1971 Firebird Build ("The Other Woman", a.k.a. Project "T.O.W.")



The car is a 1971 Firebird. I purchased this car from South Florida in July of this year. The car appears to be an Esprit, originally a 4-speed car with AC. The car was restored in the early/mid 90's, and it seems to have been driven very little since then. The interior is in overall good condition with just a few common issues (dash pad, console door). The exterior of the car is a mismatch of Trans Am front fenders, rear fender flares, and a fiberglass Formula hood.



I saw a lot of pictures of the car before I purchased it, and I had several phone conversations with the seller. Unfortunately, even after asking many many specific questions (this isn't my first second gen), the car arrived with more rust issues than I was led to believe. The reality is that the car is a good 20-footer. I'm not sure if it's painted in the original Buccaneer Red or not, but the red is a good color on the car. Both lower rear quarters have some rust issues, and some small patches on the lower doors be required. But overall, I felt pretty good about the car for what I paid for it, especially given what I could find locally (ie: much worse for more money).



So it's now November, and I enjoyed driving the car a little bit for the few months that I've owned it. It took me a while to get the title straightened out (lesson learned, make VERY certain that an out-of-state seller really has a title in their name), but once that was done, I got to drive it a bit. And clearing the title was also my last hurdle to clear before starting on the big changes that I have planned for this car...



My goals for this car are pretty simple... I don't want to turn this into a show car. I want to build it to drive it. Specifically, I want to do HPDE events at the local tracks, so my choices in drivetrain and suspension reflect that. I also want to drive the car, so it won't be solely a track car. I won't trade off some comfort for outright performance.



Given those goals, I wanted a car that looks presentable enough as my starting point. I intend to replace all of the mechanicals of the car, but don't really want to dive into bodywork if it can be avoided.



After a lot of research, here is the list of items that I've decided to go with on the car. I managed to score a pretty good eBay LS2 built almost like I wanted it. The suspension was a much more difficult choice at first, as there aren't as many choices available for the second gen cars as there are for the first gens... But I'm very happy with my selection, and I can't wait to get this thing on the road...

Engine LS2 402ci Ported L92 Heads Custom Cam (234/242, .602"/.605", 112) Edelbrock Victor Jr. L92 FTP 4-barrel 1350cfm Throttle Body F.A.S.T. XFI Controller / Harness Champ LS oil pan / pickup JRS Tri-Y LS headers with 1 7/8" primaries, 3" collectors, ceramic coated Built by Golen Engine Service Expected output of 550-580 engine HP Prodicy Customs / Wegner LS Accessory Drive Kit with AC and remote-reservoir PS pump PRC Radiator / AC Condenser / Oil Cooler / Dual-fan setup

Transmission T56 Magnum Prodigy Customs T56 Magnum install package

Front Suspension JRS's custom built front Subframe JRS's DOM custom control arms built to C6 dimensions JRS's Monoball control arm bushings C6 uprights / hubs Bilstein single-adjustable coilovers JRS's splined sway bar DSE Subframe bushings / bolt kit

Rear Suspension JRS's Torque Arm rear setup JRS's Watt's Link JRS's custom built 9" housing 9" Center Section with 3.89 gears and a True-Trac differential

Brakes Front - Baer Pro-Plus System (14" rotors, 6P Calipers) Rear - Baer Pro-Plus System (14" rotors with integrated parking brake, 6P calipers) Front and rear calipers in black with red letters DSE Master cylinder and booster

Wheels/Tires Forgeline wheels (undecided on actual style, leaning towards the GA3 or the SO3, I love them both) Front - 18" x 10" Rear - 18" x 12" Tires are undecided, but likely either the Michelin PS2s or the BFG KDWs Front - 275/40/18 Rear - 335/35/18

Body Mods Trans Am front fenders Trans Am front and rear fender flares VFN Trans Am Fiberglass Shaker Hood DSE Mini-tubs

Interior Mods Seats (Sparco or Cobra) Ridetech's Tiger-Cage (still debating whether I will go this route...) Custom Dash Insert with AutoMeter gauges Prodigy Customs Vintage-Air Gen IV package

Other VaporWerks Gas Tank DSE Subframe connectors DSE Wiper Motor AAW Classic Update 70-81 Camaro wiring harness with 70-73 Firebird add-on



Those are the big-ticket items that I've decided on so far. Before I get too much further I want to give both Frank at Prodigy and Jake at JRS a big THANX for all of the time and help that they have given me so far. I've spent a lot of time on the phone with both, and they have helped me make a lot of decisions.



