Newest additions (junk yard version)
 

After seeing ddmrk's newest addition it got me to thinking about my new additions. Definitely the other side of the coin. Mine seem to come in boxes. Since I started getting the word out to my friends 6 months ago that I needed a parts car for my 70 Trans Am I have ended up with a Firebird wrecking yard.
I have now rented another warehouse for the parts cars and any resto work I end up doing. I have talked to or met some great people from this forum that have kept me motivated to eventually finish one of my cars. Right now I am enjoying tracking down and saving these birds from a certain death. Here are some pics:

http://www.carbuffs.com/transam711.jpg
1971 Trans Am

http://www.carbuffs.com/transam731.jpg
1973 Trans Am White on Tuxedo, No engine or trans, found listed on Craigslist for free

http://www.carbuffs.com/warehousefirebirds1.jpg
Here is the new warehouse

http://www.carbuffs.com/warehousefirebirds2.jpg
Here is another shot of the warehouse showing I will take in anything with the word bird in it. I saved this poor T-bird from a field. Complete 2 top car. What a shame.

http://www.carbuffs.com/transamparts1.jpg
Here is the parts room upstairs in the new warehouse

http://www.carbuffs.com/transamparts2.jpg

http://www.carbuffs.com/transamparts3.jpg

http://www.carbuffs.com/warehousefirebirds3.jpg
Here is my other warehouse with the 70 TA and the 67 400.

Holy Crap!

Nice!

Looks like they are multiplying int he Bird house keep up the good work

I hate you...
j/c :) just jealous :)

You wouldn't happen to have a set of nice rust free 73 TA front fenders in that parts room of yours for sale???????

Saving the birds is a worthy cause :) I am similarly afflicted, although unfortunately (or probably fortunately) not blessed with the same spacial resources.

From looking at the pics, I'm guessing maybe you're the type who, when you get into something, get into it big time (ref: the collection of pedal cars and Sting Rays -- nice)!!!

Thanks for posting the pics. I forwarded the link to this thread to my wife so perhaps she would be more understanding about the fact that we have a nice attached 3-car garage that is full of 3 non-driveable '70 Firebirds right now. Her response, "It's not a contest!" :)

2 New Birds
 

I have added 2 new birds to the flock.

The first is a 1972 that someone made into a 1972 T/A Clone. I will be using quite a few parts from this car. It just happens to be a non-A/C car so I now have all of the underdash parts for my 70 T/A.

http://www.carbuffs.com/warehousefirebirds4.jpg

http://www.carbuffs.com/warehousefirebirds5.jpg

This second car I bought today. It is a matching #'s 71 Formula 400 with a rebuilt motor and trans. I finally got a numbers Formula 400 and it happens to be a non-A/C car as well.:D Non-A/C cars are hard to find but much appreciated by me. Less mess under the hood. It is a Lucerne blue car with a bright blue standard interior.(My favorite combo) I will have to replace or dye all of the black spray painted interior. And yes, that is a sunroof.:eek: The white car above will be donating its inner and outer roof structure. The rest of the car is incredibly clean. It even has a good trunk. I will also have to put in a correct core support from the white car and a correct passenger fender from my green 71 Esprit. The passenger fender on the Formula has the 73 and up brace support but I do not see anywhere from the inside that it has been cut or welded to add the Formula grilles. Did they make a later style replacement fender?
I will take the formula steering wheel from the white car as well. I think they look great. I will get the PHS faxed to me tomorrow.



http://www.carbuffs.com/formula71blue1.jpg

http://www.carbuffs.com/formula71blue2.jpg

http://www.carbuffs.com/formula71blue3.jpg

http://www.carbuffs.com/formula71blue4.jpg

http://www.carbuffs.com/formula71blue5.jpg

http://www.carbuffs.com/formula71blue6.jpg

Another SICK-O!

I can TOTALLY relate!


Save them from the crusher.

There's TOO MANY going to China!

Nice find!

Yes, service replacement fenders for '71 Firebirds had the '73 and later inner brace for all service fenders made from 1973 until they discontinued making the service parts. You are fortunate to have a good correct '71 fender to put on it.

I'm not sure I'd call the '71 shade of blue interior "bright" -- it's more of a medium/dark. Definitely different than the '70 blue.

Also looks like your car has the '70-style blunt tailpipe tips on it. Is it an early '71?

The car is an early one. 09B and the serial is 102086.

Does anyone have a picture of the 71 style blue interior. I had figured it was the same as the 70 color.

Also, since this shade of blue is different than the 70 color, is the reproduction interior parts the correct color. I know some people were complaining the 70 color was not correct on the repro parts.

Thanks

'71 blue interior. The reproduction interior parts are a horrible match. Everything will need to be dyed.

Is this car from Van Nuys or Norwood? Can you post a picture of the jack instruction decal on the trunk lid if its still there?

Thanks for the pic. Do any of the interior parts have the correct color to match to?

Thanks

The only reproduction interior parts that seem to be the correct color are the floor mats. The seat covers and door panels come in a very dark navy blue and have some metalic in them. Not even close! As far as I know, all the hard plastic parts available come in black only right now. I was never able to find carpet that was an exact match. The original has just a hint of green. The closest I found was #13 blue from ACC.

