The Fiero Project

[Buck531]

Most of you know I picked up 87 GT's 87 Fiero back in March. I have been driving it until today. Today was the last time that it would see the 140 HP (crank) 2.8 motor forever. I have put a few things on to keep it running decent and just basic maintenance like brakes and a wheels/tires.

 

I planned on putting the motor from my poverty race car but I spun a rod and main bearing at the last track day at trails. So I had to source another motor.

 

Anyways. I'll post a bunch of pictures from the day I got it to today.

 

Day I got it

 

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/buck531/Fiero/20160318_162126_zps3deh3qzy.jpg

 

4 cans of plasti-dip later

 

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/buck531/Fiero/20160326_180747_zpsptmlw4nf.jpg

 

Stock tires were way dry rotted so instead of getting new 15" rubber I got these 90's Cavalier Z24 wheels from CL for $100 and stripped them down and re-finished them.

 

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/buck531/Fiero/20160515_111935_zps390gxvv5.jpg

 

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/buck531/Fiero/20160517_201523_zpsaewmgqnb.jpg

 

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/buck531/Fiero/20160521_125903_zpsrrmav8vd.jpg

 

Found a set of 205/55?/16's for $65 bucks that were practically brand new (most likely stolen)

 

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/buck531/Fiero/20160524_202547_zpsqnq9w6ww.jpg

 

Sold the stock wheels for $100.

[Buck531]

Something was up with the bumper. I found a guy outside Cincy that had a Fiero cradle with poly bushings, new control arms and new tie rods for $125. He also had a front bumper for $40. Couldn't pass that up.

 

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/buck531/Fiero/20160608_123855_zpsf9vp0hvq.jpg

 

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/buck531/Fiero/20160608_123900_zpsxplqemzt.jpg

 

Oh yeah, got my personalized historical tags. (no front plate is required on a historical personal tag btw).

 

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/buck531/Fiero/20160608_201017_zpsvli8d1kv.jpg

 

Front bumper is off.

 

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/buck531/Fiero/20160611_152355_zpszomv2bxg.jpg

 

Notice the core support is pushed back about 1/2" on this pic compared to the 2nd.

 

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/buck531/Fiero/20160611_152401_zpsjgfohx2s.jpg

 

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/buck531/Fiero/20160611_152406_zps9zwajqoz.jpg

 

That resulted in this (which was a good idea but also dumb). It didn't work.

 

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/buck531/Fiero/20160611_162305_zpsbspzgyc7.jpg

 

I ended up popping off the drivers side piece that bolts to the bumper. I then moved it back 1/2" and just re-welded it. Looks better.

 

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/buck531/Fiero/20160611_210201_zpsgtcmvqwx.jpg

[Buck531]

Fast forward until a few months ago. LT1Rick hooked me up with a guy (Eric Grimes) that just happened to get a shit ton of heads outside Detroit. Met with the guy. He had a brand new, never installed set of L67 3800 heads. After searching they were casting from an 07. Didn't even have the freeze plugs installed. Since he does port work I figured I'd have him port them along with the supercharger and lower intake manifold.

 

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/buck531/Fiero/20160702_154242_zpswipzp18h.jpg

 

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/buck531/Fiero/20160702_154318_zps2htohwqj.jpg

 

ported. Forgot to get a pic of the intake ports but he gasket matched them.

 

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/buck531/Fiero/20160813_144316_zpshvb92pf0.jpg

 

Then fast forward to this stuff that was bugging me. Chips out of the sunroof area. Got a can of Bondo Gold (good for SMC) and did this in a day.

 

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/buck531/Fiero/20160806_162112_zpsvhl1hqcb.jpg

 

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/buck531/Fiero/20160806_162127_zps7tdafbjt.jpg

 

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/buck531/Fiero/20160806_162133_zpsbl0ylrrp.jpg

 

Finished. I haven't done body work since high school in 94.

 

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/buck531/Fiero/20160806_202536_zpsabmxhdxq.jpg

 

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/buck531/Fiero/20160806_202542_zpsdlmgapwe.jpg

 

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/buck531/Fiero/20160806_202554_zps58xuqazd.jpg

[Buck531]

Found a motor with decent mileage at Franks used auto junk outside Lancaster. Tore that down, put my XP cam in it and cleaned it up and tossed some paint on it.

 

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/buck531/Fiero/20160813_144238_zpsvyoevldp.jpg

 

Put the heads on, s/c, etc. made it look pretty I guess.

 

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/buck531/Fiero/20160830_191202_zpsxjlbdeqt.jpg

 

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/buck531/Fiero/20160830_191211_zpsyzv2y18b.jpg

 

Then I FINALLY got my mounts in to toss it on the cradle I got from Cincy.

 

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/buck531/Fiero/20160901_103021_zpsxo4pvt9e.jpg

 

Front Trans mount.

 

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/buck531/Fiero/20160901_102956_zpshwm4guyd.jpg

 

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/buck531/Fiero/20160901_103001_zpsqbni85gj.jpg

 

Fitting the trans.

 

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/buck531/Fiero/20160901_110513_zpsyapscf1u.jpg

 

Oh yeah.. f'n wiring. ugh.

 

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/buck531/Fiero/1472769289221_zpsz9eo2wqp.jpg

 

Got the motor on the cradle with the trans. Yay. more motivation.

 

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/buck531/Fiero/20160901_170734_zpsk9e9dull.jpg

 

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/buck531/Fiero/20160901_170745_zpsn0wk2fg0.jpg

 

Running the wiring.