So far, I have received the JRS front subframe/suspension, and it's a work of art! I'll post pictures separately. I also have the front and rear Baer brakes. The rear housing is assembled but needs to be powder coated. The engine will be on the engine dyno this week and should be on its way to me by Friday. Most of the rest of the parts are on order and will be shipping over the next month or so...



Oh, about the project 'name'. About 3 weeks after I bought the car, my girlfriend gave me a gift to christen the project. It's a gold Firebird keychain. On the back of the pendant of the keychain was engraved "The Other Woman". Hmm, that didn't take long now did it. But since I plan to use the car frequently on the track, I somehow turned that into "T.O.W.". Hopefully I haven't cursed myself with that name choice...



One final note... I wanted to get this post out today, the 1-year anniversary of my father's passing. I owe all of my car knowledge and willingness to take on a project of this magnitude to him, so in many ways this is a tribute to the may things that he taught me.



Ok, enjoy the build, I'll post up some pictures in a few minutes... Since I have now officially embarked on my latest project, I thought it was time to create a build thread.The car is a 1971 Firebird. I purchased this car from South Florida in July of this year. The car appears to be an Esprit, originally a 4-speed car with AC. The car was restored in the early/mid 90's, and it seems to have been driven very little since then. The interior is in overall good condition with just a few common issues (dash pad, console door). The exterior of the car is a mismatch of Trans Am front fenders, rear fender flares, and a fiberglass Formula hood.I saw a lot of pictures of the car before I purchased it, and I had several phone conversations with the seller. Unfortunately, even after asking many many specific questions (this isn't my first second gen), the car arrived with more rust issues than I was led to believe. The reality is that the car is a good 20-footer. I'm not sure if it's painted in the original Buccaneer Red or not, but the red is a good color on the car. Both lower rear quarters have some rust issues, and some small patches on the lower doors be required. But overall, I felt pretty good about the car for what I paid for it, especially given what I could find locally (ie: much worse for more money).So it's now November, and I enjoyed driving the car a little bit for the few months that I've owned it. It took me a while to get the title straightened out (lesson learned, make VERY certain that an out-of-state seller really has a title in their name), but once that was done, I got to drive it a bit. And clearing the title was also my last hurdle to clear before starting on the big changes that I have planned for this car...My goals for this car are pretty simple... I don't want to turn this into a show car. I want to build it to drive it. Specifically, I want to do HPDE events at the local tracks, so my choices in drivetrain and suspension reflect that. I also want to drive the car, so it won't be solely a track car. I won't trade off some comfort for outright performance.Given those goals, I wanted a car that looks presentable enough as my starting point. I intend to replace all of the mechanicals of the car, but don't really want to dive into bodywork if it can be avoided.After a lot of research, here is the list of items that I've decided to go with on the car. I managed to score a pretty good eBay LS2 built almost like I wanted it. The suspension was a much more difficult choice at first, as there aren't as many choices available for the second gen cars as there are for the first gens... But I'm very happy with my selection, and I can't wait to get this thing on the road...Those are the big-ticket items that I've decided on so far. Before I get too much further I want to give both Frank at Prodigy and Jake at JRS a big THANX for all of the time and help that they have given me so far. I've spent a lot of time on the phone with both, and they have helped me make a lot of decisions.So far, I have received the JRS front subframe/suspension, and it's a work of art! I'll post pictures separately. I also have the front and rear Baer brakes. The rear housing is assembled but needs to be powder coated. The engine will be on the engine dyno this week and should be on its way to me by Friday. Most of the rest of the parts are on order and will be shipping over the next month or so...Oh, about the project 'name'. About 3 weeks after I bought the car, my girlfriend gave me a gift to christen the project. It's a gold Firebird keychain. On the back of the pendant of the keychain was engraved "The Other Woman". Hmm, that didn't take long now did it.But since I plan to use the car frequently on the track, I somehow turned that into "T.O.W.".Hopefully I haven't cursed myself with that name choice...One final note... I wanted to get this post out today, the 1-year anniversary of my father's passing. I owe all of my car knowledge and willingness to take on a project of this magnitude to him, so in many ways this is a tribute to the may things that he taught me.Ok, enjoy the build, I'll post up some pictures in a few minutes...

Bryan

1971 Firebird Formula with a couple of T/A goodies __________________Bryan