Yeah. You spend a week at Archie's shop while they transform your Formula, and you never even got a RIDE in a V8 Fiero? How in the heck can you make a pilgramidge to the holiest of Fiero sites and not pray?
Well at least he brought Donuts.
page 2...... maybe not, only a minute late
[This message has been edited by Archie (edited 08-19-2004).]
As far as a name, I'd like to suggest FROG- (F)inale (R)oadster (O)molo (G)ato for the following reasons:
1) as a partial tribute to Pontiac performance (GT-Oh!) 2) it's sure as hell gonna jump (with that LS1) 3) something transformed by Archie's "kiss" 4) as good as it looks, they'll be 'hopping' out the door 5) I'll croak if I don't get one!
-fh
edit: typo!
[This message has been edited by fierohobby (edited 08-20-2004).]
Another good way to build up the frame with surrort is to add a square tubing under the rocker and then have it come up behind the door and connect to the frame rail, which would have been good for you guys since you cut the out panel off the rocker anyway.
Hi Guys, We only were able to work on the car for a few hours today had a few other things we had to do.
We finished up the welding of the plates I showed you yesterday & then we took some measurements & made the 1st roof cut to see how stiff it is.
I should note right now that I had originally intended to use all these steel plates & the box tubing IN ADDITION to the under car "X" bracing like I mentioned yesterday. After all the welding was done today, we decided that the "X" frame wasn't going to be needed.
So we made the 1st 2 cuts. We made these cuts in such a way that we would be able to see immediately if the chassis sagged. We also took before & after measurements.
Here is Rob making the initial cut on the drivers'side.....
We made a similar single cut on the right side too. Then we made a 2nd cut on each side about 1/4 from the 1ts cut.
I then set-up a dial indicator on a magnetic base & indicated on the highest point on the back bulkhead from the console. Then all 3 of us stood up in the car (wish I had a picture of that ) & bounced up & down together. The total deflection was less than 1/16".
I'm very happy with this, & it passed the test.
I'm kinda glad that we found the bent rocker area (shown below).... Because it made us put the box tubing in that area rather than in the coolant line area as we had originally planned.
Ok that's it for this week. Monday We will becutting the rest of the roof off & start mounting the body. That's gonna be fun.
Archie
[This message has been edited by Archie (edited 08-20-2004).]
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10:13 PM
LZeitgeist Member
Posts: 5662 From: Raleigh, NC, U.S.A. Registered: Dec 2000
I remember that first cut on my car... *grin* I also remember not being worried about what happened, 'cuz I knew you guys would figure out how to make it better. ::chuckle::
Only 1/16" deflection??? Wow! That's better than mine... mine seems to sit fine on the wheels, but when I jack it up, the door spacing changes a bit at the top... I'll have to remember to loosen the roof panels before changing a tire...
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10:47 PM
Archie Member
Posts: 9436 From: Las Vegas, NV Registered: Dec 1999
I remember that first cut on my car... *grin* I also remember not being worried about what happened, 'cuz I knew you guys would figure out how to make it better. ::chuckle::
Only 1/16" deflection??? Wow! That's better than mine... mine seems to sit fine on the wheels, but when I jack it up, the door spacing changes a bit at the top... I'll have to remember to loosen the roof panels before changing a tire...
Did that guy who did your frame stiffener ever fix it up?
Archie
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10:59 PM
LZeitgeist Member
Posts: 5662 From: Raleigh, NC, U.S.A. Registered: Dec 2000
I went back and had an X-brace put in to get rid of the torsion it had when you drove it - it solved all of that problem perfectly.
Everything lines up fine when not on the jack - the chassis just flexes up a bit when strange/uneven stresses are enacted on it. Seems fine when sitting still or being driven.
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11:07 PM
Aug 21st, 2004
Archie Member
Posts: 9436 From: Las Vegas, NV Registered: Dec 1999
I went back and had an X-brace put in to get rid of the torsion it had when you drove it - it solved all of that problem perfectly.
Everything lines up fine when not on the jack - the chassis just flexes up a bit when strange/uneven stresses are enacted on it. Seems fine when sitting still or being driven.
Very Good.
Archie
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12:29 AM
grathke Member
Posts: 111 From: St. Louis MO Registered: Aug 2004
I think that putting the steel in the rockers is the way to go. When I cut the roof It only moved around 1/16". I did notice on really bumpy roads (edens expy) that the windshield vibrates pretty good. you might want to stiffen the windshield area. definitely do it if you are going to lay the windshield back.
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07:36 AM
Archie Member
Posts: 9436 From: Las Vegas, NV Registered: Dec 1999
Wondering if the new body will sport a removeable hardtop?
Thanks grathke
Nope: Way too many $$$ to develope to the point where it will stay on the car under all conditions & if it isn't perfect, way too easy to sue the guy that sold it to you.
quote
Originally posted by Crow:
I think that putting the steel in the rockers is the way to go. When I cut the roof It only moved around 1/16". I did notice on really bumpy roads (edens expy) that the windshield vibrates pretty good. you might want to stiffen the windshield area. definitely do it if you are going to lay the windshield back.
Yes, we have big plans for the windshield posts.
Archie
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08:00 AM
Aug 22nd, 2004
GTFiero1 Member
Posts: 6508 From: Camden County NJ Registered: Sep 2001
Today we spent a few hours this morning flogging the GT40 before getting back to the new car (NEED A NAME for this thing). It's a tough job to get the testing done on these things but someone's gotta do it.
How about the Finale Daytona? - then bring it down for it's debut at Daytona in March.
