Gramma's Car: the new project!

[njsteve]

I was thinking (always a dangerous endeavor)...it's probably all the A/C gear that causes these things to sit lower on the passenger side. You have that heavy A-6 compressor, the evaporator and fiberglass box, and all the hoses and extraneous other shrapnel that go along with the system. Not to mention the heavy radial spare tire and rim on the right side as well. All that would tend to make the car unevenly weighted to the right side.

[njsteve]

I brought the car in for an alignment today and was pleasantly surprised. As assembled, the caster and camber were perfectly in spec and only the toe was out of spec. It was toed in, probably due to the wacky driver's side lower ball joint/spindle wallowing situation. I brought my bag-O-shims with me but the car didn't need a single shim, whatsoever.

She tracks straight and true and the steering wheel is straight. YAY!

Now, on to the rear suspension. The front end is completely silent. But I can hear squeeks from the worn front leaf spring bushings and the squishy Midas shock absorbers and worn sway bar bushings. I had already replaced the rear shackle bushings last year when I replaced the gas tank. The new KYB gas shocks arrived yesterday and now I am waiting for the new sway bar bushings that Summit is drop shipping from Prothane. This car has the small 9/16" sway bar which was a little tricky to find bushings for.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/PTP-7-1116-BL

[njsteve]

We took Gramma's car out today. It was around 20 degrees and sunny out. The boy needed some driving time for his learners permit so we drove the car around the neighborhood roads. He was plodding along at around 20 mph and eventually felt confortable enough to hit a rollicking 30 mph by the end of the half hour of driving. It was a most entertaining time. His sister's first driving time was in this car, too. Nothing like creating new automotive memories in his Great Grandmother's ancient chariot that was built a quarter century before he was born.

When we got home I decided to swap out the too hot of a heat range plugs for a set of ACDelco R44TSX's. I had NGK UR45s in there but the flame pattern seems a bit close to the base ring.

[RST]

Cool stuff Steve

[njsteve]

BTW, I guess there must be some type of built-in macho blessing on Firebird drivers from the Patron Saint of Trans Ams: Burt Reynolds.

I looked at my 16 year old son today and he now has the faint beginnings of a mustache that he did not have prior to test driving the car yesterday.

Too cool for school!

[Craig_Maiorana]

As I read that I could hear Burts laugh in my head haha

[njsteve]

My son has been begging for more driving time in Gramma's car but the snow this week kind of cancelled that option. Looks like it's his mom's Dodge or the old Suburban til everything thaws out.

[9999]

Snow? Seriously, it's 80º here...

[njsteve]

It was around 45 degrees today so I pulled the rear out to start the process of swapping the 3.42 gears for 3.08s. I have a set of GM 3.08s that a PY forum member sent me to trade for the GM 3.42 set currently in the car.

Here's the result after four hours of work.

[9999]

I had no clue a Firebird could have 3.42:1 gears in '75. I was under the impression non-A/C cars could get up to 3.23:1 and that was as low as they go! Guess you learn somethin new every day!