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The story of Hotpants, the Bastard 1967 Firebird Phantom

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  • #16
    awesome car
    Doing it all wrong since 1966

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    • #17
      I can't believe you got rid of the manual drum brakes. Think of the excitement you could have every time you mash the brakes. LOL.

      I applaud your tenacity on this car. What a drama.

      I doubt your MSD box is your problem. They either work or don't. I didn't see the cam you purchased, but some cams are ground straight up, thus need to be advanced 4* to be peppy. Comp grinds most of their street cams with 4* advanced. Or, you could trash can the Chevy and get a pontiac for that pontiac. Just a thought.
      BS'er formally known as Rebeldryver

      Resident Instigator

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      • #18
        I also doubt it's the 6AL, but it's one of the three things I *haven't* changed yet LOL. Cap, Rotor & Wires first. Then we'll get scientific. Like I might throw it out for a Pontiac :D

        This iteration is a Comp XR264 hydraulic roller. The reason I tore it back down was to validate that I didn't screw the pooch on that one in a malt beverage stupor... Nope, it's straight up.
        Livin the dream

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        • #19
          My Skylark didn't do any better when I replaced the Chevy with a Buick...
          Doing it all wrong since 1966

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          • #20
            That's a lot of work - and the stripes! Wow - that's a lot of work work work.

            I actually like gold - does that mean I'm old or just getting ready for the champaigne gold metallic my mach1 is supposed to be?
            Either way - these are great looking cars and yours is now stunning.

            I have had some issues with MSD6 boxes - you can always bypass it and see if the issue goes away. Are you sure you have a full 12V going to the ignition - there's not a resistor anywhere between the ignition switch and coil / MSD?

            This car is going to be amazing - sometimes it's the "powertrain match" that is elusive - sounds like you've got it right in this iteration - should be a blast to drive with the top down! Great car, great story!
            There's always something new to learn.

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            • #21
              (Truth be told I could have lived with the gold as much work as it has been)...

              However, it is momma's car, and she's a blue and white gal. So, we decided to try and do something decent without going overboard.

              The interior is intended to be as stock-appearing as possible with a proper console, period-correct shifter, and a true old-timey radio (if it works). The only exception will be the continuation of the Dakota Digital gauge cluster, because it's there, and I don't want to spend a grand on repro gaugues. All three cars that I have parts from the gauges are total junk, and really not worth the money to rebuild after having a couple of shops look at them.

              Wish I could get a three-point belt system in it for her, but not without a rollbar, and that's not going to fly either. Oh well :D

              And yes, there is a 10-ga wire going directly from the battery + to the MSD, no resistor. I again, don't really think it's the MSD, it has to be something I have completely wrong. You know the (smack hand on forehead) Doh! moment. I have had them do flaky things before also, in more than one setting. We had one one time that did the impossible. It wouldn't idle when we tried to start the feature, but after a vigorous push start, it would run above 4000 RPM, and it finished a 50-lap feature that night??? That box is still sitting on the shelf over at the race garage as far as I know. Impossible? I always thought so too.
              Last edited by 99_ls1; January 10, 2012, 08:48 AM.
              Livin the dream

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              • #22
                I don't remember what they're called, if I did, there'd be link.... however, there's a harness system that attaches the upper belt to the same area as the seat belts are attached in the rear seat. It hides by simply pushing it back into the crack between the seat back and base of the rear seat. It works - it's a single strap that comes from the rear seat and dividing into two harness that go over the shoulders and attach like a race harness to the lap belt. Certainly better than nothing.
                Doing it all wrong since 1966

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                • #23
                  Well... Today was another lesson in take nothing for granted, the assumption makes an ass out of you and me, pick one of many.

                  The carbon button in the center of the MSD distributor cap was AWOL. I found fragments down in the housing below the mechanical advance once I started looking for it. The rotor was also a little chewed up from the coil trying to find a path he wanted. Once the cap and rotor (and wires for good measure) were changed, wouldn't you know it, fired right off no missing, no burping, no farting. <<smack>> Doh! there's the moment I alluded to last night.

                  And thanks to all who have said nice things about the car. I was focusing on trying to post it all rather than be socially correct. Thanks guys...
                  Last edited by 99_ls1; January 10, 2012, 05:01 PM.
                  Livin the dream

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                  • #24
                    Originally posted by JOES66FURY View Post
                    great thread, love the car...I really liked the gold...does that make me weird?

