Rescuing my dads old Fiero GT 1987 (Page 3/23) Stubby79 SEP 29, 10:07 AM quote Originally posted by Repulsiv: I also noticed that the steering wheel looked very nice, often they are worn on older cars.. However, this car was in really nice condition when my dad bought it (pretty expensive too I think), its so sad that it have been outside 8 years, if he had it in a garage all the time it would have been much better. ..On the other hand, if it had been in a garage he probably sold it instead of giving it too me Btw I did some reading and the chip wasn't very much of use as I understood it, can I just find the original firmware somwhere and burn a new EPROM with it ? ..I have the equipment for it. I also wonder if the decat make any real difference in power ? I guess thats why its removed.. I found it in the trunk That worked out in your favor then! De-cat...these old cars were good at clogging up their cats, and the cats themselves were good at breaking up inside and plugging up...it might have restored some lost power. Actual gains? Probably nothing appreciable. theogre SEP 30, 12:07 AM quote Originally posted by Repulsiv: Btw I did some reading and the chip wasn't very much of use as I understood it, can I just find the original firmware somwhere and burn a new EPROM with it ? ..I have the equipment for it. I also wonder if the decat make any real difference in power ? I guess thats why its removed.. I found it in the trunk Yes can find code and Burn a chip... Covered in other threads, Search and view by date. Cat in trunk means very little. Check the car to see if they really remove or replace and just left old cat. Then check laws where you are. Do Not go by posts here. Many EU countries still require all emission parts on all cars and test them too. No effect in Power to remove unless old one is plugged etc. If plugged or otherwise bad then often cause by other problem(s). Example Engine running rich or burning oil/coolant. If you replace and don't fix why then new one can die quickly too. Old cats can be worth money. Some countries maybe illegal to throw them in trash. fierofrenzy SEP 30, 08:20 AM Hello Glenn and welcome to both PFF and the Fiero craze ! I had a excellent time reading your post. And after seeing the pictures of the car, along with the fact that your in Sweeden, I , in my opinion, urge you to refurbish that Fiero. From what I can see, you have a very solid car to work with. I'd go a lot with what tshark had to tell you. Its the issue of rust that's most important. Anything else can be fixed or replaced. Theirs loads of sites offering Fiero parts. It really comes down to how much money you are willing to put into the car. Some of this stuff can get pricey. And yes, wife and kids come first. : ) You mention the paint a lot too. Of corce any car sitting outside unprotected such as yours most probably will have paint issues. Your benefit is you have no rust or body cancer to deal with. One major benefit of those plastic body panels. Once all your mechanics are done, find your self a good paint shop and get a new coat of paint on the car. Believe me, once it rolls out of the shop, you"ll flip seeing how much it was worth it. I can also tell you this. Once your car is complete and road ready, you'll be so proud of having such a unique automobile. I live in Georgia and own a 1988 yellow Formula. Every time I take this car for a drive....let me repeat myself, EVERY TIME, someone coments on their interest in the car in a very excited way. If this happens here, imagine your Fiero presence in Sweeden. FIX UP THAT CAR. Your dad will probably want it back....LOL Finally, to help you get going, I have the stock factory radio/ cassette player lying around. I replaced mine with a factory CD player from a Firebird. I purchased it on Ebay. If you want this incase yours is bad, I'll give it to you. Just pay the shipping. Yes, I know, cassettes are outdated, but I don't need it and you can have it if you like. You can get back to me through steelpedal@gmail.com. I once shipped some stuff to a guy in Canada. Well that's about it for now Glenn. Once again, you now have a true mid engine, American built, plastic bodied two seat sports car. How unique is that ! ? ! Take your time and fix her up. You'll be so proud once you did, and theres a very good chance you'll be the center of attention where ever you go. just remember, family first : ) RWDPLZ SEP 30, 06:37 PM PIP works with Linux if you use Wine Repulsiv OCT 03, 02:51 AM I managed to open the front hood now after reading the manual, everything looked very clean there, even the spare tyre looked