The last thing I need is another project, but I am saving $$$ for my other projects and browsing the free section of craigslist to keep me from spending any $$$. I happened across this 25 miles from me. Price was right (free), so I went ahead and picked it up.


Ever since bubbajoe's installed a 3rd gen hatch on his newest project... I have been itching to show off my engine too. The 3rd gen hatch requires some extension to fit the back of a fiero, so I was hoping that the 4th gen one would be shorter.

Just threw in on my notchie and took some pics (do not really care if it gets a scratch or two):





Just from these rough shots, it is around the right shape and size at the front, but is too long for the notchie deckilid. The glass is 35" long from the top to the rear and around 12" higher at the front than the rear. Since the GT declid is longer, measured from the top of the rear clip to the rear edge of the decklid...36" Also from the base of the rear glass to the bottom lip of the top of the rear clip... 13". This is promising!

So how about a hybrid using the faskback rear clip, tail lights and decklid with the upper portion of the notchie and some blending of the panels to accept the 4th get rear hatch glass?

My next step is probably to remove the glass from the hatch, and take it and my spare fastback decklid up to a buddy that happens to have a fiero chassis w/o a rear clip and try to position the glass to the chassis on the decklid and see how it lines up and looks.

If it works, it would be a viable mod for my red 4.3 notchie (and I already have all the needed parts)... my SBC fastback is most likely getting a chop this winter so the 4th gen hatch would be too tall for it (so the search continues for its engine glass).

i dont see anything stating what car that is from. inform us please?

its from a 4th gen (93-02) camaro.

4th generation F-body camaro-fire bird


so how are you going to get the heat out of the vents ??????????
as that looks to totally block the vents

Yes, 4th gen camaro/firebird.

For venting purposes, I was thinking of air inlets in the sail panel area and then have the rear part of the glass raised about 1" above the decklid so the air could go under the glass, above the trunk at the rear very similar to the hatch spacer latch on the C4 (84-96 corvettes) to eliminate the buffeting at interstate speeds with the targa top removed or the windows down.

i was think of using a 3rd gen hatch to do that. ...i think i made a post about it loooong ago

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First LX9 Fiero GT, 1987 | My Fiero Fuel Economy | MPG Display for OBD I
Youtube Videos of My GT | 87 GT Inside Test Run | 3500 Fiero GT Test Run 01
3500 Fiero GT Test Run 02 | 3500 Fiero GT Test Run 03 | 3500 Fiero GT Test Run 04
If you can't fix it with a hammer, you've got an electrical problem
Fiero's are people too. We pay just as much attention to them, if not more than our loved ones
screw paying those bastards. im not going to become rich by paying for things.....

quote Originally posted by americasfuture2k: i was think of using a 3rd gen hatch to do that. ...i think i made a post about it loooong ago

The 3rd gen glass is too long for a stock bodied fiero, but bubbajoe used it on his extended wheel base Indy with N*/Porsche tranny.

quote Originally posted by bubbajoexxx: well here we go Nstar under glass here are some pics as you can see the camero glas is the right sze for the rear here is a side view you can play with with photo shop

Here is another shot of my madness...



With a reshaped notchie upper section, the glass will fit in quite well... this is looking more and more promising. The backend is starting to look like the rear of a C4 vette.

[This message has been edited by fieroguru (edited 07-30-2009).]

Very interesting idea that you have there. Good luck with it. I see the possibilities of this being pulled off. I really like the idea of air inlets on the sail panels. You could, with a bit of work, have the rear section glassed up with some venting going on.

Tony

Just playing around with a parts car today and decided to do some rough fitting:









This certainly looks do able now... to bad it is way down the priority list.

[This message has been edited by fieroguru (edited 11-22-2009).]

I quite like the way the clip rises after the wheel... Gives the car a nice curvy look. Almost like it has hips.

bump! this looks good...

not a big fan of the Bubba Joe one or whatever his name was (im tired lol). Might look really awesome with the right spoiler tho....

but YOURS...i think that looks awesome. someone show us what it would look like finished? anyone with the mad photoshop skills?

quote Originally posted by fieroguru: Just playing around with a parts car today and decided to do some rough fitting:

I like it!

Are there any updates? This is awesome!

Nope... parts are still in the basement. Lots of other projects to complete before I get back to this one.

bumping to favorite

why not make a engine cover out of 1/2 plexy don't think your hatch glass is going to like the engine heat and any cold rain that hits it..
cue up the stones, shattered

quote Originally posted by E.Furgal: why not make a engine cover out of 1/2 plexy don't think your hatch glass is going to like the engine heat and any cold rain that hits it.. cue up the stones, shattered

What makes you think this one would be any more susceptible to heat than the other rear hatches that have been on other fieros w/o issue? This isn't a new concept, just a different model hatch.

If you really want to pursue this, you might consider buying a lexan hatch from one of the major speedshops (JEGS, et. al.). They are available for about $300 for 3rd, 4th, and 5th gen F-bodies. Hell, one could even combine with a chop: a 3" chop on the hatch just might shorten it enough to fit right on to an Archie chop!

