Flash back to 1989, I was in the military and very poor, to make some extra cash I had a car detailing business I ran at the airfield where I worked. Out of 15 weekly customers the coolest cars I detailed were a Mustang GT (5.0), a Porsche 911 Turbo and an 88 Fiero GT (Black 5 Speed). Of these 3 cars it was the Fiero I enjoyed most. The handling of the Fiero was even more fun than the 911, nowhere as fast but it hugs corners better.
Flash forward approx 2 months before the 20th anniversary of the Fiero I was searching the web one day for Fiero information and stumbled into Pennocks. I quickly checked the mall and found a Fiero GT, a Maroon 87 with 217K miles, located in Sault St. Marie, MI. I talked with my best friend Jason and we decided that I should buy the car for the $500 that was being asked, figuring that even if the car had major frame rust I could revive her. So we took the next day off and started our 650 Mile trek thru Michigan to get my car. The trip was exciting I could barely contain myself, the closer we got the more excited I became. Well the car was located on Sugar Bush Island and the only way out to the island is by ferry, so here we are sitting on the ferry and a gravel hauler loaded with 156,000 lbs of gravel comes on with us. That really added to my exhilaration. Finally we made it across and started the final journey to my Fiero. After about 15 minutes of driving we pull up to a barn and sitting in front of it is the Fiero, it’s in surprising good shape, Dirty but whole, interior was musty smelling but cleanable. We quickly paid for the car and loaded it up and headed back home.
I get the Fiero home and put it in my garage and start building my to-do list. The wife wants me to tag along to her friends house because her friends neighbor hood is having a garage sale. Reluctantly went along. We pull up to her friend’s house and peruse the standard yard sale junk. But then it happened, as we rounded the corner on our way to the next house I spotted the nicest Black GT I had seen and it’s for sale. So I go start looking at it, hmmm 88 with Auto, Beech wood Interior, the usually options and then the kicker 86,000 miles. Well I’m ecstatic, so I head up to the house looking for the owner, we chat a bit and I tell him I need a few weeks to get the cash for the car, luckily he’s good friends with the wife’s friend so he agrees to hold the car (I offered a deposit but he wouldn’t take one). Well the next 2 weeks I started calling in debt’s I was owed and had my cash. For me everything is going to good. Then it strikes the wife calls me and says she ran out of water while in the shower, Well this is not good news being that we live in the country and have a well for our household water. So I do the only thing I can and call a pump guy, he comes out goes under the house and diagnoses a bad pressure switch, so I have him replace it. Next thing I know his truck is back at the well and he’s pulling the pump up so I go chat with him. He says that after he replaced the pressure switch that the pump wasn’t putting out enough pressure so he replaces the pump (this I knew was going to cost big money). Well he finishes up and tells me to run the hose until the water goes clear and he starts loading up his truck, his wife who collects the money calls and gives me the bill damn near $2000, well there goes a good chunk of my Fiero money. I turn on the hose and after about 5 minutes the water goes out again, so I get him and explain the situation he says well your well isn’t keeping up with your need for water you need a new well. I argue quite a bit about him selling me a pump and pressure switch I don’t need and he says basically tells me tough luck. So here I am out most of my cash, and now my biggest investment is worthless. I call another well company recommended to me by a friend. They come out and start drilling; I’m really worried because from my neighbors I hear that they had a hard time finding water for my current well. Sure enough the well company can’t hit water, so now all my cash is gone, still no water and y dream car is out of reach. I call up the gentlemen with the Fiero and tell him that due to the well problem there’s no way I can buy the car, I apologize profusely, and I really felt horrible for having wasted his time. Well I call my father and am talking about everything going on with him, he tells me my stepmother told him she would loan me the money to buy the car because she knows how bad I want it. Well I really don’t want to borrow the money knowing I still need a well, then the wife and I made a discovery. If we turned the taps to the washer down we could shower and do laundry and wash dishes. So I talk to her about the car, she understands my desire and tells me to get the car. I call up Cookie (the Fiero’s owner and tell him I might have the money, call my step mom and thank her and head over for the money. Next trip to pick up my Fiero, well at this point I still have a little problem, I’m now into the maroon Fiero for $750 ($500 to buy and $250 in travel getting it and returning), well I had to rush to buy it because there was a lot of interest on the forum, however most people couldn’t go that far to get it. So I posted it in the mall for $750, with in an hour I had a call and another forum member was coming to get it. Problem solved. I went and bought my 88 GT, the next day he came to load it up, I was on the way to pick up my daughter from a friend (of course I just had to drive the GT). Well I picked her up and got the call I was expecting Sherlock was at the house ready buy the maroon GT. So we started home, this is when I learned my 1st major Fiero lesson! Don’t trust the fuel gauge, I’m out of gas. So I call the wife for gas delivery and pass the message along to Sherlock that I’m going to be a few minutes. Wife shows up with gas I get home, Sherlock loads up and everything’s good.