like new ..And to my surprise there was gas in the AC-system, so there does not seem to be a leak in it, my dad said it didnt even work when he bought it, and the mechanic that fixed the brakes nearly screamed right out when he asked about the AC, since it was an old R12 system he didnt even wanna touch it (R12 is not allowed here since about 25 years, I think the military still can use it but that's about it.) ..However I have seen replacement DIY canisters for it, that should be able to replace R12 without even changing the filter or oil.. dunno if it work.. Another thing that worries me a bit is that the cooling fluid tank was nearly empty, there was veeery little in the bottom of it, and it was also white residues on the walls.. hmm ? ..I was planning to replace all cooling fluid anyway but I really hope its not a leak somewhere. What type of cooling is it ? is it the "european" style where the cooling tank is under pressure, or the "japanese" style where its not ? ..becuase the gasket on the cap on the tank was bad too.. I havent had much time at all for the car, so I havent even removed the wheels, but I'll try to do it soon.. I also have ordered oil filter and battery adapters (converting a battery with european poles to "american sidepoles"), and will try to change oil and filter before I trying to test drive the car (illegaly..) , not sure if I will change the colling fluid before, probably not.. I also readed that its not that easy since the system have long lines (because the mid-engine ofcourse) Another thing that worries me is the broken oil pressure sensor, I have been trying to source the 88-style connectors, but for crimping, not the pigtail, havent found any yet.. and those 88+ sensors are expensive, and so are the pigtail Btw, the radio, is there any standard problem with those ? ..I guess I can try to fix it, but then the volume knob is gone anyway.. tshark OCT 03, 07:59 AM The coolant overflow tank is not under pressure. You can get a new gasket from Rodney. The coolant system is under pressure while hot or engine running. fierofool OCT 03, 08:08 AM The recovery tank can lose it's fluid over years, in part due to evaporation. I guess white powder in it isn't really bad. Most have a dark brown coating in them. The tank isn't under pressure. The radiator cap allows fluid expansion to flow into the tank when hot then draws it back into the system when it's cold. There are HOT and COLD fluid level marks on the side of the tank near the headlight. Very hard to see. I usually take a black marker and highlight mine. Just top the tank up to the COLD level and top off the system at the thermostat housing. Use the ethylene glycol type antifreeze. Not the long life orange stuff. If you want to remove the tank to flush it out, you'll need to remove the headlight assembly to make access to the mounting bolts much easier. The oil pressure sender and harness can be gotten from Rock Auto at www.rockauto.com An 88 oil pressure sensor. Rock Auto Part Number AC Delco D1808A An 88 oil pressure sensor harness connector. Rock Auto Part Number AC Delco PT121. The common problem with the old Fiero radio/cassette player is the rubber bands that drive the tape player. They disintegrate in time. Modern radios can be gotten from late model GM vehicles at a salvage yard. In the following link, the 1992-2003 Grand Prix radio with CD and equalizer will fit nicely into the Fiero without mods. http://replacementradios.co...rix-c-21_42_207.html You will need the adapter harness. Plug and Play. http://replacementradios.co...a-1862-a3-p-166.html Australian OCT 03, 08:41 AM I read the whole post with a Swedish accent. Welcome to the forums. Repulsiv OCT 03, 02:53 PM tshark: Ok, what i call "japanese style" then the tank is just for overflow and not a part of the system under pressure, as it usally is on european cars, for example my SAAB's. fierofool: Unfortunatly it get pretty expensive from rock auto if I consider shipping, customs and tax on that :/ ..also I would like the connector without cables. About the stereo, well, maybe it would be better to put a more recent one there, but I dunno, also there is not a lot of american cars on swedish salvage yards, but i can keep my eyes open. ..Is it possible to put a standard single/double DIN unit there ? with some kind of adapter ? Anyway, here is a image of how it looked like under the front compartment.. tshark OCT 03, 06:50 PM I'm not sure about the numbers on the washer fluid reservoir. There seems to be a lot of rust on the spare wheel. A double-DIN radio is too high, seems like. I have one, and it wouldn't fit.