 

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/buck531/Fiero/20160901_201830_zpsgubmamlv.jpg

[Buck531]

Now I'm at today (Friday). I did the motor on the cradle on Thursday. Friday I took everything but one bolt out of the Fiero and lost care and needed to take my family out for my sons birthday dinner along with his fiance'.

 

Last known complete picture of the motor.

 

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/buck531/Fiero/20160902_111147_zpslvunazqm.jpg

 

Just leaves. no nuts.

 

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/buck531/Fiero/20160902_112932_zpsndizkz7h.jpg

 

Rusted battery tray. meh.

 

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/buck531/Fiero/20160902_112941_zpsjlhsbcud.jpg

 

My son helping me out.

 

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/buck531/Fiero/20160902_132407_zpsguejsmmd.jpg

 

Current pic of the trash in the garage.

 

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/buck531/Fiero/20160902_184521_zpsgyzdayph.jpg

 

Tomorrow the whole motor/cradle will drop out tomorrow. Then I get to figure out the wiring, coolant routing, fuel lines and a few other things.

 

My plan was to drop the motor today (Friday), put the new one in Saturday/wiring, Change the fuel pump and figure out the other crap and POSSIBLY get it started by Monday. I'm not sure on that one. There's a shit ton of things I need to do before that can happen.

 

My ricer math shows I should be at a mid/low 12 in the 1/4 mile. I know it will be in the 12's at some point but we'll see how deep I can get into it.

[Not Brian]

That's cool as fuck man. Looks like a lot of work, especially hunching over that engine bay.

 

Also, every time I see a Fiero I think of this scene from Copland

 

[Buck531]

Hunching over the engine bay like that does suck since the trunk is there.

 

It does seem like a lot of work but everything that I've done (wheels/tires, bumper stuff, fixing the roof) was done in a 3-4 month span. When I had some free time on the weekend I'd mess with it.

 

But yeah, the car looks like a 3rd gen Firebird had sex with a midget and this popped out.

[RyM3rC]

You're making great progress, cool project for sure.

 

Don't love the auto trans

[caseyctsv]

Nice work man. I will always have a soft spot for Fiero's. I had an 85 GT with a 4 speed manual in high school. That being said, the stock wheels would look way better in my opinion.

[Buck531]

Eh. I don't care too much about the trans. I'd rather have an auto but I'm old and don't give a shit .

 

Also found this a while on google. I chuckled.

 

http://s.quickmeme.com/img/fd/fda9e4062587a92691b63424d19342cd647145a8bf1fd946c3c2b480affb13b6.jpg

[Buck531]

Nice work man. I will always have a soft spot for Fiero's. I had an 85 GT with a 4 speed manual in high school. That being said, the stock wheels would look way better in my opinion.

 

 

Yeah I do like the stock mesh wheels but one wheel was badly curb rashed and I didn't want to put new 15" rubber on them. I will be changing them eventually though. These were just to get by for now.

[SpaceGhost]

Good work, I miss my 88 GT.

[starkmaster03]

Looks like it's coming along nicely.

[Green Bastard]

I saw this on facebook and was wondering how long it would take to show up here. Looks like it will be a blast when you are finished.

[90G60]

Looks bad ass Buck. I dream of having a project like this someday.

 

What are your plans for the exhaust?

Edited September 3, 2016 by 90G60

[Richard Cranium]

Looking forward to seeing this at the next track day.

[Buck531]

Looks bad ass Buck. I dream of having a project like this someday.

 

What are your plans for the exhaust?

 

I'm going to use the headers I got from the blue car and I'll have to cut the trunk out to get them to fit. No other way around that. I think for now to get it running I'll just create some 90* 3" bends to some cherry bomb muffler and a single out the side until I decide on what i'm going to do.

[Buck531]

motivation is this:

 

[gillbot]

Buck, Buck mo muck, banana fanna fo.........

[Buck531]

The the old junk out today. Fucked the one remaining cradle bolt and a few hoses and it was ready. I had it out by Noonish.

 

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/buck531/Fiero/20160903_112918_zpsbsfgplgz.jpg

 

Hold my beer..watch this. And yes, I'm lifting it up by the trunk latch.

 

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/buck531/Fiero/20160903_114124_zpswx6fkqtx.jpg

 

Such turds.

 

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/buck531/Fiero/20160903_114721_zpsulz52dgu.jpg

 

The C500 connector I need to re-use/clean - Nasty AF.

 

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/buck531/Fiero/1472925728237_zpsuugmcqkd.jpg

 

Yep. Safety first!

 

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/buck531/Fiero/14192132_1365855930094685_500797994860952833_n_zpszy2yrzaw.jpg

[10phone2]

Man thats alot of progress. By chance how are you going to get rid of the block if your trashing it?

[Buck531]

Yep. A few people have said the cradle alone is roughly $150. Engine/trans. maybe $150. That would be great if that happened. Still ran fine when I pulled it in the garage.

 

Swing by some time. You're only like 150 feet from me .

[10phone2]

Yea I need to swing by sometime. I get caught up with life and next thing you know summer is over. Shit I may get some motivation to actually lay a finger on one of the two car projects I haven't touched in 4 months from visiting someone who has.

[SPL_Josh]

Cool project

[Buck531]

Yea I need to swing by sometime. I get caught up with life and next thing you know summer is over. Shit I may get some motivation to actually lay a finger on one of the two car projects I haven't touched in 4 months from visiting someone who has.

 

Heh yeah I understand. I was about to come over and crash your inflatable castle or whatever you had last weekend for your girls b-day party. Good stuff..Thank god i'm out of that stage lol (23 and 15 year old boys).