My first project!!! 1980 Firebird
02-15-2010, 08:00 PM
#1
My first project!!! 1980 Firebird Finally! After all the hassle of finding the title and its owner it is already home, waiting to come back to life after sitting out in the Texas heat. Like I said in my previous thread, https://ls1tech.com/forums/texas-mem...-no-title.html the guy that had the car did not have the title. Car is in overall great shape with still good paint left on it, only found two small dents on it after giving it a quick wash and rinsing off all the dirt and leafs and all kinds of crap. It has a Formula hood and T/A fenders, may be a Formula.
Now I'm stuck between going with an LS/T56 swap but I'm a little concerned about how long that would take and making all the wiring and gauges work properly, but this would be a sick ride!
My second option is to get 400/th400 (found one on CL for $500 but the guy hasn't got back with me
)combo until I can come up with the funds for an LS motor then reselling the 400/th400 combo.
Anyways I would like to get some info on what it would take to do the LS swap so I can calculate cost. I have read about some edelbrock mounting plates that go pnto the the old mounts (from what I understood), but it was done on a 1st gen camaro, are they the same as 2nd gen T/A's and firebirds? If I do go this route I would have to sell my DD for funds, or trade for LS/t56 combo, which I'm trying to sell either way to get going with this project.
All opinions and advice are welcome wether it be for old-school carbed or LS swap.
Pictures I took a few hours ago.
Now I'm stuck between going with an LS/T56 swap but I'm a little concerned about how long that would take and making all the wiring and gauges work properly, but this would be a sick ride!
My second option is to get 400/th400 (found one on CL for $500 but the guy hasn't got back with me)combo until I can come up with the funds for an LS motor then reselling the 400/th400 combo.Anyways I would like to get some info on what it would take to do the LS swap so I can calculate cost. I have read about some edelbrock mounting plates that go pnto the the old mounts (from what I understood), but it was done on a 1st gen camaro, are they the same as 2nd gen T/A's and firebirds? If I do go this route I would have to sell my DD for funds, or trade for LS/t56 combo, which I'm trying to sell either way to get going with this project.
All opinions and advice are welcome wether it be for old-school carbed or LS swap.
Pictures I took a few hours ago.
02-15-2010, 08:42 PM
#2
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Some one had swapped in a 12 bolt? cool. I let my 79 Z go very cheap before I went overseas. power everything(for that year) rear defrost and intermitint wipers for $300-running. but i find this body style quite often cheap. Which makes them an awsome car to do with whatever. I was in San Antonio too when I did. That body looks straight and glass looks good to. How are the doors? that suspension may need some work. I seen a turbo bird of that era sitting in a field-owner just letting it rott. as very discusting-4 wheel disk, the big T-tops-nice seats.
02-16-2010, 08:43 AM
#4
How rare/desirable the car is in it's original form would dictate the motor combination. On that car your not going to hurt the value by doing an LS1 swap in to it. You could do a budget LS1 with a carb/Th400, some what old school but it's going to make more power dollar for dollar then a similar 400/455 would. Not saying you couldn't make a 455 fast, it's just easier with a LS1.
02-16-2010, 09:50 AM
#5
Some one had swapped in a 12 bolt? cool. I let my 79 Z go very cheap before I went overseas. power everything(for that year) rear defrost and intermitint wipers for $300-running. but i find this body style quite often cheap. Which makes them an awsome car to do with whatever. I was in San Antonio too when I did. That body looks straight and glass looks good to. How are the doors? that suspension may need some work. I seen a turbo bird of that era sitting in a field-owner just letting it rott. as very discusting-4 wheel disk, the big T-tops-nice seats.
, but I am pretty sure it will need some kind of work since it sat for 8 years now. $300 for a 79 Z! Can't believe I missed that deal, I'm always looking.
02-16-2010, 10:06 AM
#6
How rare/desirable the car is in it's original form would dictate the motor combination. On that car your not going to hurt the value by doing an LS1 swap in to it. You could do a budget LS1 with a carb/Th400, some what old school but it's going to make more power dollar for dollar then a similar 400/455 would. Not saying you couldn't make a 455 fast, it's just easier with a LS1.
02-16-2010, 01:25 PM
#7
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Save your money and do it right. Wiring and such is not bad if you change out the gauges to autometers or something. And get a painless harness or rework your own harness to be stand alone. You will probably have to rework the fuel system as well.
