69 firebird self dubbed the phenix

[The86manche]

ill leave it off here but this is where it really starts getting fun!
it comes off the jig!

[Pete M]

best model kit ever   1:1 scale!

[MiNi Beast]

Test drive yet?? 

[The86manche]

18 hours ago, MiNi Beast said:

Test drive yet?? 

No, no test drive. There was several months I didn't touch the car. Due to another project and also burnout. I couldn't bring myself to touch the car.

But we are gearing up to jump back on it. I've started doing more work, fitting some smaller panels and just waiting for the warmer weather. Plan to opoxy the car before I start welding more panels on

[The86manche]

I suppose I should update this since I haven't in a while. Haha

Progress done long ago, getting the body off the jig.

Engine hoist is good for more than just engines apparently! 

We put the axle under it so j clips installed for the leaf spring plates.

And on the ground

[The86manche]

"Original" subframe removed. Notice the mounting spots are all blown out.

We picked up another subframe that had better mounts to use for mockup for the firewall.

Firewall mockup. 

[The86manche]

Well due to the overall condition of the "new" subframe we ended up not going with it. It was bent and tweaked. So we ended up pulling the original one back into the garage and patching up the mounts.

And back under the car. 

Getting things to line up was both easy and difficult. The firewall and cowl had holes for you to thread a bolt into so we used that to help line things up for welding.

[The86manche]

Now actually getting the firewall to fit was an interesting endeavor..

We had to use a portapower to stretch the front of the body to get everything to line up.

Matching up the floor seam.

And then burned in.

Showing how well the welds went in from the trans tunnel.

[The86manche]

Filler pieces for the sides of the cowl were spot welded in

And getting it to line up

And the other side.

with those pieces the firewall could be finished as well.

[The86manche]

And that kind of puts us up to speed on where I have left off.

Dry fitting panels and seeing how things look.

I did weld in the seat brace but I'm not sure where the photos on that are. You can see the passenger side in the photo. The black square on the silver floor.

 

[The86manche]

And as you can see.. fitment.. is not going so well.

I can almost fit my finger in that gap..