Stripping a 1969 Firebird 400 to Begin a Trans-Am Tribute Build - MuscleCar S3, E11

[@08Barclay]

I had a 69 TransAm Ram Air 3 Turbo 400 Coupe in 1975. Awesome car, sold due to having kids, and a single income. I agree that you screwed it up by repowering it with the Chev LS engine. Fun perhaps, but a bit of an insult to the idea of a tribute car. Poncho power from the day was lots of fun as well. They are indeed beautiful cars, and deserve preservation for future generations to appreciate.

[@chrisrye9128]

Solid episode. Still, would rather have kept the Ponch 400, but I'm old skul like that.

[@wedge4hire]

Why not keep it pure Pontiac? Build a 455 with alloy heads, street roller stick and one of the new, smart EFI systems! My favorite Firebird, the '69!

[@AutoYoung]

You're a few years TOO LATE!!!

[@kurtpoblenz2741]

I'm a mopar guy , but I completely agree. Put a Pontiac motor in it. The LS is waaaaaaayyyy overdone ☹️

[@bfmcarparts]

Hello wedge, Because this is the cheapest and quickest way to make a program.

[@byronmcelfresh2380]

@@bfmcarparts no it isn't the cheapest or the fastest. A real Pontiac engine would have been less than half the money and made more power.

[@bfmcarparts]

Hello Byron, I'm sorry but after operating vintage high compression Pontiac 400s for over 40 years ( base 400s, 400HO, and RA2) you get passed 600 hp and they start failing. Though they are torque monsters, 6000 rpm is their limit. To compete with the factory crate motors you are dropping big dollars on aftermarket blocks, heads, fuel induction, and exotic valvetrains. There's tons of Chevy stuff compared to pounds of Pontiac. Other than being 80+ years old, why do think Arnie Beswick stopped racing? Because he wasn't winning enough running Pontiacs. The formula is backwards, you spend more for Pontiac parts and make less power than the competition. That's why these guys dropped in that complete crate motor. ps- most 455s out there now are weak casting 1974-76 vintage that will split in two if built (big dollars) to compete. Sorry. Have fun on the street.

[@TickleFingers]

The 69 Firebird and early 69 T/A are one of my most favorite muscle cars. The 69 T/A is in my top 5 cars I would buy if I had the money. I'm happy to see this car on the show, but what they're doing to it is driving me nuts. They are plucking the soul from that fire chicken. That 400 should be going back into that car. What a shame.

[@mrz80]

DANG DANG DANG... that 400 ragtop in dark blue is one of my two or three all time dream cars. The 69 'bird was just about the best looking thing ever to come out of a GM plant.

[@AutoYoung]

I miss this car. Loved this entire build…

[@scottyfisher2321]

Love the oldsmoebubble. !!!!!! I don't like the motor in the firechicken use the one that was in it.

[@AutoYoung]

Call Kevin King. I'm sure he'd love to hear you bitching while he's driving this beast. He's been driving it for damn near 10 years now...

[@jeri8512]

My current project car is a 1977 oldsmobile vista cruiser stationwagon, and man are the parts rare to find.

[@MaxxumDomski]

As an owner of a 1969 Pontiac Firebird, this was painful to watch on TV when it first aired in 2008, and it's still painful to watch now.

[@richardchristianson2823]

Ditto.

[@GearheadRob319]

I agree. a Pontiac needs Pontiac power. Like my Ford mustang will always remain Ford powered.

[@basshead.]

There are a lot of Pontiacs out there that came with LS, 305, 350 engines from factory.

[@RetroCheater81]

When your Sunfire needs a new engine make sure you dont get the same engine from a Cavalier

[@GearheadRob319]

@@basshead. that is true for the later model ones. back in 69 it was pure pontiac though.

[@relluplewis7112]

@@basshead. NONE from the factory till you got to mid 1980's & newer. Earliest year a Fbird had a Chevy engine was 1970 but only if you ordered a V6.Fbirds 67-69's ordered W/a 6-cyl. got Pontiacs very(VERY) good straight 6-cyl. (W/1-barrel or optional Sprint 4bbl Rochester). Straight 6 wouldn't fit under the hood on Fbirds '70 plus & as LeMans weren't available W/them any more Pontiac quit making 6-cyl altogether. If you had a 6-cyl in a Pontiac after '69 it was a Chevy or Buick 6.

[@basshead.]

@@GearheadRob319 The 69 Firebird is just a 69 Camaro with a different body kit. Nothing pure there.

