09/18/2004 - I purchased a 1991 red firebird, T-tops and a 305. The person who sold it to me, is getting me a Bill of Sale and a Missouri Salvage title. I was told, I should NOT have a problem getting a title. The car should be here sometime before October 5th. I'll be getting pics soon of the new firebird and will post them here. I plan to make many modifications to this firebird to take it further than most stock firebirds.
Here's the latest on the engine specs that will replace the existing 305 TBI:
1) Dart Pro 1 200cc runner/64cc chamber heads set up to handle up to .600 lift.
2) Comp Cam: 08-503-8 224/230 Exterme Energy .503/.510 at .050 (with 1.6 rockers .536/.544 at .050) Advertised as 276 Intake/281 Exhaust - 1800-5800 RPM
3) Eeprom chip (reprogram using my willem) - NOW CONVERTING TO SPEED DENSITY!!!
4) Holley Stealth Ram (HSR) with LS1 Injectors AFPR
5) Holley 52mm Throttle Body
Now for the good part ;)....
6) Will be strokede to a 383 !!!! 3.750 Crank Kit Nodular Iron 80-60-06. USE, 600HP, 7250RPM.
10/04/2004 - The car was delivered friday night. It had a flat, but I was able to fix it. We rolled it into the garage. The ignition and tumbler was completely removed, and we couldn't find it. But I was able to work around it, by replacing the column with the one I had in the 1986. Then there was the VATS problem. Since I didn't have the original key, I had to make a combinatino of 15 different resistors based on the requirements from GM. I found which resistor it was, and the engine fired right up. Now I'm going to hook up the tranny linkage and pull the car out for pictures. The State requires that I get pictures of it before I start the repairs. Then I'll be able to start pulling the fenders and nose off. The 305 really runs good in this car.
03/16/2005 - Has it been long enough (LOL)? I haven't posted any progress on this car, because I knew it would be a while before anything major would be done. Bills needed to be paid, financial restructuring, etc. But here's what's happened so far.1) Firebird front glass has been replaced
2) Aftermarket fenders have been installed and painted
3) Got a hood from pullapart off a mid 80's trans am or formula. I painted it, but has dings.
4) Got door hinges repaired and door jams painted. Doors look great!
5) Got the nose refurbished for $150 (plus $120 shipping round trip).
So, now all we have to do is paint the nose and ground effects. I planned on working on the interior later. The GTA is nearly stripped, so it will be out of the garage and sent off to the scrap heap!One of my biggest resolutions for this year, is to finish my projects. The 355 with Holley Stealth ram will go in later this summer. I just want the firebird inspected, titled and registered to drive. I've got to have something to show for all the work I've put into thirdgen cars. Once that is done, I plan on doing the engine/tranny/Speed Density/rear-end stuff later.
03/21/2005 - I took friday off from work and finished stripping the GTA. It has been pulled out of the garage and stored back on my property. We also cleaned out the garage and pulled the firebird in front of the house. We planned on pulling out most of the dented quarter panel, and then using bondo on the rest of it. Once that is done, I'll go ahead and finsih preparing the car for paint. I ordred another gallon of paint for the car. I should be able to finish the rest of the body other than two ground effect pieces that fit behind the nose. They're around $97 each, but it's hard to find them, so I'll order them at the end of this month. It's getting close to finish for inspection, and hopefully I'll be able to get this one titled and on the road.
04/04/2005 - I found some plexan t-tops for sale on thirdgen web site. He said that they were scratched a bit, but no major gouges or cracks. Karen sent the money order today for them. The last two ground effects pieces for the nose are in. Also, I've already started the bondo work on the right back side. It's coming along fine. Once that is complete, I plan to start the painting. I've got all the major pieces to put this car back together enough for inspection. Once inspected, I plan on driving it a while and working on the "beauty" of the bird.
