Back on the road! Pontiac Sunbird has new brakes for its first drive after 20+ years

[@grantkoeller8911]

The SUNBIRD is too nice to call it a scum bird!

[@flatbrokegarage]

Man.... the inside of that car was horrible 😆 still kinda is. I'm going to make it better soon. Thanks for sticking up for the little car.

[@hammersgarage]

I find myself oddly attracted to that little car…

[@flatbrokegarage]

They are interesting

[@chuckandjenbridges721]

Now remember, it's for your wife. New headliner, fuel tank, frost plugs.... All the things needed to make it safe, and nice for her!

[@flatbrokegarage]

I'm going to have to get back on this one. She needs a bunch of love.

[@edwardrobb4682]

Hi , the ratcheting screw driver you found in the trunk of the sunbird is called a yankee screw driver . Back when I was a union carpenter apprentice in 1978 , the journeymen on some jobs had those . They mostly used them to work on doors , hinging doors . In the day it was a quick way to run screws .my dad had 3 different sizes of those . I got them after he died . I have several other ones too . There were many bits that you could use with these too . The pair of pliers you found is a hand saw set tool for the teeth on a hand saw . This tool is used to set the teeth on a hand saw after the hand saw is filed . I also have a few of those . I learned to file hand saws in apprentice class . I know you threw the one tool away .

[@flatbrokegarage]

Great info! They were so pitted and rusty. Just have so much stuff I had to let it go. Thanks for watching!

[@phillipsrundripbubblecompa9232]

It's really a good-looking little car.

[@flatbrokegarage]

She kinda grows on you

[@stangman1268]

as a Ford guy i could vouch for that engine,i had one of these cars i picked up for like 300 bucks back in the 90's, back end was crunched and the engine had some kind of noise, spun bearing or something but that thing was still reliable i drove it for about a year and still sold it for about 200 bucks.

[@flatbrokegarage]

Bullet proof little engines for sure

[@Atomshamradio]

I like that car man good save

[@flatbrokegarage]

Thanks! I'm probably going to hold on to that one

[@RustyInventions-wz6ir]

It’s definitely a win. Good job

[@flatbrokegarage]

Still has a long way to go yet

[@robertvance1873]

Good job 👍 on the Sunbird.

[@flatbrokegarage]

Thank you sir!

[@pstreetgarage7304]

Great job Bill! I agree, it doesnt have to be high dollars. This is a fun and different little car. 👍👍👍

[@flatbrokegarage]

More smiles per gallon for sure

[@focus82grothm.84]

Great brake job on the Sunbird and burnout, love that car 😊👍

[@flatbrokegarage]

Thanks! Yeah, it's slowly coming along

[@focus82grothm.84]

@@flatbrokegarage Very nice 😊🚗👍

[@nigelstolic2707]

Great Save Bill it’s not as you say all about bIg Bucks saving Muscle cars save the Four door sedans n some of the more obscure cars from the past keep up the Great work you do an showing us all the Great Work your doing out there in Tennessee

[@flatbrokegarage]

Thanks so much! I do have some oddballs, but to me, that's what makes it fun. Heck, I don't even fit in the sunbird 😁

[@easternhotrodder]

Mrs. Flatbroke must be smiling. Good to know you learned a brake lesson after our Falcarino fiasco. LOL.

[@flatbrokegarage]

It went much better this time 😆

[@easternhotrodder]

See you at the DQ show.@@flatbrokegarage

[@robertalshamma-oo3sh]

I love it! I had a ‘76 monza 4spd w/vega motor. Never thought I’d see the day when one of these gets resuscitated. Good work, sir, nicely done!!!! Anyone seen a chevette recently?

[@flatbrokegarage]

Boy, it been a while for that. I do love my little sunbird. Thanks for watching!

[@brianhayes7618]

I had a Sunbird in 78 fun little car

[@flatbrokegarage]

They are different

[@markmckeachnie4484]

They do have a good look about them

[@flatbrokegarage]

I think I like the sunbirds better than the monzas I think

[@CAROLDDISCOVER-1983]

I brought up the link to your channel on my phone and this woman took a picture of it. The reason for recommendation of your channel is her 1971 Ford Torino with a factory original 429 and 4-speed. Her father had mothball the car and outside storage since the 1980s in Kentucky. She recently inherited the car and wants to do this car again and her dad's memory. She's also looking for some parts and I thought you might be able to help her. If nothing else her watching your channel will help you.

[@flatbrokegarage]

Thanks so much! I'd help her out if I can

[@wadeplanty9856]

Another gr8 video bill keep up the good work

[@flatbrokegarage]

Thanks! So glad you enjoyed it!

[@mikegomez3673]

Sometimes the best thing to do for the smell is get charcoal ashes and sprinkle all over the carpet it reduces the smell

[@flatbrokegarage]

Great idea!

[@timothystone880]

I like the scumbird myself. Nice video

[@flatbrokegarage]

Thank you!

[@attemptedauto]

You made a great video out of a brake job! Well done, Bill! Keep em coming!

[@flatbrokegarage]

Thanks buddy. How go your projects?

[@attemptedauto]

@@flatbrokegarage in the right direction, not at the speed I'd like though.

[@timb3925]

A friend in college had a Monza spider with a built 350 4 speed that was fun!

