I can't wait to get a few of these in some of your hands to test out for me.
DKOV - DMS
I can't wait to bolt it up to the engine! I'd love to be a test mule (I already offered - above), but you'll be done with these well before I've got my engine done....
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08:13 PM
Jun 8th, 2003
FXRseen Member
Posts: 182 From: Vancouver WA Registered: Feb 2002
Um, so you are saying that a Northstar engine will bolt up to this thing as well DKOV? I have been told that the bolt pattern matches the 2.8, 3.4, 3800, etc.. If so, that finalizes my swap decision, they have another customer willing to part with $1800, and you have another set of demographics to pitch to the makers – Cadillac automobile owners who want a high performance stick shift... hehe… if there is such a thing. You may want to contact CHRFab as well and see what they think about all this. They may jump on the bandwagon. Best of luck and keep us informed ~ PLEASE!
--Will
Just bought a Northstar engine today. If you would like a serious test bed - I'll offer as well.
--Will
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03:52 AM
breakneck88 Member
Posts: 265 From: Chambersburg P.A. Registered: Feb 2003
uh uh uh!!! me!!! Pick me Pick me!!!!! I have my archie kit and a fresh 325-350hp sbc on a stand waiting to go in!!!!!!!!! I bought a tranny, but we all know that wont last long. With a little juice ill wheelstand your tranny!!! hows that for a test bed!!! lol. A couple 5000rpm neutural drops ought to be sufficient to consider it "TESTED"!!
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08:43 AM
DKOV Member
Posts: 1564 From: Portland, OR, USA Registered: Mar 2001
Sorry guys for not posting in a while... been hard at it. I'm sure you'll all forgive me for not posting when you see what I have coming late next week
Ooooo.... I can feel the anticipation!
It's not mine however, the tranny is for testing and verifying and will need to go back, but it IS one step closer to out dream of dreams!
Stay tuned...
Oh, and for those of you that have ben wondering, YES... we have planned to make these available to W-Body owners as well
DKOV -
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12:59 PM
Formula88 Member
Posts: 53788 From: Raleigh NC Registered: Jan 2001
With Spec and QuarterMaster clutches, we've pretty much covered the weak clutch issue. If you come up with a tranny that can hold uber-power, with abuse, then you will have answered a lot of dreams!
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01:29 PM
SuperBuick Member
Posts: 12 From: Wellesley, MA, USA Registered: Jul 2002
"Oh, and for those of you that have ben wondering, YES... we have planned to make these available to W-Body owners as well "
As an eager W-Body owner - how will you address the issue of a place to mount the clutch pedal in newer W-Bodies? My 1990 Buick, though never offered with a stick, has a place to put a clutch (all 88-93 W's do), but none of the 94-2003 cars have a place for a clutch. what good will this awesome tranny be if we can't put a clutch pedal in our cars!!!
-Tom
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10:18 PM
PFF
System Bot
bryson Member
Posts: 737 From: Mt. Pleasant, SC, USA Registered: Sep 2002
Hey! If you need a test car, my Quad4 HO turbo should be finished in about a month. We should have about 350whp at 15psi and over 400 at 22psi. Since the best launches are high RPM ones, I'll test the transmission for you! --Bryson
------------------ 88 Fiero GT Quad4 Turbo...It has begun 88 VW GTI 16v 90 Olds Calais International H.O. 88 Fiero Formula
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11:55 PM
Jun 11th, 2003
DKOV Member
Posts: 1564 From: Portland, OR, USA Registered: Mar 2001
"Oh, and for those of you that have ben wondering, YES... we have planned to make these available to W-Body owners as well "
As an eager W-Body owner - how will you address the issue of a place to mount the clutch pedal in newer W-Bodies? My 1990 Buick, though never offered with a stick, has a place to put a clutch (all 88-93 W's do), but none of the 94-2003 cars have a place for a clutch. what good will this awesome tranny be if we can't put a clutch pedal in our cars!!!
-Tom
That is a situation to be addressed. For obvious reasons, we are going after the market that will easily take them as stock or lightly modified to fit the needed conversions to 5 speeds. Developing a solution for NON 5 speed capable cars is costly and we need the cash flow to support it.
I totally agree... if/when we come out with the complete auto-to-manual conversion kits, we open a whole new market. It's a matter of time though... realistically.
Not the best news, I know, but it is not a complete "no".
DKOV -
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12:10 AM
DKOV Member
Posts: 1564 From: Portland, OR, USA Registered: Mar 2001
My thoughts were not originally designed to say that I would be giving away free trannies to test... However, your response has given me some ideas along those lines.
I'm considering a "sponsorship" program allowing for deeply discounted trannies for testing and racing purposes and some of you may be fortunate to benefit from it... I just need to think up a reasonable and fair criteria for selecting the participants. Seems like it may be a good marketing plan and you all obviously are interested in them.
Let me work something out.... Thanks.
DKOV -
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12:13 AM
Will Member
Posts: 14252 From: Where you least expect me Registered: Jun 2000
how hard would you want to test them!!! I have everything I need for a blower motor 6-71 383 all forged!! I wouldnt waste the time putting it in the fiero now!!!!!! BUT IF I HAD A TRANNY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would have to fab somekind of wheelie bar setup!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ive got a chubbie!!!!!!!!!!! hey my fiero has plenty of room for graphics on the sides! hint, hint, hint,!
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10:00 AM
DKOV Member
Posts: 1564 From: Portland, OR, USA Registered: Mar 2001
Can you integrate a pocket in the bellhousing webbing for a Northstar starter, and maybe pick up that last bolt or will that mess it up for the other engines?
Steve
Oh, Are those LSDs biased for mid engine rwd cars?