04/13/2005 - Bondo work is coming along. Still got alot of sanding to do, but overall there's not much left. I modified this web page at the top to state what I have and what it's going to be.
04/25/2005 - Coat 1 of paint. Not too happy with it, because droplets of water undoubtly got in there. Gotta change the filter. I'll replace that air filter.
06/06/2005 - Just wanted to give an update since I haven't been on here in a while. First of all, the nose is painted and put on the car. The ground effects for the nose are also on the car. All I have to do, is paint the hood, the rear bumper cover and other ground effects, then put them on the car. Also, some overspray has gotten inside the car that will have to be cleaned up little. We're nearly ready for inspection. Hopefully, we'll have the paint done within the next month.
07/11/2005 - The hood is painted and waiting for wet sanding before I put the clearcoat on. Also the rear bumper cover is painted and waiting for the same. All I have to do is paint the ground effects, mirrors and rear turn marker brackets, then we're ready to start putting the car back together. Pending no problems, I hope to have it ready for inspection within the next two weeks.
07/20/2005 - Everything has been painted minus some extra stuff that will go on it later. We have to touch up one of the ground effects because it didn't match the door effect when it was installed. I've got the holes drilled for the rocker effects. Once that one effect is painted, I can finish putting the rest of the screws into the ground effects. Then I'll install the mirrors, side markers, door locks, door panels, trim, and interior panels. I may have to touch up some other areas though. But overall, there's not much to be done to get it inspected. Once inspected, I should be able to title it.
08/17/2005 - It's official. The anti-theft division with the state approved the request for a rebuilt title. I've already gone down to the local county clerks office and got my registration and tags. Now were in the process of getting liability insurance on it. We're excited that it's finally over and we are able to go on with it. I planned on changing out the wheels, wing, interior, etc. Then I'll change out the rear-end, swap fuel pumps and change out the interior. So much to do now, but it is drivable now. I also went to Pullapart and got some t-tops. I'm in the process of getting the t-top locks to match the doors. I've also ordered bushed (floating) rods for my 383 setup. They are the 5140 cast steel, so they should hold up to 550 HP and 6500 RPM. For now, we planned on driving it with the 305 in it. I'm going to get the fluid changed and see how stable it will be for the road. I'm going to put the tags on it tonight.
09/19/2005 - I know it's been a month, but alot has happened with the firebird. Let me start of with the fact that the title came in last week and I got it insured with liability. We drove it for a while, until is died and wouldn't stay running. After replacing a few sensors, I figured the old fuel pump finally went out. Now for the good stuff. Last month, I took a day off and pulled the old 2.79 rear-end out of the car. Alog with it, we hauled the old GTA body off and I started to install the old Borg Warner 3.27. I ordered some Gabriel Gas Rider performance shocks and got new links for the installation. Then I pulled the gas tank off and removed that old TBI fuel pump. It looked wore out. I then put the new 255 lph in the tank and hung it. Between Karen, Glenn and I, we all were able to hang the rear end. I test drove the firebird last night, and found that there's a little rumble from the back. I'm hoping that it's either the low tire, the aluminum drive shaft hitting the traction bar or maybe something minor. But one way or another, I'll have that fixed. I still haven't changed the oil yet, so that's on the agenda as well. We even got some new windshield wipers for it. But the greatest thing we did was pull that old blue interior out. I drove down to the carpet store and purchased some carpet foam to dampen out the sound inside the car. Then I put the GTA seats and black interior in the car. It looks great. I haven't hooked up the arm rests and some other panels, but that's on the list to get done. All that's needed is a head liner and some odd end stuff for the interior and it will be complete. I may have to rebuild the rear-end in the near future and put a 3:73 gear in it, but that's something I'll probably do around tax time. I need to get the 383 rotating assembly to the balance shop and get it balanced. Two other items will need clearanced. The oil rails on the old 355 and my new rods. But the new harmonic balancer came in and I'll be ordering the flex plate soon. I'm happy that things are coming along.
