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History / OriginalityGot a question about 1982-1992 Camaro or Firebird history? Have a question about original parts, options, RPO codes, when something was available, or how to document your car? Those questions, answers, and much more!
I spoke with Jim Crist again this morning - he has several pictures he's making copies of for me - one on the grid at Sebring. He thinks he may still have the fire suit & will look for it this weekend.
Chris, that is some valuable paperwork you have there. It is neat to see the yearly qualifying inspections. Wise decision not to 'race and rub' like the stock car fellers.
Goes to show us all, there are still great cars to be found.
LOL - I didn't think I would ever hear that word used in a sentence referring to a third gen but it may just fit!
The car has multiple track records, poles and wins - it must have been something to compete with back in it's day!
Another interesting fact here is the car has NEVER been titled and had remained on it's MSO for all of these years! For good or for bad, when they converted it to a race car they left the VIN on the dash - because of that, it was determined (by people smarter than me) that I SHOULD have a title in my name to demonstrate ownership. This has not been an easy process (or cheap) and was one of the reasons I traveled to Michigan last Friday. However, by the end of today, I should have a Michigan Title in my name.
The good part of this is that the origin of the car is maintained - it will remain as 1 of the 4 1LE Trans Ams and not be known as just another race car.
Yes it was great to meet you and put a face to a name. Yeah he is an amazing kid... knows his cars especially his exotics, sports cars, Camaros mustangs Challengers etc, I am pretty sure he can identify any new American car... When he was 2 we could show him a picture of a car and he could tell us who drove a car like it, even if it was not the same color... I think he gets a lot of his interest and identification from video games, and my interest in cars. Funny thing, I am a Ferrari Guy, loved the GTO, but he could care less, but show him a Lamborghini, and he is all over it.
Sorry for just bolt on you, he has Asperger's so I have to keep an eye on him and be careful to push him only so far.
have you shown him any of the 1957 250 TRs? they are so beautiful...
What a JAW DROPPING find. You need to bring that up to pre-race condition (restored) and just watch the value go to the moon. What a really cool looking paint scheme with the Yellow and Blue Sunoco.
What a JAW DROPPING find. You need to bring that up to pre-race condition (restored) and just watch the value go to the moon. What a really cool looking paint scheme with the Yellow and Blue Sunoco.
I do share this view but i am torn... the car was used as an actual race car and that is what 1LE was about... so with the providence he has with records and all it may be worth more in the race condition rather than just a 1 of 4 1LE...maybe... and costs less to not change it back. but not having the original factory engine hurts..
I do share this view but i am torn... the car was used as an actual race car and that is what 1LE was about... so with the providence he has with records and all it may be worth more in the race condition rather than just a 1 of 4 1LE...maybe... and costs less to not change it back. but not having the original factory engine hurts..
I didn't mean to change it back to a STOCK looking 1LE, but how it looked with ALL the decals and paint in the first picture before actually being raced.
I didn't mean to change it back to a STOCK looking 1LE, but how it looked with ALL the decals and paint in the first picture before actually being raced.
That's the plan - going to go back to the original, race winning, record setting look with the yellow stripes on the bottom and Pontiac across the windshield. The Sunoco on the hood will be the proper size and angle as well.
Some of the decals came with it but are incorrect. Back when new they would have been layered vinyl and that's how we'll be doing them.
The 91 although far less pretentious is no less important. It's one of the 46 1LE Formulas built that year, 1 of the 8 with T-Tops. I'm the third owner with both transfers occurring through connections on this board.
The 91 although far less pretentious is no less important. It's one of the 46 1LE Formulas built that year, 1 of the 8 with T-Tops. I'm the third owner with both transfers occurring through connections on this board.
WOW, What a collection of really RARE Birds. Very jealous of your luck in getting these. Get 1 of the 24 original Firehawks and and you'll need a shrine to keep them safe. I thought my Formula was rare with the L98 and SLP options, but yours takes the cake. If I had a choice of me getting your collection OR my wife saying "it's either ME of those cars", I would help her PACK her bags.
Minor update - car went into the shop yesterday to get the rocker stripes painted on and to get the correct original style decals applied. Windshield will get replaced - it was cracked along the bottom long before I bought it.
Grabbed the spare set of wheels to get them refinished and realized the rears have been widened. Hmmmm?
Am I reading the date code on these correctly? 02/89?
LOL I scrolled through the pictures before reading the text and thought those looked a little wide. How much did they stretch them? Looks like maybe an inch wider than stock? Interesting they spent the money to widen stock wheels instead of just running other wheels.