Larry

quote Originally posted by fieroguru: What makes you think this one would be any more susceptible to heat than the other rear hatches that have been on other fieros w/o issue? This isn't a new concept, just a different model hatch.

if baking the cars paint at 200* and driving it outside in the rain and they go to pieces.. I'd not use as an engine cover.. unless he adds a way for the engine heat to vent from under the car.. the glass will get mighty hot..

quote Originally posted by E.Furgal: if baking the cars paint at 200* and driving it outside in the rain and they go to pieces.. I'd not use as an engine cover.. unless he adds a way for the engine heat to vent from under the car.. the glass will get mighty hot..

Again, what makes you think this one with shatter when all the other ones installed over fiero engine bays have held up just fine?
It is one thing to be concerned with a failure when it hasn't been tested, but when there are current examples running under the same conditions w/o any failures, then actual experience starts to override unfounded concern.

In case you missed it I already posted my plans for venting...

quote Originally posted by fieroguru: For venting purposes, I was thinking of air inlets in the sail panel area and then have the rear part of the glass raised about 1" above the decklid so the air could go under the glass, above the trunk at the rear very similar to the hatch spacer latch on the C4 (84-96 corvettes) to eliminate the buffeting at interstate speeds with the targa top removed or the windows down.

do as you please.. you've been warned..
the c4 window and the 82-92 f body window are the same glass

quote Originally posted by E.Furgal: do as you please.. you've been warned.. the c4 window and the 82-92 f body window are the same glass

I will continue to do as I please, glad I have your permission.

You haven't provided any factual information, test data, or actual reports of glass shattering due to covering the engine of a Fiero. Yes, I know that heating glass on a stove, then dropping it in cold water in the sink can make it shatter... but how does that apply to this rear window. What is the needed temperature delta/time that is must experience for it to shatter? Will the randomized small droplets of rain help to slowly cool the glass vs. dumping a 5 gallon bucket of water onto it?

To support my stance, there are several glass hatch covered Fiero engines today (at least 2 N* and 1 SBC), and none have experienced any failures... sure there is probably a combination of heat/water that could induce a failure, but what is the actual probability that it will happen under normal operational conditions. Hail storms or a tree falling on it will brake the hatch too, but I will play the odds on those two.

As for the C4 and Gen 4 windows being the same, maybe from a material composition standpoint, but they aren't even close from a physical shape standpoint.

test don't have.. watching them shatter straight out of the paint bake cycle.. was all I needed to see.. if it was only one I'd say.. freak case.. after the 6th one.. not a freak case..

quote Originally posted by E.Furgal: "As for the C4 and Gen 4 windows being the same, maybe from a material composition standpoint, but they aren't even close from a physical shape standpoint. " take the deck end off and the metal trim around the window. and you have a c4 vetter window glass it's also the rear window on a pontiac 2+2

It is 100% inaccurate statements like these that make you lose all credibility with me...

The 4th gen hatch glass - notice the approximate 135 degree angle of the edge of the glass from the B pillar to the decklid:


The C4 hatch glass - notice the sharp less than 90 degree corner at the same place... it is nothing like the 4th gen camaro.

[This message has been edited by fieroguru (edited 06-11-2012).]

quote Originally posted by fieroguru: The 4th gen hatch glass - notice the approximate 135 degree angle of the edge of the glass from the B pillar to the decklid: The C4 hatch glass - notice the sharp less than 90 degree corner at the same place... it is nothing like the 4th gen camaro.

really, try rereading my post (here it is ) do as you please.. you've been warned..
the c4 window and the 82-92 f body window are the same glass

ya you got me.. g

"82-92 rear window and c4 rear window and pontiac 2+2 grand prix are the SAME GLASS...


your post"It is 100% inaccurate statements like these that make you lose all credibility with me..."

as you where saying..

[This message has been edited by E.Furgal (edited 06-11-2012).]

Ahh, I see that I missed an 82-92 camaro reference a few posts back... Not sure why you brought the 82-92 hatch into this as this thread is about the 93+ Gen 4 hatch, but again:

quote Originally posted by E.Furgal: the c4 window and the 82-92 f body window are the same glass

quote Originally posted by fieroguru: As for the C4 and Gen 4 windows being the same, maybe from a material composition standpoint, but they aren't even close from a physical shape standpoint.

Feel free to change the Gen 4 reference to 82-92 (or third gen) in the above quote and my stance is still the same. They may be similar from a material composition standpoint, but are not even close to the same in shape/size. As you can see I was never disputing that the material composition wasn't similar, just that the physical shape of the hatches were completely different.

If you weren't trying to argue the physical shape being the same, then why even speak about breaking the hatch down to just the glass section... I had already stated that the glass composition could be similar and my only stance was the physical shapes being different.

quote Originally posted by E.Furgal: take the deck end off and the metal trim around the window. and you have a c4 vetter window glass

quote Originally posted by E.Furgal: test don't have.. watching them shatter straight out of the paint bake cycle.. was all I needed to see.. if it was only one I'd say.. freak case.. after the 6th one.. not a freak case..

What kind of idiot bakes a car for paint, and then takes immediately outside into the rain?

quote Originally posted by dobey: What kind of idiot bakes a car for paint, and then takes immediately outside into the rain?

a production shop