If you need beta testers for a 95+ w-body, I have a turbocharged 3.4 DOHC in a 95 Chevy Monte Carlo Z34. I've been looking into 282 and 284 swaps for a while. Right now I'm running about 6 psi of boost and will up it to 7-8 psi with the addition of an intercooler in the next few weeks. Let me know. If not these, I'd probably end up with a 282 to start with (cheap + LSD) and have to figure out the transmission controls to trick the ECU.
Tim
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07:55 PM
PFF
System Bot
Fiero STS Member
Posts: 2045 From: Wyoming, MN. usa Registered: Nov 2001
DKOV - my thoughts are that if and when you are able to produce a kit that would enable the installing of a manual tranny into the newer W-Bodies - you will hit a gold mine. I can't IMAGINE how many of the GT and GTP owners over at clubgp would die to have a manual in their cars. If and when you do - I'll be so inclined to buy a GTP JUST to do the manual swap.
-Tom
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11:19 PM
Jun 12th, 2003
NOSV8SE Member
Posts: 11 From: Battleground,WA,USA Registered: Jun 2003
This is my very first post to this BB and I have to say, I am glad there is one for our Lil' sports cars! I too live in the Vancouver/Portland area! I am in Battleground to be exact. I am bigtime into dragracing and I am building my Fiero to be a street/strip car. I thought it was the perfect balance between the import crowd and the traditional domestic crowd as it is small like an import, but RWD/V8 powered (when it is done). I already picked up a SBC 4 bolt block, just got my Eagle crank from UPS TODAY!, and am waiting for the Scat rods and SpeedPro pistons I ordered to come in. When they get here (should be any day now!)then it is off to the machine shop I go. THen the heads and all the other good stuff. The goal is around 550hp on the bottle so it should move pretty well....therefore, I will probably be in need of this hot new tranny with a LS you guys have been talking about. I look forward to talking to you all!!
------------------ 1985 Fiero SE, 350 V8, NOS injected fun!
[This message has been edited by NOSV8SE (edited 06-12-2003).]
The 94-UP w-body 5speed swap has been done and all the problems have been solved. Just thought I would share that. You have to find a Donor pre94 5speed W-body and do some swapping. http://www.cardomain.com/id/soccrplayrgtp
He did the swap and shows the step by step and all.
As for the computer DHP can hook you up with that.
Once again Thank you! The W-body community is doing Backflip and anykind of flips over this.
Yes, there is definitely interest in the W-body crowd. I have already decided to purchase one of these trannies for my 91 GTP with the SC3800. I would like to have the 6-speed, but may start with the 5 if it is going to be available soon.
------------------ 91 GTP W/ SC 3800 swap and custom paint, interior, and stereo
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02:48 PM
Jun 19th, 2003
dykz34 Member
Posts: 23 From: Maple Grove, MN Registered: Feb 2003
Hey there--just another Gen. 1 W-Body owner here saying that this is gonna be a great project. I can almost guarantee you my money, but I need to see some testing first.
We've been going over the "optimum" gear ratios to find the design that we will call our base configuration. In other words, what will we sell the most of. It's been difficult becuase of the wide variety of engines that the Fiero community has been running behing them
Taking into consideration the W Bodies and other models that may take advantage of these new trannies as well, we've been focusing on a ration closer to the 3.88 or 3.94 final drive ratios. The 3.55 will still be available but in order to commit to volumes, we have to gamble on a unit that will fit the widest variety of applications.
The other developements and considerations have been to the strength of the actual gears in the tranny. We have been discussing the various steel strengths we can add and the variety of configurations we can assemble to get the overall strength we are looking for while not compromising on weight to much. I'd like to take advantage of a 650 ft lb capable configuration but the weight makes it difficult to justify. Maybe stronger gears in 1st and 2nd, less in 3rd, less in 4th, even less in 5th... hopefully the average will level out?
These are the things we are working through now.
Keep checking back, we'll have some soon
DKOV - DMS
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01:44 PM
Matt Hawkins Member
Posts: 586 From: Waterford, MI Registered: Oct 2000
DKOV - I would be willing to pay for one of these for my 3.4l DOHC Turbo car. Consider it testing and ask whatever you want from the car. Let me know. I have the money sitting, waiting if needed.
You'll all be glad to know that we have one of the 5-speeds ON THE ROAD in testing. Running it against a Turbo'd motor at around 300 HP for starters. Holding together so far
More to follow... stats, performance, reviews, disassembled measurements, et all.
DKOV -
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01:15 AM
Capt Fiero Member
Posts: 7657 From: British Columbia, Canada Registered: Feb 2000
You'll all be glad to know that we have one of the 5-speeds ON THE ROAD in testing. Running it against a Turbo'd motor at around 300 HP for starters. Holding together so far
More to follow... stats, performance, reviews, disassembled measurements, et all.
DKOV -
I have been reading this thread thinking you were in Italy or something. I just realized that you are in Portland. WOW. I grew up in Aurora about 20miles from there. My father still lives in Aurora. Hmm maybe I will have to come down for a visit and see one of these 6spd cars in Action. (Seeing as how as how I have blow 3, 4spd's in less than a year.)
The other developements and considerations have been to the strength of the actual gears in the tranny. We have been discussing the various steel strengths we can add and the variety of configurations we can assemble to get the overall strength we are looking for while not compromising on weight to much. I'd like to take advantage of a 650 ft lb capable configuration but the weight makes it difficult to justify. Maybe stronger gears in 1st and 2nd, less in 3rd, less in 4th, even less in 5th... hopefully the average will level out?
...
Personally I'd rather have it heavier and more reliable. For your target market I'd think power handling capability would be the #1 priority. Weight is a consideration, but I don't think it's nearly as important. Just my .02...