                    The guy who did the patch work on your car musta been the same guy who did the patches on my Fury...brazed goodness as far as the eye can see,

                    The new work looks amazing.
                    Thanks, and thanks need to be given to the guys who have done the work for it. They are some talented folks, and I appreciate that they took the time to work on my junk... Because that is what it turned out to be.
                    Livin the dream

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                    • #25
                      Originally posted by SuperBuickGuy View Post
                      awesome car
                      Thanks SBG... Your Spider build is awesome. I have been checking every day living vicariously through your madness hehe. That's got more stones than I have the fabrication skills for. I'll build a fuel cell cage, or a transmission crossmember, or the like, but putting a Caddy in a Fiat has to top them all. I'm just bolting pieces on my junk.
                      Livin the dream

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                      • #26
                        Originally posted by Scott Liggett View Post
                        Or, you could trash can the Chevy and get a pontiac for that pontiac. Just a thought.
                        Naaah, it's just a generic first-gen by now. The title may say Pontiac and it's got all the correct non-Camaro features, but this little motor, once it stops torturing me, actually is a snappy little light-crank motor. (I forgot to mention that). It just needs a tad more of street manners

                        And you were right. Not the MSD box!

                        And thanks again! Your cars are cool, I've always wondered about Betty!
                        Last edited by 99_ls1; January 10, 2012, 05:14 PM.
                        Livin the dream

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                        • #27
                          Originally posted by milner351 View Post
                          Great car, great story!
                          Thanks Milner! It's never done, but it's always nice to be able to play with something you "built" isn't it? The '54 is cool. My instincts would be to transplant a modern inline 5 and it's trans with a stock computer, and do something about the '54 brakes! Scott razzed on me switching out the Firebird drums :D
                          Livin the dream

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                          • #28
                            I prefer the Firebird over the Camaro, but the biggest drawback to a Firebird IMO is the Pontiac motor.... Even so, since the 80s Pontiac has been powered by Chevy anyway, so I really don't get the big deal. Heck, I drive a LS powered Pontiac GTO and no matter how many faults I find with the car, that motor makes me smile every time.

                            as for stones to do a Fiatesque (much like Kafkaesque) build, it's not so much courage as having enough builds, especially builds that go terribly wrong (mine involved a 67 SS/RS car with disk brakes and A/C) where you learn what not to do. Last weekend, I was helping my nephew fix the same mistake (same mistake different truck) I made at his age (23).... honestly, the only advantage I have over him is there wasn't the internet to publish my mistakes world wide.
                            Last edited by SuperBuickGuy; January 10, 2012, 05:33 PM.
                            Doing it all wrong since 1966

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                            • #29
                              Originally posted by SuperBuickGuy View Post
                              I prefer the Firebird over the Camaro
                              As have I. Since high school as a matter of fact. There were 5 first-gen Camaros in the parking lot, but the gal down the road who had the '67 Firebird (white/red H.O. convertible, it was her mom's car) sealed it for me. With the stoopid prices of a Camaro these days, it's also more economical for project fodder to use a Firebird... which is what this started out as. Still, I always have prefered the bling styling of the 'Bird!

                              Originally posted by SuperBuickGuy View Post
                              Even so, since the 80s Pontiac has been powered by Chevy anyway, so I really don't get the big deal.
                              So I had said earlier when I referred to it as a "generic first-gen" which it really has become. Not so much a purist on this one, I'll keep that for trying to keep the Stingray reasonably "orginal appearing".

                              Originally posted by SuperBuickGuy View Post
                              Heck, I drive a LS powered Pontiac GTO and no matter how many faults I find with the car, that motor makes me smile every time.
                              Then don't get in an LS3-powered G8 GXP/M6! It'll spoil you forever >:-) (how do you all get these image smileys anyways?)

                              Originally posted by SuperBuickGuy View Post
                              honestly, the only advantage I have over him is there wasn't the internet to publish my mistakes world wide.
                              Agreed and well said, SBG. Well said. Experience and time are worth many many dollars when we are young! Too bad the kid doesn't understand that ROTFL!

                              Thanks for taking the time to read y'all!
                              Livin the dream

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                              • #30
                                Nice Job!
                                The orig body work on the car was scary, but there was a happy ending to it! Sweet ride.
                                Itd look good with a tripower under the hood...(had to say it)
                                BKB
                                www.FBthrottlebodies.com
                                Bruce K Bridges

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