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Bought my old car back, open to suggestions and help on restoring!
Sold my 2nd car (98 SS) back in 2013. Came across it a little over a month ago 2 streets behind my house. After a couple weeks trying to make contact with the home owners to tell them to call me first if they ever decide to sell it. I managed to catch them at home and after 45 seconds of talking to him saying "that's my old car" he went in, got the keys and said "here wanna drive it?". Long story short I got it last week and am elated at having my old car back that I can fix up with my 2 kids. How it used to look Planning on repainting once interior is squared away Need some body work Crashpad on the way, looking for suggestions on a new steering wheel, shifter, radio and interior. Have black carpet and headliner on the way. Planning on doing all black interior but if have any ideas on a 2 tone please share. Looking for stock seat foam inserts or comparable/good shape stock black leather seats.
Hey I feel you. I bought my car in 2007 and sold it in 2009 and then bought it back in 2015 — making me the 2nd and 6th owner. I also had a NBM 99 Firehawk.
Very nice, I actually prefer the formulas after a little experience with one in the past and I've never seen a NBM one so that sounds even cooler! Nostalgia is definitely the factor with this 1 though as you well understand. I've told multiple friends about it and several have been stoked at the thought as they themselves wish they could get an old car back. Happy for you in being able to do the same yourself 👍
That is awesome you were able to find your old car again. But what inn the hell happened to that poor car?
The guy I purchased it from had recently obtained it from the person I sold it to back in 2013'. He said he had that it didn't run and found rat droppings in it. I'd imagine it sat for a very long time just wasting away.
If anyone has any ideas for black/? 2 tone /other interior ideas please throw them up here as this will be my first real project and I want to do it as right as I can manage.
I'd pull the console and all plastic trim, then scuff the floors and spray it with spray in bedliner or lizard skin. Then put new carpet in it and start reassembling it. Mean while see if you can find a local apulstery shop to redo all the seats while it's apart. Finding all the misc small parts will prolly be the challenge. But would be well worth it once back together... Looks like you got your work cut out for you on this one .
The guy I purchased it from had recently obtained it from the person I sold it to back in 2013'. He said he had that it didn't run and found rat droppings in it. I'd imagine it sat for a very long time just wasting away.
If anyone has any ideas for black/? 2 tone /other interior ideas please throw them up here as this will be my first real project and I want to do it as right as I can manage.
Here is a link to my video with my new interior. I picked up the seat covers on ebay and had a local installer install them along with the rug.
Man, you sure must love that car to want to put so much money and effort back into it. It looked wonderful when you sold it.
I've owned my car since new but to have it look like that would have broken my heart and I would find a nicer example. It's not too late to re-think this serious undertaking unless you have laid out a lot of $$$ already.
I wish you the best with your restoration if your heart is set on it.
Thanks guys for the tips and thoughts! I very much like that interior as well as the ideas for the floor. Yeah, the car means a lot. It was basically what I was known by from age 19-25 and I think it's a bit of an early mid life crisis 🤣 I've been driving an HHR for the last several years and have been taking life slow in the "fun" sector. I didn't have much interest before in working on cars but now I'm down for whatever, too many memories in this car to let it waste away. I'd love to throw performance $$ @ it but my short term goal is just to get it pretty again, recover from the cost and eventually add the really fun stuff.
Congrats on reuniting! Ok, as the original owner of my '98, I gotta ask: What did you pay for it in that condition? How many miles are on it now? If I had ever sold my '98 and were able to get it back, I would either want to put it back bone stock, or how it was when I let it go. I personally have never been a fan or 2 tone interiors in F-Bodies though. Congrats again!
Congrats on reuniting! Ok, as the original owner of my '98, I gotta ask: What did you pay for it in that condition? How many miles are on it now? If I had ever sold my '98 and were able to get it back, I would either want to put it back bone stock, or how it was when I let it go. I personally have never been a fan or 2 tone interiors in F-Bodies though. Congrats again!
I paid $3500 for it. The seller had recently bought it for $1200 as a project car for his 15 year old to have when he was ready to drive and had: Heads surfaced, Valve job, All new top gaskets, Water pump, Ac seals, Head bolts, Fuel filter. Said he had that much in it so far and would be his price for it. 155k miles. If I just restore it it'll be the same as it was when I let it go but now I get a chance to fix all the little things I wished were different. If he had said 8k or something I wouldn't have bought it but for that cheap even needing a lot of work I'd say it's worth it man 👍
Stocking up on parts to tear it down. I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions on suspension upgrades. I have the SLP longtubes so I can't sacrifice ride height but I've been looking into a watts link and some new shocks but I would LOVE to hear some advice from the pros. I'm not looking to drag it seriously, it'll be a weekend/cruise/road trip car that I want to handle as well as possible while not over spending.
Also thanks for all the support guys in this. Shortly after getting tons of prices together for bringing it back to just its former self I got a little discouraged but seeing some of the comments made me decide we're going all in!
I've got Viking DA's front and rear and have been pleased with them but RockAuto is a good place to search for OEM replacements if looking to save some money.
08-08-2021, 09:33 PM
Bought my old car back, open to suggestions and help on restoring! 