09/21/2005 - Last night, I checked the fuild level in the rear end and added some 90w oil to the differential. But the vibration was coming from the fact that the driveshaft was wobbling because it was hooked to the rear in an offset posistion. Once I ligned up the u-joint, the vibration went away. Man, all I have to say about those performance springs, is that it makes that car ride rough! But I'm sure it handles a whole lot better than the light duty springs. But I hate losing the comfortable ride. Today I ordered a 45 tooth driven gear for the speedo. That is the gear used on the old GTA tranny to calibrate my speedometer. It should be in within the next week. But I do need to change the oil and finish putting the interior back together. Also, I really need to get the headlight bracket assemblies, because I really like using the flip ups on the headlights. I'll be back soon with an update.
09/27/2005 - We got the oil changed in the car and the door panels are on. We took it on a 120 mile trip and it did fine. I planned on getting the front headlights replaced within the next week or two. I will also need a headliner. The car is turning out great. The 383 project is still waiting to have some work done. I'll need to get the rotating assembly balanced, the rods cam clearanced, and the block ground for the 383. This should be around $400. Gaskets, headers and other smaller items will come later. I suspect this will carry on through the winter season.
10/03/2005 - As of today, we got the old GTA hood painted on put on the car. It looks great! I'll definitely be doing some wet sanding and buffing soon. I also purchased some used Headlight assemblies on ebay. Hopefully, they'll be in within the next week. But on the way back from the mtfba club meet, the heater core went out. We had a small puddle of anti-freeze on the floormat and floorboard. We were able to replace it last night, but haven't tested the new one. That'll be done tonight. Also, I'm looking at getting some kind of stereo for now.
10/06/2005 - I spoke with Jeff today about the transmission for the firebird. He suggested that I purchase a Borg and Warner shift kit for it. His cost is around $65. He also said I needed to purchase a stainless steel drum for the tranny so it could handle the torque. He also recommended a TCI torque converter around $300. Well, I'm posting this information so I can get an idea on what I need to build up the tranny.
10/20/2005 - Great news! I got the headlight assemblies in and replaced the broken ones. The only thing I need to do next, is get a headliner and some kind of MP3, DVD or some kind of stereo. Running around without music is getting to be a pain. Also, Karen and I tore down the old 355. We've sent block off to RPM to have the rotating assembly balanced, and get everything clearanced. I should have it all back by the end of the month, then I can start putting the 383 back together. Items needed are bearings, gaskets, timing set, etc., to finish the 383, but it's coming together. I planned on purchasing headers and exhaust system when I drop the 383 in. I found out that the black primer on the fenders are bleeding through my paint. I didn't put enough base coat on, so the front will need repainting again. The front end needs beefing up by purchasing a set of Ws6 springs and replacing the struts. I've also thought about replacing the steering box to try and get better steering. But with a little buffing and cleaning up the car is looking great. Just these odd and end things are needed, like brakes, rotors and other small items will make the car feel new.
10/27/2005 - I called RPM to get an update on the machine work done to my engine. So far, they have got the engine balanced. He told me the original bob weight was 1933. He had to put two sticks of malory in the crank to fix that. Darryl said he wouldn't be scared to run this engine all the way up to 8000 RPM. He did note that the rods were heavy (5140 material). But if I put this engine together without balancing it first, Darryl said it would have shook and ruined the engine being that badly balanced. So, I think it was well worth the cost of over $400 to have everything machined and worked. I planned on getting the assembly Monday October 31st (Halloween).
11/01/2005 - The rotating assembly and block came back from RPM yesterday. I put them in the garage waiting to start putting it all back together. I'm hoping to start putting it back together this week by holning it out and getting bearings for it. Tonight, I wanted to clean up some gasket material off the rear main seal and put it on the stand.
