i got my first muscle car

not only is it my first muscle car its my first car ever its a 1971 pntiac fire bird its not too bad the engine is good theres some rust here and there and the interior is soso the frount seats are messed up the duct tape special interior but its not a bad ride and for 1200 bucks its a good deal i think but do you have any tips like sould i just restore it to the most i can affored or just dump all cash in the engine and build a sleeper any tip is welcome. oh its a 350 pontiac block im sure its #'s matching and the person i bought it from was the original owner also i dont have much cash i might scan some photos and post them on the internet if some people want to see

Congrats. Firebirds are nice cars.
It sounds like it's your daily driver. I would concentrate on the body first as long as the engine is running good.
I remember when I bought my first car. It was a 71 Charger SE with a 383. I used it as a daily driver and was usually strapped for cash. I bought one car panel at a time and bolted on the ones I could myself (door and the 2 fenders). The 1 quarter panel I bought I had welded on over the weekend by a body shop. I did that so I wouldn't be without a car for and extended period of time. It took about a year and a half to finish it but it didn't take a huge chunk of money all at one time.
Work on the things that need fixing first. The body will keep getting worse the longer it goes without being repaired. Rust never sleeps.

Good luck. Welcome to the Musclecarclub.

here you go this is what il looks like http://hometown.aol.com/chevyjim1970/index.html

I LIKE IT!
That car is a perfect sleeper.I doesn't look too bad at all. I agree with DGB454; Do the body before it gets out of hand. It looks very clean...keep it that way :sunglasse

Looks like the car is in pretty good shape. Rust is definitely the enemy. Fix any rust first, then tackle any dents. Go slow at first. It is way too easy to sink a ton of money into the car when you first start off.

Very nice! Those early Firebirds are awesome cars, a 1971 Trans Am would be on my must-have list.
You are very lucky to be able to have such a classic for your first car, living in Australia it will be hard for me to get one while I'm so young.

Nice runner. I wish I could find a decent early F'bird like that for $1200

Looks like the car is in pretty good shape. Rust is definitely the enemy. Fix any rust first, then tackle any dents. Go slow at first. It is way too easy to sink a ton of money into the car when you first start off.
Yes, be sure to get ALL the rust. Just a little piece can grow. I tried to resurect a 1960 Edsel (yeah, I know), and thought I got it all. I didn't.
Jeff

For rust, be sure to check areas you can't see - the underbody and the floor pans.

Your car looks awesome, and the sleeper idea is even better. A friend of mine talks about his import all day and I can't stand it. Muscle is the true way to go

I envy ... I live in Czech Republic (central europe, besides Germany ...) and everything I can afford in my 19 years is 1979 Ford Capri - tiny Mustang's european brother. You can see at http://capriman.album.cz/capri . Worst thing on it is that two litre, four cylinder engine sitting under the hood. I thing that 302 would fit there perfectly :)

I envy ... I live in Czech Republic (central europe, besides Germany ...) and everything I can afford in my 19 years is 1979 Ford Capri - tiny Mustang's european brother. You can see at http://capriman.album.cz/capri . Worst thing on it is that two litre, four cylinder engine sitting under the hood. I thing that 302 would fit there perfectly :)
Looks like a fun ride. I bet a turbo charger would help things out. :iceslolan
Jeff

Congrats!! I too have a Trans Am (79, pictured in my Avatar!) and only paid $1200 CDN for it!! :) Only mine didn't need anything but a paint job and new decals. They really are good cars, I don't think anything's ever been wrong with it. Well, the brakes cut out once on the highway and had to slam it into park and...eew screeching transmission lol. But it turned out just the line came loose, so that really was only a minor problem :) I don't think anyone's classic is ever perfect. (excluding the people who spend $50,000 on it trying to make it look good lol)

Anyway, congrats again, and enjoy that nice car of yours ;)

Well, the brakes cut out once on the highway and had to slam it into park and...eew screeching transmission lol.

I wonder if D1 and lifting the throttle would have been better. Well, at least it worked...


But it turned out just the line came loose, so that really was only a minor problem

A good landing is any landing you can walk away from, I guess.

I envy ... I live in Czech Republic (central europe, besides Germany ...) and everything I can afford in my 19 years is 1979 Ford Capri - tiny Mustang's european brother. You can see at http://capriman.album.cz/capri . Worst thing on it is that two litre, four cylinder engine sitting under the hood. I thing that 302 would fit there perfectly :)

Capris (at least European Capris...) are cool! Not so sure I like the colour scheme, but one of those with a 3-litre Ford V6 would be great!

Another possibility would be to drop a Rover V-8 in it.