I love the formula look and have own 2 in the past and got this 91 bird for cheap but for the past months Ive been driving it more due to it being the only car in my stable that gets more the 22mpg. At the same time I decided to restor it and just finshed the interior and now the body. Was wondering if anyone has cut up the nose to make it look like a 91-92 Formula nose and that it looked good after it too. Ive been looking around and found a rear bumper for a formula but no nose, but I like mine due to having 4 lights in it instead of the 2 on the formula ones.

 

It could be done. I actually considered it before I made the GFX pieces that go on the fenders. But, it would take some pretty good fab skills to make it look good.

 

So i guess your mainly say due to the botttom of the nose. Tomorrow Im going to get underneath and see what I can do. I think I can cut out the bottom part and fab up with some 18 gauge metal and work with it. Im going to remove all of the GFX tomorrow accept the rear bumper due to not having 1 yet.

 

what am I not getting? How are a Formula front clip (noser as you say) different from a Firebird one?? (same year to same year--in this case 91)

 

ON the firebirds they have the GFX from rear to the front and the nose has the GFX also 4 lights in the nose. ON the Formulas no GFX and the nose only has 2 lights in it.

 

hmm....Did not know that. (thought they were the same---like 87-90 FOrmula VS Firebirds) just goes to show I don't own one! Have to look at my friends

 

sell that hard to find nose and get the one you want there cheaper than the ones with the gfx i had to replace mine and the ones without were not as hard to find

 

I thought about this idea too. I would like to put a Firebird/TA nose on my Formula and cut off and seal up where the GFX are. You could probably do it with some fiberglass mat.

 

You're technically correct. '91/'92 base birds' standard nose was the same non-gfx nose that the Formulas received. But the gfx package was optional on base birds, and most got it, like JRods' car. So very few base birds actually ended-up with the non-gfx nose.

The only base birds that received gfx as "standard" were the 'verts. Otherwise, the gfx nose is the "TA" and "GTA" nose, only being standard on those models.

Regarding this topic, I, too, have thought about doing this, but I think it would take way too much fabrication to make it look right, or even just good.

I don't care for the gfx. But I definitely don't like the front of the non-gfx nose. I think the front of the gfx nose, with its more molded-looking shape, is much better looking. And it's made to house foglights, which I like, too.

So somehow merging the two, and creating a non-gfx nose out of a gfx nose would be perfect. But like I said, I don't think it can be done well enough to look good... without being A LOT of work, which is more work than I want to do on it.

But keep us informed on your progress, JRod. I'd like to see if this can be done.

 

The noses without the GFX are usually more expensive than the ones with. Makes sense, since there are fewer of them.

 

I would recomend just replacing the front cover as well as the rear.
I also think the front pieces with gfx are going for more than the non-gfx pieces.
The non gfx cars are higher up from the curbs,so they see less damage than a bird with gfx that are nearly impossible to find for under $200

 

Well guys yesterday and I did it. I removed the front Finder GFX and also cut my nose to kind of blind in with the finder. It doesnt look to bad. ILL try to get a pic today with my camera phone, my Digital camera is sick or dead. I still need to sand it down a bit more but not the much and it is really looking like its going to work. Im getting a 91-92 rear formula bumper this week and on wednesday and ILL be removing the door GFX's. Guys do I have to remove the door panels to remove the actual door GFX or is everything out side.

 

To get the door pieces off you have to take the door panel off. There are a few nuts inside the door. I can't remember how many there are off the top of my head.

By taking the GFX off the doors and rockers you WILL HAVE HOLES all the way down your doors and on your 1/4 panels. IIRC they are about 1/4-3/8" diameter holes.

 

I'm kinda anxious to see this. I was gonna get a formula bumper and add on sections from a gfx nose, but I wasnt having much luck getting it the stuff to stick and look good. Unless I used like 5 tubes of epoxy or something. Post pics!

 

Ok I got a pic of my passenger side fender without the GFX and the nose cut on the bottom. How do you post a pic.

 

Heres the start, just after removal of GFX and 1st cut of bumper.

 

Wow I did not think I was ever going to find a thread that has this subject. I had my car out yesterday since it was nice and my dad and I were talking about cutting off those two front lower pieces. they are in bad shape and I do not have the front GFX so it looks bad with those front pieces alone. We are probably going to do it next week so please keep undating on your car so I can see what it looks like and how you did it. I hope your car will look good.

 

i thought that too until i replaced mine with the gfx