11/15/2005 - Shane Hunter came out and honed the cylinders out for me. Karen and I got the crank installed with new bearings. We're going to finish tightening the mains from 65-70 ft/lbs all the way up to 78 ft/lbs in all. Tonight, I'm getting the rod bearings. I'm trying hard to get the basic rotating assembly installed (minus the cam). RPM installed the rods onto the pistons for me, so I'll go over them to be sure as I put the new moly rings on.
11/30/2005 - The basic shortblock is complete. Karen and I got the pistons/rods installed and I just installed the cam last night. Although I'm not happy about how much dirt has been going on around this install. Shane said he will come out and try to degree in my cam. I called Competition Cam's and they said it shouldn't be necessary, but Shane said it wouldn't hurt checking the cam anyway. I still need to put the windage tray, oil pump, rear main oil seal and other items back on the lower side, including gaskets. This engine is wrapping up and I hope to have it done by the end of December.
12/05/2005 - The shortblock is complete. The oil pan is already on the engine. Shane has my heads now and planned on cleaning them up at where he works. Then we should be able to finish the long block soon. After that, I planned on putting the entire engine up until I can get the tranny rebuild and a new torque converter. Also, I'll need an exhaust system with headers later. But I hope to be done with the basic 383 long block by the end of the week.
12/16/2005 - Ran into a problem with the 383. For some reason after I put the timing cover, balancer, heads, and other parts on, the block locked up going back and forth in certain spots. After taking the heads and oil pan off, we found that the crank/rods was hitting the oil pan. Some clearancing will need to be done with the oil pan. I purchased a refurb oil pan off ebay, so after I get the old one clearanced, I'll go ahead and do the same thing to the purchased oil pan. I did find some cast shavings at the bottom of the windage tray. I'm assuming that when I put the balancer on (knocking it some with the hammer), I shook some casting loose that bound the crank. Anyway, I'll be looking over it again over the holidays. But the heads, intake, and everything is bolted up minus the front brackets. I'm looking forward to see this engine run but hoping that there won't be problems. I'm taking a vacation during Christmas, so I hope to have more information during or after the holidays.
01/09/2006 - We got the 383 put together. The new oil pan bolted right up and didn't need to be indented. I thought that was awesome. Here's a pic of the engine.
The parts needed to put on it is a water pump, engine mounts, small brackets, etc. There may be other parts I need, but can't think of them at the moment. Before installing this engine in the car the old 88 700R4 Tranny needs to be built and a torque converter purchased (3000 stall). After that, then it should be ready to go.
01/25/2006 - I got my new CD/MP3/DVD player installed. I finally broke down and ordered a new stereo pod for the firebird. The new player works great, although when I got speakers, their wattage rating was too high for the output of the stereo, so I'll have to get an amp somewhere. But, here soon we should be getting our taxes back and I'll be able to finish the firebird the way I've always wanted, with seats, different hood, torque converter, upgrades to tranny, exhaust, headliner, seals, etc. Hopefully during the upgrades, I'll be able to repaint the car they way I wanted to without the specs and other blemishes. The car is great and I still have a ways to go with getting the 383 installed.
02/06/2006 - The W2's came in around Janurary 27th. After getting our taxes back, I ordered the aftermarket hood, torque converter, seats, etc. The tranny kit will be in soon to. Jeff Eleazer got me everything I need to handle up to 500 HP for the 700R4. My plans are to get the car ready before spring. I still need the exhaust (including headers), head liner, front springs, wonderbar and some other small items. But the car should be ready for the 383 soon.
02/23/2006 - I got the new racing seats installed along with the reverse glow gauges. I planned on rebuilding the tranny within the next few weeks with shane. I've got everything I need, just got to get the time to do it. Then all I need is to get all the exhaust for it. After that, I should be able to do the transplant. I have to get Karen's suburban right though, because she's having to drive the firebird as a daily vehicle. The suburban should be done soon and I can start on the firebird.