[@LTJohn]

If I ever find one of those, I'm keeping it original. This one still turned out really nice. 😎👍

[@ziggy70962000]

Another classic Pontiac destroyed with a Chevy drive train. Turning Pontiac's into Camaros makes no sense

[@everettgrover9459]

i mean it basically the same car, only difference is the badging, and the head light and tail light

[@byronmcelfresh2380]

@@everettgrover9459 you clearly don't know the difference between the cars.

[@relluplewis7112]

Alot of people don't realize that all factory V8 equipped 1st generation 'birds (67-69) had the engine moved closer to the firewall then factory V8 (whether 396,350 or 302) equipped 1st gen. Camaros had. Which improved handling as well as brought a higher percentage of weight over the rear axle.

[@jeremy7991]

@@relluplewis7112 YOU COMPLETLY MISSED THE PLOT

[@douglashine9638]

When I first saw the LS7, I had to take 10 Deep Breaths. Then, after some serious soul searching, I decided it was time for this Old Dog to learn some new tricks... Lol 😝

[@Tomek1985]

it was a sharp looking muscle car, converted to a hot weels toy... what a shame

[@basshead.]

They sharpened it up.

[@simonw2631]

Exactly

[@jutde]

Yeah, well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.

[@RalphSampson...]

I gotta say, "I'd prefer the original stock Firebird". Keep it original. The craziest thing I saw was a guy in Alaska changed a 1969 Firebird into a Camaro! Holy crap! Everybody has a Camaro.

[@danbasta3677]

True. I think the Firebird had more class than any Camaro out there.

[@robertr9871]

Gotta agree with all the engine comments. Should have used a bored and stroked 400 with aluminum heads and a roller cam. LS motors are getting played out and it's nice to see original non-Chevy motors from back in the day when there was such a thing. Putting another LS swap is akin to building nothing but 69 Camaros on every episode.

[@ruben2365]

Every time I worked on the car that required removal of multiple parts, I would put the bolts, screws and nuts in a Ziploc bag and label them to make put the car together easy .

[@1gatomon]

Well the minute you rolled out the LS engine I changed the channel.. Shame since you can do so much with the 400 that came with the car. Some Tribute when you use a Chevy engine Year One just lost my buisness also....

[@twistershift]

*rolls eyes*

[@byronmcelfresh2380]

Exactly why I refuse to buy anything from year one for any of the cars I do. Their putting pos chevy engines in Pontiacs, they can go out of business and the world would be better off. They are a bunch of greedy pieces of scum in my book.

[@jutde]

I'm sure they're going to miss all of your "business". Here's an idea, buy a Firebird and restore it yourself, then you can do it the way you want to.

[@anthonycadiou8367]

I would have kept the Pontiac motor

[@tommy9900]

pushing 50 .

[@marlintatom4471]

Beat me to it.

[@jessiejames2155]

Should be called: PLUCKING THE BIRD

[@evilfingers4302]

That Olds reminds me of one my neighbors back in the early 1980's, who always parked his 442 on the drive way for all to Drool at.

[@estpst]

Why ruin a perfectly good car

[@basshead.]

They made it better and safer.

[@bmstylee]

@@basshead. gotta remember these clowns love old technology. Manual steering, manual drum brakes, and 14" bias ply tires are superior to modern running gear.

[@byronmcelfresh2380]

@@bmstylee you couldn't be more wrong

[@CuckBalls]

Dude they broke it lol it didn't work Yes I would have kept the 400 I don't see the point in changing a car so much that it isn't the same car you started out with. I would just go get a new Camaro that has all that shit that they did with none of the work. However that's just how I would "hotrod" my car. However I value the experience you gain with a project like this. Building something from scratch into something amazing and custom is satisfying for any of us if you devot your everything to it. Just my 2 cents

[@ericthompson3551]

Front end of 67 68 is so much better looking. Full perimeter bumber.

[@gabrielel-kharraz9221]

A big fan from Libya, I love this channel

[@chrisbenthall9718]

Disappointed with the LS

[@bmstylee]

Waaaah. It's a popular swap for a reason.

[@ibast1]

Chevy already screwed over Pontiac why do it again? Chevy engines in Pontiacs are just nasty.

[@aeros5678]

You mean GM.

[@byronmcelfresh2380]

@@aeros5678 GM screwed Pontiac at the request of chevy.

[@aeros5678]

@@byronmcelfresh2380 I do miss Oldsmobile. Grew up with them.

[@mycardiaz]

Do you guys ever plan to do a fourth gen Firebird trans am

[@bbaker87]

Ls motor. How original....

