Sticker shock

[JUSTA6]

Justa watched Sticker Shock on Velocity channel.  Did anybody else see the Blown Sunbird get its appraisal ?   Knew the previous owner from a different site.  This guy has had it since 2011.  With a blown 350 and it was a coupe,  10-12,000.00.   But they did not ask any questions about what rearend was in there,  did not have any sub frame connectors.  They made a big deal of the underglow lighting. 

[Ringo64]

6 hours ago, JUSTA6 said:

They made a big deal of the underglow lighting.

Big deal of adding or subtracting from value? 

[Frosty]

I saw it last night too. I thought of you right away. 

A couple of things caught my eye. There was a ton of spaghetti wiring the hood. I am sure some was for the lighting but it looks sloppy. Obviously the engine compartment needed to be detailed just like the rest of the engine,.

The exhaust looked second rate period. A performance engine like that had a rusting, near stock looking exhaust. The man is being cheap. Subframe connectors were clearly missing. I'll bet it still has the stock 10-bolt in it. 

Finally, I noticed the Vega GT steering wheel. I had one of my Vega years ago. Not a Pontiac steering wheel for sure. Though they were nice, they put them on 2nd gen Camaros too.

[JUSTA6]

5 hours ago, Ringo64 said:

Big deal of adding or subtracting from value? 

They said that was a value adder....  It's illegal in alot of states including Mich.  

[JUSTA6]

2 hours ago, Frosty said:

I saw it last night too. I thought of you right away. 

A couple of things caught my eye. There was a ton of spaghetti wiring the hood. I am sure some was for the lighting but it looks sloppy. Obviously the engine compartment needed to be detailed just like the rest of the engine,.

The exhaust looked second rate period. A performance engine like that had a rusting, near stock looking exhaust. The man is being cheap. Subframe connectors were clearly missing. I'll bet it still has the stock 10-bolt in it. 

Finally, I noticed the Vega GT steering wheel. I had one of my Vega years ago. Not a Pontiac steering wheel for sure. Though they were nice, they put them on 2nd gen Camaros too.

  He claimed to street race it.  10 bolt rearend would never hold up to a 350 let alone a Blown 350.  Going on TV and he couldn't clean up the engine compartment?  Also still had the 13in rims/tires.  Car wouldn't move....Justa smoke the tires. Built my own rims to get up to 14in and the tallest tire I could put on em helped, but I can still smoke em from a dead stop in 2nd gear.  Nice to see the car is still around and in pretty good shape overall. 

[Ringo64]

1 hour ago, JUSTA6 said:

They said that was a value adder....  It's illegal in alot of states including Mich.  

I would have subtracted value  

[Frosty]

He street raced it alright. From the traffic light to the first 1200 feet and then he let off.

Any bets that is a real 350 and not just a dressed-up 305? As the Beach Boy song title goes - a "No-Go Showboat".

Stop and think about it. If most of the stock drivetrain is retained, the engine can't be generating much torque or the rear window would have shattered, the body would have twisted, the rear end would have blown, or the drive shaft would have twisted or come apart from a lack of support from the missing sub-frame connectors. Stock tires and a 4-bolt lug? Stock front disc brakes?

In my opinion this is a hack job. Granted it did look good and it's nice to still see it on the road.

Edited June 14, 2018 by Frosty

[JUSTA6]

6 hours ago, Frosty said:

He street raced it alright. From the traffic light to the first 1200 feet and then he let off.

Any bets that is a real 350 and not just a dressed-up 305? As the Beach Boy song title goes - a "No-Go Showboat".

Stop and think about it. If most of the stock drivetrain is retained, the engine can't be generating much torque or the rear window would have shattered, the body would have twisted, the rear end would have blown, or the drive shaft would have twisted or come apart from a lack of support from the missing sub-frame connectors. Stock tires and a 4-bolt lug? Stock front disc brakes?

In my opinion this is a hack job. Granted it did look good and it's nice to still see it on the road.

Notta hack job.  In 76 this would have been waaay cool !!   I still have the 4 lug and use stock disk brake system.   But it's a 3:08 posi rear.  All pre 80 H body's were ready to accept a V8. Mostly see 305's in the V8 option and they only built 300 of each Hbody.  Sunbird, Monza ect.   Lots of questions we can't answer.  