03/06/2006 - The new Ram Air Hood (RA1 Hood) came in. It's awesome. Although right now, it's not functional as a true Ram Air Hood. But I planned on looking into it and seeing if it's possible to make it one. Karen and I replaced 6 of the 8 plugs and wires to fix a missing problem. I found out that some of the plugs in the 305 were not tight. I believe that might have something to do with the terrible gas milage. Karen said the firebird still wasn't acting right. I know that I have a bad vacuum hose. I'll replace it and see if that helps. I did get the new proportional valve installed. The braking acts better, but I will need to bleed them again. I hope to have the Suburban running so I can start working on the firebird again.
03/22/2006 - The Hooker 2460HKR headers came in. So far they seem to clear the angle plugs. Now I need to order the Hooker Y-pipe (16767HKR). This pipe is 3" at the collector, but converts back to 2 1/2" running back to the exhaust. I already have 2 1/2" muffler setup, so all I need is to get an intermidiate pipe made. I'll try and get the y-pipe at the end of the month.
03/27/2006 - I picked up a close ratio steering box from a 1991 Trans Am from pullapart. I also planned on getting a wonderbar later this month. I'm suppose to get some WS6 springs in within the next few weeks too. Once they are in, I planned on putting these items on during the swap of the 305 and the 383.
03/31/2006 - Karen and I decided to hold off on the hooker Y-pipe until the end of April with everything we needed to pay this month. But I did buy a wonderbar from Lon at Topdownsolutions. It should be here in about a week. Next I'll have to get some struts for the front. I sent the money order for the front WS6 springs. A guy at our club is giving them to me, so all I'm paying for is shipping.
04/19/2006 - I'll be working on the transmission starting this week. Jeff Eleazer has agreed to build the innards (clutches, pump, etc), while I work on the valve body. After I complete this and the y-pipe is ordered at the end of the month, it's only a matter of time before we start the transplant of the 383.
04/27/2006 - I got the valve body built with the shift kit. Now I'm still waiting on Jeff to finish the core of the transmission. The old transmission pan needs replacing as it is dented. I'll planned on purchasing a chrome 700R4 pan that has a drain plug on it. They're inexpensive. I planned on ordering the Hooker y-pipe and aero muffler tomorrow along with the new tranny pan. If the transmission gets done within the next week, the plan is to go ahead and start the transplant. I'll try and get some pictures for the web site.
05/17/2006 - The transmission is back from Jeff's. He's gone ahead and put everything back together for me including a new chrome transmission pan and a fresh aluminum paint job. We've already got the firebird at Shane's shop and they've gotten the old 305 pulled out. I've sent the suspension parts up there for them to put on, but found out that the old inner/outer tie rods along with the idler arm is SHOT. So, I'll be ordering more suspension stuff at the end of the month and it won't be cheap. The front brakes are shot too. The rotors are completely eaten up down to the skeleton on the inner side of the rotor. It appears that the front rotors have hung at one time, so I'll be buying new brakes/rotors at the end of the month too. So, the plan is to take the 383 and tranny up to the school this week. After they clean the engine bay, they'll be installing the wonderbar, front WS6 springs, throttle cable/linkage, WS6 sway bar and close ratio steering box. Then everything should be ready for the engine/tranny install.
05/20/2006 - Here's a pic of the 1991 firebird without the 305. It's yuck in the engine compartment. But they plan on steam cleaning it.
06/05/2006 - Shane and his group got the engine installed. All that is left, is to run the fuel lines, rewire the new ecm, and set up the exhaust. Then we should be able to try and start the 383. I'll still need to have them to index the WS6 springs. I think they are upside down because the car sits like a 4x4 right now. I planned on fixing the brakes and steering linkage after the 383 is stable and running. Here are some pics of the engine. Keep in mind, there is alot of cleanup that needs to happen too.
