08-28-2008, 12:46 PM
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New Member
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New guy
Found you guys on Fquick.
 Well, Ill bring everyone up to date on my build thus far, and use this as a future progress thread to keep updating. The car is a 1988 Pontiac Firebird Formula. I bought the car April 5/2007. Before it I owned a 1992 Camaro RS 3.1L V6 (Still used for winter), 1989 Camaro RS 5.0L (Sold Aug 5/2007...hours before I bought the Formula). I have always loved the looks of Third gen (1982-1992) Camaros,Firebirds. They are still cheap to find, and can be fun cars! I do drive 1000km a week (Shelburne-Kitchener) So I needed a car to be fun but still summer DD material, rain or shine. I found this car in Dundalk Ontario, on the side of the road. I took down the number and gave the guy a call. He told me it was a 350 TPI car. I went out, and couldn't see engine numbers, but it felt fast (better then the TBI Camaro I had) So I believed the typical lie. Bought the car. While trying to pass an etest the car sputtered and stalled. Let it sit 15minutes, and it fired back up...still failed the etest though  Took it home, put fuel PSI gauge on the rail, found 60PSI at idle  That would be cause of high HC's, and that stalling was a burnt out Walbro Fuel Pump  So one week in... bought new fuel pump! Got it by the etest and had plates/insurance on it within first week of ownership! The DAY of getting insurance on it, I blew the Pinion gear in the rearend in 4-5 peices  Took cover off... no oil in rearend at ALL.. I near it was a tad noiesy but didn't think the thing would be DRY.I called the guy I bought it from, just to ask the specs on the diff. (Factory would have been a 9bolt rear, but it was a 10.. so I wanted to know what to order). He said he felt bad for all my troubles, and was moving to Scottland. He told me to come to his house and get some spare parts. I drove over, and ended up getting, a L98 350TPI, 700R4 trans, 10bolt rear with 3.42's and boxes of thirdgen Trans AM parts!  Aftering going to sparta for first time and running 16.1, I knew something wasn't right. Dug down and found a killer find.... LB9 305  So that winter, out came the 305, in went the 350, rebuilt 700R4 with shift kit, and put new 3.73's in the rear and rebuilt all new seals and bearings. Start of the 08 Season was here, and I had it out, ran awesome. Took it to the track, best run was 14.74 @ 94MPH. I was content and was enjoying the car. Driving home late July 08 from work, I noticed third gear was gone, followed by 2nd, 1st then reverse aswell. Fluid was clean and red, so I assumed pump went in trans (I was right). My buddy came and towed me the 1hr home. When I got to his shop I did my most recent mod. Out went the automatic, in went the T5 5 speed. Currently car is running amazing! Started with : Lb9 305 TPI -Stock 700R4 3.42 Posi Ended with : L98 350 TPI -Not so much stock T5 5Speed 3.73 Posi Did other goodies, like true duel (custom made) exhuast, 97 style Decals, C5 Vette rims, tinted markers, white gauge faces, CAI, ported the plenum, TB coolant bypass and TB Airfoil, Custom ECM chip... laptop tuned, etc etc I've put a ton of time into it, and love it cause I built the car.. and I have so much pride in it. -- When I first found car (at guys house I bought it from) :  Same day after I cleaned it :  Original look of Interior :  Original look of Engine :   -- Motor out :  After engine swap (Now has CAI and red coolant hose is black, and has blue plug wires, for some reason, no pics of it now lol Ill get some) :  Interior now :  -- Duels :  Exterior now :     --   
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1988 Pontiac Firebird Formula 350  L98 350 - Ported Plenum, AFPR, True Duels, 1.6 Roller Rockers, CAI, MSD Ign., Hawk Tune/ T5 5 Speed - RAM Clutch, LUK Lightweight Flywheel, Hurst Shifter / 3.73 Posi |
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08-28-2008, 12:49 PM
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#2 |
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New Member
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And my winter beater :
350,000km, all orignal, 3.1L, 700r4, 3.23 open diff.         
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1988 Pontiac Firebird Formula 350 L98 350 - Ported Plenum, AFPR, True Duels, 1.6 Roller Rockers, CAI, MSD Ign., Hawk Tune/ T5 5 Speed - RAM Clutch, LUK Lightweight Flywheel, Hurst Shifter / 3.73 Posi |
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08-28-2008, 01:19 PM
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FBO Staff
  
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Welcome! Nice looking pair of fbodys you have on your hands.
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 "What if I told you insane was working fifty hours a week in some office for fifty years at the end of which they tell you to piss off; ending up in some retirement village hoping to die before suffering the indignity of trying to make it to the toilet on time? Wouldn't you consider that to be insane?" -Steve Buscemi as Garland Greene in Con Air www.fquick.com/firebirdphil |
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08-28-2008, 03:02 PM
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#6 | |
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New Member
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Quote
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1988 Pontiac Firebird Formula 350 L98 350 - Ported Plenum, AFPR, True Duels, 1.6 Roller Rockers, CAI, MSD Ign., Hawk Tune/ T5 5 Speed - RAM Clutch, LUK Lightweight Flywheel, Hurst Shifter / 3.73 Posi |
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08-28-2008, 04:54 PM
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#8 |
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FBO Staff
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Ah a fellow AC/DC fan, you're more than welcome in these parts
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"What if I told you insane was working fifty hours a week in some office for fifty years at the end of which they tell you to piss off; ending up in some retirement village hoping to die before suffering the indignity of trying to make it to the toilet on time? Wouldn't you consider that to be insane?" -Steve Buscemi as Garland Greene in Con Air www.fquick.com/firebirdphil |
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08-28-2008, 06:50 PM
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Site Owner
 
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Welcome to FBO, and very nice set of 3rd gens.
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Andy ▌1966 Oldsmobile Cutlass F-85 Deluxe 455cid F2 Block | Edelbrock Performer RPM Heads & ARP Bolt Kit | Mondello JM 22-25-10 Cam - 274/280 .512/.523 | Harland Sharp 1.6 Ratio Full Roller Rockers | Edelbrock Modified Performer Intake ▌1995 Chevy Camaro - Slow My Cars are USDM, it's like JDM in Japan; Crazy Eh? Got a Myspace? Friend our F-Body Online Account |
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