Ella Lung’s 1967 Pontiac Firebird
What is your real name?
Ella Lung
Where do you live?
Pleasant Grove, Utah
What do you do for a living?
Co-own and operate an automotive repair shop; housewife and I also take care of two small children – a one-year old little girl and an eight year old little boy.
What GM(s) do you drive?
2002 Z06 Chevrolet Corvette, 1967 Pontiac Firebird convertible and a 2004 Cadillac Escalade.
How long have you had your GM(s)?
We have owned the Corvette for a little more than three years and the Firebird almost five years.
What got you into GM(s)?
My mom drove a 1979 Firebird.
Have a favorite story to tell about your Firebird?
My favorite story is when we take the Firebird to car shows and people look at the before pictures of the car. They are completely amazed by the car now. Oh ya, and the other one is when my husband tells them it’s not his it his wife’s!
How many cars shows do you attend each year with your Firebird?
I currently attend three or four plus a few local cruise-in’s.
What do you love most about car shows?
Having it be one of the only really nice Firebirds, most of the old cars like mine are Camaros. That and the dropped jaws when most people see it. Some people just can’t get over how nice it is. Hell, I still have trouble with that.
What are your goals for your Firebird?
Spend more time behind the wheel of it or find someone who will. The car doesn’t get 200 miles a year on it, maybe fifty if I’m lucky!
When was the last time you took your Firebird out for a cruise?
I took it on the Alpine Loop (in Utah) late in the fall, I think the first part of November 2009.
What do you love most about driving it?
The feel of it, how fast it gets up and goes.
What’s next for your Firebird?
Possibly a stereo if I can bring myself to cut the dash.
What is your favorite mod you’ve done on your Firebird?
428 stoker engine.
Who has helped you the most along the way?
My husband has pretty much built the car from the ground up, everything but paint and Triple R restoration took care of that.
Any advice for women who want to get into cars?
I would have to say go for it!! Get the one you want the first time around. Don’t settle for less, make it the way it want it. Oh and pray to God your husband is understanding like mine and doesn’t mind that you have a nicer car than his.
Who do you look up to in the GM community?
I would have to say the designers of the car, they sure don’t make them like that now!
Is there a particular shop you’d recommend?
Sure, mine. Lung Automotive in Lehi, Utah.
Do you spend time on other GM sites?
Just browsing on Performance Years and Corvette Forum.
Mod list
Original sheet metal,1967 Pontiac Firebird convertible with all new interior, top, all rubber trim replaced, all chrome polished or redone. Engine started as a 1968 428 Pontiac, 4-bolt main with a new eagle stroker crank,forged pistons, ported 62 D-port heads, aluminum intake, Holley 800DP, Full MSD ignition with 6AL module. H&S roller rockers and stud girdles, custom sheet metal valve covers, fully coated headers and exhaust system. Lakewood scattershield covering a dual friction clutch with a Borg warner ST10 trans. Power goes back to a custom 8.8 31 spline disc brake Ford rear end with 3.73 gears and Trac-loc. Custom 17″ alum wheels, low profile tires and four wheel disc brakes round out the package. The complete front suspension/subframe has been powder coated including core support and inner fenders. The car was taken down to a bare tub and completely reassembled one piece at a time over an approx. two year time frame.
