1968 Firebird 400

[madhatter1]

After a "fun" car show in Madeira Beach this weekend the FireChicken is headed to Cape Cod for the summer. May leave it there for a next summer too. Bought a new 20' flatbed car hauler because rentals are crazy expensive. Trailer is very well constructed and will also be for sale once the car is sold or back in FL. I made a fact sheet for the car to put in window at the show. Copy/paste below.

1968 FIREBIRD 400 4 SPEED MANUAL

ENGINE BLOCK IS 1973 185HP Y4 block date code 72 with 4X heads 2 BARREL
WAS REBUILT WITH 8 EYEBROW PISTONS SO GOOD STARTING POINT

CAR RAN LIKE IT HAD A POTATO STUFFED UP THE EXHAUST WHEN I GOT IT

CURRENT CONFIGURATION
1969 "48"CASTING HEADS (THESE CAME WITH ANOTHER 68 400 I HAD IN 1985)
HEADS SAT ON END IN CAPE CODE BASEMENT FOR 34 YEARS AND WERE STILL GOOD
CHEAP HOLLEY (QUICK FUEL) 600 CFM 4 BARREL CARB (CAN'T FIND A REAL Q-JET TUNER)
HOOKER HEADERS (MUST HAVE BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT I HAD BACK IN THE DAY)
X PIPE EXHAUST
COMP CAM "MAGNUM MUSCLE" (TORQUE CAM)
9.5 CR, RUNS ON 93 MINIMUM
ESTIMATED HP IS 350 OR SO BUT NOT DYNO TESTED. FUN FACTOR ABOVE AVERAGE!
ONLY RUN ON 93 ETHANOL FREE SINCE PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENTS

4 SPEED MUNCIE M-21 TRANNY (REBUILT, WAS IN GOOD SHAPE)
NEW HURST SHIFTER (ORIGINAL "FACTORY" HURST KEPT ENDING UP IN 1ST AND
REVERSE AT THE SAME TIME, STALLING THE ENGINE)
HURST T-HANDLE SHIFTER

POSI TRACTION (WAS 1 LEGGED)
CHANGED TO CORRECT RATIO GEARS 3.55

CAR WAS ORIGINALLY BLACK WITH RED INTERIOR
REPAINTED RED WITH CUSTOM SHADOW EMBLEMS

WHAT DOES IT NEED???
ORIGINAL Q-JET REBUILT AND TUNED BY QUALIFIED MECHANIC
DISC BREAKS, THE DRUMS ARE WEAK, PULLS TO RIGHT IN HARD BRAKING
ONLY KNOWN "BONDO" SPOT IS A NICELY DONE (BUT WRONG) SMALL SPOT TO
DAMAGED RIGHT REAR BOTTOM QUARTER PANEL.

OTHER THAN THAT SHE'S A RIPPA!

ALSO DRINKS GAS LIKE A BOAT.

Thought you guys would like that last part.

 

[madhatter1]

Car is now available for sale. If not sold this fall will be garaged on Cape Cod until spring and then used occasionally until sold.

$38,000.

 

[rsmith]

Calling Lester Burnham

https://youtu.be/qw0kuEG7NR8

 

[madhatter1]

Who do you think told me to buy it? Griswold talked me into my RV! These guys are convincing 

 

[rsmith]

Who do you think told me to buy it? Griswold talked me into my RV! These guys are convincing 

“Where’s the Camry” lol

 

[madhatter1]

Well spring is around the corner and making plans to get up to the Cape to get the car into a speed/classic shop I found. The do classics, restorations, and build high HP race engines. Good find. Anyway I dropped the car off last September for them to tune out a hesitation off idle and a few other things. Guy asks me whats my story about what I have in the engine. After we talk he says okay, 325, Maybe 350 HP but expects it do be a decent runner.

Go to pick up and I ask him what do you think. He says your car really surprised me. Kinda fast. Easy 400 HP. Says that with the current carb and stock intake it chokes after XX RPM. 650 double pumper and new intake are 40-50 east bolt on HP. More like fix the restrictions.

Nice, drive home and for $300 the hesitation is almost non existent, the car drives straighter and tight (rough alignment, car was a little cross eyed), and way quieter. He put in little missing tension springs, adjusted clutch, just a whole bunch of minor odds and ends that made a huge difference. So car will go in for new radiator, carb (including tuning), intake, front disc brake conversion, remove timing gear/replace with chain, device to reduce power steering power (for better feedback), a true alignment, and then whatever minor things it needs.

Still plan on selling later this year if anyone is interested. But have to punish the rear tires some before doing so.

 

[rwaldrop13]

Here is one pic. Easier to text or email.

That is a rare and wonderful work of art...

 

[jim rosenthal]

You need a set of Webers. I just put four of them on a 302 Ford engine, which ran great on a single four-barrel. But the throttle response with Webers is amazing.