[LeighP]

Hey Geno,
You can see two small grommets and a little hole on the RH side of the firewall...the heater hot water tubes stick through there, the hole is for a stud that secures the heater.....its a tiny unit out of some small Japanese car...not sure which one, I tore it out of a car in a wrecking yard some years back for a project and it fits this car very nicely. No A/C....didn't want the underhood pump and pipes etc, or the condensor out front (using that spot for oil and trans coolers).

[72blackbird]

Leigh,
I decided not to go back to A/C on my '72 because of the reasons I tore it out in the first place- too bulky, poor access to the spark plugs. But I did get all of the parts to install the factory heater- going to mod the firewall to accept it like sinister76 did in his post over at TAC.

Nice progress on your 'Bird, BTW- when are you doing the engine?

Geno

[LeighP]

Get the subframe back in....then do the rear axle and back springs....then I think its drivetrain time, with a side order of front suspension for an appetiser...lol.

[LeighP]

Subframe is back from the engineering shop.
New set of custom made WS6 style control arm mount braces...


The unused late model rear body mount holes all plated up, top and bottom...


The slightly rust thinned front body mounts re-inforced with a ring of steel plate, fro munderneath so it doesn't alter the body to frame distance...


Its off to the blaster/powdercoater later on this morning.

[LeighP]

Some gear back from the powdercoaters....Subframe in satin black (control arms are getting done right now...) sway bars and crossmember in silver metallic.
I painted the new GM B body spindles in POR15 Cast Grey finish.....I'm using B body spindles so I can run 12" 1LE discs off a late 80's 3rd gen optional brake setup.

[Young Pontiac Guy]

That heater box looks pretty neat. Do you remember what you pulled that off of? Definitely looking forward to seeing how you install it as well! Would like to do something like this to my Bird.

The car is looking pretty awesome. Some very nice touches!

YPG

[LeighP]

Sorry about not knowing what heater box that is...I've been hanging onto it for years....its out of a small Jap car...little 3 door hatchback.
.
Got stuck in this morning, between people dropping by to pick up parts...having a clear out as I'm moving house soon.
Got the subframe up and fitted, aligned and cross measured and torqued up. Fitted the front sway bar and sway bar brace (like a 3rd gen brace, but made for 2nd gens).
Fitted the WS6 style rear lower control arm mount braces I had made.
Fitted up one of the subframe cconnectors, I'll have the other finished tomorrow.....they bolted on very nicely...fit well.
Just to see how they fit, I positioned the front subframe "G Braces".....they actually don't bolt on until the front fenders are fitted.

[LeighP]

Got the other subframe connector on today....funny how one side is easy, the other fights you all the way. Not that the connector didn't fit...it fits fine, just drill access for some reason was a little harder and I broke my large drill bit ...how I don't know, but it shattered...so I had to down tools and pack up and go off in search of a new drill bit...on a Sunday.
After that was all bolted in, I fitted up the heater unit after first covering that section of the firewall with dynamat and dynapad. Next trick is concentrate on the getting front end back together so the car is rollable for when I have to move.

[keepat]

Leigh,

All the new hardware looks great! Look forward to seeing more pictures!
Thanks!
Pat

[bird72]

Quite an impressive job so far, I like the engineering for function approach..... I am hoping he doesn't do a Mad Max thing on the cosmetics though....

[LeighP]

lol...Cosmetically, it'll look pretty close to a 71 Formula 455....no spoilers or flares etc...I like the smooth original body design of these early cars...just the formula hood with working ram air is all.

Nothing "Mad Max" for this car.....lol

[LeighP]

A little while since I last posted, but I have been working on the car.....assembling the front suspension and steering. Had to wait till an internal spring compressor came in for me....seems no one stocks these anymore for "old School" coil spring cars....just the outside style ones for strut equipped cars.

Got the upper and lower arms powdercoated in satin black. Uppers use solid steel greasable bushes on an offset forged cross shaft (more built in camber). I've used tall forged steel balljoints in the top to increase the negative camber gain when the suspension is in compression.
Lower arms use alloy and Delrin greasable bushes and standard quality replacement balljoints. My GEN II front coils went in OK and I fitted up the Koni Classic shocks and adjusted them to the "++" position...which is the halfway point between soft and hard.

