Family Heirloom Barn-find!

[njsteve]

I just recently picked up this 75 Firebird Esprit from my parents. It orginally belonged to my grandmother who bought it new in 1975. My grandparents gave the car to my parents in 1986 when the doors just got too heavy for Gramma Rose to close. She recently passed away on my daughter's birthday in July at the ripe old age of 97! The car was originally white but in 1990 I repainted it in Lucerne Blue and added the ram air hood. The saddle interior is 100% original (except for the carpet that Gramma Rose wore through under the gas pedal. (Gramma Rose was known for her lead foot...and her negotaiting skills: she talked herself out of dozens of tickets over the years) The engine is the original 350 but now has a 1972 4 bbl intake and holley spreadbore carb that I put on back in 1990. It has a set of American Racing wheels. Like a dummy I threw the 15" rally IIs out in 1990. The car now has 77,000 miles. The rear is a 3.42 posi. After I painted it in 1990 I sent it back to my parents to enjoy. Well it basically sat in their barn til a few weeks ago. I think they put 300 miles on it in 13 years. I visited them one day and saw the car sitting there. The car cover was in the trunk...and an entire mouse family had turned it into the automotive equivilent of a habit-trail. The water pump was shot: it sounded like a handful of bolts thrown in a blender. Anyway, My dad asked me if I wanted to take the car and I came back a couple days later with the trailer. When I got it home on Sept 15th I looked in the glove box and found the original bill of sale and invoice filled out by my grandfather...and then the hair stood up on the back of my neck: The date on it was Sept 15, 1975 -exactly 29 years to the day from when he bought it for my grandmother. They say coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous. My grandparents must be having a good smile with this one. After a few weeks of labor and vermin removal, this is how the car looks. My kids love it. My daughter, who was named after my grandmother, loves the car. I was thinking the other day: in what era but ours can a child drive around in her own great-grandmother's car? Oh well enough rambling for the moment. Here are some shots. There is some good reference material if anyone needs it. The trunk is untouched with absolutely no rust (rare in a 2nd gen F-body). The original spare is intact as well. The undercarriage still has all the factory paint marks on the front suspension as well. Oh by the way, I am still looking for a 70 to 72 Lucerne Blue Trans Am if anyone out there has one... Thanks, NJSteve

[njsteve]

Heres the untouched interior after all the years of mildew and mold were removed. I found three mouse nests under the rear seats and the console. Thankfully only the old car cover in the trunk was chewed up, no wiring or insulation.

[njsteve]

Here's the dash. I added the little gauge panel (velcro'd to the console, no holes drilled)

[njsteve]

The trunk with its factory spatter paint and overspray.

[njsteve]

The engine. I changed out the 2 bbl to a 4 bbl back in 1990, using a Pontiac intake and Holley carb. I recently bought the repro air cleaner and should have all of the ram air boots in place next week.

[njsteve]

An interesting thing about the engine compartment is that the saddle colored paint from the dash frame extends over the top of the cowl up to the front of the defroster screens. It looks really odd but thats the way they built the car in late 75. Here is the final shot, from the back. Thanks, NJSteve

[427TJ]

Man, remember when Firebirds (and Camaros) of this vintage were EVERYWHERE? You just don't see that many '70s F-bodies these days. Neat car and story Steve.

[JoeG]

Nice job----Very interior--Saddle/Lucerne blue make a nice color combo---- --------------------------------------------------In memory of Grandma Rose -------

[njsteve]

[ QUOTE ]
Nice job----Very interior--Saddle/Lucerne blue make a nice color combo---- --------------------------------------------------In memory of Grandma Rose -------

[/ QUOTE ]

Hey JoeG, being a New Yorker you'll appreciate the fact that they bought this car new from Ruckles Pontiac in Yonkers, NY! They were both raised in Brooklyn and lived in NY their whole lives. True Native New Yorkers.

[Mr70]

Don Ruckles?