When I got dye for my car, I just went down to the local body shop supply store and told them I needed blue dye for a '71 Trans Am. They pulled out a dusty old formula book and mixed some up. It was a perfect match.

i love that picture. i remember my 70 bird back in 79. i had the tassle and the "plush" covered console lid (mine was simulated sheep skin though).

is that the 8-track you put to good use or is that original to that car ?

I put the tassle on the mirror graduation night. Just copying what my dad did on his '78 T/A. Mine is already looking pretty sad after seven years. The red has fadded to pink! The black felt cover on the console box lid was installed by one of the previous owners in 1978 to cover the cracked vinyl. When I looked up his phone number and called him about five years ago he asked me if it was still there. Yep! :D

The 8-track is one I got off of ebay a few years ago. I initally wasn't able to get the 8-track you sent me working. Somebody had spilled soda inside and corroded some things up. About a year ago I gave it another try and to my surprise it came screeching to life when I popped in Bee Gees Greatest Hits. A little electic motor oil and its good as new. I plan to put it in my '73 T/A since the original 8-track player is missing.

I just checked and the car has no jacking instructions.

schweeeettttt ! glad to hear that.....now, lets talk about your taste in music....:D

j/k

Nice collection, so many birds so little time.

I remember the day I bench tested my 8-track and found out it still worked, way cool. All I could find for an 8-track was the Doobie Brothers. China Grove the way it was meant to be played, all staticky with a match book cover crammed in there to get the 8 track in contact with the heads. Good Times.

Good job. Keep saving those birds.
I'm on the mend myself, will down to 3 Pontiacs soon ;)

Color Match?
 

I would say that the glove box door in Dens picture & the outer bolster on the passenger seat bottom would be a great starting point for a correct color match.
The comfortweave looks soiled.

As he stated,if your local paint supplier has the color chip charts & codes from 71,there will ALSO be a list of interior color codes.
You may want to go that route first.

That picture is a little misleading. The camera flash made the seats and glove box look darker than they really are. The A-pillar moldings and the panel under the steering column still have the factory applyed paint/dye.

I just found a picture of the interior back in early 2000 before it was freshened up. I'm surprised how good it looks. In real life the top of the seats, door panels, and interior plastic was faded to green! :gag:

Picked up another one today
 

I bought this 73 Formula 400 today. It was sitting in a backyard here in the Bay Area. I sold the neighbor a car and while at my dealership we got to talking about my old Firebirds and he said his neighbor had one in his backyard. He got me in touch with the neighbor and I now own the car.

It was bought in 2000 from the original owner. The current owner never registered it so I received the original 1973 pink slip for the car. The car was bought with a problem with the original 400 motor and it was pulled and had the shortblock taken to a local machine shop. Unfortunately, the machine shop closed up and the original block disappeared. The Firebird had a cover thrown over it and it sat until today.

Luckily, the owner still had everything that came off the original motor minus the shortblock and distributor. He swears the carb is original but the numbers show as being for an automatic car. #7043266 0861. The 4 speed transmission is matching #'s.

The paint is original and in good shape. I am going to recover the seats and dye some interior panels that have turned green and the interior will be great. Trunk is perfect as well as the floor pans. Owner says spare is original. Still has nubs on it.

There is some rust around the rear window that will be repaired and spotted in as well as some scratches on the hood. The plastic front valance needs minor repair. We are trying to maintain as much of the original paint as possible.

I have a complete rebuilt 1972 400 that I will put in the car for now so I can drive it while putting together a correct 73 motor.

Below are a bunch of pics of the car and parts at my warehouse and a couple of the car in the yard where it was found.

Until today this car has never lived more than 10 miles from the dealership that sold it new.

Richie

http://www.carbuffs.com/formula73white1.jpg

http://www.carbuffs.com/formula73white2.jpg

http://www.carbuffs.com/formula73white3.jpg

http://www.carbuffs.com/formula73white4.jpg

http://www.carbuffs.com/formula73white5.jpg

http://www.carbuffs.com/formula73white6.jpg

http://www.carbuffs.com/formula73white7.jpg

http://www.carbuffs.com/formula73white8.jpg

http://www.carbuffs.com/formula73white9.jpg

http://www.carbuffs.com/formula73white10.jpg

http://www.carbuffs.com/formula73white11.jpg

http://www.carbuffs.com/formula73white14.jpg

http://www.carbuffs.com/formula73white15.jpg

http://www.carbuffs.com/formula73whitephs.jpg

That's a GREAT FIND!
No A/C,stick & gauges!
Upgrading to a tach is a real no brainer/EASY on that one.
Nicely optioned,but heated back glass & NO posi or tach? (what were they thinking?)
One of my 72 T/A's has the same exterior/interior color combination

Sweet deal! Congratulations! It's even got the fragile front valence fully intact!

just like what i find around here,but missing the rare rust option.:D

seriously,great find wish i lived closer.

Wow, very cool find! (along with all of the others) Maybe you could put some advertisements in local newspapers/online to try & locate the original short block? Ya never know, maybe it's still around somewhere.