Back on the bench
This is where it starts. This Firebird was Jennifer's first car. It has been sitting as a bare shell in primer since I pulled it apart a few years back. This photo is from back when it came apart. Every nut, bolt, and bracket is bagged and tagged, the rear end is already assembled, and the front clip is waiting on the other side of the shop.
The reason it's back on the bench is simple. Joe Cobb turns another year older on February 14, 2027, and his daughter Jennifer wants him driving this car on his birthday. So Jennifer, Nick, and I have a deadline, and we have a plan.
The next two weeks are about getting it on its wheels:
- Find and cut out every bit of rust in the floors, trunk, and rails, and weld in fresh steel.
- Coat the whole underside and the interior floor in POR-15 so it never rusts again.
- Bolt the assembled rear end back under it.
- Hang the front clip on new bushings, put wheels on it, and roll it off the jack stands.
Target for a rolling chassis is September 28. We'll post photos as it happens.