1st order of business is the interior it’s got typical interior elephantitis going on, so I search PFF and go get my repair materials. Next thing you know the interior is back in order. Not much else to do for now so the wife and I head to the 20th. What a blast getting to see the cars I love the most up close and personal. Here’s what the GT looked like parked near apple bee’s at the 20th.
For X-mas I asked the wife to get me Rims for the car, well she didn’t know what to get so on x-mas she told me to order them. So I watched ebay. I ended up buying a set of ADR battle Exe’s and had them installed.
Well my car looks good, rides good and I need to meet with more Fiero fanatic’s so I start final preparation for one of PBJ’s/Her86GT’s grand bend cruises. So I start fixing little things, then I notice the dreaded Glowing manifold. So I read up and get an EGR tube from a camaro, wow what a difference it made. Then the dreaded happens while I’m out cruising the car loses power, In order to make it into my garage I had to shift it into neutral and rev it up then drop it in drive. I tried everything, new Coil, wires, plugs, MAP sensor, ignition module you name it I tried it no change, well the grand bend trip with my Fiero was out of the question, so I made plans to go anyway in the family mobile. Little did I remember we had a family reunion on the same day so my grand bend cruise was out! Well thru most of this I had been dreaming of a motor swap and had been chatting on the forum with PBJ about costs and different options for a while. Then it happened the wife told me for my Birthday she would get me a 4.9 swap preformed by PBJ. Last Tuesday my friend Jason and I loaded up the GT and we headed to Toronto, I finally met Pete and Becky in person and got to see some of the cars hanging out at his house (Sabre 4.9’s, Becky’s Her86GT and a white one who’s owner’s name escapes me.) On Wednesday night I returned to take care of a little business with PBJ, well I didn’t expect that they would be anywhere with my car, how wrong I was. This is what greeted me walking into his shop. Hmm something doesn’t look right there, opps I forgot the Socket to my Lug nuts. Thank God Pete’s resourceful J
Now I’ve always wondered how my cars frame looked, being that in Michigan the salt the roads very heavily. I did know that the car spent most of its life in Florida and Ohio before it came to me, well as you can see the frames in great shape.
Tonight I got these pictures from Pete (not only does we do great work, he does it fast and keeps you very informed along the way)
[This message has been edited by linenoise (edited 07-10-2004).]
Its funny i wasn't going to read that ENTIRE thing but as soon as i seen Sault Ste Marie, i was instantly intrested. My fiancee is from the Soo, Ontario. I go there just about every Xmas in before and after school gets out to get her. Too bad ur 650 miles away. and i doubt my poor 84 SE will make it that far
but it was nice reading ur story!
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03:25 AM
pavo_roddy Member
Posts: 4351 From: State with a city named Gotham Registered: Apr 2004
Lookin great!!!! Always an awesome site to see and read someone's build thread.... As for a name how about.....Liners (4.) niner....??? Hut, Hut.......gooooooin long.......an he throoooowwwsss deep???
[This message has been edited by pavo_roddy (edited 07-10-2004).]
Lookin great!!!! Always an awesome site to see and read someone's build thread.... As for a name how about.....Liners (4.) niner....??? Hut, Hut.......gooooooin long.......an he throoooowwwsss deep???
LIners 4. niner has a nice ring to it.
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09:05 AM
pavo_roddy Member
Posts: 4351 From: State with a city named Gotham Registered: Apr 2004
Our cars are nearly twins!! Except mine has T-tops... And yours has (or is getting) a 4.9
Even right down to the rims! Your pointed front facia moldings are even the same odd color as mine!
What options do you have in your car?
My car has: Beechwood, Auto, Lumbar, PW, PL, PM, T-tops, Tilt, cruise, AC, Performance sound, and pretty much everything else except for leather (which you couldnt get with lumbar)
Our cars are nearly twins!! Except mine has T-tops... And yours has (or is getting) a 4.9
Even right down to the rims! Your pointed front facia moldings are even the same odd color as mine!
What options do you have in your car?
My car has: Beechwood, Auto, Lumbar, PW, PL, PM, T-tops, Tilt, cruise, AC, Performance sound, and pretty much everything else except for leather (which you couldnt get with lumbar)
Looks great, I have Beechwood, Auto, PW, PL, PM, Tilt, cruise, AC, Performance sound.
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12:37 PM
Matthian Member
Posts: 634 From: West Hempstead, NY, USA Registered: May 2003
I love your build up thread. That 4.9 is going to look sweet in there too. That PBJ is fast.
Just a suggestion though I could use a paragraph break or two in your prose. With my failing eyesight it's a bit difficult to read. And I must have read your name for a year before I realized it was "Line Noise" and not Linen Oi Se" Whatever that is
I love your build up thread. That 4.9 is going to look sweet in there too. That PBJ is fast.
Just a suggestion though I could use a paragraph break or two in your prose. With my failing eyesight it's a bit difficult to read. And I must have read your name for a year before I realized it was "Line Noise" and not Linen Oi Se" Whatever that is
Yeah it's Line Noise, way back in the old BBS days you could see the staic in your pohone line while online it was called Line Noise, also most phone guys use the line noise term also.