06/16/2006 - It's been about a month, and Shane's team ran into one problem. For some reason, when they tried to put in the WS6 springs, it lifted the car like a clown car. After they put in the old soft ride springs, the car was still lifted ridiculously. Anyway, Shane is going on vacation for 3 weeks. I planned on bringing the car home during that time to wrap up some other areas of the car. The Y-pipe did not fit properly, so I'll have to have a muffler shop extend the flanged areas about 1.5 inches so they can bolt up to the headers. Then I planned on having a 3 inch pipe made from the Y-pipe all the way back. Shane's students ran into a number of problems with the 383 install. First, the TPS wire was different. I ordered a new one from Jeff at Faulkners. Then, we were missing the lower fan shroud bracket for the dual fan setup. I ordered one of those. The speed sensor on the rebuilt 88 tranny had a different connector as well. I pulled the 1991 firebird sensor and brought it to the shop. The wonderbar and WS6 sway bar is connected. I have new brakes, lines and rotors for the front. Then Keith at Shane's class, replaced the rear left metal brake line and the hydraulic rubber line that fed both brakes. I already replaced the back right brake line. The car has all new brake lines other than the factory brake lines on the frame. The inner/outter tie rods, center link and idler arms have been replaced too. If I can get the springs right in the font, Shane can get the car lined up. He did say that the fuel lines need to be run, the ECM needs to be rewired and we'll have to solder the existing wires they extended. Once this is complete, we are hoping to fire up the 383.
06/27/2006 - We got the firebird home now. Alot of work has been done by Shane's students, but I still have alot of work left. I've got to rewire the ECM, run the fuel lines, finish the heater control valve hookup, install plug wires, and check everything by the laptop. Then, I'll try and fire it up. I'm taking off July 3rd and will be home for the holiday on July 4th, and hope to have some time to get everything wrapped up.
07/06/2006 - I've wrapped up a number of items on my list, including re-wiring the ECM. Now, I'm not getting a reading off the ECM, so I planned on using a different ALDL cable I made. It appeared to work with the firebird in the past. Plus, I'm hearing the fuel pump kick on, but not seeing any fuel on the pressure regulator. I'll look into that too. Karen noticed that the motor mounts were loose. She called Shane, and he said his students didn't go over that at the shop, when they lifted the engine. I'll go ahead and finish that too. Hoping to have it fired up soon.
07/17/2006 - IT'S RUNNING! After replacing the Fuel Injector fuses and re-wring the ECM, I was able to read the ECM data off Pin E (blue 160 baud) instead of Pin M which was the original 8192 baud. The conversion changed Pin E to be the ALDL 8192 link. I did get the plug wires backwards again, so the car spit and fired alot. But after I realized the the wires ran clockwise (instead of counter-clockwise), it started right off the bat! It was awesome! The car went down it's maiden voyage Saturday July 15th. I got the fans wired correctly and ran the Power Steering switch wire to the ECM. Also, I was able to raise the fuel pressure for the injectors. Tonight I plan on installing the ASCD Ram Air 1 fiberglass hood, so it can be pulled out of the garage. Next the car is suppose to goto King's Automotive Wednesday evening, so the exhaust can be installed thursday. After that, I'll have to get the WS6 springs installed and the car ligned up. I planned on tuning everything, as well changing the oil so I can properly break it in.
08/08/2006 - The exhaust is on and it cost us about $244. But it sounds great! I ran into problems though. I couldn't figure out why the car ran rich and popped in the intake after it went into closed loop. After checking every sensor, replacing the ECM and pulling my hair out, I found out that it was just a tuning problem with the ECM. I had to adjust the "Enrich Accel Delta TPS Pulse Width Factor Vs. Temp" in higher multipliers to get to run decent. Then I went in and adjusted the VE tables to get the BLM's down to a decent level. Now I need to adjust the SA (Spark Advance) table, because I was told the HSR and my cam can handle alot of timing at lower RPM's. Once that is done, I planned on getting the fiberglass hood latched down for now, get the registration renewed and take her down the road. We got the WS6 springs installed, so the car will need to goto Shane's shop to have an alignment done. I found a small leak around the rear main seal. I'm hoping it's not enough to worry about, but I'll be keeping a watch on it. I am very pleased with how it is turning out, but really won't know it's power until I have all the tuning right.
