[Joe37]

I used Eastwood paint ( https://www.eastwood.com/ew-zinc-pho...sol-12-oz.html ) on the shifter parts, it matches OEM coatings perfectly.

[78Macho]

The exhaust has been a labor of love! My plans when I took the car over to Joe's house were to get the car running and bring it home. Tom Hand actually helped Joe and I install the engine and tranny last year. To say Tom knows exhaust would be an understatement at best. Well as the project is winding down with Joe, Tom calls me and says he wants to help run the exhaust from the cat back. He has a good friend with a shop and they want to help me out. His friend came and picked the car up at Joe's house and took it to his shop.

I think the pictures tell the rest of the story. It is about as close to OEM as you can get. I am hoping to get the car picked up on Sunday and bring it home. Which means I will get to start and drive the car for the first time ever!

A HUGE thank you to Joe, Tom and Jack!

[Skip Fix]

Very nice!

[74Grandville]

you're making some great progress!! Some observations you may want to look into. the heat shield doesn't look correct on the exhaust manifold. i believe the one on yours is for ealier setups. Also, the front pulleys look like they would be for an A/C car. non A/C got a larger water pump pulley and smaller crank pulley.

my original plan for my 79 TA was to make a w72 copy. that lasted for a year before i went a whole different direction with the 428... lol

[78w72]

Looks great!

[78Macho]

Judge3, glad you are happy with the console. I have heard about an even mix of folks that like the reproduction units and those that don't.

One of the first comments I received on my Macho when I took it to MCACN was car looks nice but it has repop wheels on it! Well, thanks, yes they are repop wheels. The wheels are beautiful, but not 100% accurate in the size of the snowflake spokes and mine should have been painted gold completely because it was a late production 1978.

I am trying very hard to put OEM parts back on the car to keep it as accurate as possible. Splitting hairs, yes, it is hard and expensive at that. At this point the interior will have repop door panels, seat covers and carpeting. That leaves the dash, console and steering wheel as OEM...

[77 TRASHCAN]

Jim, What size are the after converter, pipes? Stock?

[Tom Hand]

77, we used the factory stuff as models to create these parts, as best we could. However, we did not add flats and dents in the over the axle pipes like OEM ones have. Jack played some bending tricks to avoid needing the crushed zones.

We did work hard to get the Y pipe pretty accurate and the pipes have the little tabs welded on to hold the mufflers at the correct angle.

The mufflers are cut off and configured exactly like the OEM ones. Notice in the photo the tailpipes attach right at the end of the shell like 78 and 79s did. Some vendors sell systems that are supposed to be exact but the mufflers are not cut off like these and I am not sure the mufflers are notched and locked on the Y-pipes' outlets with the tabs like Jim's is.

We worked very hard to get angles and spacing of everything correct.

The tips are made as accurate as I could get them with the samples and photos I had to go from. And, I had them welded and chromed in such a way that they don't look aftermarket . I did use the heavier gauge steel than original but folks can't see that.

I am pleased at how quiet it is but then again, coming right out of the converter, it was not loud so it makes sense.

Jack Dean, the J and M Custom Exhaust shop owner here in Raymore, MO had a similar Firebird land he was very happy and proud that it looks and-sounds like he remembers his when new. This to me says we did pretty well overall.

Tom Hand

[dreamn69]

It all looks great!

[77 TRASHCAN]

Tom,
Job well done on all aspects of an original exhaust!!
I'd of been tempted to use 2-1/2" tubing. your post converter looks very well done. The two 2-1/4 tubes won't be restrictive. My 77 had the conventional transverse muffler with only one 2-1/4 feeding it, and it ran pretty spiffy!!!
Tom, say Hi to your Dad for me!!!

Jim, Are you going to paint your car, or just revitalize what ou have?

[78Macho]

Saga continues. Trailer I was going to borrow yesterday to pick the car up was tied up all weekend. New schedule is to pick the car up after work today. The suspense is starting to get to me!

I have a fairly short punch list of items I want to address before I say it is halfway done! I need to tread lightly, the boss at home has been extremely generous on the funds flowing the past few months on the blue car.

Paint and bodywork are next. Crazy to have such a ragged car with the original paint still on it! I plan to do the bodywork myself but haven't decided yet about painting it. I have painted a number of cars over the years with the last being a yellow 1980 Corvette for my son when he turned 16. Currently I don't have the funds for what a paint job costs!

[Tom Hand]

Shot of the pass side Tip.

[Skip Fix]

Look for any flex cracks on the top where I circled. My 78 T top car did even after we smoothed it just pulling in and out of the body shop. Took out the factory lead and there were only 3 spot welds per side! Welded it solid and redid the lead.