Lately I'm contemplating whether to dive in headfirst on my 85 Firebird, or not to.

The run down...

* She's just a plain-jane 1985 Firebird with a v8. No outlandish options, not a higher performance model, etc. For convenience, the SPID Label...



Now, overall its a very very solid car, especially for where I have lived in the past. Nationally speaking though, I'm curious as to what others see/think compared to what they see in their neck of the woods.

In the 10k or so miles I've driven it, heres what I have done so far, mostly out of being picky and intending to NOT break down anywhere... which worked since she's been on two New Orleans-Vermont and back trips in the last two years during 100* weather spans in parts....

* All new brakes (stock), struts, exhaust, cat-converter, radiator, alternator, every vacuum line replaced/re-routed using higher quality fuel injection hose, and then just little maintinence/tune-up things like tires/sensors/belts/etc.
* Just bought new air deflectors (including one of the las NOS driver's side pieces in the the country) air dam, ducting. I have 2 yards of original headliner fabric on the way to redo the liner which was beginning to sag a little bit from humidity.

Right now, the car has about 129k on it and as I have in the past, still would not hesitate to drive anywhere in the country. Its been my daily driver of late as well, but always adult owned in driven. I am trying to decide whether to fix this one up though or keep it as clean driver and perhaps sell it.

There is ZERO rust on the undercarriage, door jambs, channels around the rear hatch, etc. and I mean ZERO. Car was always undercoated. The car was however given a complete bare-metal repaint long before I bought it, about 8-10 years back as near as I can gauge and is starting to lift in a few spots which I hit with touchup to prevent rust, but will need addressing as it keeps popping up - thats where my thought process starts.

Door wipe strips are shot and have been for years. Bottom inner lips on the doors have started rusting as a result. One small area behind passanger mudflap has a paint bubble, maybe the size of a couple fingers where it curves under the car. That is essentially IT.

To me the car needs to be repainted and kept up since at least in my opinion, there are getting to be fewer left all the time. To do it right I forsee removing the bumpers, fenders, hood, doors, hatch, and windshield - basically don't leave anywhere for paint to lift afterwards. If I were to do that, here would be my approach: buy a power bulge hood, rust/dent/ding free power window/manual lock doors, new rear trunk lid that had the correct spoiler mount holes in it and spoiler(this appears to have been changed as I DO have the code for the pedestal spoiler on the SPID), new windshield since nothing is nicer than looking through NEW glass, and a new set of weather strips/seals plus some nice louvres for the rear hatch.

Interior-wise, like I said, saw the headliner starting to sag to the backing board is out, I'm coating it up in resin and have the afore mentioned scrap of original fabric on the way. Rug/dash/belts/door panels are all in like-new condition. The console is "nice" except two marks into the lid, however I would replace it as well since just today I noticed it begin to pull back a little from the edge of the shift plate on one side. Also, even though there is no worn/ripped/stained areas at all anywhere, I think I would buy a pair of seats to recover, early 3rd gen trans am style in the tu-tone - bright scarlet bolsters and either medium grey center or perhaps charcoal to match the dash and tu-tone plastic trim theme inside.... VERY skeptical about any dark charcoal or black fabric holding up overtime and not fading though, thus the option of medium grey.... Also, rear hatch are plastic either re-dyed or replaced as I see some discoloration and it'd be a shame to leave something that cheap undone with the amount of money going in just at the paint step alone.

Engine runs good, 30-45psi oil pressure even after 10hrs of highway driving... but I'd be inclined towards putting a NEW gm powerplant and transmission in, nothing rebuilt, just because at that point an extra $2-3k isnt breaking my bank if you know what I mean and the car should be about all new after doing the other things IMO.

As much as I love the white/red theme though, I've always been very partial to a maui blue car except with a older tu-tone blue interior in it instead of the grey. Doing that switch with this car is not an option IMO, color change isnt something I want to get into.

That, plus the fact that when they put the undercoating on which was a combination sound deadener and rust proofer they sprayed on the firewall and the wheelhouses from the back side of the strut tower back. I CANNOT make that bay look clean, even though you can drop something and eat it in there.... at least to my eyes. Friends are somewhat amazed though at its upkeep, bugs me is all.

I *almost* feel that for insurance purposes I really need to be starting something more than a base coupe considering the *name* or trans am adds almost 60% to the book values.

Inclination tells me that *perhaps* after re-covering the headliner I do one of the poll options at the top of the thread other than go through and do a complete reconstruction - and I dont call it a restoration because things would be modified/altered from stock under that path...

 

For the heck of it I'm throwing up a pic of how clean the underside is, the interior albeit disassembled to receive the new headliner, and the paint woes....

 

I dont know where you are from but you should save all that for the winter and enjoy while you can

the motor will let you know when it is time

as far as the body make sure you fix anything that is rusted before the salt comes