1980 Pontiac Sunbird Formula: Project Phoenix

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Re: 1980 Pontiac Sunbird Formula: Project Phoenix

Postby Monza Harry » Sun Dec 18, 2016 6:17 pm

Kevin if you have a spare or even beat up front facia, I would consider taking a mould off of it, then break out the air body saw and find the right places to cut fill with foam and re-glass to make your own style with a direct homage to the original, or just try and copy the front of that model car kit you(?) posted, that is exactly what I envision when you mentioned this endeavour, [I have seen a pic' of that kit before so it was hidden away in the back of my cluttered mind] either way I can't wait to see what way you go and then the finished results, this should be good you have some good starting places with those parts! as for your part number search did you go through the archived info here , on V8 Monza and HotRod mag's site somewhere inhere is the original part numbers that used to be from the original Chevrolet Power books, I'll check mine out if I can find it. Harry :popcorn: :th:
Harry researched and found wrote:Kevin the "Chevrolet Power Book" shows pictures [wire frame drawing really] and states that the "IMSA" reduces drag 24% while increasing down-force for "Off-Highway Driving" but no #'s :cry:
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Re: 1980 Pontiac Sunbird Formula: Project Phoenix

Postby RedFiveKBS » Mon Dec 19, 2016 12:21 am

Spent the day trying to organize the garage. Then I figured I'd slap one of the quarter panel pieces onto the car just to get an idea on how it will look.

moc 1.jpg
moc 2.jpg


Just used some tape but wow does it ever change the look. The door pieces are going to need a lot of work to get them to match the quarter pieces. I'll have to make some filler sections for the front of the quarter and rear of the door piece. I'll also make some inner fender pieces so dirt and debris can't get thrown up into the fenders.
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Re: 1980 Pontiac Sunbird Formula: Project Phoenix

Postby RedFiveKBS » Thu Dec 22, 2016 12:34 pm

Dropped the rear bumper and fuel tank. Its scaly underneath but nothing really bad. I just have the passenger door to pull and then I'll be ready for a rotisserie. Hoping to get it mounted on the rotisserie in January. In the meantime, I will spend some time fixing the holes in the B-pillar and working on cleaning the engine bay.
IMG_0034.JPG


The fresh air intake for the AC is completely rotted off. The firewall will also need some work to repair some rot. It is weird that this spot is so bad since the rest of the car is pretty solid. Yeah, it needs floor work and there is one hole in the left quarter behind the wheel but not horrible. Yes, it needs doors but don't they all!?
IMG_0033.JPG


I'm torn on the body kit. It would look awesome if I can get it all mounted correctly. It will take a lot of work and fabrication. The main hurdle is meshing the front fenders with the Sunbird grill and the rear panel with the Sunbird tail lights. I won't convert it to a Monza just to make the work easier. It will be a Sunbird Formula IMSA or a standard Sunbird Formula.
FullSizeRender.jpg

Ah....one step at a time.
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Re: 1980 Pontiac Sunbird Formula: Project Phoenix

Postby RedFiveKBS » Fri Dec 23, 2016 11:39 am

Made a visit to Harbor Freight and picked up some more tools for the project. Got one of those 4-1/2" wire whip grinding wheels, a grinder, a 6" DA air sander, and some 40, 60, & 80 discs for the DA.
whip.jpg


The whip wheel works good on getting the seam sealer out of the seams between the panels. I plan to prime, replace the seam sealer with high quality material, and then paint. The whip wheel worked good on these surfaces too but I need to find some other options as well. I reached out to a local dustless blasting place for a ballpark price on stripping the engine bay, quarters, and roof. If it is not ridiculous I might just do that.

I am planning on stitching the panels together with additional welds. I'll need to fix the buggery weld repair someone did where the clutch cable passes through the firewall.
engine bay.JPG
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Re: 1980 Pontiac Sunbird Formula: Project Phoenix

Postby Chris402 » Fri Dec 23, 2016 6:19 pm

I may be biased but go with the Imsa kit. On the hood you could go with a wide 26 - 27" wide wedge scoop like on the model. have the scoop extend over the center of the hood to the flat portion above the lights. That would make it easy to achieve the flat hood look like the model and you would gain 2-3" above the front facia to cut out and mold the top of the front facia to fit the grill. Good luck whatever way you choose. Looking forward to following your progress. Chris
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Re: 1980 Pontiac Sunbird Formula: Project Phoenix

Postby Chris402 » Fri Dec 23, 2016 6:50 pm

The kit you are using looks exactly like mine that I got from vfn fiberglass. but mine are black and those are not their part numbers. I think everyone and their brother used the same mold. But if you ever have to replace a part might be good to know.
Here is the rotiserrie I am going to buy. read the description they are $799. without all the adapters that I don't think will work on the Monza anyway. and they have a pick up location in Kent Oh. Chris
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-3-000-LB-Ca ... 48&vxp=mtr
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Re: 1980 Pontiac Sunbird Formula: Project Phoenix

Postby RedFiveKBS » Fri Dec 23, 2016 9:32 pm

Chris402 wrote:Here is the rotiserrie I am going to buy. read the description they are $799. without all the adapters that I don't think will work on the Monza anyway. and they have a pick up location in Kent Oh. Chris
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-3-000-LB-Ca ... 48&vxp=mtr

Chris, Yep! That is the one I'm planning to pick up and I'll go to Kent, OH to get it. Kent is about an hour from me.
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Re: 1980 Pontiac Sunbird Formula: Project Phoenix

Postby Monza Harry » Sat Dec 24, 2016 12:55 am

Kevin I know most will tell you that the "Twisted/knotted" are better but I find that the straight cut and clean better on anything with "Shall we call them obstacles" as the wires can move around and back to the surface you are shooting for just make sure you wear a face shield and gloves as those pesky wires can go in deep! You don't want the details on that "Nugget of Wisdom" :lol: http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/ ... _200626833
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Re: 1980 Pontiac Sunbird Formula: Project Phoenix

Postby RedFiveKBS » Sat Dec 24, 2016 10:40 am

Harry, I actually started with one of those. It worked ok. The twisted one works really good. I also stopped at the autobody products store and picked up some other stripping tools and ordered one of those 3M scotch bright looking stripping wheels.

