Today I... "Redux Edition"

[roadking77]

You are correct.  I think there are a couple special built jets though in the fleet.

[FormTA]

My car has a friend at work today.

[Nexus]

OOOH...very nice, but I have to say, I like your TA better!!

[Nexus]

Luke

The arial view pic of your car, do you have one that shows the entire car?

It's one of my favorite angles!!

[5th T/A]

Great picture Luke, your car is in good company.

[roadking77]

Nice pair of cars. Great that you can drive your T/A to work 

[5th T/A]

Not related to firebirds or even cars, my other passion is motorcycles, I own four, five if you include my wife's. Most the time I act my age and ride my Harley Ultra Classic Limited. Today for the first time this year I rode my 2010 Yamaha Vmax. It is kind of a single purpose vehicle designed to accelerate quickly. It's good for 0 - 60 in 2.5 seconds and quarter mile of 10.1 seconds. My acceleration runs are done only in a very rural remote area. While the bike handles decent hard acceleration is a pure adrenaline rush. So, after a few passes I went back to old man mode and just enjoyed a relaxing cruise.

IMG_9756 by Lawrence Alexander, on Flickr

[FormTA]

Luke

The arial view pic of your car, do you have one that shows the entire car?

It's one of my favorite angles!!

This is the best I have...




It does make the hood bird stand out.

Even dirty, this thing shines like a mirror....


.

[scarebird]

To me, 67's are the prettiest year Camaro - plus wing windows.

[FormTA]

Yup! I love the 67s too. Hence why I have one. I think each year of the first gen is its own beast. No sheet metal is the same. 67 vent windows and now side marker lights. 68 side marker lights and different grill, shifter and doors (no vent windows) and well 69 is just a freak in my book, everything is different.

I plan to get back working on mine this fall hopefully. This is another car I have owned for over 20 years.... This one is rust free, really rust free. I replaced all of the sheet metal except the roof, tail panel and part of the fire wall.

[roadking77]

Luke, I guess I dont pay attention to the signatures at the bottom, I didnt know you had a vintage Camaro too. Nice!! This may be a blasphemous statement here but I like the first gen Camaros better than the Firebirds, not that I would mind having either one.
My neighbor of a couple of families ago had a 69 camaro looking about the same state as yours when they moved in (about 10+ yrs ago). His plan was to wait until his boys were older and it was going to be a family project. A few years and a divorce later the house was sold and they moved out. I was going to ask about buying the camaro but I was knee deep in stuff and the timing wasnt right. Someone came up from VA and hauled it away.

Larry, I think we have shared hobbies/passions for motorsports. I really like that Vmax. Unless I am thinking of a different bike I believe those came out quite a few years ago. I remember being at a dealer when they had their first one, I thought the side scoop was pretty neat. Never road one. For awhile I wanted to get a street bike just because, and was looking for a decent used Ducati. I found some but never pulled the plug. Im not sure my back could take it now, LOL. Another bike I REALLY wanted was a BMW sport tourer. At the time my brother and myself were doing a lot of long distance riding. He finally broke down and bought one, so I was able to try one out. With my stubby legs I had to stand on my tiptoes to hold the bike up (and he had a lowered seat). Felt like I was back in the third grade learning to ride. I will add that on the road the Beemer handles and drives unbelievably. Needless to say that dream came to an end and I have stuck with my trusted ole Harley.

[Nexus]

"This may be a blasphemous statement here but I like the first gen Camaros better than the Firebirds"

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTT

[Nexus]

This is the best I have...

That Is perfect...thank you

[5th T/A]

Charlie, Firebirds and Camaro's are like cousins, it's OK. Not like a Ford versus Chevy thing!

Luke, anyone who grew up in an era when most cars didn't have AC, knew just how valuable those vent windows are.

[5th T/A]

Kerry,

I know what you mean when it comes to BMW RT's, my brother in-law had an R1100RT. It is a great sport tourer, but you really sit up high.

I owned a 2000 K1200LT. Very good handling and comfortable. I think it had a 6-gallon tank and got great mileage giving me unbelievable range on a tank. Six-hundred-mile days are easy, and I have come close to covering 1,000 miles in a day. My wife fell asleep many times in the back seat. The LT was like a luxury car, adjustable heated seats, electric windshield, heated grips, cruise control, reverse, AM-FM-weather band radio and a 6-disc CD changer. It also had anti-lock brakes when most bikes did not. I removed the CD changer from the side case because it took up valuable space. My big gripe is BMW had ridiculous maintenance requirements. Going to the dealer for a 5,000-mile maintenance was $500.00 and a 10,000 maintenance was close to a $1,000. After the first maintenance I purchased a factory shop manual and a pneumatic motorcycle lift. While parts weren't inexpensive, I saved a lot of money while still satisfying the warrantee requirements. In summer of 2005 we had a trip to Memphis scheduled. I ordered a new rear tire from the dealer because at the time only Michelin made the correct tire. Tires were back ordered from Germany and wouldn't be available in time. That's when I purchased my 2005 Road King Classic and never looked back.

My opinion is Harley's are much easier and cheaper to maintain. I can clean or replace the air filter in five minutes. With Hydraulic lifters no valve adjustments required. Spark plugs can be replaced in five minutes. The two Harleys I have owned have never leaked oil or broke down. But if they do, Harley has a fantastic dealer network, BMW service can be hard to come by especially in rural areas.


