So almost fourteen months ago my Father and I decided it was time to get rid of our 2006 Mustang, His car but my first daily driver. My Dad had always wanted a Fiero and often pointed them out to me in my childhood. Him and my Mom were in a dealer in '88 ready to buy a GT however they drove home with an Astro Van for practical reasons because my older brother was soon to be on the way! Soon to be needing a new daily driver I started looking for a used car for me to drive/restore. My friend had mentioned he had an '84 Fiero in his TransAm graveyard, so that night my parents and I went out to look at the Fiero marked at $300... It was a disaster... no paint, plastic showing through, interior wrecked and sunken a half a foot into the Florida sand... No keys and no title... After a lengthy discussion over dinner we decided it wasn't the car for us... After a few weeks of searching I had finally found the perfect car... It was an '87 GT on ebay. The auction still had a few days left so dad and I decided to check Craigslist, we found a Five Speed '87 just 30 miles away, we went to look at the car and it was rough but mostly sound, it had slight front end damage but nothing major... we offered the guy $1500 he wouldn't take it so we walked. Later on just before the auction for the Ebay car was ending we bid on the car, however we were out bid buy some of the sellers buddies the car never sold, irritated we refused to buy the car from him... Feeling super super sad and just bummed the next day I came up with a plan, I was "late" for school and decided to go on craigslist a little north of us while my dad was getting ready to drive me to school, I found two cars a '87 GT auto for $3500 with new paint and no pictures, about 2 hours north of our house and a '86 SE with a v6 auto swapped in almost perfect condition 3 hours north of us... I showed my dad and we decided I didn't need to go to school and we would look at the cars, we stopped to see the GT first, It was in the middle of no where, in a trailer park, the guy was dealing with a lot of personal problems at the time. The car was in rough shape the paint was a $300 garage paint job with some flaws, we drove the car and it ran strong, it still needed some work, we left telling the guy we had another car to go look at and we would call him in a few hours... We continued north to Jacksonville to view the SE, upon first inspection the car was beautiful with almost no flaws, however as soon as it was put in drive a major flaw knocked us in the back, literally! The engine was missing the dog bone mount and when load was applied, it would rock into the fire wall. Driving down the first street the second problem was found when it was time to stop at the end of the street, dad mashed the brake pedal to the floor and the car hardly slowed down at all, there literally was almost no brakes... Dad and I made a quick decision we couldn't drive this car back home and it would have to be towed, which we did not have the money for... we told the guy to let other test drivers know the car was not mechanically sound and that the brakes weren't there. We left had lunch and discussed the right price to go buy the GT for. We decided the car was worth about $1000 so we would offer the guy $800 thinking he would talk us up a little. We called him and said we were on our way back to buy the car, We made our offer and immediately he accepted the offer of $800. Papers were signed and the Title and keys were exchanged. We drove off into the sunset on our 2 hour drive home, after topping off the oil and gas of course! Dad drove the car on the interstate in case there were any problems. The car ran great with a slight pull to the right but she putted right along! About 30 miles from home and on a slower speed road dad and I switched off cars! It drove great and was a blast to drive I was sooooo excited for "MY" first real car!!! Best part was it was mine! Oh yeah and It was a Torch Red Fiero GT! Here's some pictures of it when we first got it!!!!
------------------ Tomk7a
1987 Pontiac Fiero GT Five Speed
[This message has been edited by Tomk7a (edited 11-14-2012).]
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09:46 PM
PFF
System Bot
Tomk7a Member
Posts: 24 From: New Port Richey, FL, U.S.A. Registered: Nov 2012
So after about a month of driving the '87 GT Auto I blew the motor slipped a main bearing. We started pulling the motor and eventually got it out these are the pictures of it coming out...
[This message has been edited by Tomk7a (edited 11-14-2012).]
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10:00 PM
Tomk7a Member
Posts: 24 From: New Port Richey, FL, U.S.A. Registered: Nov 2012
So we found a new engine on craigs, pretty cheap and started to freshen it up but didn't take a look at the internals... :/ In the mean time I was without a car and I was really wanting something with a five speed, My dad soon found this '87 GT Five Speed in Tampa! The car was rough and sitting for year but it was all original and untouched. he wanted $1200, it didn't run like he said it would soo we paid $660!!! Towed her home and decided she wasn't getting fuel and we couldn't hear a fuel pump.. easy fix! The gas tank was soon pulled and a fuel pump replaced... Meanwhile The Automatics engine was nearing completion! She's pretty isn't she?