[@AutoYoung]

I will never understand why you people complain about builds that are YEARS old and then fail to realize that a lot of these cats are commissioned and are built to what the owner wants. Kevin King drives the snot outta this car till this day...

[@byronmcelfresh2380]

@@AutoYoung he could have had more power and more fun with the Pontiac engine then the pos ls. Only dumbasses put ls engines in a Pontiac. The 400 Pontiac is by far a better engine than the ls pos

[@shakemaster9958]

i build these things, and how did you align the doors to the quarters before you took the bumper off?. its almost certain that the hinges are toast. i wouldnt think year one would do a buget build

[@garrettwight1027]

Aww man sweet car! But..... I've been a hard top guy, regardless of make and model. Still an awesome car though! Can't wait to see what you fellas do with it! Have fun my dudes

[@DEATER155]

wish powernation would come help me with my 69 firebird

[@jhutch1470]

Maybe not. They would just Chevy your shit.

[@sams244]

Hi bro.i am ur fan ever.still I am unable to watch any project episode fully.please send link i want to see.rhanks

[@dorfsteen]

Dale senior probably follow that thing around the track a I wonder if you can see it on old videos of races that that exact car or is that just a copy of a bunch of them?

[@johnsmith-qz4bv]

nice work love those LS engines

[@Hawlkeye-e9p]

I would buy one of these over a new car anyday.

[@richpatrick3424]

Should've got an engine from Butler, and kept it Pontiac!!!

[@BIsForBudget]

That Spectre EBAY intake absolutely killed the look of the otherwise beautiful looking LS7.

[@byronmcelfresh2380]

There is no way to make a turd like a LS engine look good.

[@RalphSampson...]

I'm sure guys weren't able to simply move the transmission cross member. So, you had to cut and reweld it. I'd like to see why this was the case.

[@juice1999]

Nice Firebird too bad its ruined by putting a chevy engine in it. The whole charm of an old Pontiac is the engine, thats what separates them from all the other muscle cars from the era.Why not just restore a 3rd or 4th gen Firebird with a chevy engine? Upgrading suspension, trans and AC is cool, also the car came with nice high back seats w/headrests which are safer and more comfortable and the low backs in the rendering are a downgrade. I wont be tuning in for the rest of the build.

[@bmstylee]

Cool. No one will miss you anyway.

[@dirtyfivefive4146]

hell yeah!

[@B1Springfield]

Should’ve kept the 400 😕

[@santiagosanchez4761]

I wish I could have the parts they took off for mine

[@richardchristianson2823]

Yeah, I wonder what they did with them?

[@brucesvt96]

This was one of my favorite builds. Do you still have the horsepower episodes with joes black sn95 mustang?

[@goatlord6255]

While your at it, put a dodge engine in the red sled, seems appropriate... I’m really disappointed...

[@AutoYoung]

All these cars are built and DONE!!!

[@basshead.]

+Nick Baum You know that Pontiac was owned by GM, right?

[@relluplewis7112]

@@basshead. Maybe they should have put a Caddy Northstar engine in it with that reasoning after all Caddys are GM too.

[@basshead.]

@@relluplewis7112 They have but LS engines in Caddys tho.

[@Knightmare-gz9ls]

Lost me at LS swap

[@Wbroach24]

How long ago was this actually aired lol My brother is 40 he was born in 79 lol.

[@kimmorrison9169]

These are old shows popping up now. Always wondered why these talented guys stay a year or less and some more but they all leave this network sooner or later. Would like to hear the inside story from former techs that left! Joe Elmore probably stayed the longest of the bunch.

[@TeamGeezer]

The Hurst Olds has "tire shredding power"? I grew up in that era and a HS buddy bought one in 1974 that was super clean and only 2 years old. It ran a 16 second 1/4 mile. He hung his head in shame thinking that car was bad ass and it was a turtle.

[@tlr-nut7275]

Most were. My HS buddies '68 Charger R/T ran high 15's, low 16's back in the mid '80's. All the old-timers think they were so fast. Meanwhile, their Hyundia Genisis granny car is much faster.

[@jimmygrant424]

A guy I worked with one time told me that the definition of a bastard is a Chevy motor in a Pontiac

[@cemeteryhill]

Already know there is gonna be tons of salt in theses comments. lol

[@BigUnitBeef]

Another LS swap....sucks. should have kept the 400

[@bilbobaggins4710]

Not 4 piston calipers ....2

[@davidparker4501]

The car is not 40 it's 50 years old!!