[@flatbrokegarage]

Go-cart with a V8

[@timb3925]

@@flatbrokegarage exactly..... Even with posi it would break loose at will...

[@midnightrunner684]

My cousin Kenny had a Monza with a Beefed up 350 4 Speed back in the late 1980's ..That car would bring the front tires off the ground ...A scooting little car

[@flatbrokegarage]

@@midnightrunner684 there's not much to them, I bet it just flew

[@robertvance1873]

I agree probably original master cylinder and I would install wheel cylinders same way 👍

[@flatbrokegarage]

I wish I could find some calipers. Mine began to leak

[@RustyInventions-wz6ir]

I’d love to see the rest of the Torino build

[@flatbrokegarage]

Working on it today. Video coming soon

[@Peter-hg5qd]

Use never seize on your steel break lines so the next flat broke guy can get them off. but yeah great video

[@flatbrokegarage]

Thanks! And good idea. I truly never thought of that

[@Atomshamradio]

To cool man

[@flatbrokegarage]

Thanks! I have to get this thing rolling again

[@Atomshamradio]

@@flatbrokegarage just awesome

[@inverted311]

I really like that little car. Looks like the trim is in decent shape. Just a bit of attention to prep and a rattle can paint job would bring her around nicely I think.

[@flatbrokegarage]

I'll be back on it this winter

[@CAROLDDISCOVER-1983]

A secret is there's a place called advance Auto. If you buy $35 or more they do not charge shipping. They will ship it to the nearest store or to you wherever it is you designate. Cheaper than RockAuto almost always on the final cost. Plus she call in and say I can't find my 30% coupon code is not working right. They give you your 30% discount. because the code never does work. The 25percent discount code works but the thirty or thirty-five percent doesn't it should and they make it work. So you're not cheating. I was surprised I called turnover Tire brakebleached or otherwise. Glad to see you're coming along.

[@flatbrokegarage]

Was on loose asphalt, easy to spin

[@robertvance1873]

Part's Geek $37.98 a rotor and they have brake booster also

[@flatbrokegarage]

Definitely going to check it out

[@brianandrews7099]

Never reuse old rubber brake hoses. I can appreciate that the originals were higher quality materials than modern chinesium parts are today but, even if they look good on the outside, they swell up from the inside first and restrict the flow of brake fluid. You’ll think your brake job is all set but your pedal will be hard and/or you car just won’t stop well because you won’t have the full stopping power of all 4 brakes. Worse still, they might just blow out if they are rotting below the outer sheathing. Maybe a dab on anti-seize on the threads on the lines will help the fittings come off on the new hoses much easier later on? Also, if your having a hard time bleeding off the brakes when everything gets wrapped up on your brake job, just find a board or stick to wedge the brake pedal in the fully down position, unhook the battery cable so the brake lights don’t run down your battery, and leave it sitting overnight to a full 24 hours and the air bubble should work their way back up through the MC and into the fluid reservoir and you should have a good pedal after that.

[@flatbrokegarage]

Yep, totally agree, it's just so sad the quality of parts nowadays. The brakes seem fine. Hopefully I never have to change them again 😆 Thanks for watching!

[@tomcat630]

If grille is original then car is a 1980 model, maybe built in late '79? I checked old car brochures site for reference.

[@flatbrokegarage]

I ran the vin # to get a title. Came back as an early 1980

[@paulweigle6872]

My 1980 monza never had firm brakes, but, they always stopped the car. Just never had a solid feel to them.

[@flatbrokegarage]

That's what this is like!

[@jonathanfreedom1st]

Under the circumstances, I know you probably shouldn't use Anti seize Lube but I would have totally Anti seize greased those steel "fittins" into that Taiwanese brake hose block. I feel like it would have been safe. Maybe even better use that Nickle or copper Anti seize.

[@flatbrokegarage]

Yeah, those Chinese parts are horrible, but unfortunately, that's about all that's left anymore. Thanks for watching!

[@ludo-ed4wl]

It’s horrible! Brakes are fine if there is no other traffic 😮

[@flatbrokegarage]

Ya only live once 😆

[@under1981autoparts]

you need to put schmutz on them and let'em soak

[@flatbrokegarage]

Yeah, probably. I'm going to get back at it this winter. Bet you never thought you would see it run, let alone smoke the tires

[@brianhayes7618]

Build the Torino.

[@flatbrokegarage]

Getting there

[@CAROLDDISCOVER-1983]

I think we all are looking forward to that

[@bens1019]

6.0 swap! Lol

[@flatbrokegarage]

As long as someone picks up the tab 😆

[@enjoythesho1992]

Did you fix the trans issue

[@flatbrokegarage]

I did, it shifts well and quit leaking. The brakes still aren't 100% and I have to fix the floor. It will be back this winter. Thanks for watching!

[@phantom629]

check another youtuber by the name of sunbird garage

[@flatbrokegarage]

I will for sure, thanks

[@sonnyjordan1911]

Not to be a smart ass but should replace all brake lines and hoses especially if your wife going to be driving it safety First.

[@flatbrokegarage]

Your not one bit, I totally agree with ya. Hence, the bag of brake lines. I just want to be sure the car is still worth the effort. She's kinda tough.

[@danesderelicts]

Really can't understand why you're looking for trouble with good brake lines. I say let sleeping dogs lie!!

[@flatbrokegarage]

I'm that guy, when everything looks great it seems to go south in an instant 😆