[This message has been edited by Tomk7a (edited 11-14-2012).]
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10:16 PM
Stubby79 Member
Posts: 7064 From: GFY county, FY. Registered: Aug 2008
So Here is the New motor going in! This Is our family friend he has been essential to the rebuild! Lots of thanks and Love goes out to him! So Motor was finally back in! Painted the rims and mirrors! Running but I didn't like some of the noises... Really Wished I would have checked the internals, this motor also had a slipped bearing... time to start all over again...
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10:46 PM
Tomk7a Member
Posts: 24 From: New Port Richey, FL, U.S.A. Registered: Nov 2012
So engine is back in and running perfect! Smooth as can be! Brand new shocks and struts! Just a few little details to go! This is after spending two weeks wet sanding and buffing the existing paint!!!
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11:04 PM
Tomk7a Member
Posts: 24 From: New Port Richey, FL, U.S.A. Registered: Nov 2012
Thanks! I've been lurking for almost a year and finally decided it was time to register and start my build thread! The five speed is soon to be getting victory or viper red paint and hopefully a 3800sc swap! I'd love to stop by and check out what you have! It looks nice and I can't believe I haven't seen your car around town! How do you like the 3.4 swap?
[This message has been edited by Tomk7a (edited 11-15-2012).]
Hey, welcome! My 86 SE was my first car 500 bucks drove perfect until the crap slushbox blew up heading to school,I gave up on the original drive train so I just swapped it for a 3800sc, crazy how good it looks for you... Jack stand under rocker!? Bad idea, no support there.... Too bad your selling the Auto its beautiful! good luck on the 5 speed, wish my dad knew about cars, I had to learn myself... Now lets see some mods! Check out my thread, might inspire you to change up your interior take it easy!
I didn't really think about the carts possibly moving and making the stand pointless till now lol! And hey it worked and that's all the mattered lol! Thanks for the welcome! Ill be less redneck on the next car lol!
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11:28 AM
Tomk7a Member
Posts: 24 From: New Port Richey, FL, U.S.A. Registered: Nov 2012
After about 500 miles on the new engine, the Auto started leaking from the water pump... Pulled out the pump and resealed it!
Really wanting to go to the Fiero Weekend in Daytona this year! Went last year but that was when the second motor was put in the automatic and it was bad. So I had to take dad's Elantra. The auto will be ready and I need to put the bumpers back on The five speed and make a straight pipe exhaust like this one to be ready to go! Temporary of course!
Also forgot to mention I picked up a beachwood interior for the five speed that will have to be put in also!
Great thread, I love to see lots of pictures. I've always been a fan of the beachwood interior and I'm seriously considering trying to swap beachwood parts into my black '88. Should look great in your car!
Seth, The interior is in the five speed and looks great haven't had time to take a picture but will try this afternoon! Love black Fiero's with beachwood I would positively do it in yours! Mine still needs to be resprayed though with interior spray from the Fiero Store!
Randy, Checked and I was thinking about taking the automatic to the show at Sims park I believe it is on Sunday!
Here is a picture of my the t-shirt I got from my parents for Christmas!
So we have been busy and I haven't had time to post much! Had a great time at the Fiero Weekend in Daytona! A huge thanks to Charlie64 for letting me ride in and "DRIVE" his 6speed Intercooled 3800sc tube suspension widebody Fiero! Looking around for a swap for the fivespeed starts ASAP! Sadly only took the automatic but it was tons of fun anyways!!!! Here is a few pictures of the auto with its new wheels and tires!!!
The Five speed also got new wheels!!! Here is both the girls ready in the driveway before Daytona!
Had to put the front and rear bumpers as well as the front hood back on the fivespeed here is a shot testing the fit of the front bumper! No she is not repainted but I missed driving her so she is back together now!
Here is a garage shot of the fivespeed while working on the new exhaust as well as the new shoes!
So I wanted to make an exhaust comparison video one day after school and it just happened to turn into simply the cheesiest video on the internet! Video Here!!!
So we sold the automatic on Monday! Now time to work on the five speed a little bit! The plan is to just to put new gaskets on and get some new (not ten year old unbalanced) tires and insurance and just drive her and autocross her till she dies and than I can go buy a 3800sc! Does anyone know if you can run an f40 tranny with the 2.8? Just thinking about doing the tranny swap before the motor just because I don't have money for the motor right now.
Looks like brand new!
take it easy!
Pulled out the pump and resealed it!