[@brucesvt96]

It was 40 back when the build happened

[@americanfreedom6417]

Pushing 40 I wish

[@kniteprince3798]

ahhh crap.. another LS.... to each their own.

[@paulmccoy2908]

This episode was made before LS swaps were played out, so y’all can quit shaking your canes and go back to your bingo game.

[@455Olds88]

Couldn't build a 461 or something??? 😕 shoulda called Butler!

[@scott70707]

500 hp,470 trq.? That was the big improvement over a pontiac motor? My 455 is all stock except for a cam and ported factory steel pontiac heads. Made 490 hp/570 trq . with ease. People can do what they want with their cars but IMO they screwed it up. Fairly rare car thats very desireable that should be restored and not resto modded with big goofy rims. Keep the original parts so the car could be saved from this butchery.

[@jonasgrumby1093]

Just like me, start another project before the first one is finished

[@jonasgrumby1093]

Shoulda went 6L80 trans

[@alfieh24]

Why was he brushing the dirt under the car?

[@gailliardander]

💙

[@danhambrick6331]

Hey,what happened to Tommy...

[@1980bwc]

Who taught yall Math? That car wasnt about to turn 4o. It was about to turn 50!

[@bmstylee]

This is from 2008 so it was pushing 40.

[@edgerrr]

While I love the Pontiac 400 (and 455), ignore the detractors. As you guys know, the LS7 427 is a GREAT choice for this beautiful build. "if you're going to do something, do it right" seems to be your mantra.

[@byronmcelfresh2380]

Do it right wasn't what they did on this car. This idiots did it very wrong

[@ronnieboucherthecrystalcraftsm]

no it is 51 years old ! no they are two piston calipers !

[@RetroCheater81]

The video was made in 2008...

[@localcrew]

That landeau roof... Ugh......

[@bfmcarparts]

Having owned a half dozen , and still own a pair of 1967-69 real Firebird 400s, I strongly doubt this car was ever a Firebird 400, just a non-muscle covertible continuing to be modified over the decades and still doesn't stand out.

[@simonw2631]

Thats sad, that car is better original as it was !!

[@tenderblender945]

Y’all don’t understand that these videos are about 11 years old..

[@hotrodswoodshed7405]

"Check out this killer vintage blah blah blah... BUT we're gonna cut All of the heart & soul and history out of it useing lower quality repop parts and BLOW the budget sky-hi. You can't POSSIBLY afford this, next on bullshit garage"

[@BobbyOfEarth]

The same mentaility used to calculated its age as 40 years old is the same mentality used to bastardize this rare car with an LS engine in the hole that should have a Pontiac Ram Air II engine. Just another reflection of GM's overreaching promotional dept on PowerNation. Corporatism really sucks..

[@firefighteruppy9121]

This show is probably ten years old and just now brought to KZbin, so it was 40 years old when they shot this.

[@BobbyOfEarth]

@@firefighteruppy9121 True, however, the strange dichotomy still remains.

[@ican8243]

the show aired in 2008, LS swaps were all the thing then and besides year one wanted a reliable high HP engine to tour the country with.

[@relluplewis7112]

@@ican8243 They can tour on the corner on my block & I won't go to see it. I KNOW what a REAL '69 T/A is that is more a '69 Z28 convert. wanna be then a Pontiac.

[@fastone3207]

They ruined a great car. Should have used a camero. Not a tribute, but a hack job!

[@mikekiefer6462]

Why don’t they vehicles like that for people properly restore them. Just buy all of the body parts and build a damn new car.

[@skrimpjones]

Where's the regal!!

[@vengeanceizmine9878]

Ruined...

[@gpgoldb]

I think you guys meant to say 50 years old not 40.

[@bmstylee]

I think you meant to notice the episode is 12 years old.

[@harleybahe7874]

Not sure what time I'll come over and make a great day for the address and a great day and stay warm enough my husband and support engineer in your family have been talking more about it Monday and support the know what I mean maybe we could do something else if you have enough time for me but maybe we could do

[@robbiefrentz9427]

I know where one sits. Been sitting for decades. Asked to buy it. Told her to name a price. She is in her 80’s... she told me she was going to have it built. I was mowing her place because she didn’t have a mower that works . Yep she’s going to build it smh 🤦‍♂️

[@Pedritoe]

Hell yea 👌

[@davidtaylor5082]

This is a 100kplus build and it’s destroyed know

[@unicornsteaks6769]

I HATE tribute cars. You can put whatever crap you want on that car and it will never be a TA. You see this all the time with Camaros that have the RS split bumpers and Z28 badges. Badges and scoops don't make the car something it's not.