08/30/2006 - The front end is ligned up now. The car drives like new. There's some more work to be done as far as tuning, but I just purchased a Dell Laptop to help out in that. Overall, I'm happy with the 383 but there's much to be done as far as body work and other upgrades. I want to upgrade the girdle on the Borg Warner rear end. I also want to put on subframe connectors to help out with the stress on the body. But that will be later. The car needs fresh paint and some minor body work. I planned on doing that during the winter, along with upgrading the t-top molding strips. My focus now is to get Karen's Suburban in better condition and work on the house. But I am going to continue working on the firebird, but not as much as I have been.
10/25/2006 - Just wanted to give an update on the car. I got a vacuum leak fixed from a hose going to the AFPR. Once that was done, I was able to tune the low end to get a near perfect mixture at idle. It's as close to 128 as it can get. Also, I'll be ordering a line-lock kit for the car next week. I planned on doing more tuning before we go on a trip. We are all planning on going to Disney the week of Nov. 4th through Nov. 11th. Hopefully, when I get back, I can start planning on what I'm going to do during the winter on body alignment and paint.
11/20/2006 - We had a great time at Disney. I had to order a new programmer and repair the old one as well. But I am very close to getting the car tuned properly. I had to lower the Percent Open changes to lean out the car during warmup and it had alot to do with how rich it ran off idle. The closed loop has been running great. I hope to have it completely tuned before thanksgiving. I'll try and have an update later this week.
11/27/2006 - Great news! I got the firebird running a ton better. I lowered the Loop Open % Change AFR Vs. Temp. table, and the car idles near normal. I also added a ton of fuel to the VE tables because I got a lean pop at acceleration. But overall, I'm really pleased with how it's running. I still need to do some fine tuning for top end and deceleration, as it's losing power after 5K RPM. But that's something I can do over Christmas Holidays, as I'm suppose to take a vacation then. Also, I'll be installing the Line Lock (or anti-roll kit) to my front brakes. I hope that I can start taking it apart again for repaint, but I'll see where everything is during then.
12/07/2006 - FINSIHED WITH THE TUNING! I'm pretty happy with the ECM tune I have. I took a combination of two other ECM's from a HSR 383 owner and BJ's (member from the club) ProRam setup and came up with a very nice setup. Over the vacation, I plan on installing the Line Lock and start dissasembling the car for paint.
12/12/2006 - The line lock is installed. Right now I have compression fittings, but will try and get a brake line flare tool to make a clean connection between the master cylinder and the Line lock. I still have some minor tuning to do but the car is running great.
01/12/2007 - Well it's the beginning of the year again and I just got my W2 from work. I still have to wait until Karen get's hers back. I planned on getting a few items for the firebird this year. One is the Sub Frame Connectors, Torque Arm, Wide Band O2 Sensor, Rear-end Girdle for the 9 Bolt, Kirban Adjustable Fuel Pressure Regulator and some new Victory Red Paint. This will ONLY be after we pay off some bills and pending no other financial problems. I also plan on getting Karen a digital Cannon Rebel SLR Camera. I'm hoping that I can get the Firebird running and looking good.
01/23/2007 - I got most of everything in so far. I got the Wide Band O2 and controller, torque arm, sub frame connectors, victory red paint, Kirban AFPR and waiting on the TA Performance girdle to come in later today. I plan on getting the car to the shop to have everything installed soon.
