Is this a Sunbird?

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Is this a Sunbird?

Postby tinsfci » Thu Jan 29, 2015 1:47 pm

Hi,

I´m going thru some H-body pics taken in Sweden, and this one got me confused:
DSC00424.jpg


Is this a Pontiac Sunbird?
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Last edited by tinsfci on Fri Jan 30, 2015 8:43 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Is this a Sunbird?

Postby Vegavulture » Thu Jan 29, 2015 2:29 pm

Haha, that's great, nope, not a sunbird,...unless it's some oddity or experiment I haven't heard of.
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Re: Is this a Sunbird?

Postby tinsfci » Thu Jan 29, 2015 3:39 pm

I´m not 100% sure this belongs to the "Sunbird", but this should be its VIN:

Sunbird_VIN.jpg


Just a ordinary Sunbird with a Monza front with a Pontiac emblem?
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Re: Is this a Sunbird?

Postby marco_1978_spyder » Thu Jan 29, 2015 7:48 pm

tinsfci wrote:I´m not 100% sure this belongs to the "Sunbird", but this should be its VIN:

Sunbird_VIN.jpg


Just a ordinary Sunbird with a Monza front with a Pontiac emblem?


Well yes, but one not so ordinary thing about it is the vin. Thats one of the very rare 78 Sunbird's that came with a V8.
Can you get a pic of the trim tag and or get the buildsheet from it?
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Re: Is this a Sunbird?

Postby Vegavulture » Thu Jan 29, 2015 7:52 pm

It is a sunbird, that's interesting.
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Re: Is this a Sunbird?

Postby stage169 » Thu Jan 29, 2015 9:02 pm

It looks like from the passenger side rear window it is a notch back? Vinyl roof? RPO CB4 Landau Cordova Top? Full front chrome bumper, for me I have to look at Bryan's site but I didn't see a nose like this for the Sunbird.

Marco have you seen a nose like this on a Sunbird before? Export thing maybe?

You guys need to figure this out :D Cool!
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Re: Is this a Sunbird?

Postby mahoy78spyder » Fri Jan 30, 2015 5:43 am

You can tell from the roof that this thing has been repainted. (and not even to a factory color it seems) My guess is that it was involved in a front end collision and due to the non-availability of parts in Sweden (or at the very least "difficulty" in getting them) the front nose piece was switched out to a Monza piece and a very creative body shop transferred the Pontiac emblem.
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Re: Is this a Sunbird?

Postby cjbiagi » Fri Jan 30, 2015 7:38 am

Another oddity is the big chrome bumper, those were not used with that front nose. I would agree that it is something mixed together.
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Re: Is this a Sunbird?

Postby tinsfci » Fri Jan 30, 2015 8:05 am

marco_1978_spyder wrote:Well yes, but one not so ordinary thing about it is the vin. Thats one of the very rare 78 Sunbird's that came with a V8.
Can you get a pic of the trim tag and or get the buildsheet from it?


I hate to say this, but this car (and the other H-bodies around it) have all "gone to its maker" = gone in the crusher by the junkyard a couple of years ago... :cry:

I have som other pics that I an post though.
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Re: Is this a Sunbird?

Postby marco_1978_spyder » Fri Jan 30, 2015 10:07 am

My assessment (same as Ken's - just read that post) is that, it was a normal V8 Sunbird when new. During it's life it was crashed and donor parts from a Monza were used. I can see the monza parts have less gloss than on the door's. Rules are more strict in Sweeden than here, or maybe just by owner preference they used the Pontiac Emblem for the front.
It w

As you can see it has it's original front bumper which doesnt totally match up with that nose piece. Not factory like that.
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Re: Is this a Sunbird?

Postby tinsfci » Fri Jan 30, 2015 10:50 am

I agree. It it (was) probably restored by using the "wrong" parts. Thanks for helping me clear that out!
And interesting that with the rare V8 option too.

Here´s another pic from the same junkyard with a ´79 Sunbird that looks more normal :)
crunched_H_bodies.jpg


The fourth one in the background (counted from front) is the other "faulty" Sunbird
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Re: Is this a Sunbird?

Postby cjbiagi » Fri Jan 30, 2015 3:14 pm

Those cars don't look that bad. It hurts to think about the rare, useable parts that got crushed. It's really a shame but these yards are in it for money and they are taking up valuable space.
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Re: Is this a Sunbird?

Postby Monza Harry » Fri Jan 30, 2015 5:55 pm

I agree with all that was said above! Especially the waste of good parts(C.J.B.). and to add too the above theories about the creative switch in the second shot you can see the space between the Chrome bumper and the "Endura-Flex" upper, not finished to even '70's factory standards. Thanx for posting Harry
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Re: Is this a Sunbird?

Postby monzabill » Fri May 29, 2015 11:32 pm

Wow as goofy as it sounds i like the,way the bumper looks with that header panel.
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