Yes Hunter, they'll be the bright yellow to match the Sunoco color.
Drew, if I had to guess, I'd say they were cheating!
It's about an inch bigger and even running the same size tires would get the rubber out to the corner just a little more. I don't know what the rules are in American Sedan series racing so I could be wrong. The rims that have tires on them all appear to be the same size, but they may be different as well. Looks as though they may have ground off the front & rear castings and re-used them, not sure if the offset would have had any advantage there either.
Spent the morning down at the blast factory - with all the money I've spent in this place in the last few years I could have bought a really big compressor & blast cabinet!
Spent the morning down at the blast factory - with all the money I've spent in this place in the last few years I could have bought a really big compressor & blast cabinet!
I masked them, he blasted them.
woah woah woah that must be in Milford CT. the guy blasting them is named jose, great guy. I used to work there a couple months back, only did for a month because I got a job offer from my old employer but that is insane. I grew up in Milford.
Gonna look great Chris! Nice white walls granny...LOL
Thought we could put it on some old stock and roll it around while I dropped off the wheels to get blasted - nothing I had would fit on the back.
Originally Posted by TylerSteez
woah woah woah that must be in Milford CT. the guy blasting them is named jose, great guy. I used to work there a couple months back, only did for a month because I got a job offer from my old employer but that is insane. I grew up in Milford.
Small world right? Jose & his brother were the only two working there yesterday and he did me a huge favor jumping on these and getting them done for me. I'm in there enough that they recognize me when I show up - good guy for sure and been there for 20+ years!
I'm not trying to pick your car apart but what's up with the big gaps around the hood? It looks like it was like that when it was raced too. Was there other bracing removed? I'm not sure if I'm following this correctly but from the way I read it were all aluminum hoods made in 1982? Maybe that has something to do with it?
The headlight stuff has been replaced with regular lighter flat stock that's not "perfect" like the original doors and the front bumper is most likely shrinking a bit, pulling away from the metal brackets, bumped n races or just a lil misadjusted. racecar stuff
Race cars live an abusive life peppered between months or years of sitting. The doors are hollowed out and empty, the bumpers are empty, the hood bows from improper opening & closing and the front frame has likely been replaced at least once. The quality of paint and panel fitment is best viewed from 200 yards away and at triple digit speeds.
I believe all of the aluminum hoods are from a stamping run in 1982, but do not know that for certain. Stories of them sitting around in the warehouse and being dished out on an as needed basis have been around since production.
It looks like it's really coming together! I wasnt sure about the paint scheme, but it's growing on me.
91-92 Formula bumpers often don't fit that great even on low mileage survivor cars. To a certain extent they don't fit that well because the hood and the early front bumper covers are both more straight and angular, while the 91-92 Firebird front bumper cover is largely curved. Which raises the question when doing body work, do you make the bumper cover match with margins that were acceptable to GM, or do you take the time to massage the bumper and hood until they fit together perfectly, knowing they didn't generally come off the line that nice. I don't have an answer...
Have you given any thought as to contacting the SUNOCO Company. It was a sponsor at some time and may well be interested in seeing it come back together again. Some pictures and a professional letter may even get you a chance to make some $$$$ if they wanted to promote and use your car for special events. It this works out, I get 25% commission for the idea. Or $10.00 which ever is more!
This week's update - I loaded the car up on the trailer yesterday & dropped it off to get the decals and lettering applied. Jim Crist from the Toy Store in Florida has fed-exed up a package of articles and pictures which should be arriving on Monday. We'll be reproducing his signature from the SCCA log book to go above the driver's door & he's also included several of his own Toy Store decals which were on the car originally.
I brought the car to 32 Signs in Baltic, CT, about an hour & 1/2 away, who does most of the circle track cars in the state. Tom the owner noticed immediately that the decal on the car used the wrong Sunoco logo with the forward leaning letters where the original used the "then" current logo with the static letters. There's a reason we use professionals!
By this time next week the car should look the way it did when raced in the early 90's!
I was just looking at the SCCA log book again & realized the VIN is in there on the inside front cover from when the car was first registered. Clearly they mistook the L's for the year & Van Nuys plants as 1's!
04-27-2016, 10:44 AM
What a generous offer! 
I thought my Formula was rare with the L98 and SLP options, but yours takes the cake. If I had a choice of me getting your collection OR my wife saying "it's either ME of those cars", I would help her PACK her bags.
I wasnt sure about the paint scheme, but it's growing on me. 
