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1998 pontiac firebird7/1/2023 ![]() By early summer, the refreshed engine and transmission were back in the car, a limited-slip differential was added, four new tires were installed on the beautiful factory chrome wheels, and the freshly cleaned interior was back inside the car. My dad and I spent that winter rebuilding the engine and fixing whatever needed to be fixed on the car. I spent a whole weekend shampooing every fabric surface in the car (including the headliner) to get rid of the cigarette smell. I went to work pulling the entire interior out of the car. Within a couple of weeks, the entire drivetrain was pulled from the vehicle. While the 3800 Series II motor only had around 90,000 miles on it, you could tell it was abused and needed some attention. Once the car was home, we went to work immediately. Most of the engine is under the windshield. My dad and I were not turned off by our new purchase.Īt first glance, it does not look too bad to work on. If memory serves me correctly, I think we paid $2,250 for the car. Going down the road, the rear end made a howl. When my dad started it up, the 3800 sounded rough, but there were no lights on the dash. None of the tires matched, and the front wheel well liners were missing. Opening the driver’s door greeted your nose with a strong cigarette smell and a trashed interior. We found our way to the car and what the listing photos did not show, was every horizontal panel on the car was keyed and the finale was a “F*** JAMES” carved into the hood. When we arrived at the dealership, the car was at the very back of the lot that last row where all the unwanted trade-ins go to be forgotten about. On the drive home, we managed to pack the front fenders with a mixture of gravel and snow! My dad went bidding on Ebay and soon we were the proud owners of a 1998 Firebird.įacebook helped me remember that Januwas the day we brought home the Firebird. A deal was struck between us, and we agreed to go 50/50 on purchasing this car. I had always liked those cars and told him that would be a good next project. The listing mentioned the car needed some mechanical work and the photos proved bodywork would also be in order. He happened to be on Ebay one afternoon and saw a local dealership was auctioning off a 1998 Pontiac Firebird V6, a 5-speed manual, and no reserve. While he still had his Fieros, he wanted to work on something different. In researching this entry, I thought the date of purchase for this car was later, but I found proof that on January 31, 2009, my newest ride would find its way to our family’s house.Īt this point, my dad was itching to do a project other than a Fiero. At this same time, I am beginning to share the Saturn with my sister, and sharing a car was putting a stain on our relationship. I have been driving on my own for about a year. ![]() I took this photo in the fall of 2009 with my flip phone camera. Unfortunately, the beauty was mostly surface-level. All these years later, I still think these are beautiful cars. ![]()
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