocket" (lol), 143k and still going.... > >> '91 S10 Blazer 4.3Z > > [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > '84 Olds 88 Royale Bgm 2 dr, 307 "Rocket" (lol), 143k and still going.... > '91 S10 Blazer 4.3Z I like them All. If I could find a decent 67 to 69 Fire Bird around here, at a decent price I would buy it. (my idea of decent varies from most others). I still have my eye on a 1974 Esprit, just waiting for the owners to get desperate enough to sell it at a reasonable price. When I get my 85 T/A done Ill be hunting another Poncho F-body for a project car. Maybe Ill do what I suggested to you. It would probably take me a few years to do it with my current progress on my own projects. BTW: is that Blazer 2WD or 4WD? Charles >Subject: Re: 79 sport to Formula? >From: "Charles Bendig" rarepartshunter@yahoo.com [quoted text clipped - 90 lines] > BTW: is that Blazer 2WD or 4WD? >Charles Charles: 2WD Tahoe packaged S10. I am the third owner. My neighbor (the mechanic neighbor I mention here) got it with 7300 miles on it in 1991. The original owner died but took excellent care of the vehicle. My neighbor did too until he lent it to some customers and it got rough. It's fully loaded and has a tow bar on the back, so it should come in handy. My first truck, it should be a good experience! Joe--ASE Certified Parts Specialist & 10th Ann.Club Tech Director '80 Carousel Red Turbo T/A, 27k orig. '79 "Y89" 400/4 speed 10th Ann. T/A, 57k orig '84 Olds 88 Royale Bgm 2 dr, 307 "Rocket" (lol), 143k and still going.... '91 S10 Blazer 4.3Z > >Subject: Re: 79 sport to Formula? > >From: "Charles Bendig" rarepartshunter@yahoo.com [quoted text clipped - 77 lines] > >> '79 "Y89" 400/4 speed 10th Ann. T/A, 57k orig > >> '84 Olds 88 Royale Bgm 2 dr, 307 "Rocket" (lol), 143k and still going.... > >> '91 S10 Blazer 4.3Z > > [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > '84 Olds 88 Royale Bgm 2 dr, 307 "Rocket" (lol), 143k and still going.... > '91 S10 Blazer 4.3Z Sounds like a good save. If you need any used parts, drop me a line. You didn't say if you have the TH700R4 automatic or the T-5 Five Speed? The S-10 I'm saving is a 1991 4.3, Automatic 4WD Extended Cab pick up. It's a high mileage roll over (side over side). I have a decent 1988 Extended cab with a good title. Aftermarket 2WD wheels that are on a 1987 S-10 Blazer. What I'm going to do is build a trail truck for mild off roading. 3 inch body lift, 2WD wheels, 31x10.50x15 mud tread tires. Slight fender trimming with a sawzall. A 4x4 square tube bumper with integrated hood guard. Basically a clone of my business partners 86 S-10 Extended cab that has the 2.8 V6. Except he uses Cutlass 15x7 wheels. S-Trucks, F-bodies, J-cars, old A-bodies.. That's what I like. Charles >ubject: Re: 79 sport to Formula? >From: "Charles Bendig" rarepartshunter@yahoo.com [quoted text clipped - 141 lines] > S-Trucks, F-bodies, J-cars, old A-bodies.. That's what I like. >Charles Yea, I've got a good handle on parts myself :). This is a 700R4 equipped truck. The paint and body is the real problem (as they all are, they either delaminate or they start to rust---this has both). Beyond that, mechanically, it runs fine. It had been parked for two years. I put a battery in it, checked the fluids (were clean and full) and cranked it. Fired over on the second try and ran like it ran the day before! LOL Joe--ASE Certified Parts Specialist & 10th Ann.Club Tech Director '80 Carousel Red Turbo T/A, 27k orig. '79 "Y89" 400/4 speed 10th Ann. T/A, 57k orig '84 Olds 88 Royale Bgm 2 dr, 307 "Rocket" (lol), 143k and still going.... '91 S10 Blazer 4.3Z <snip> > I got an idea Joe. Why not find a 86 up T/A and do a poncho engine > conversion. With a Richmond 6 speed, and a Moser 12 bolt. It would be > interesting, have value, and probably win trophies at shows. > Charles You may be able to find one that has the third brake light delete option.! That would be very rare! > <snip> > > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > You may be able to find one that has the third brake light delete option.! > That would be very rare! Or maybe I could use a 85 hatch with a Aero Wing and graft a third brake light 1/8 of a inch high, in to the hatch lip. Do it across the entire lip made from L.E.D.'s like Cadillac's have. Charles > Unmolested examples to work with are getting rarer and rarer. :). very true. I now look for original paint and stuff like that - worn out but original is often better than the butcher jobs you often find... <cough>my truck<cough> ;) > > However, it's a Firebird. And you're wasting your time making it a Formula. I'd > > keep it stock. [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Ray 6 Cylinder Nova's are prime hot rods. They don't have as much much value as V-8 cars do. So starting with a reasonable unmolested 6 Cylinder Nova is the way to go. Finding unmolested, worth saving Nova's around here is not that easy. Finding parts for them in salvage yards around here anymore is a challenge. I think I bought and resold all the decent parts over the last 10 years. Charles Whatever you do, DON'T do the T-tops. They look good when they're new, then they start leaking when it rains, then they start rattling, then the roof starts rusting out from the leaks...etc.... I don't really have an opinion on the other parts, I'd lean toward keeping it stock and just fixing it up, but please forget the T-tops! I've seen too many older Firebirds and Camaros with the roof rusted or even cracked because of those T-tops. Kerry > The car is a Firebird Sport Coupe not a Camaro. Now what about the > necessary changes. Thanks, David [quoted text clipped - 47 lines] > >>>'80 T/A project car... |
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