Topic: HELP! Save the 76!

[kjkjkcjkcj]

How could they do that. that is way to sneaky of a move.  Good thing USA made them stop and as the project moves on i would not care too too much about the skin on your hands.  I would treasure the times when all the skin is still on your hands.

[Joker (§ir£Ğragon)]

Pawn shops are good places to find tools at a good price too.

[78ta]

Mike,
If this decal is what you're referring to, I think that was on all pre-fisher t-top cars.
 My standard issue 78 TA Hurst t-top car came with this sticker on the door.


Olliesha,
If you're not familiar with what a build sheet is or where to find it, it is a piece of paper with a chart on it listing the codes for the various options that were installed on the car. The factory line worker would use this to know what to put on what car. At the end of the line or when they no longer needed it, they would just stick it in the car somewhere out of sight. Common places they hid them are under the carpet below one of the front seats, tucked into the seat bottom springs of the bucket seats, behind the rear seat back, taped above the glove box and on the top side of the gas tank. The ones on the gas tank rarely survive intact.
I think you said you had already pulled the carpet and seats out. I remember you mentioning the rolly polly's and spiders. Did you find anything that sounds like this? 

[78ta]

 

And only 643 recieved those little door stickers, 533 of which had the 400 engine.

I didn't know that. Where did you find that info? I thought I had heard that there weren't any records kept by Hurst for the Hurst cars. Maybe that was for "my" year 78.

Just out of curiousity, what engine would a standard Firebird have had in it in 76? 350?

[olliesha]

Guys, dont feel bad, it was really awesome to read all of that stuff!!

I took quite a few things from everything.

No China made tools. ever. lol

I fully plan on having help to take off the bigger parts of the car and the front end def has to come off. One of my friends knows exactly how to do all of that so I got lucky there.

I actually knew most of those stats about the car, i've been doing research for over a year on the car itself, before I even got one.

Actually, Hammer, to go along with what you were saying about the hurst hatches, I also read that a certain amount of the cars, around 5-600 even, dont all have the same hatches because it got too expensive, that is the latches to get them open i mean, I believe it said they were different on the later editions of the cars. That was a very expensive year for that car, none of them are made all fully the same. It's like with the black chrome tip exhaust, there were only a few hundred made and those are even more rare.

I am going to get the VIN number sent in soon, the rate is 50 bucks now. But i am excited to see what it says. That car has probably been alot of places and I'd like to see what it originally was.

I will try to find the build sheet, I haven't had any luck yet...I actually had no idea they hid it like that! I still have to look behind the seats. I just hope its readable and I hope it isnt in the gas tank...ha thats weird.

Anyway, I will post pictures soon and probably more specific posts about tools and windshields. Luckily for me the only glass that needs replacing is the t-tops and front windshield. the side windows just need to be cleaned and handled very carefully by me. the back windshield is completely fine.

my first step really is to get tools and an engine stand. I was going to test out Harbor Freight...but now i feel like I should go to a pawn shop or something

I will look into that DVD, the dream build live i believe?
Also I need to look into sand grinders/blasters...etc and air compressors. Those I am not too familiar with.

Thanks again and your help is very much appreciated!!

[78ta]

Mike,
Thank you for taking the time to take and post those images.
I believe all Hurst Hatch t's for 76, 77 and the ones made in early 78 were sent to Hurst for installation. Not just the 50th's.
Olliesha,
I believe the only other "factory" t-tops were the cars and concepts t-tops. I think they got a contract to install theirs because Hurst couldn't keep up at some point in time. There's at least one other t-top maker called American t-tops? Correct me if I'm wrong here, but I don't think they were officially "factory" installed. They were after market t's.

When I said sometimes the build sheets can be found on the top side of the gas tank, I meant on the _outside_ of the tank between the tank and the bottom side of the trunk floor. Not actually in the gas tank. You're right, that would be weird.

Sometimes getting the rear seat bottoms out can be very hard. The seat bottom frames are just a heavy wire frame. You have to push the front bottom side of the seat bottom very hard toward the rear of the car in order to get the wire/frame to cleear the hook it is seated in. Push the seat bottom back and then lift it once it's free. But as mentioned, the build sheets are usually behind the rear seat back. That's where I found mine and the one in my son's 81 Z28. You have to get the bottoms out to get the seat back off though.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I'll set my home made blasting booth up and take some pics of it for you and also explain what you're looking at. I think a lot of guys (term used loosely) will benefit from the info. Blasting booths that large cost $800-$900 and take up a lot of space all the time. This one is nearly free and folds up out of the way when you don't need it.

The dvd series is marketed by Hot Rod Magazine and is called the "Dream, Build, Drive" dvd library. They've been out a few months now. You might check ebay to see if people are selling their copies yet. I'm gonna pop over there and check now. Nope, none on ebay yet.

Later, 

[LOMILETA]

You are correct about all 76,77 and early 78 got the hurst tops, But the only cars to get tops in 76 were the 50th cars.

[78ta]

AAAAAAHHHHHH......Ok. I didn't know that. I knew Mike knew what he was talking about but something was missing in his logic about the t's. Now I understand Hammer's logic. I think I'm scared. 
Thanks Russ

[olliesha]

thanks for all the info, the pics would be greatly appreciated and i love building things! plus how awesome to DIY.

also, my rear seats, the back is the hardest to get out, the seats themselves slid out. the front ones i will have a problem and im afraid the floor is going to come right up too lol

i will try my damndest to get some of it done this weekend, at least get the insides out and then take more recent pictures. im also going out to get tools.

im trying to decide between those and getting a dirtbike.
i also found an enduro from the 70s for like 550. ugh, so many decisions. Taz first

but thanks for all the help! ill see if i can find that video via torrentz.

[kjkjkcjkcj]

Dont get that bike. thats wayyy to old.  by the time your done spending the money to get it to run you would have been able to buy a nice newer bike.  Stick to the trans am

[Rick]

also, my rear seats, the back is the hardest to get out, the seats themselves slid out. the front ones i will have a problem and im afraid the floor is going to come right up too

The rear seat back is held in my two bolts down at the bottom, behind where the lower seat cushions came out.  Just unbolt those, and then pull the seat back out towards you a little and then up.  The top part "hooks" over a couple of brackets that are behind the seat.  It's actually less work to remove the seat back than it was the lower rear seat cushions.  The front seats just unbolt from the floor -- the bolts are easy to get to if you move the seat back and forth a little.

i will try my damndest to get some of it done this weekend, at least get the insides out and then take more recent pictures. im also going out to get tools.

im trying to decide between those and getting a dirtbike.

Tools first.  Once you have the tools, you can use them for all kinds of stuff.  Without the tools you are hamstrung and dependent upon others for even the simplest stuff.  It's like somebody teaching you to fish, or giving you a fish.  Once you know how to fish you aren't dependent upon somebody's charity.  As long as you need their fish, you have to keep kissing their a$$ or you go hungry.  Once you have your own gear and know how to use it you can tell THEM to kiss YOUR a$$.  See the difference?

[RENOVATIONS]

What's all this talk about ham and fish?? (now I'm hungry  )
 

[olliesha]

ha yes, i do see the difference. thanks. if there is anyone out there with spare tools or tool boxes, thatd be awesome! but this weekend will be fun shopping

[oboogie80]

You may find a build sheet behind the rear seat stuffed in the wires. I just found mine Sun. Rarebird has never found one.

[olliesha]

well this weekend will be interesting because i will tear it apart to look lol