One of our latest projects is this beautiful 1968 Pontiac Firebird convertible. The owner of this vehicle wanted more a reliable drivetrain fitted into the vehicle. He drives this car on a daily basis so every day driveability was number one priority.



We pulled the old Pontiac 350 from the vehicle and fitted a Generation III/IV 5.3L Vortec motor, along with it's electronic four speed automatic transmission to replace the old two speed Powerglide. For those that may not know, the GM Generation III/IV engines include the ever popular LS1 engine from the Camaro / Firebird and Corvette.

For those who have seen a 5.3L Vortec motor, you'll know that they're not the prettiest engines ever built:



In order to make everything fit in the engine bay, all the accessories had to be changed to Corvette parts. A custom A/C compressor bracket and tensioner also had to be sourced. We also replaced the old ugly plastic intake manifold with a new polished aluminum piece, as the old manifold would not clear the hood. Coil brackets, valve covers and other small miscellaneous pieces were powdercoated on the engine.



The stock air conditioning system was mostly retained, with the exception of the old compressor, which was replaced with a polished Sanden SD-508. The fuel system was upgraded with an external fuel pump, an Aeromotive fuel pressure regulator, and anodized fuel rails.



A custom computer and wiring harness control the engine and transmission, and with the addition of a custom extension housing on the transmission, the speedometer reads correctly. All the factory gauges and shift linkage are retained. Externally, this car is indistinguishable from stock. The old 350 produced 265 horsepower from the factory, the new engine is well over 300 HP and should get over 20 mpg.