I emailed a dustless blasting place and a local sand blasting place (they also do cars) and I am waiting on quotes. I'd like to get the body prepped a bit before putting it on the rotisserie. The bottom will need stripped too but I can be less gentle there. I did try the WD-40 trick for stripping undercoating in a wheel well. Wow. It worked fantastic.

After I do some "honey do" stuff today I plan to spend more time out there stripping away.
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Re: 1980 Pontiac Sunbird Formula: Project Phoenix

Postby Monza Harry » Sat Dec 24, 2016 2:40 pm

RedFiveKBS wrote:Harry, After I do some "honey do" stuff today I plan to spend more time out there stripping away.
:hump: :nurse: :nurse: Oh Thanx Kevin that's a visual I didn't need! :bang: Harry
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Re: 1980 Pontiac Sunbird Formula: Project Phoenix

Postby RedFiveKBS » Sat Dec 24, 2016 11:22 pm

LOL!!!!!
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Re: 1980 Pontiac Sunbird Formula: Project Phoenix

Postby RedFiveKBS » Wed Dec 28, 2016 11:25 pm

Been working out in the garage this week between Christmas and New Years. I don't feel like I am making a whole lot of progress but at least I'm doing something other than sitting on the couch.

One of the repairs I'm doing is on the B-pillars. The previous owner cut large holes in both B-pillars for speakers. Sure I could have left them or just welded flat metal over the holes. However, since I have the donor Monza I cut them out of it. I'll weld them back into the B-Pillar and grind the welds. It won't be a perfect fix but it will be the right shape and it will be hidden behind the interior panel. I just feel better doing it this way.
B pillar repair.jpg


One benefit to the gaping hole is I can clean out the quarter panels. There wasn't much in there actually. It also gave me access to fix the striker. The striker had been punched through the steel. Part of the issue is that there is an aluminum washer/spacer between the striker washer and the body. Dissimilar metals cause corrosion. I pushed it back into place and used a hammer to flatten it back into its original position. I'll weld it back and grind it flush. I'll be sure to paint the aluminum washer/spacer before reassembly to prevent the corrosion from returning.
striker.jpg


Started cutting out the bad spots in the floor on the driver's side. The left rear pan was really bad and I removed the entire piece including where the seat belt was attached. It was rotted above the seat belt bolt hole. The donor Monza has one good floor pan and it happens to be this one so It will go right into place with a little work.
left rear pan.jpg


The left front pan looked worse that it was. I chiseled out the thin metal that lays on top of the heavier "frame" plates underneath. I still have more cutting to do here. The worst spot on the whole car is the corner in this pan. It is going to need a lot of work to fix the underlying structures. Most of this work will get done from below but I'm planning on cutting out more of the toe kick area as well.
left front pan.jpg
left front pan 2.jpg


I hope to start welding the floors back into the car soon. I also reached out to a couple blasting places to see about stripping the shell. Still waiting to hear from them on a ballpark price. I started cleaning up the engine compartment and roof but it is becoming obvious that I will need more aggressive methods to get it to bare metal. Once blasted I will put the whole car into an epoxy primer to prevent rust. The areas that need body work will get ground back to metal, fixed, and epoxied again.

I have to keep moving and motivated! I really would like to get the floors done and the bulk of the body work done before spring.
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Re: 1980 Pontiac Sunbird Formula: Project Phoenix

Postby NVEGAR8D » Thu Dec 29, 2016 9:40 pm

Hi , Those pics of your floor pans take me back to when i was doing mine. I took a few pics of how i repaired mine and they may help to show how things fit together. Hope they help.
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Re: 1980 Pontiac Sunbird Formula: Project Phoenix

Postby RedFiveKBS » Fri Dec 30, 2016 10:28 am

Thank you!! I'm going to have to cut that chunk out in the left corner like you did for sure. There is some structure under it that needs rebuilt.
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Re: 1980 Pontiac Sunbird Formula: Project Phoenix

Postby RedFiveKBS » Mon Jan 02, 2017 10:09 am

Took some time yesterday to cut more pieces out of the donor Monza. Cut the other B-pillar patch out and the left rear floor pan. The rest of the pans in the Monza aren't very good but this one was excellent.

The Formula's left rear pan was cut out with my 3" cut off wheel. I tried to leave as much of the original floor as possible but it was pretty rough here. Even had to cut out where the seat belt bolts to the floor. It was rusted above the bolt.
Floor 1.jpg


The Monza pan will drop right in after some trimming. The "frame" structure is still attached to the floor pan so I'll be drilling out some spot welds. I plan to over lap the Formula pan with the Monza pan by an inch, screw it down, and then weld it in place from both the top and the bottom. I may just wait until its on the rotisserie and blasted before doing any of the floor replacement.
floor 2.jpg


I wish I had some good pans for the front but I just will need to make them out of some sheet metal.
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