On one hand I'm happy that the previous owners of my Firebird preserved it with liberal oil spraying. On the other I'm cursing those owners as it's a nightmare to remove when cleaning up the engine compartment. Progress has been slow but I'm starting to see a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. 

Here's a couple before shots to give you an idea as to what I started with:

Here's where I'm at so far:

While not show quality (if I had the budget the whole front clip would have come off and the engine/trans pulled, subframe cleaned etc etc.), it is an improvement. Once the engine is finished the inner fenders are coming out and getting stripped and painted. I have a new booster and master cylinder as well as front brake lines. The cowl will be cleaned as best as possible. The rad and shroud have been cleaned up. The engine brackets, pulleys etc have been bead blasted and painted. You'll note the engine colour isn't exactly as original. The Pontiac motors in '75 were a unique colour and the paint is not available. The closest is what Oldsmobile used on big blocks in the 1960's. I actually like this shade.

I'll post more pics as I progress.