[@24revealer]

Pushing 40? It's 51 years old. You sound like my cousin and his dates...

[@CallofDoobie585]

Why do you guys post suuuch short episodes???? Why I don't get it . Sure you took out all the bs commercials. Now put in the other segment so it's worth our while

[@firefighteruppy9121]

These episodes were never meant for KZbin. This show is probably ten years old. They were half hour shows so once they take out the commercials (as you noted) we're left with seventeen minutes. I look at it like this... it's better than nothing.

[@n2vxc]

Jesus these scripted shows..these massive 4 piston calipers...there 2 piston by my math..why don't they at least get real car people

[@impahl7414]

pontiac was more beautifull than mustang camaro or charger

[@ericw3715]

sell me those wheels

[@RetroCheater81]

Damn, they arent putting a Ford engine in there, its the same damn company that made both engines. Rebuilding that 400 to match the HP of the LS7 would probably cost a lot more, and its not like they threw the 400 away. And please people, understand that these videos were made a long time ago, if youve been watching for the past 5 years you should know these arent new.

[@byronmcelfresh2380]

It would have been half the cost of that piece of over rated shit LS engine to have built the Pontiac engine . And made more power on pump gas. I've been building 650+hp 400 Pontiac engines since 04. It's easier now than back then to do it too. These foolish clowns just wanted to advertise for general mess. Which is why I will never buy a newer GM vehicle ever. They stopped making the best engine they have ever built when they quit the Pontiac engine.screw those slow poke piston pin throwing LS engines.

[@MysterD515]

Automatic transmission, boring.

[@Friedbrain11]

Lets see...i think your math is off a little bit...not 40 yo but 51 yo. That filter setup on the new engine looks dorky! If ya don't drive it then its just junk that needs a better owner or sent to the junkyard for recycling.

[@RetroCheater81]

video was made in 2008...

[@franklintolentino7174]

3rd

[@xjssts7127]

They are on drugs or something constantly laughing, I had to stop the video and move on to another video.

[@basshead.]

1st

[@westsideponchojj2603]

... I can't even watch it - Personal dilemma ! I've lived first Gen Firebird's for 43 years. I owned a 1969 Tran Am RAIII, 4-Spd 1988-1996. They only made 697 Period ! Only 8 were birthed convertibles Period ! next to those original greats are the 400's that became the Formula program in the 70's -- If you are going to Rape and Pillage and do these goofy "Tribute" or "Clone" (Stolen Glory) than use the less significant Base cars... Leave the Original VIN-Stamped- PHS Documented cars as their original glories ( I get it -- YOU own it; it's yours to do what you want -- HOWEVER; most of the car-community realizes that with Ownership comes a certain amount of culture-RESPONSIBILITY ) The very reason I sold my '69 T/A and got a Roached-70-Esprit is because it is freedom from Museum Piece Authenticity Code of Honor. Just my 20 cents worth ...

[@MultiMacnasty]

Stopped watching as soon as I saw that a Pontiac engine wasn't going back in the car........

[@eddielt1sl]

Blasphemy. LS7 doesn’t belong in that car. It is a Government Motors engine NOT a true General Motors Pontiac Engine. Only Idiots can think about is to throw an LS into anything. Why didn’t they just build the 400 and have a t56 combo instead of that spectre intake LS crap?! “They sure carved that bird up” yea literally butchered it! Ever heard of BUTLER Performance, Rock and Roll Engineering, or Pontiac Engines.com? Thought this show was Musclecar?

[@richardturk7162]

Why do they always have to f something up on this show? Always with the huge tall wheels. just looks wrong In 69 they never made a trans am convertible.

[@bmstylee]

Modern brakes require modern wheels. Go enjoy your 4 wheel manual drums. I take modern running gear.

[@relluplewis7112]

Richard you couldn't be more wrong they made eight convertible T/A's in '69.And 689 hardtops. Now '69 Z/28 convertibles no. The 1969 convertible Camaro Pace Car was a SS/RS option not a Z.

[@williamlopez4934]

Another ls swap....great...😤

[@RoommateArisu24]

This was back in the early 2000s when ls swaps were new and cool

[@tsmartin]

@@RoommateArisu24 Still don't make it right.

[@bmstylee]

@@tsmartin it's a popular swap for a reason. But if you decided to spend 2x the money to build a Pontiac you would complain the average person can't afford it.

[@danbasta3677]

Hope your not gonna ruin the looke of this car with those ugly wagon wheels and thin tires on it.