So Many Options

[ols420]

I Inherited a 68 firebird convertible in fair shape.

Very little rust and the dash is in good shape.

The seats, top, and all the foam molding need to be replaced.

Here are my dilemma and my options, so any advice is welcome. It does not have the original 400. It has the original automatic transmission with a 350 in it. It probably hasn't been driven in 25-30 years.

Option 1: The engine isn't frozen. I can turn it by hand. Can I assume all seals and hoses will need to be replaced? Will I need to have the engine rebuilt? Or should we replace the seals and gaskets and give it a tune-up? I assume some parts fuel pump, sending unit, alternator, ac charging, will need to be dealt with. Can anyone give me an idea of the price for option 1?

Option 2: Find a 400 in good shape so it has what it was supposed to be. If I find a working 400, would it include an alternator, fuel pump, and water pump? Correct? Or would it just be the block and use those existing parts from what I have now? What would option 2 cost?

Option 3: Restomod the engine and transmission to something more modern. I'm not looking to race it, but I have to have a V8 to leave long black marks. I don't like it just having a 3-speed automatic. Ok, for Sunday drives, but not something you want to hope on the turnpike in, set the cruise at 85-90 for four hours.

Had an old 4spd manual, an 83 Mustang GT 5.0 302. Fun around the city, but hoping on the highway engine just needed more gears. My current car is a 300s, only a 6-cylinder, but at 85-90, I'm only at 1500 rpm with the 8-speed transmission.

So what would option 3, modern V8, and modern transmission cost?

Thanks for all the info.

 

[Hammer]

I’m not sure where to start as you didn’t even say if the engine is in the car or out or if the tranny is in the car or not but we know they haven’t ran in a while?

Here’s my suggestions based on different principles.

Financial: to save the most amount of money and your time since you don’t know if the engine or tranny actually run so you really have just a decent body but it probably needs painting too.

Suggestion: Find a reasonable 68 Firebird Vert at auction or online that runs decent, go drive it and hopefully it just needs a few fixes to make it perfect and sell everything you have to a “dreamer”. You can then drive the car now as life is short and it would take years for you to get this configuration running and it wouldn’t be cheap. Plus a race car ready configuration might already be available but if you want to street drive it too then a lot of mods to get it street worthy too. Again expensive!

Sentimental Value: If you haven’t heard an attachment to this specific car (non numbers matching) then you’ll bpneed the 400 engine and 350 tranny.

Suggestion: Try to start the 400 engine outside of the car to assure it runs, this means changing the oil, putting a little oil in each cylinder and putting in new spark plugs, cap, rotor, new coil, plug wires, and a battery just to see if it starts. If it starts you can change the tranny filter and oil and mate the two to put back in the car but you will need to wire the car properly. Then find out what rear end gears you have by changing the rear differential fluid. Brakes and tires are next and that expensive. However, it’s not going to be a race car. The 400 engine can produce 400hp pretty easily from a cam swap. However going this route would make it more stock then the race car your looking to make.

Street/Race Value: you already have the car body and a rolling car. You can make this into what you want.

Suggestion: sell the 400 engine and 350 tranny for some decent cash and let someone else take the odds on if they run. Find a good LS2 with a 4 speed 200r4 overdrive tranny connected that you could “hear run” and put it into your car. You will have to modify a bit but even “summit racing “ has different configurations for it to fit in the old poncho. You’ll need to know your rear end gears in it to match the tranny gear so the speedo is accurate. Plus once the tranny and engine work in it you can get brakes going and change the rear end oil to make it move under it’s own power. However, this configuration is also expensive but does take a lot of time. However, hearing what you want this might be your best solution if you want a race car.

Good luck and I hope this gives you some ideas.