I guess I don't need to keep this to myself any longer. I bought an 88 GT from HitesFiero. https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum4/HTML/024337.html I am going to get it tomorrow "Saturday", he is about 5-1/2 hours away. A guy I know is getting the trailer I need and we are heading out in the mid morning. Things are falling into place for this swap other then all the snow we are going to get here soon. I now don't have to go shopping for a GT rear and I will have a back up trans. Since he has an 88 coupe that he was installing a 4.9L in, I hope he doesn't mind seeing his old car getting a Northstar Now I just need to get my 86GT done and sold so I have more room around here. Ashley "girlfriend" is getting he newer Blazer in a few months and if she has to park it on the street I am going to be in trouble! Don't worry guys I will grab a camera for the road trip!
Edit:to remove a name that was posted and a spell check ------------------ Bobby from NW Indiana 93 Northstar and 5 speed Getrag 219customs@verizon.net My 86 GT build thread MY 88 Northstar build thread
[This message has been edited by GSXRBOBBY (edited 09-22-2005).]
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04:14 PM
Jan 22nd, 2005
GSXRBOBBY Member
Posts: 3122 From: Southern Indiana USA Registered: Aug 2003
Well after dropping off the standard rotors for the 12" 88 Fiero brake upgrade at the machine shop I didn't have much to do. So I broke out the Dremel for the new thremostat housing on my Northstar Then went into the storage closet and got out a Dremel polish kit
So since it was so cold out I got out an old blanket and sat my fat butt in front of the TV, started with a grinding stone and removed the molding marks and extras. I then used a Dremel 160 to 220 grit sand stone I then moved to a 360 grit sand stone and sanded down the complete piece. I then used the Dremel polish kit and polished the complete housing. I do have to say it did not give it a great looking chrome finish but it did clean it all up nise with somewhat of a polish. There are so many little spots it was going to be hard to do and I knew that when I started but had to try. So after using the Dremel polish kit I used some Never Dull we have here and rubbed it down well. It looks good, good enough for me since it looks better and its just not another part on the motor that was given paint!
WOW was it snowing yesterday!!! Only a few people would drive in the middle of a really bad snow storm to go get a Fiero 5-1/2 hours away which with the weather was an 18 hour trip. There was about 5 or 6 times I could see in front of us at all it was snowing and blowing so hard. Man am I stupid!!! Good to be home and now I have to shovel the drive so I will be back on here soon. Also the 88 coupe he has for sale, you can not better the price, the car looked clean thats for sure!
I was a bit busy driving to take a few pictures of a white wall of snow! I will be taking a few pictures of it tomorrow as I go over the car. I did tell him to watch over this thread "this car needs to be taken care" and I will show it well as its completed!
P.S. anybody want to but some 88 beachwood tan interior pieces? That is what it has and I am putting a custom black/grey interior in it but know the 88 tan is hard to come by so I am going to try to not just paint it.
Well I got time now to finish this, and here are a few pictures. First, when we left to go get the 88 GT it just started to snow. We any got about a foot but just west of us, were we had to drive to got 24" of snow with in 24 hours, which made our 5-1/2 hour drive a 18 hour round trip. We had about 5 or 6 times we had white out conditions. Here is a picture of what we had to dig out when we got back.
Here are a few pictures of the 88 GT after it was unloaded
Well the car turns out to be a really clean 88GT and a perfect car for me to do a Northstar swap with. It already had a running 4.9L in the car at one time. So the hole for the PCM wires is already there, the deck led hinge mount was already cut, the bottom of the trunk was already remove, the battery is already relocated to the front, he has found and installed a new radator that came from an Olds or Buick that runs a 3800 V-6, etc....
The car again has a solid chassis and alot of other good parts. 1st. a clean title, perfect rear GT taillights rear trunk seal rear spoiler already mount on new 1-1/2" Fiero store lowering springs All the rubber has been replaced with poly about 4 years ago 2 seat cores I can mount my Mr. Mike seat covers on Power windows, locks, mirrors, rear def., deck lid, has a sunroof It has 15" white GT wheels which I will be selling, I can not use them with the 12" brake upgrade I have put together. Good sunroof and glass holder in the front Grant steering wheel
What you guys don't know is Don "the guy I bought the car from" wanted to get rid of most of his Fiero parts and we were glad to take them away for him. We showed up to get the car and he tells us he has some extra parts he wanted to also give us, which was a nice surpise, here is a small list of things off the top of my head. Under body A/C lines Half shaft set up V-6 A/C lines V-6 Radator #2 ECM's, one from a V-6 Fiero and one from a GM car that runs a tune port engine V-6 heat shields V-6 air intake tube Emissions can. Stock GT steering wheel 88 sway bar Upper radator support An engine stand A 4 wheel engine dolly 1/2 of an 88 V-6 front engine mount A Fiero car cover Stock front and rear springs Double piston brake calibers K & N air filter with intake hose V-6 cross over exhaust pipe Stock air filter box extra seat rails GT exhaust tips extra battery tray Engine dust mats
I am really going to miss my GT. But, the demands of faterhood and career don't allow me much free time right now. I'm just glad it went to a good home. Don
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12:59 PM
BtotheB Member
Posts: 2581 From: Peterborough, Ontario Registered: Dec 2001
I am really going to miss my GT. But, the demands of faterhood and career don't allow me much free time right now. I'm just glad it went to a good home. Don
Well thank you, Don I hope you like what I do to the car. With everything you have done already it should make things a little easier for me. I would like to send you an e-mail soon, I have a few questions about some of the work you have done if you don't mind. Also I have a few questions about a couple of the extra parts you gave to me.
