The ‘Bird is back, one more time.

By now you should be pretty familiar with this 1969 Pontiac Firebird. It belongs to my friend Tom, and I’ve been chronicling it’s journey here on Hooniverse for some time now. The car has come quite a long way since when we first introduced it here on the site. After that it was time to redo the interior a bit. From there Tom learned a lesson in making sure the battery is secure. Most recently we featured the Firebird in a video that focused on the subject of old cars, and why they rule.

Now it’s time to say good-bye though, because the both the car and my friend are moving away. Before that happens, we decided to get the Firebird into a better state. What does that mean? How about paint, body work, engine dressing, front and rear brake upgrades, and oh just a complete Stage II TVS suspension setup from Hotchkis.

[youtube width=”720″ height=”405″]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXnIxSrCGI0[/youtube]

We’ve transformed the Firebird without losing any of its charm or character. The engine is still a fairly weak 350, and the on-center steering feel is ghostly. Turn that wheel a bit, however, and it’s a very different beast. It corners completely flat and there is zero dive under braking. Speaking of braking, Tom grabbed a set of disc brakes for the front and cop-spec drum brakes for the rear. It now stops… well, not that great, but far better than it did before.

What Tom has now done is create a platform for something even greater. Rather than shoving a larger engine into a vehicle that’s not ready for it, the Firebird is primed and perfect for the eventual 400 upgrade that Tom has planned for some point down the road. The suspension is darn near gorgeous, and it’s more than the car needs at this stage. Hotchkis offers up TVS kits for a variety of machines, and if your machine is on that list I highly suggest you grab such a setup.

So now the car is in a better place in terms of its drivability. I got to give it one last run down the Pacific Coast Highway before we put it on the transport truck. In fact, that’s why we have some audio issues with the video. We had maybe 45 minutes to shoot the car before driving it directly to the transporter. Regardless, I think the video conveys the upgrades we applied and the emotions that an old car can bring about.

(psst… now it’s time for me to focus on The Wombat)