Turdy Birdy racecar - 89 Firebird Formula
09-08-2017, 11:39 AM
#1
Turdy Birdy racecar - 89 Firebird Formula
Going to update this thread hopefully fairly regularly hopefully. So after accumulating way too many project cars, I thought about what I really wanted to do as far as my cars and realized what I always wanted to do is race cars with my dad. I have talked to him about wanting to do road races with him for years, and he's getting older now and there are only so many years left where he will want to jump in a racecar and run 140mph. I talked to my wife about wanting to do it and she said if I sold off all my projects and finished my Trans Am, then we'd talk about it.
Well, I sold off all my project cars (and paid off all our debt other than the house) and finished my Trans Am. She realized that I called her bluff and said "what about that old orange car in the backyard?" But I said "that is racecar."
She realized I had won. It was glorious. White doves rained down from above and a rainbow appeared over my workshop. Then she asked me where all her Tupperware containers were and I realized they were all at my desk at work. A woman always know how to get ya.
But anyway, my wonderful wife who has put up with way more than any normal woman would is supportive of this whole endeavor now. Or at least tolerant of it. Either way she is happy to get the car out of the back yard.
The car is The Vegas *****. Yes, you read that right. For the kiddos it is just known as the Turdy Birdy. Why Vegas *****? Well, here's the scoop. My friend Joe owned the car and sold it to my friend Scott, who sold it to me, who gave it to my brother for his 16th birthday, who blew two motors up in it and gave it to my friend Joel, who sold it to some toolbag he worked with, who sold it back to me, who sold it back to Joel, who sold it back to me. Get it? Passed around like a cheap Vegas *****. Even my wife found the humor in this.
So what is the car? It is a raggedy *** 89 Firebird Formula WS6. Car started life as a 305 TBI 700R4 car, then went to a 350, then to a 355, then back to a 305. Somewhere along the line a rebuilt T5 got swapped into it. The 305 runs awesome and the T5 shifts good. The car leaks like any respectable t-top 3rd gen does and the interior is equally ratty. The good thing is the drivetrain is solid and the suspension is tight, along with the body not being rusted out.
The plan is to build it to NASA CCR specs because that's about the most stringent of the classes we want to run. My buddy Kevin owns a shop that builds cages, so he is going to weld us up a full cage out of 2" DOM tube. We need to keep a full interior for the Sandhills Open Road Challenge class we are going to run, so we'll do the carpet, seats, and the minimum stuff we need for that. Yes, the ultimate goal is to run the 105mph class in the Sandhills Open Road Challenge in 2018. Then we'll bump up the speed class the following year.
Engine is going to be a built 302 SBC that my buddy is in the process of putting together for us. Destroked 350 that'll be good for a sustained 7500 RPM. He knows his racecar ****, so it'll be solid and reliable for us. Going to keep the T5 for now, and the reareend got 28-spline shafts and a Zexel Torsen unit with 3.73 gears.
I'll update as the car gets built. Our plan is to get the cage built and then get it dialed in on the 305 while we finish building the 302.
Well, I sold off all my project cars (and paid off all our debt other than the house) and finished my Trans Am. She realized that I called her bluff and said "what about that old orange car in the backyard?" But I said "that is racecar."
She realized I had won. It was glorious. White doves rained down from above and a rainbow appeared over my workshop. Then she asked me where all her Tupperware containers were and I realized they were all at my desk at work. A woman always know how to get ya.
But anyway, my wonderful wife who has put up with way more than any normal woman would is supportive of this whole endeavor now. Or at least tolerant of it. Either way she is happy to get the car out of the back yard.
The car is The Vegas *****. Yes, you read that right. For the kiddos it is just known as the Turdy Birdy. Why Vegas *****? Well, here's the scoop. My friend Joe owned the car and sold it to my friend Scott, who sold it to me, who gave it to my brother for his 16th birthday, who blew two motors up in it and gave it to my friend Joel, who sold it to some toolbag he worked with, who sold it back to me, who sold it back to Joel, who sold it back to me. Get it? Passed around like a cheap Vegas *****. Even my wife found the humor in this.
So what is the car? It is a raggedy *** 89 Firebird Formula WS6. Car started life as a 305 TBI 700R4 car, then went to a 350, then to a 355, then back to a 305. Somewhere along the line a rebuilt T5 got swapped into it. The 305 runs awesome and the T5 shifts good. The car leaks like any respectable t-top 3rd gen does and the interior is equally ratty. The good thing is the drivetrain is solid and the suspension is tight, along with the body not being rusted out.
The plan is to build it to NASA CCR specs because that's about the most stringent of the classes we want to run. My buddy Kevin owns a shop that builds cages, so he is going to weld us up a full cage out of 2" DOM tube. We need to keep a full interior for the Sandhills Open Road Challenge class we are going to run, so we'll do the carpet, seats, and the minimum stuff we need for that. Yes, the ultimate goal is to run the 105mph class in the Sandhills Open Road Challenge in 2018. Then we'll bump up the speed class the following year.
Engine is going to be a built 302 SBC that my buddy is in the process of putting together for us. Destroked 350 that'll be good for a sustained 7500 RPM. He knows his racecar ****, so it'll be solid and reliable for us. Going to keep the T5 for now, and the reareend got 28-spline shafts and a Zexel Torsen unit with 3.73 gears.
I'll update as the car gets built. Our plan is to get the cage built and then get it dialed in on the 305 while we finish building the 302.
09-08-2017, 11:42 AM
#2
Re: Turdy Birdy racecar - 89 Firebird Formula
First thing I did, after washing it, was take it down to my shop and install 28-spline axle shafts, a Zexel-Torsen posi, and 3.73 gears. Then I dropped on some Spohn tubular LCAs, tubular panhard, and adjustable chassis mount torque arm. Finished it off by converting to LS1 F-body rear discs.
09-08-2017, 11:48 AM
#4
Re: Turdy Birdy racecar - 89 Firebird Formula
Shortly thereafter my buddy who is my spiritual advisor on this, and also going to be my crew chief, convinced me that I need to start shaving some weight. So both me and the Birdy are going on a diet.
09-09-2017, 06:58 PM
#7
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11-13-2017, 11:55 AM
#10
Re: Turdy Birdy racecar - 89 Firebird Formula
Quick update, pulled the HVAC system out of the car, everything is ready to go get caged now. I'm going to be thinning out all the harnesses so we can shave as much weight as possible.
We are up in the air about the engine again. We're thinking we might need something with a little more push than the 302 for racing other than the Sandhills. I just picked up a 4-bolt 350 that we will probably end up using. We'll see. Anyway, we'll continue on with the weight reduction and caging.
We are up in the air about the engine again. We're thinking we might need something with a little more push than the 302 for racing other than the Sandhills. I just picked up a 4-bolt 350 that we will probably end up using. We'll see. Anyway, we'll continue on with the weight reduction and caging.
11-13-2017, 01:13 PM
#11
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Car: 1989-92 FORMULA350 305 92 Hawkclone
Engine: 4++,350 & 305 CIs
Transmission: 700R4 4800 vig 18th700R4 t56 ZF6 T5
Axle/Gears: 3.70 9"ford alum chunk,dana44,9bolt
Re: Turdy Birdy racecar - 89 Firebird Formula
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11-13-2017, 02:10 PM
#12
Supreme Member
Re: Turdy Birdy racecar - 89 Firebird Formula
At minimum add a STEEL cluster support plate to the T5 to help with higher RPM in 5th