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02-16-2010, 02:16 PM
#8
Thats exactly why I want an Ls1 combo, because it's easier to make power, much lighter than a 400 or 455, reliable, and still keep great gas mileage, which I will need. Now if I get a 400/th400 combo or 455/th400 it will save me some money to get other parts as far as suspension, breakes, interior, etc.
I have got 26mpg out of my 455 Pontiac before and it ran in the high 12's. A Pontiac weighs about 1/2 way between the SBC and a BBC. don't know what a LS weighs.
02-17-2010, 12:53 PM
#9
Depends on how fast you can get the $$ for the LS swap. I would imagine you could find a running catalina, grand prix, grandville, etc for next to nothing and perform the swap in a weekend and start enjoying the car.
Don't discount the olds 403 or 455 either. Both my 79's are 403 cars and are a blast to drive. Not as fast as an LS but fun.
The swap is very, very easy. pull the motor and trans complete and install it.
If you have the $$ to do the LS swap in the next few months I would wait for that and do it the way you want. If not then in 5 years someone may be knocking on your door trying to buy the project in the driveway that hasn't ever moved (speaking from experince here).
Don't discount the olds 403 or 455 either. Both my 79's are 403 cars and are a blast to drive. Not as fast as an LS but fun.
The swap is very, very easy. pull the motor and trans complete and install it.
If you have the $$ to do the LS swap in the next few months I would wait for that and do it the way you want. If not then in 5 years someone may be knocking on your door trying to buy the project in the driveway that hasn't ever moved (speaking from experince here).
02-17-2010, 01:03 PM
#10
TECH Addict
ls1 or find an LQ motor and some used heads/cam/intake. i'de take my time if i were you, if done right this could be a really kool sleeper.
also i would start the body work/rust repare ASAP that is gonna take the longest to do. the motor and drivetrain is the easy part.
also i would start the body work/rust repare ASAP that is gonna take the longest to do. the motor and drivetrain is the easy part.
02-18-2010, 10:54 AM
#11
Depends on how fast you can get the $$ for the LS swap. I would imagine you could find a running catalina, grand prix, grandville, etc for next to nothing and perform the swap in a weekend and start enjoying the car.
Don't discount the olds 403 or 455 either. Both my 79's are 403 cars and are a blast to drive. Not as fast as an LS but fun.
The swap is very, very easy. pull the motor and trans complete and install it.
If you have the $$ to do the LS swap in the next few months I would wait for that and do it the way you want. If not then in 5 years someone may be knocking on your door trying to buy the project in the driveway that hasn't ever moved (speaking from experince here).
Don't discount the olds 403 or 455 either. Both my 79's are 403 cars and are a blast to drive. Not as fast as an LS but fun.
The swap is very, very easy. pull the motor and trans complete and install it.
If you have the $$ to do the LS swap in the next few months I would wait for that and do it the way you want. If not then in 5 years someone may be knocking on your door trying to buy the project in the driveway that hasn't ever moved (speaking from experince here).
I had contacted a guy on CL that had a 400/th400 for $500 bucks but he never called me.
As far as getting started I took about an hour and half yesterday after work and took all the seats out, except for the driver side because I could not move it forward and get to the bolts.ls1 or find an LQ motor and some used heads/cam/intake. i'de take my time if i were you, if done right this could be a really kool sleeper.
also i would start the body work/rust repare ASAP that is gonna take the longest to do. the motor and drivetrain is the easy part.
also i would start the body work/rust repare ASAP that is gonna take the longest to do. the motor and drivetrain is the easy part.
it's a hardtop car so not much water was getting in there, if any.
02-18-2010, 11:35 AM
#12
TECH Addict
well i can see the rust spots under the hood. plus the front end is all boogered up. have u checked the floor pans, trunk, inside of the quarters etc?
i mean i'm not saying the car is in bad shape, it just needs TLC and elbow grease. and def some fresh paint.
i mean i'm not saying the car is in bad shape, it just needs TLC and elbow grease. and def some fresh paint.
02-18-2010, 11:47 AM
#13
Nice find! I had an 81 Formula WS6 with power seats / locks and T-Tops that was my project for a long while. I had a 455 Buick that I was building for it but money ran out so I ended up selling it to my friends Dad. Good luck with the build, take lots of pictures and post them up!
02-18-2010, 12:16 PM
#14
Thats why I said no serious rust, what you see in the engine bay is mostly surface and some are parts that will be replaced anyways and is expected from a 30 year old car. So far I have not seen any rotten through spots and I hope it remains that way. About the paint I'm not to worried about that yet, its actually in pretty good condition overall. There is some spots where I can see the original color which is like bright light blue.
Anybody used these before? 
