My Firebird & Me

Let me tell you about my little section of the world. I've owned one car since I was 17 years old, a 1969 Firebird. At 21 I bought a 1971 Firebird, a recent transplant from Arizona. At 19 I bought what was left of a 1970 T/A with a 455-M22 four speed race car. The T/A was all cut up with wide racing slicks and fenders cut for clearance.
Flash forward 30 years and oh. how life has changed. A wedding, four kids, private school, two houses with some in between, numerous illnesses, a broken back, disability, cancer, and kids. But through it all, I put on foot in front of the other, smiled, and enjoyed life.
I've slowly been trying to build what I consider the best Trans Am. I've gone to body working school, worked and volunteered at a body shop, and slowly found parts. I almost had the car done at one point (paint, wheels, tires, engine, transmission, rear-end, interior, and the works). Only to have my garage robbed, tools taken, and the car trashed.
It took 2+ years to just get close to the tools I lost, not to mention, the materials, time, and work I put into it. After that the kids & wife started taking the front burner. Two jobs were needed to pay the bills.
We then moved to Northern WI, (wife's suggestion). We moved three times in six months, couldn't even sell our original house, finally, we broke even I thought. While working during the week and driving four hours up to the family on weekends, I learned a lot more. On December 17th, 1999, I was waiting for the stop light to change in my 1986 Pontiac Preasian, I was hit from the side and totaled car and changed my life changed forever.
I later learned that I broke a L-3 Faccett joint vertebrate. Which turned into a 10 year ordeal with body braces for 6 months and 3 surgeries followed by more body braces and physical therapy, and a divorce, I ended up in a two bedroom trailer with my four kids.
For the last 10 years, I've been slowly piecing things back together. The kids have been growing and I pieced a car together for all four of them. All by just doing the best I could. With my back being bad, they did majority of the work, but i was there to direct them all the way. Well, I now only have one in high school (his senior year), one is in grad school, one sophmore in college, and one is just in the work force for now.
So now with my kids help, I am starting to work on the ultimate T/A all over again. You can see pictures with the front sub-frame removed for the rebuild, improvements & a fresh coat of paint. Next the body will be repainted. It's short block was totally rebuilt.
My biggest problem so far is that I found out that I have cancer (non-Hodkins Lynfoma). I'm currently going through chemo-therapy. That and living on $2,100 a month. So I love budget rebuilds-any & all will help.
My wishlist for the Ultimate ***
1-Jim Meyer's sub frame (super lite with C-6 suspension)
1-DSE Rear Mini-Tub Kit
4-Koni adjustable shocks
1-DSE 12-bolt rear end
1-Poly link front end rebuild kit
1-Flamming river Rack & Pinion
1 set decals for a 70-73 ***
1-complete House of Color set up (prime to paint to clear) with reducer, activator, epoxy primer, metallic primer, base coat, Urethane Enamel-Black cherry
1 set Kaufman Heads with roller rockers or the (new not out yet) Edlebrock heads
1-Nightmare Racing New Comp Cam, Push rods, 1.65 Ultra Gold Rockers, Lash Caps, Jomar Perf Rocker Studs, Lifters, and Valve Covers
1-Hood Tach
4-Year One 17x9 snowflakes, BF Goodrich tires
1-Year One Package Tray
1-Tremic TKO 600 with SPEC clutch and pressure plate
Will it all get built with these things? Not unless I win the lottery or find a generous public or benefactor. I'll just do the best that i can with what I have. A guy has to have dreams...27 years and they're just now coming true. Miracles do happen, too bad me dad will never see my car finished but I sure hope I do.

                                                       Jim Steppe
                                                  10302 Big Eddie Lane
                                                    Suring WI 54174

                                              big_troble_mezcal@hotmail.com
                                                   920-842-2864

Thank you for all the tech and encouragement your magazine brings. I've subscribed on and off for nearly 25 years. I'm finally done assembling my car, now I'm starting to finish the slow process.