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05:51 PM
pavo_roddy Member
Posts: 4351 From: State with a city named Gotham Registered: Apr 2004
wow, linenoise.....you sure almost didnt get that Fiero..good thing you got it though. sad-ish story....great ending. I do , as well, remember the BBS....its still around!
wow, linenoise.....you sure almost didnt get that Fiero..good thing you got it though. sad-ish story....great ending. I do , as well, remember the BBS....its still around!
I ownder what I would be doing now had I not been able to get my car, I really think insanity might have set in.
The engine/transmission are now mounted to the cradle and I don't plan on separating them again. The swap is going right on schedule Soon linenoise will be cruising with a rumbling V8 fiero.
The engine/transmission are now mounted to the cradle and I don't plan on separating them again. The swap is going right on schedule Soon linenoise will be cruising with a rumbling V8 fiero.
Pete
Ca't wait, I am starting to tremble from the withdrawl.
[This message has been edited by linenoise (edited 07-31-2004).]
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07:03 PM
FieroMaster88 Member
Posts: 7680 From: Mattawan, MI Registered: Nov 2000
Ok let me get this off my chest 1st. If anyone is debating having someone install thier 4.9, you'll find no better than PBJ. The speed which he's progressing is amaizing, then add to that a daily update email showing progress and his willingmess to work with you on ideas and answer questiosn I highly doubt thiers anyone better at swaps out there. to give you an idea, I didn't expect them to work at all on the car today, however I just got these pictures from Pete seems he likes to spend his sunday building a new wiring harness.
The Pink is fiero harness. The blue is caddy sensor harness, yellow is caddy ecm.
PBJ says he's 50% completed on the wiring harness. Seeing this pictures tells me there was no way I would have completed the swap on my own (being COlor Blind really makes it harder)
to be continued
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11:43 PM
PFF
System Bot
Jul 12th, 2004
FieroMaster88 Member
Posts: 7680 From: Mattawan, MI Registered: Nov 2000
Awesome car man! I'll have to see it sometime this summer (couldn't make it this weekend )...You going to Pontiac Nationals? http://pontiacnationals.com Some of us Michiganders are planning on caravaning down together.
------------------
Ohhhhhh yeahhhh!
[This message has been edited by Bradbitz11 (edited 07-12-2004).]
Awesome car man! I'll have to see it sometime this summer (couldn't make it this weekend )...You going to Pontiac Nationals? http://pontiacnationals.com Some of us Michiganders are planning on caravaning down together.
Won't be able to make the pontiac nationls this year, with some luck I might make the Gratiot cruise, woodward looks like it will happen for me.
[This message has been edited by linenoise (edited 07-31-2004).]
The wrecking yard slip had a "P" indicating year, which is 1993, at first I thought it was a 1994 but I forgot to drop the "O" when I was counting alphabet years The wiring harness is new style 93-95. Engine has 120 000kms.
The wrecking yard slip had a "P" indicating year, which is 1993, at first I thought it was a 1994 but I forgot to drop the "O" when I was counting alphabet years The wiring harness is new style 93-95. Engine has 120 000kms.
------------------ I own an original yellow 1988 pontiac fiero GT, (wingless, currently purple) and very proud....Truly is.....Driving Exitement! Matching numbers GT #17889 of 26,402 made in 1988
I'm replying on behalf of Pete - who's now just finished for the day and it too tired to type. They had great success tonight and the car is now running. It had a really nice sound but was short-lived because it has a cracked oil filter housing - likely caused by the wreckers yanking the engine out. There is still a ways to go but if the tranny shifts then the hard part will be over.
I'm replying on behalf of Pete - who's now just finished for the day and it too tired to type. They had great success tonight and the car is now running. It had a really nice sound but was short-lived because it has a cracked oil filter housing - likely caused by the wreckers yanking the engine out. There is still a ways to go but if the tranny shifts then the hard part will be over.
Becky
It Lives Becky thanks for the update and also thank you for being so supportive that your husband can work on my car
last night pBJ reported that it runs great/ shifts great on the lift. Todays it's 1st drive. PBJ offered for me to come inspect tomorrow but I'm on the road for work
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11:22 AM
Jul 18th, 2004
NotAFieroAnyLonger Member
Posts: 4413 From: 75762/Texas/USA Registered: Dec 2003
Originally posted by linenoise: Last Tuesday my friend Jason and I loaded up the GT and we headed to Toronto, I finally met Pete and Becky in person and got to see some of the cars hanging out at his house (Sabre 4.9’s, Becky’s Her86GT and a white one who’s owner’s name escapes me.)
Heh, that was my white Fiero. Pete was doing some work on my cradle, saved me probably $300 or so
Good writeup, if I had a bunch of extra cash lying around I don't think my 2.8 would be in the car for much longer...
)...You going to Pontiac Nationals? 