[Frosty]

I agree that this car is way cool. My point is it is looker and not a real performer. Let's not forget the H-body was specifically the Vega and Astre and they were built with 4-cylinders only. The H-Special was the Monza, Firenza, Sunbird, and Skyhawk. The H-Specials were built to accept the 305 V8s but not the H-bodys. My point is the added torque of a blown 350 with the stock running gear should have damaged the car in some way because of the excess torque unless hardened parts and a sub-frame connector was bolted in. 

You are right, there are a lot of questions we can't answer.

[JUSTA6]

1 hour ago, Frosty said:

I agree that this car is way cool. My point is it is looker and not a real performer. Let's not forget the H-body was specifically the Vega and Astre and they were built with 4-cylinders only. The H-Special was the Monza, Firenza, Sunbird, and Skyhawk. The H-Specials were built to accept the 305 V8s but not the H-bodys. My point is the added torque of a blown 350 with the stock running gear should have damaged the car in some way because of the excess torque unless hardened parts and a sub-frame connector was bolted in. 

You are right, there are a lot of questions we can't answer.

Should add in the mid 70's the option of the V6 was included.  Using the Odd fire configuration (sidenote..Buick purchased this engine from Jeep) .   In 79 GM made the upgrade to the even fire V6 with much help from Smokey and Jim Ruggles. Can't leave out the contributions of Kenne Bell Buick racing and launching the V6 craze.  Mcclaren racing took the V6 into Indycar racing and became the darling of Buick/GM  and showcased in the Gran National that embarrassed the Corvette in the mid 80's.  Then we lost the rear wheel drive platform to FWD.

After driving the Sunbirds,  the V6 was so much fun to drive,  gettin rubber in all 4 gears.  I bought one.  Back in the day, I was more into Road racing at Waterford hills and built the cars suspension for that, and also car shows.   After spinning the #1 bearing, I pulled the V6 and built a 455.  Had it in and even fired the motor thinking it had the long water pump.  Then realized it already had the short pump on it and there was no room for the radiator short of stretching the front end.  I then started looking into Blowing the V6.  BDS was the only one interested in building a street package.  Basicly they sent me  blank parts and machined my intake to accept the 4:71.  When we were done, I had the 1st one and BDS then had all the spec's to sell the package.  Now I had a roadrace car with a drag race motor. Killin the show scene,  I painted and took it to the next level and entering the ISCA doing Autorama's all over the country and Canada.  Took my class International  back to back in 90-91in the pro show.  This also led to magazine appearances and made many TV spots advertising  the Autoramas in local media for the shows in different states.  The Bird is every car guys dream and will always be my 1st child. 

[Frosty]

I never heard your story on the 'Bird JUSTA. Thank you for sharing it with us.

Slight correction on the V6. Buick developed the V6 back in '62 with the "Fireball V6", it came in 198 and 224 CI displacements. Kaiser purchased the engine and tooling from Buick in 1967 and put the Dauntless V6 in the Jeeps until AMC came along put the straight six back in the Jeeps. After the 1973 Arab Oil Embargo, Buick bought the tooling and engine back from AMC in April of 1974. That's when the infamous 231 V6 came out. 

[JUSTA6]

2 hours ago, Frosty said:

I never heard your story on the 'Bird JUSTA. Thank you for sharing it with us.

Slight correction on the V6. Buick developed the V6 back in '62 with the "Fireball V6", it came in 198 and 224 CI displacements. Kaiser purchased the engine and tooling from Buick in 1967 and put the Dauntless V6 in the Jeeps until AMC came along put the straight six back in the Jeeps. After the 1973 Arab Oil Embargo, Buick bought the tooling and engine back from AMC in April of 1974. That's when the infamous 231 V6 came out. 

Correct as always buddy.  Didn't go back that far in 6 history cause most of these KIDS don't know about the 60's N 70's and I was sticking to the H body story.

[Frosty]

59 minutes ago, JUSTA6 said:

Correct as always buddy.  Didn't go back that far in 6 history cause most of these KIDS don't know about the 60's N 70's and I was sticking to the H body story.

True that!

[indymanjoe]

As paul Harvey would say " And now you know the rest of the story."  Thanks for sharing this Justa. I didnt know either. That is a kickass story.