Thursday, January 16, 2020

Wth? This is a third-gen Pontiac Firebird?


 Hemmings Editor Daniel saw it in the classifieds and made it a Hemmings Find of the Day.

The Khudobin brothers emigrated to Florida from Ukraine 30 years ago, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, and set out to build their own expression of a classic muscle-ponycar on a more modern platform for everyday driving.

The brothers have a business making custom fiberglass fairings for Harley-Davidsons and Japanese cruisers. Combining their skills to build the car over a 10-year period, they completely changed the Firebird’s look, including the cabin, without altering the unit-body structure.


“The idea was to create an affordable conversion kit, also with the idea to produce a limited number of cars ourselves on the third-generation F-bodies,” says Dmitry. “Ten years ago, those cars were plentiful and cheap enough.”

Despite the GM platform, the car’s design seems dominated by Ford and Mopar themes. The front clip, which attaches to the factory mounting locations, recalls not only the 1971-1973 Mustang, but also the 1969 Shelby Mustang that inspired that car.

Front fender gills are an homage to the ’71 Barracuda, but placed ahead of the wheel.  A front three-quarter view of the Khudobin’s custom hints at the bodyline and stance of the 1971-1974 Dodge Charger, and Dmitry says the faux louvers covering the Firebird’s B-pillars are a nod to the ’73 Charger SE model.


https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2020/01/16/home-built-ponycar-recalls-classic-mustang-and-mopar-concepts/

5 comments:

  1. Amazing how much it looks like a Mustang and an Aussie Falcon. What a cool ride that would have been.

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  2. Wow... Nice ! A like it.

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  3. My thoughts exactly, it looks like back in 1980 a Pontiac guy wanted a new 1971 Mustang but couldn't bring himself to switch brands. That said, its nicely done quality work all around and the interior is also really nice.

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  4. Hihi, actually I was waiting for this post. I was curious what you think about it, Jesse. Actually I love it. The interior is also great.

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    1. I like it, that's why I posted it. The interior is amazing. I love the mix of 1970 American and Australian

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