SOLD! LOT 51 – 1967 RHD RESTOMOD PONTIAC FIREBIRD CONVERTIBLE

1967 RHD Pontiac Firebird Convertible

HIGHLIGHTS: – Full ground up custom build by Southern Rod and Custom – Right hand drive converted – 6.2L LS3 V8 engine with Magnacharger TVS2300 supercharger – 4L65E automatic transmission – Nine inch diff with Trac-loc centre – Custom front suspension with coil overs – Four-link coil over rear end – Four-wheel Wilwood power disc brakes – Full custom leather interior with air conditioning and power windows – Massive stereo system – 19” Forged KWC001 wheels – Featured in Street Machine July 2012 issue

This 1967 Pontiac Firebird has been through a full ground up custom build into a one off custom restomod. The current owner’s story with this car started 10 years ago with a mint example of a Firebird convertible sent to an undisclosed shop to be transformed into this vision. After several non-productive years there, the car was pulled from the shop and sent across to Southern Rod and Custom in Deniliquin, NSW. Unfortunately when the car arrived, the previous shop had made quite a meal of it so the boys at SRC had to strip it back to nothing and rebuild it completely.

The body of the car was taken right back to essentially a bulkhead with all of the external sheet metal removed completely. The body was then completely rebuilt with new panels used throughout. Some subtle mods include pumping the rear quarters and lipping the guards to clear the tyres, along with front driving lights, aero-style filler cap in the rear as well as a custom rear valance panel housing trick, hand-fabricated exhaust outlets. To accommodate the requisite low ride height and provide adequate ground clearance, everything had to be lifted up. This included a larger trans tunnel to clear the portly auto, along with a taller tailshaft tunnel, which is also wider to allow the exhaust to tuck up out of harm’s way. With fab complete, the car was repainted in PPG Red with Black stripes. The chrome was all refinished and with bumper bolts deleted and custom door handles used. The convertible top was completely replaced and the look externally is completed with a set of 19” Forged KWC001 wheels.

Inside the car has been treated to a complete custom trim that combined modern luxury, features and finishes with classic styling. The first thing you will notice is that the car was converted to right hand drive during the build. The interior was all fabricated in sheet metal before being padded and covered in hand stitched Italian leather. The doors feature a proper handle, arm rest and useful-sized pocket along the bottom. The console includes a Commodore shifter and two matching sets of Vintage Air control knobs – one set is for the integrated air conditioning system and the other modified set operates the lights, wipers and driving lights. The Auto Meter Sport Comp gauges have been set off with stylish dress rings from Twisted Machine. Other highlights include power windows all round, five sets of retractable seat belts and tilt-adjustable Flaming River steering column.

The Firebird employs a high-tech, ISIS multiplex wiring system. Rather than traditional, mechanically-operated switches, all the electricals are controlled by a centralised module mounted in the boot. Every function is fully programmable including the interior light delay, variable intermittent wipers, dusk activated headlights, sequenced brake lights and much more is all possible at a key-stroke. The Firebird’s audio system is just as kick-arse. In the kick-panels are high-end Dynaudio three-way splits (seven-inch woofer, three-inch mid and 1.1-inch tweeter) – powered by a six-channel Tru Technology Billet Series amplifier. Pumping up the bass is a pair Alpine 12-inch, slimline subwoofers – each powered by its own Billet Series 500wrms mono-block. Signals originate from an iPod-compatible Pioneer CD/tuner. The really clever bit is the Pioneer DEQ-P90, which is a digital signal processor packed full of features, including 31-band, independent equalisation to smooth out acoustic anomalies and an intricate cross-over to divvy up the full range signal into sub bass, bass, midrange and high-end. The sophisticated system was designed by Phatt Audio Concepts and installed by SRC in a sheet metal fabricated boot install.

Lift the bonnet and you will find a show quality engine bay, again with fabricated sheet metal surrounds. Sitting right in the middle is a 6.2-litre LS3 V8 topped by a TVS2300 Magnacharger. The combo makes an honest 500-plus horsepower. Custom 17/8 headers dump into a fully HPC-coated 2.5-inch exhaust, which exits through the aforementioned custom rear outlets. The engine bay is detailed with a smooth firewall, billet accessory drive system, Detroit Speed billet bonnet hinges and hidden coil packs mounted on the backs of the inner guards.

The Engine is paired to a 4L65E four-speed automatic transmission. Controlling both the auto and LS3 are VE-Commodore-based factory computers that were reprogrammed and recalibrated by Castle Auto Electrics. Power is fed to the rear wheels through a nine-inch diff packed with 31-spline Moser axles and a Strange Tru-Trac mechanical LSD. To get the car sitting low and handling right, the suspension and chassis were completely re-engineered.Up front is a SRC-built, twin A-arm front-end based around C5 Corvette forged alloy upper and lower control arms and uprights, directed by an ultra-responsive power rack ’n’ pinion steering. To clear the new cross member and steering rack, the LS3 is outfitted with a Corvette rear sump. Under the back end is a V8 Supercar-style parallel four-bar set-up complete with Watts linkage, while QA-1 aluminium coil-overs support each corner. In keeping with premium specifications, there’s a full Wilwood brake system including Wilwood master cylinder with 355mm rotors all ’round clamped by six-spots up front and four-spots out back.

This would have to be one of the most extensively modified 1967 Pontiac Firebird convertibles on the planet. The car has been professionally built by one of the country’s best car builders with a no expense spared mentality to create the best car possible. The car was featured in Street Machine magazine upon completion in July of 2012 and has been used sparingly since. This is truly a one-off custom muscle car that provides the best mix of modern performance and reliability with classic styling.

FOR SALES OR REGISTRATION ASSISTANCE PLEASE CALL LOCKY MCCANN ON 0403 935 488 SEVEN82MOTORS Classics, Lowriders & Muscle Cars are based on the Gold Coast, Queensland and offer some of the most sought after cars in Australia.

Located at 2 Palings Court, Nerang on the Gold Coast. Inspections by appointment during auction and public openings/viewing as advertised.

IMPORTANT: Vehicle information is provided to us by the consignee. We do everything we can to qualify the best cars in the Australian market to represent on consignment for private sellers however, they are still old cars and we can’t capture everything in the photos, we don’t drive them any significant distance and can’t know everything about them. It is the responsibility of the buyer to have thoroughly inspected the vehicle, and to have satisfied themselves as to the condition and value and to purchase based upon that judgement solely. Vehicles may have been sitting for some time and it is suggested that to protect your investment, you allow to change fuel, oil, fluids, filters and inspect brakes prior to use. All vehicles are sold under standard auction conditions, consignment and auction vehicles are sold as is, without registration unless otherwise stated and there is no cooling off period or warranty expressed, written or implied. All sales are final. Independent inspections are welcome and strongly encouraged to help with your decision making.