(This page is under construction and I'll add more pics and info when I have time)
I bought this car from my friend's uncle in the summer of '07. It started life as a 1980 Pontiac Firebird Espirit. It began its transformation in 1990 and was completed in 1996 by a guy in Kentucky. It used to be a showcar. It has a Pontiac 400 motor (bored .040'' over to make it a 408), TRW forged pistons, Pete Jackson gear drive, Lunati .534 lift/295 duration for intake and exhaust (flat tappet hydraulic cam), Harland Sharp orange roller rockers, Holley double pumper, Blue Holley electric fuel pump for the carb, Black Holley electric fuel pump for the NOS, full length headers leading into cutouts and Flowmasters, NOS system, Aluminum radiator, Moroso remote oil breather system, modified HEI distributor, and MSD ignition among other goodies. The trans is a turbo 400 with a shift kit and B&M ratchet shifter. B&M 3200 stall covertor. Autometer guages. The heads are '69 Ram Air III manual trans heads (One of the more sought after iron D-port Pontiac heads, #48H).
The rear end is a beefed up 8.5'' 10-bolt with a 4.10 Richmond gear. Ladder bar setup. Very large frame ties. Mickey Thompson Sportsman Pro tires on Weld Prostar wheels. Fiberglass 2'' cowl hood. Hotchkiss front coils with KYB Gas-A-Just shocks. Rear leafs are heavy duty Ames Performance Engineering and shocks are Monroe trailer tow air shocks.
When I got it, it had not seen the road for basically 7 years. I got it home on a flatbed and my buddies and I got it running that evening. The rear brakes went out after cruising around in it that night and I've been changing/rebuilding the car ever since. The to-do list is always growing. The receipt book from the previous owners is huge...and my contributions to that are never-ending.
On motor, the car runs 12.9 @ 105 MPH. On a 125 shot, it runs 11.9 @ 114 MPH (with the old fuel system. Probably a tenth or two quicker with the extra fuel). These times are also with some excessive blowby due to bad rings on one cylinder. The 210 shot will be tested in Spring, '09. Should bring it to the low 11's...definitely if I put slicks on it.
The engine is currently out of the car and getting new rings.