02/05/2007 - Over the weekend, Shane helped me install the Torque Arm and Sub Frame Connectors. I'm not too happy with the ground clearance, but it is a better setup than stock. The quality of the product exceeded my expectations though. It was fairly easy to set up and cleared all of the normal structures of the car including my new three inch exhaust. The car is now at Steve Davis' waiting for us to install the Kirban AFPR, the new A-pillar gauge pod, Fuel Pressure gauge, Air/Fuel Ratio gauge and other small electronics. Then, plans are made to have TA Performance Girdle installed along with the new Innovative Wide Band O2.
02/09/2007 - Both my grandmother on my mom's side and granny on my dad's side passed away within the past few weeks, so I haven't had alot of time to spend on the firebird. Steve helped me get the Kirban AFPR installed, but I now need either remove the drive shaft loop or trim it up and re-install it. We found some oil leaks around the front of the intake and around the valve cover. I belive I've fixed the one around the valve cover, but the front intake might need to be tightened down a bit. All I like is to install the new fuel pressure gauge and Air/Fuel gauge. Once they are installed, all that's left is the rear end girdle and the Wide Band O2 sensor. The car is running great and am very pleased with it.
02/12/2007 - I got both Glowshift gauges installed. The Fuel Pressure gauges is not as accurate as I believe it should be, but it's working and they look great. I also ran a wire down for the Air/Fuel Gauge. Shane is going to weld the Wide Band O2 bung so I can install the sensor. He also is going to help me cut off part of the drive shaft loop and weld it for ground clearance, along with installing the rear end cover. I hope to have these part done before the end of the month, because Richard and I plan on taking our cars to the dyno.
02/26/2007 - After a few weeks, everything I ordered was installed. Shane helped me grind down the lips on the driveshaft loop that was dragging on the bottom, then he installed the rear-end girdle cover from TA Performance. Last night Steve Davis helped me install the Wide Band O2 Sensor. All I have to do now, is hook it into the ECM. There is still some oil leaks that I'll need to fix, because since the car is broke in, the intake may need the bolts tightened. Also, I'll need to check the valve covers to ensure they're not leaking either. The worse case, is the rear main seal may be leaking. But overall, the car is doing great. I planned on taking it to the Dyno next weekend to see what kind of horsepower it's really pushing.
03/02/2007 - Karen helped me find a major leak with the passenger valve cover. I went ahead and purchased some aluminum valve covers and Felpro Rubber gaskets for the covers. I also purchased on ebay a cheap alarm system that I will install at a later time. The Fuel Pressure gauge went out on the car, so I had to send it back for repair. All the wiring is complete as far as the Wide Band O2, as I wired it to the ECM for the ALDL stream. I'll hook it up to the laptop when I get some time off to see how much more tuning I can get done.
07/30/2007 - I'm not happy with the racing seats, so I'm pulling those out and replacing them with 4th generation seats. Also, we've started sanding on the car getting ready for new paint.
08/20/2007 - I got a new device called the Ostrich. Let me tell you that is one of the most awesome devices ever made. I can make program changes without having to worry about burning a chip. I also ran it along with the ALDL cable so that it accessible via the passenger dash. I also ordered a new Accel ignition module along with a MSD coil. I hope those two will help eliminate my spark knock or detonation problems when crossing the trap in second gear at 6000 RPM. I also got in my Mickey Thompson Drag Radials in. As soon as they're mounted, I'll try to get it taken to the track again. But we are still getting the car ready for paint as well. As soon as the temperature cools off, I can start the work.
12/11/2007 - It's been a while, but we found out why the car is losing power after 5600 RPM. The valve springs are not matched with the Cam. We checked the spring pressure when the valves are closed and it is right at 98 lbs. The problem, is that they need to be at 130 lbs. I have the firebird at Shane's shop waiting to install the new springs. I ordered the Comp 986-16 springs, but we have to get the install height changed from 1.860 to 1.750, which required some shims and special spring cups. Once they are installed then I believe the power loss at those RPM's will be taken care of. I still plan on painting the firebird after the beginning of the year and hopefully make it look great.
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- 09/18/2004 - 
