Hot Rod Power Tour Build - 88 GT SBC

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Hot Rod Power Tour Build - 88 GT SBC by fieroguru

Started on	: 03-05-2005 03:47 PM
Replies	: 8
Last post by	: fieroguru on 08-02-2005 09:47 PM

fieroguru
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Report this Post03-05-2005 03:47 PM

Sara and I are getting married June 3rd and going on the Hot Rod Power Tour for our honeymoon. We are going to take my 88 GT SBC and the trailer that is currently under construction: https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/057971.html

My 88 has been a project car from day 1 (Jan 1, 2000) and has had various upgrades completed in the past several years. However, it still looks like crap paint wise and that just won�t do...

So I am off to rebuild my 88 GT pretty much from the ground up, perform some upgrades and finally paint it.... all in time for the Power Tour.

The planned upgrades:
--Carbed SBC converted to TBI
--Elimination or relocation of every none essential wire, bracket, and what not in the engine compartment
--Aus Stage 2 panels
--Poly bushings in all corners
--Power Mirrors and Locks
--Lower Seats
--Firewall Subs
--Drop front battery low enough to seal off spare area for stereo amps
--Trailer Hitch
--Clean, clean, clean
--PAINT!!!

Here is what the car looked like 4 months before the Power Tour:

I have been slowly working on some of the upgrades and will be posting the detail and info here.

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FIEROPHREK
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Report this Post03-05-2005 03:49 PM

Hope you've got an intercooled credit card ! Good luck and pics are a requirement

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Phil
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Report this Post03-05-2005 04:08 PM

You have a bit of work to do - Funny thing on the 2002 Power Tour we met a couple on their honeymoon , so you won't be the first. Be sure to say hi, I'll be doing the Long Haul and I think a few other PFFers are too.

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fieroguru
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Report this Post03-05-2005 04:30 PM

Like I said above, this has been a project car for 5 years and here what has already been done:

Engine:
--Roller Cam 4 bolt main 350 block bored .060� with 10.2:1 compression, ZZ4 spec roller cam, Vortec Heads, 81 Corvette tubular stainless steel manifolds, Edelbrock 600cfm carb, custom dual exhaust, custom belt driven waterpump - https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/055138.html. Basic Archie kit, Isuzu 5 speed, Spec Stage 3 clutch, WCF trans mounts (only the lower portions), custom trans mount brackets, custom poly engine mount, cold air intake, battery relocated to the front, etc...

Chassis & Body :
--88 base model Coupe from Kentucky � near rust free! ($800 in 2000)
--86 GT panels

Brakes & Suspension:
--Rear Sway bar from 88 Formula
--Lowered 1 coil on all corners
--12� corvette rotors in all 4 corners
--Stainless steel brake lines
--16x7.5 Mille Miglia wheels
--245/45/ZR16 Kuhmo tires
--New shocks and struts

Interior:
Most plastic trim painted blue
Grant GT wheel
Aluminum Racing Pedals
A pillar gauge pod with O2 reader
Shortened shifter
Carbon Fiber Headliner
Sony CD player with stock speakers

Here is a thread that has tracked the work on this car for the last couple years and has pictures of just about everything: https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum1/HTML/033900.html. It also starts to show the work I have started on the new round of upgrades in the last few months.

That�s it for the background stuff.

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fieroguru
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Report this Post03-05-2005 05:11 PM

Here is the engine compartment with all the brackets removed:

I have been cleaning the engine bay some more and have started to prep the surface for paint. However, I can't paint it until I finish up some of the wiring changes and the sub boxes.

Engine/Chassis Wire Relocation:
I never cared for the location of the 500 connector or how it cluttered up the PS of the engine bay. It is in the process of being relocated to the center console area. I will keep the 500 connector to connect to the tail light and engine harness. The wires that go to the tail lights and cruise will pass down through a new hole into the fuel tank area. they will then travel to the PS of the chassis via the central firewall tube and into the PS wheel well. Here is the new hole for the wires (and expansion hose) to enter the wheel well:

The evap canister will also be mounted in this location (notice the two holes on the frame rail) so there will no longer be any hard lines going across the front of the engine compartment.

The engine wires will be loomed with the wires from the 203 connector. This will allow all the engine wires to be in just 1 bulk head connector. I never cared for the stock location, so it has been relocated (move it more out of sight!).

I will be covering up the original openings for the bulkhead connectors and an aluminum plate.

Along with the 500 connector, I wanted the 12V terminal block and the Relays all inside the console. I made a 16ga plate with brackets for the ECM and mounted all the moved components.

I still need to shorten the wires to the 500 connector, but didn�t feel like doing it today!

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fieroguru
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Report this Post03-05-2005 05:25 PM

I didn�t feel like wiring, so I did come cutting. The holes for the fire wall subs are now cut:

Most people seal off the new space with fiberglass, but I am going to do mine in sheet metal. Here are a couple pics of the template made out of poster board:

I still need to reinstall the gas tank and the fuel fill so I can make sure my template clears them before I start making them out of sheet metal. Once they are made in sheet metal I will weld them back in place and then I will be able to paint the engine bay.

Hopefully I will continue to make progress on Sunday.

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Jefrysuko
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Report this Post05-03-2005 10:12 PM

Just a little bump to see how things are going. Havn't seen you posting much. Hope that means that you have been hard at work!

Let me know if you could use some help over the weekends. I should be free except Mothers Day of course.

I am planning on being in Springfield for the Power Tour but unfortunately that will be it. Hopefully I will be able to hunt you down while you are there.

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