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After getting sent home again today due to a lack of work, (recession? what recession?), I called my buddy to see what he was up to. He owns a daytime general repair/nighttime race car fab shop. He said to come on over, he would find something for me to do. I go there not earn money, but to earn valuable shop time to work on my stuff in a professional facility. When I got there, he was rewiring a customer's recently acquired, recently restored, overpriced, non-original, '68 Camaro SS350 convertible. When I asked what he needed me to do, I was directed to the Flintstonemobile, a red on red, '68 Firebird rag-top he purchased as a project car.
My task was to remove the seats and carpeting to see how badly the floors were rotted. The car sat outside somewhere in Jersey for the last 3 years with only a cheap blue tarp as protection from the elements. The top leaked, the tarp leaked, the floors rotted, hence the name "Flintstonemobile". Once I had the buckets & console out, I started to pull the nasty original carpets. I could not believe my eyes when I found a piece of paper that appeared to be a faded GM Quality Control paint & body checklist. What was stuffed under the back seat? You guessed it. The build sheet! Slightly worse for wear due to age and small rodents, but readable. It's all there, 1968 Pontiac Firebird convt., 350 2bbl., Powerglide, A/C, posi rear, etc., etc.
The Pontiac 350 starts, idles and runs OK. The lights, wipers, horn and blower motor work. Even the annoying ignition buzzer still works! Before I left, he already had the Goodmark catalog out and was ordering floor pans. He has decided to just put the floors in for now and cruise all summer in "as-is/survivor" condition, dents, rust, faded paint and all.
He and I and our wives are flying out to Vegas next Friday to take in the NHRA at "The Strip". When I get into town, I am going to drop one of the nasty old quarters I found in the car into a slot machine. Wish me luck.
My task was to remove the seats and carpeting to see how badly the floors were rotted. The car sat outside somewhere in Jersey for the last 3 years with only a cheap blue tarp as protection from the elements. The top leaked, the tarp leaked, the floors rotted, hence the name "Flintstonemobile". Once I had the buckets & console out, I started to pull the nasty original carpets. I could not believe my eyes when I found a piece of paper that appeared to be a faded GM Quality Control paint & body checklist. What was stuffed under the back seat? You guessed it. The build sheet! Slightly worse for wear due to age and small rodents, but readable. It's all there, 1968 Pontiac Firebird convt., 350 2bbl., Powerglide, A/C, posi rear, etc., etc.
The Pontiac 350 starts, idles and runs OK. The lights, wipers, horn and blower motor work. Even the annoying ignition buzzer still works! Before I left, he already had the Goodmark catalog out and was ordering floor pans. He has decided to just put the floors in for now and cruise all summer in "as-is/survivor" condition, dents, rust, faded paint and all.
He and I and our wives are flying out to Vegas next Friday to take in the NHRA at "The Strip". When I get into town, I am going to drop one of the nasty old quarters I found in the car into a slot machine. Wish me luck.
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