Topic: A Quick redo of a 1976 for a daily driver

[Macdave]

After working over a year on my 76, the wife asked if we could fing one for her so we can drive it. To me, this ment a quick proiject as the daily dings ans road wear on a full restore does not do my mind well. I started the search for a ruff looking 76 and found one on Craigs List in a couple weeks. This is the picture from the ad.

[Macdave]

That was last Summer. This is what it looks like today.

[NWW-79 T/A]

Looks like you did a good job. Nice

[gilbertsta]

what a difference! looks great!

[green-hornet]

Nice work, please post more pictures,we love it 

[Macdave]

THe interior is not fully finished but is close. At current it needs the Pass Side Low Door Panel, headliner (+Trim), and Drivers Door Panel. Here is what it looked like when we first looked at the car. Not a Brown/Tan interior, just very dirty.

[Macdave]

We Washed it out and took all the "trash" out.

[Macdave]

Pulled out the remaining parts, cleaned them, or replaced them, and quickly ended up with this. We have since added new seat coverings frt and rear, weather seals, and misc. trim. Looks like a car with only a few good years on it now. Not a grade A show piece, but a very good cruise-in car. It still gets alot of looks.

[Macdave]

The engine Compt was not very pretty either. It had no real shaker or hood, but a fiberglass hood and fake scoop in the wrong place. Things that were not the correct year and such and thinggs hanging on by wires.

[Macdave]

All needed cleaned, taken apart (including the engine for good measure), or replaced. About a month later she looked like this with the new shaker, core supt and decal, etc.

[Macdave]

Most of the time was spent on the missing metal in fron of and behind the rear wheels. The car is not full of rust, but these are problem areas with these cars if they are not kept clean. They must not have been. One thing most do not notice is that, due to a shortage of early firebird hoods at a resonable price, I created this one from a std hood. I trimmed the bracing where my other hood was trimmed, and then cut (about 1/2 inch inside the normal area) the opening and hand rolled the edge like my factory hood has. It turned out very good.

[Macdave]

If anyone out there has any of the factory plastic wheel flares that they do not need, I can probably repair them or  atleast use them as pieces to repair others. It you have any old sail panel chrome birds, I can repair them also. I only need the chrome piece to do this. I also need a set of 15" trim rings for these wheels if someone has a set that has dings the replaces with better ones.

[Macdave]

We have finished up the interior except the headliner and trim that supports it. This will be going is once we get the board from a parts car that is comming hopefully some time in January.

[Macdave]

Drove the car to the filling station and let the wife drive around the block. Finnaly got the thing to idle properly so it will be going to the test station this week. Looking relatively complete. Needs those plastic bottles that hold the coolant and washer fluid, but not much more than that. It was nice to drive it without stalling. It has been too long since I drove one of these great cars.

[termy1971]

I love it! I remember seeing that car for sale I had though about buying it also. Looks great!