K1200LT on the lift.
IMG_0364 by Lawrence Alexander, on Flickr

This is how far you need to dig before you can replace an air filter.
IMG_0378 by Lawrence Alexander, on Flickr

[roadking77]

Nice looking bike. Yea, I think Kevin ( my brother ) has the RT/ RS or what ever. The sport touring job. He says that his wife regularly falls asleep on long rides, must be soothing back there, LOL. He is a stickler for factory service and such but he has a very good friend that is a trained BMW mechanic and works at the dealer service bay. I think he does the repairs Kevin cant do. I agree on the simplicity of working on a bike meaning a lot to me at least. I was talking last summer with a guy on a new gold wing and he pretty much said the same thing about taking half the bike apart to do a simple service. It was a nice looking bike though and he said it was unbelievably comfortable. I would like to ride one of those at least once.

[72projectbird]

Did the rotors, pads, drums and shoes on my OBS Chevy. The Sierra is on the lift getting a full exhaust, headers, catless Y-pipe etc.

[FormTA]

Love those wheels and black paint! (And the wires hanging from the garage door track... a lot like my shop!)

[72projectbird]

Love those wheels and black paint! (And the wires hanging from the garage door track... a lot like my shop!)

Thanks! It's been a little project of mine. Lowered it 5/7, completely stripped it down and painted it black, put a full Escalade interior in it including the dash, and a full exhaust. This winter it's getting a healthy cam, and a 3500rpm converter.

And every garage needs painting wire hinges from the tracks! 

[FormTA]

Today I ran across this picture on the internet.... What an abomination!

[b_hill_86]

….put some finishing touches on my engine after pulling it to check (and ultimately change) the bearings. Painted it today, cleaned up the valve covers a bit today, cleaned off my plug wires after I let my dirty hands dirty them up over time, bolted on the motor mounts, fuel pump etc. only thing I have left is to fill it with oil, prime it and verify pressure and I should be good to drop it back in this week hopefully.

[5th T/A]

Engine looks really nice, this is an exciting point to be at. I’m sure there are several TAC members that would love to be where are you are right now!

[roadking77]

I resemble that remark
Yes, it does look fantastic!
Luke, you are correct, that car is well........but if you gotta ride in a Limo it may as well be a Trans Am

[Nexus]

If I'm not mistaken the owner of David T's Camaro & Firebird out of Calgary Alberta owns that limo!!

[FormTA]

Brian, the engine looks great! Hopefully you can get some seat time this summer!

[b_hill_86]

Brian, the engine looks great! Hopefully you can get some seat time this summer!

Hope so!

Thanks 5th. Got my fingers crossed all goes well and this engine holds out for at least a few years till I can do a proper rebuild

[nas t eh]

If I'm not mistaken the owner of David T's Camaro & Firebird out of Calgary Alberta owns that limo!!

I think he has a twin to it, no decals or white vinyl roof. Just as ugly but different.

[ryeguy2006a]

Well after going crazy last week, my family and I made it down to Virginia! Here's a picture we took on the way to get groceries! Blue Ridge mountains almost in our back yard.

[FormTA]

Jealous! Looks amazing.

[b_hill_86]

Ryan, that sure beats the flat cornfields of NW Ohio lol. Kind of reminds me of the northern part of the lower peninsula of Mi and the U.P.

Side note, got my engine set in its home today. Fought me a little bit but not terribly.

[roadking77]

Looks nice Ryan, hope you and your family are getting settled in well. I know you should be used to the terrain, but I am a flat lander myself. I like to look at the hills but not sure I could live in a place like that. We built a house a few years ago in the Pocono Mountains, no matter where one would go it was up one hill and down another to get there. Drove me crazy (pardon the pun). My county goes from completely flat farm land to small rolling 'bumps' where I am and a bit more hilly just a bit north. That suits me fine, you guys can keep the mountains 

[72projectbird]

I've been working on my GN lately. It's in the middle of being painted. Just got done wet sanding the first 3 coats of clear totally flat with 800 grit. Next up is the flow coat of clear, and then back to wet sanding starting at 1200 and working up to 3000.

Should look pretty good.

[5th T/A]

Looking forward to seeing the finished paint. My best friend bought one of these new, it was a great car, something I wouldn’t mind driving every day in 2022. I think they have aged well and still look good.

Your a lucky guy!

[roadking77]

x2

[FormTA]

Me too. There was a really nice shell on FB market for 13k. No idea why someone removed the engine and trans. I thought about picking it up and dropping a turbo LS in it. I mean, the original stuff was gone so at least keep it a turbo.

Nice car, I love a clean G body!

[Jack]

A lot of updates and good posts here... I like the first gens f-body especially 67-68 firebirds but do think the first gen Camaro's look better.

[72projectbird]

Me too. There was a really nice shell on FB market for 13k. No idea why someone removed the engine and trans. I thought about picking it up and dropping a turbo LS in it. I mean, the original stuff was gone so at least keep it a turbo.

Nice car, I love a clean G body!

I love LS swaps, but l could never swap one into a turbo Buick. I've been a huge G body guy forever. My first car was an 86 Monte Carlo SS, and have been hooked ever since.

[FormTA]

Not really a swap as the driveline is already gone. Sourcing and original v6 turbo would be almost impossible.

[roadking77]

I work in a lot of different places, always keep my eyes out for old cars hanging around barns, garages, backyards etc. Only ever found 1. Doing a repair job for a real estate agent for a quick sale of the house. There was a large barn in the back that I peeped in. Could see a car under cover, not sure what it was. Turned out to be a GN. I like them, but they are no where near my list of cars to own. Figured, if they wanted to get rid of the house quick, maybe that GN has a get rid quick price. Unfortunately (or maybe a good thing) it wasnt for sale.

[roadking77]

Driving down the road today, passed by a big field of over grown grass and there were about 10 kids maybe 10-15 yrs old playing a baseball game!  We did that kind of stuff every day during the summer when I was growing up but I can honestly say I have not seen a group of 'un-organized' kids doing that kind of thing since I cant remember when. It was kind of a good feeling knowing they werent all home sitting in front of a video game.