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Rarest formula. restoration pics, predator body kit...

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Old Oct 15, 2009 | 02:15 AM
  #1  
stomp1977's Avatar
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 11
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From: wild wonderfull wv
Car: 1987 formula firebird
Engine: 305 lg4
Transmission: 700r4
Rarest formula. restoration pics, predator body kit...

Hi all here she is, an 87 factory yellow formula one of the very few ever made. When I 1st got her back in 1997 I lived in Fl and she was flawless. Over the years she got backed into and caught fire... twice. The car came with a computer controlled q-jet and an lg-4, but after the second fire I began from scratch and went with a jet stage 2 q-jet, and an msd distributor. Rebuilt heads, mild cam, headers, intake and so on. I started the body work in march 09. These pics are mostly from this spring and summer, a couple are from 1999. Recently added are the kobel predator body kit and hundreds maybe thousands of hours prepping for paint. I will be painting this week and updating as I go. Pics are worth a thousand words so I'll just shut up now and let y'all check her out....http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...4&l=fb4a92a2d4

Last edited by stomp1977; Oct 15, 2009 at 02:47 AM.
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Old Oct 15, 2009 | 03:15 PM
  #2  
hedberg667's Avatar
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15 Year Member
 
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 227
Likes: 0
From: RI
Car: 1989 GTA
Engine: 5.7 350
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.23
Re: Rarest formula. restoration pics, predator body kit...

Man i can NOT say i am a fan of that body kit. It makes the front look to much like a T/A and those flares on the sides..... i just don't know. But i does look like you put the work in and its always good to see someone put their unique touch on a car so good luck with the resto
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Old Oct 15, 2009 | 06:35 PM
  #3  
bj350hp's Avatar
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 489
Likes: 2
From: FL
Car: 1987 Camaro SC
Engine: 305
Transmission: 700R4
Re: Rarest formula. restoration pics, predator body kit...

dude rare car!! But I'm not feeling the body kit..

I say take the body kit off and get some nice 17"-18" wheels and paint the car stock colors. Or just restore it to stock. But thats my
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Old Oct 15, 2009 | 06:52 PM
  #4  
jensen73110's Avatar
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,049
Likes: 1
From: Oklahoma City
Car: 1991 Firebird
Engine: 3.1L +bolt ons
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: Moser forged, 3.73, SLP posi
Re: Rarest formula. restoration pics, predator body kit...

You're gonna grow to hate that kit. It adds a LOT of wind noise at highway speeds, and is a b!tch around curbs. After 3 years I'd had enough and into the dumpster it went. Removing it makes it pretty much impossible to resell in any kind of decent condition.
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Old Oct 15, 2009 | 06:58 PM
  #5  
mmadden55's Avatar
Supreme Member
 
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,146
Likes: 6
From: Houson
Car: 86 Firebird
Engine: 305 SBC
Transmission: 700 R4 TCI
Axle/Gears: 3.42
Re: Rarest formula. restoration pics, predator body kit...

I like the body kit.
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Old Oct 16, 2009 | 09:36 AM
  #6  
1Aauto's Avatar
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Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 3,726
Likes: 4
From: Westford, MA
Re: Rarest formula. restoration pics, predator body kit...

Welcome to the site.Nice car.The car looked very clean in those early photos.

Glad to see you're restoring it back.
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Old Oct 16, 2009 | 03:32 PM
  #7  
mikehaase1norse's Avatar
Junior Member
 
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 90
Likes: 0
From: oakdale/st paul mn
Car: 1991 Trans Am vert
Engine: tpi
Transmission: 700r4
Re: Rarest formula. restoration pics, predator body kit...

i dig the body kit, i like anything out of the norm tho,
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Old Oct 18, 2009 | 03:20 AM
  #8  
stomp1977's Avatar
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 11
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From: wild wonderfull wv
Car: 1987 formula firebird
Engine: 305 lg4
Transmission: 700r4
Re: Rarest formula. restoration pics, predator body kit...