------------------ Tom Corey Melbourne, FL 87 Green T-Top GT 5Spd SBC ZZ3 V8
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08:27 PM
TaurusThug Member
Posts: 4271 From: Simpsonville, SC Registered: Aug 2003
Well guys, regarding the name of the Roadster. I've seen some real good suggestions from Finale Daytona to Pinnacle & many more in between. I really like the Finale Daytona because it would be cool to cruise up & down the beach with it.
However, as much as PFF means to all of us, I'd really like to include PFF in the name somewhere. I figure that with PFF in the name, I might be able to win a trophy with it somewhere. j/k
Cliff has provided us a home where we can gather to discuss our addiction without outside interference. It's really no small fete that no matter where we are from around the world we have this one place we can meet every evening whatever time zone you're in.
In this thread alone, we've heard from Chicago, Ontario, Kentucky, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Saskcan'tspellitall, Iowa, Manitoba, Australia, Indiana, New York, Colorado, Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Michigan, New Hampshire, Maryland, New Jersey, Nebraska, Arizona, California, Minnesota, Tennessee & South Carolina. 22 States, 3 Provinces & 1 downunder All making the connection thru The Netherlands. Name another place on the Internet that can claim that kind of connection. Complain all you want about the rating system or anything else, but keep in mind, it's virtually the only game in town, anytown.
So help me out here guys, I wanna name this thing for "The PFF Connection" that Cliff has setup here.
Archie
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10:15 PM
doublec4 Member
Posts: 8289 From: Oakville, Ontario, Canada Registered: Jun 2003
I've always been curious... where, in the history of automobiles, did the word 'Spyder' come to mean 'roofless car'? I can't remember where I saw it first, but it never made sense to me.
What do the various terms actually, accurately signify?
convertible - has a permanently-attached retracting roof mechanism(?)
roadster - has no attached roof mechanism, and may or may not have an accompanying hard or soft top as a separate piece or pieces(?)
spyder - (?)
cabriolet - French(?) for convertible, with the same definition as listed above(?)
speedster - variation of 'roadster', with the same definition as listed above(?)
Any other designations for types of roofless cars?
(I'd start a separate thread for this, but it seems to be a narrow topic of interest, it only has marginal On-Topic connection to Fieros, and it sounds like most of the true 'convertible nuts' are here in this thread, and the diifferent terminology/definitions may help come up with an accurate moniker for this beast... )
------------------ Patrick W. Heinske -- LZeitgeist@aol.com 1988 Red Fiero Formula Convertible
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09:18 AM
JacobHaley Member
Posts: 269 From: Columbus, OH Registered: Feb 2003
Barchetta: Term used by Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Ferrari and Maserati for some of their their convertible models.
Cabriolet: A cabriolet is a light, two-wheeled horse-drawn carriage with a folding 'calash' top, seating two persons behind the driver's box. The vehicle was developed in France in the early 19th century, and quickly replaced the heavier hackney carriage as the vehicle for hire of choice in Paris and London. The modern term (taxi)cab comes from "cabriolet" via "Hansom cab". Term used by Ferrari and Volkswagen for some of their their convertible models.
Convertible: A convertible is an automobile built with a folding, retracting, or removable roof. The collapsible roof section is typically made from flexible canvas or vinyl, although plastic, aluminium and steel have occasionally been used in elaborate folding designs. Unlike a roadster, which may also have a folding top, a convertible has roll-up glass windows in the sides, and so the entire vehicle is "convertable" to an enclosed coupe. In Europe this type of automobile is sometimes also called cabriolet or cabrio.
Hardtop: Originally referred to a removable solid roof on a convertible; later, also a fixed-roof car with no fixed window frames, which is designed to resemble such a convertible. The doors have no window surrounds. A pillarless hardtop (the most common kind) is completely open on the sides with the windows down.
Roadster: A roadster is two-seater open car, traditionally without side windows, so that even with the lightweight convertible top raised the driver and passenger are still exposed to the elements. In modern times, the word is often simply used to describe a two-seater convertible, especially a light-weight sportscar. Traditionally, roadster bodies were used on anything from a Ford Model T to a Cadillac V-16. It was a body style favored by those who preferred enjoyment to practicality. Roadster-bodied cars are popular with collectors, and are often valued higher than even other open styles.
Speedster: Seems to be more or less a coined term used mostly by Porsche and Opel to identify certain models of their roadsters/convertibles.
Spyder: 'Spyder' is another term for a convertible automobile. The first Spyder was the Porsche 550 Spyder, unveiled in 1953 at the Paris Motor Show, and the term implied an even more spartan top than the similar roadster. This meaning has been lost, and the term now has been used by many automakers as a synonym for convertible, notably on the Toyota MR2 and Mitsubishi Eclipse.
Targa Top: A targa top, or targa for short, is a semi-convertible car body style with a removable roof section and a full width roll bar behind the seats. The rear window can be fixed or removable. The word targa comes from the Porsche 911 Targa (which itself was named after the Targa Florio road race), one of the first cars with this body style.In common usage, any piece of metal or trim which rises up from the side of a car and continues in an uninterruptd line over the roof and down the other side may be called a targa band, or sometimes a wrapover band.
------------------ Patrick W. Heinske -- LZeitgeist@aol.com 1988 Red Fiero Formula Convertible
EDIT - thanks for the reminder, Formula88
[This message has been edited by LZeitgeist (edited 08-24-2004).]
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09:51 AM
LZeitgeist Member
Posts: 5662 From: Raleigh, NC, U.S.A. Registered: Dec 2000