Had to fit the new engine mounts before fitting the lower control arms went in...way easier to get the bolts into position that way. I've got Energy Suspension inserts in the clamshell style late model mounts. Mounts are left loose till the engine is fitted.

Steering box is a new 12.7:1 GM670 power box with billet steel pitman arm and new rag joint. I'll be using a repro intermediate steering shaft as soon as the supply turns up in the country. All new drag link (Camaro one - hence the straight replacement pitman arm - they are different from Firebird drag link/pitman arm) and new tierods and idler arm...the tie rod adjusters are an aftermarket solid replacement rather than the factory split tube design.

Stub axles are later model new GM "B" body stubs....so I can fit 12" 1LE option discs from a late 80's F-body. Discs are new SSBC "Big Bite" rotors...I wasn't particularly looking for crossdrilled rotors, but these were on special at Summit for a really good price.

So only problem now is I have to find some old 15" tyres to fit to my spare Rally II wheels to use as "roll arounds"....the old wheels I've been using are 14" Rally IIs and they won't fit anymore due to the new front stubs, lol.

[LeighP]

Well, I see I haven't updated things in a while.....

Removed the rear end and had it all rebuilt...Moser forged axles, 3.08:1 gears, Powertrax centre, 1350 steel yoke, 11" B body finned drums. Seam welded the tubes to the centre and had it check straightened.



Since my car didn't come wit ha rear sway bar, I made up some brackets to use later drop link mounts...the rail is too thin to screw the mounts on the bottom like later cars do.


Cleaned up all the ECS system....


New Koni shocks....


Fitted up the axle - new stainless brake lines and Pro-touring F-body spring set.


Those brakes only just fit inside 15" wheels...


Got the tank in yesterday... RobbMc Fuel Pickup and sender. Closed cell neoprene anti rub strips and repro OER tank straps.



Fitted the Carter electric pump and RobbMc pre-filter and plumbed it all today. (sorry, no pics...)

Got to fit some more fuel hardline tomorrow and then I think I'll mock up the rad support and build the mount for the alloy radiator and twin thermofans....just passing some time till my mechanic friend gets back in town so we can start on the engine.

[eaglesan13]

Did you check the fit for the rear sway bar against the differential cover? I know it is a tight fit even with the low profile stock cover. The car is looking good.

[LeighP]

Yeah, I have a standard rear T/A bar here that looks like it'll clear OK - tested it for clearance on the hat and the fuel pump location. I'm waiting on the adjustable thicker bars from Pro-Touring F-Body.
If that does present as a problem, I'll get the Hotchkiss rear bar they sell in their TVS system....I believe it clamps to the axle tubes and mounts under the diff centre...so clearance wouldn't be an issue.

[Father&Son73T/A]

Leigh,amazing work you have done!
I can't do what you do here in the states!,kudo's to your efforts!
I want to see(and hear!)that badboy 455 in action,please post!

[LeighP]

Be a while yet.....lol, just ordering trans parts for the TH350 today....

[LeighP]

So, I've been doing little stuff while I'm waiting for my mechanic friend to get home from his trip to help me sort the engine.
Finishing off the brake hard lines - have to fit up the calipers so I can get some hoses made up - a couple of people running the bigger brake rotors mentioned they'd like a little more length in the flex lines than the stock ones give you.
Also fitted up the trans cooler......I set up the mount so I can add an engine oil cooler easily on the other side if I ever think its necessary. I put some rubber vibration dampening mounts between the cooler and the frame....just in case.






Next job is to mock up the alloy radiator in position and design a mount for the radiator that lets me fit the twin thermo fans easily and neatly.

[cliffhanger]

absolutely outstanding work, but if i may give one small piece of advise, which can still easily be done at this stage: paint the screws black. imho, if you keep the screws in the metal 'coulour' that it is now, it slightly diverts attention. but that can be just my opinion, nonetheless great, great, GREAT work!

[LeighP]

I kind of like the stainless button head screws holding the frame on...but I can see what you mean about the ones holding the cooler to the frame..especially those large washers. I agree.