Got containment all setup and posted a few more pics we are almost done taping everything , Taking a day off on sunday to propose to my girlfriend, gonna take her aboard the nina and or pinta sailing ships as they visit a near bye town, wait for the right moment then pop the question, not exactly on topic i know, but, Its killing me not being able to talk about it. gotta keep it on the down low If all goes well we should be laying primer on monday and painting on tuesday. fingers crossed...
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Old Oct 18, 2009 | 04:14 AM
  #9  
Bullydawg's Avatar
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iTrader: (7)
 
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 3,740
Likes: 15
From: Alamogordo, NM
Car: 88 Formula 350
Engine: 5.7
Transmission: T-56
Axle/Gears: 9" 3.89
Re: Rarest formula. restoration pics, predator body kit...

Props for rebuilding her! Caught fire twice! Way to keep motivated!
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Old Oct 18, 2009 | 04:15 AM
  #10  
VAN454's Avatar
Member
 
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 330
Likes: 1
From: Melbourne Australia
Car: 88 GTA
Engine: Ls1
Transmission: 4L60E
Axle/Gears: 9 bolt 3.27
Re: Rarest formula. restoration pics, predator body kit...

Looking good, I must say that I like it better without the kit, but it's your car and different is good. Good luck on Sunday.....
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Old Oct 19, 2009 | 07:26 AM
  #11  
Chevy8588's Avatar
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iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 972
Likes: 2
From: La Grange Park, IL
Car: 1987 Iroc Z28/ 1982 Z28
Engine: 355 TPI IP/ 305 CFI
Transmission: T-56/ 300C
Axle/Gears: 3.42 Open/ 3.73 Posi
Re: Rarest formula. restoration pics, predator body kit...

my old 88 had that body kit, the pieces for the doors made them rust like a piece of bare metal laying in a moist salt pile
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Old Oct 20, 2009 | 09:04 PM
  #12  
Brycek's Avatar
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Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 18
Likes: 0
Re: Rarest formula. restoration pics, predator body kit...

glad to see it will be easy to remove the bumpers when all is said and done
.....reminds me of all those ricers where they fill everything.
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Old Oct 27, 2009 | 05:38 PM
  #13  
stomp1977's Avatar
Thread Starter
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
From: wild wonderfull wv
Car: 1987 formula firebird
Engine: 305 lg4
Transmission: 700r4
Re: Rarest formula. restoration pics, predator body kit...

Finally got a chance to lay down some color an post some new pics of my progress. Still needs lots of work but she's comin along nicely. Got engaged sunday went real smooth, I am looking forward to taking her for a drive. I can't wait, still gotta lay much more paint and then buff and polish, but I am finally starting to get exited, Man, I am getting sick of sanding tho! I started sanding way back in march but i think its gonna be worth it...
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Old Oct 27, 2009 | 09:11 PM
  #14  
CharcoalBird's Avatar
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15 Year Member
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,444
Likes: 75
From: Plant City, FL
Car: 1991 Firebird
Engine: 3.1L V6
Re: Rarest formula. restoration pics, predator body kit...

Originally Posted by stomp1977
Finally got a chance to lay down some color an post some new pics of my progress. Still needs lots of work but she's comin along nicely. Got engaged sunday went real smooth, I am looking forward to taking her for a drive. I can't wait, still gotta lay much more paint and then buff and polish, but I am finally starting to get exited, Man, I am getting sick of sanding tho! I started sanding way back in march but i think its gonna be worth it...
As long as your excited, that's all that matters. A "rare" car like that though, i'd try to keep original...if your looking for something to modify, i'd buy a real cheap v6 car. That's the problem with SOME people on this site, they look for the top models of the two f-bodies to modify when they could get a real cheap V6 and swap cheap.
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Old Oct 27, 2009 | 09:37 PM
  #15  
radical82's Avatar
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 569
Likes: 0
From: Madison, SD
Car: '82 Camaro
Engine: 383
Transmission: TKO 5 speed
Axle/Gears: 31 spline 9" with 4.56:1
Re: Rarest formula. restoration pics, predator body kit...

Hey, build what you want!!!! I like anything that's unique, I guess. Lord knows everything I build is a bit off the wall!!! As an old hand at this body mods thing, get used to the purists putting the car down.....Just don't ever quit building cars the way you want to build them!!!! I'm sure the car was for sale to the general public at one time or another, if someone wanted to preserve it as an original survivor they should have got it then!!!!

Block sanding and fitting can be a bit tedious but it's got to be done and done well to get a good looking surface when you're done!!!! I always just remind myself that fit, finish, and detail is what separates good cars from average cars!!! Keep up the good work, anxious to see it all done!
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