|
|
|
03-12-2006, 11:45 AM
|
|||||
|
|||||
|
Making a '80 Pontiac T/A a '73 T/A sorta clone?
OK,
Probably should be beat for thinking it  but I always liked the lines/look of the 73 T/A, trouble is there just aren't any around, well that I can afford that is. I had a 76 and an 80, should have kept both of them but... Anyway a guy down the road has an 80 for sale no engine or trans, body in good shape. I was thinking (getting dangerous here) that if I swapped fenders/hood/bumpers/tail lights I could have a 73 clone for fun. But the big question, will this stuff "bolt up" or will there be a lot of fabrication or just plain not fit? From my memory, which is getting old, from the doors back there isn't any difference from 73 to 80, or is there and I'm just not seeing/remembering it right?? I don't care that the interior will be wrong, or really anything else as the whole idea is wrong but would the parts fit up? 
|
|
03-12-2006, 09:08 PM
|
|||||
|
|||||
|
The rear window is different, the 74-81 firebirds has a wraparound style rear glass while the 71,2,3 had an almost flat glass style. I think the early front clip will swap onto the 80 front subframe just fine. I put a 71 RS split bumper camaro front clip on a 79 RS camaro and it worked just fine, thinking these cars are fairly similar I don't think you'll have a problem. The rear bumper and rear panels are also different but with enough enginuity I'm sure you could make it work. The decklids are all the same I'ms sure. I agree, the older steel bumpered design looks way better than the alluminum and plastic bumpered later designs. Get to work! Bob
|
|
03-13-2006, 03:46 PM
|
|||||
|
|||||
|
Thanks Bob,
Sounds doable, I'll have to stop and take a closer look at the car now. I figured that there probably weren't many changes as far as bolting up goes, and your experiance shows that I could probably get away with my idea. 
|
|
03-13-2006, 04:22 PM
|
||||||
|
||||||
|
firebird
That's an interesting idea. The last good Firebird was built in 1973. 1974 was ok and 75 started the decline.
One correction from the post above though; The wrap around rear window started in 75. If I were you, I'd look for a beaten up 70-73 Firebird, then clone it out to a Trans Am or Formula. I have seen some really nice looking TA clones. You wouldn't be able to tell without looking at the title & serial numbers.
|
|
03-14-2006, 02:51 PM
|
|||||
|
|||||
|
I'd love to find a 70-73 and go from there but finding a rolling 80 is getting rough around here, Indiana winters eat them up with the salt and snow...
|
|
08-26-2009, 08:35 AM
|
||||
|
||||
|
73 clone
hey all know this is an old thread, but just finished a 73 clone off a 79 frame.
basically nose fits with a lil altering--nothing big, u can keep the fenders from that year all the same--biggest prob i had was the tail--rear qtrs are different where the bumper on the 79-80 are--still very doable but the qtrs are flat on 70-73, where the later models have a indentation for the poly bumper..have questions ask talon
|
|
08-26-2009, 08:36 AM
|
||||
|
||||
|
80 ta
neighbor has one for sale here not bad looking 2700 i think it is ...circleville ohio
|
|
08-26-2009, 08:43 AM
|
||||||
|
||||||
|
up a few pics. sadly, 73 was the last good year for the firebird and 71 the last good year for good engines. if you can, do an engine swap too.
|
|
08-26-2009, 06:24 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
73ta
will try to get some posted still a ton of "bugs" im working on -- and really dont want to pic it till its complete..but meh ill try to get some..
weve kept the built 403 -- i love that motor--however since were "faking it" we do have a 68 gto 400, and weve started on a mock 455 SD..now the 455 is a reg block, but we did get "used 455 SD heads" but hey ill see what i can do
|
|
|
| Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests) | |
| Thread Tools | |
|
|