quote
Originally posted by BtotheB:
Looks like you got a good deal on the GT. Lucky bastard
Anyways, keep it up, I'm adding this thread to my favorites for sure.
Brad
A good deal? More like a great deal, Don loaded us up, which was nice it not only gave me extra stuff to play with but it gave us extra weight to help get us home in the snow storm! Also Don is one more person I need to add to my list of good-straight up guys on this forum!!!
Not alot to report since I am working on getting the 86 GT done so it can be sold in March. I did go up to The World Of Wheels last weekend and did see alot of nice cars and did get a few ideas that can be used for our Fiero. But for the most part I wasn't to impressed. There was alot of nice cars up there this years but there was a alot that didn't need to be there!!!
The biggest thing I have to tell is I meet and talked with Troy Trepanier, the owner of Rad Rides. One hell of a nice guy!!! http://www.radrides.com/ After sharing a few stories...I am looking forward to seeing his shop and meeting his father. Here is a stupid picture of us standing near his newest project!
No talk about how fat we are!!!!!!!! haha
Anyway, I am planning on getting alot done in about 2 weeks so I will talk to you here then.
Don sure did, a very solid car and alot of extra parts. I just wish I know if the Getrag was good or not. It is making a sound that has me thinking it is not? I think I have most of the beechwood interior sold. I didn't want to destroy it since its harder to find and I am making it a black/grey interior.
I have been sick so I have not left the house much this week and I had to get a few things done today. Other then my bad tooth I am having a really good day! My mother won her lawsuit and I have a larger tax refund then I thought coming!
Also, I stopped by the local Caddy dealership to talk to the guy I meet that is helping me with the wiring harness. I found that the guy he works with does work on the side, he said he would completely go through and rebuild the 93 STS motor for me for under $500.
Originally posted by GSXRBOBBY: Also, I stopped by the local Caddy dealership to talk to the guy I meet that is helping me with the wiring harness. I found that the guy he works with does work on the side, he said he would completely go through and rebuild the 93 STS motor for me for under $500.
$500? That must be labor only. The engine has nearly $300 in gaskets and $180 in rod bearings...
What kind of transmission is that?
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10:14 AM
GSXRBOBBY Member
Posts: 3122 From: Southern Indiana USA Registered: Aug 2003
$500? That must be labor only. The engine has nearly $300 in gaskets and $180 in rod bearings...
What kind of transmission is that?
He is doing it for non to nothing, maybe a hundred or so. Through the dealership and a few other places he deals with I am looking at min. 10% off and thinks he can set me up with a 25% off. He did say the bearing are most likely good they don't really wear. and that is without a head job "NO JOKES PLEASE" he said that would be around $100 per head.
What trans are you talking about, the Getrag that was in the car? Or the second trans that was given to me. The second trans is from a 2.2 mid 90's Cavalier if I remember right?
I understand that bearings are typically fine, but it's not completely gone through if it still has original bearings, now is it?
Working on a Northstar for little to nothing? That's true friendship... $100/side for head work? Involving what?
The trans is not so good, its been opened. I am looking at it as a learning tool.
"but it's not completely gone through if it still has original bearings, now is it?" Smart ass
I have become good friends with these guys, but then again its always easy to get along with other car guys. Really easy when one is a Fiero guy working at a Caddy dealership that loves the idea of doing wild stuff like this.
$100 is a full valve job, also not a set price. He is loooking into how much replacement springs are going to be! I did talk to him today, he's not the kind of guy that is doing it for the money just wanting to help and loves to play with toys such as this. Infact when we went in there today he said he was looking around through order parts catalogs for cool parts he could use. He found a $1200 supercharger for a Northstar....scary thought!!!
These are general prices and it will be based on parts, but with our company discount it shouldn't be to much. Also the first guy that is helping me with the wiring is looked up to...so?
I really don't know yet, I did find out he has alot of connections and place to go to get needed repair items. When I find out more I will pass it on. I don't see myself getting it, 700 H.P. is a little more then what I need!
Sorry for the edit I just wanted to add something: I am going to be talking this all out with him after he looks into finding me an aftermarket piston. I thought the 4.0L little start used the same size bore piston just a shorter stock? If thats true they have a few more aftermarket replacement part being sold. The last thing I want is to go "somewhat" through the motor and still have a cold piston shirt slap that these motors are known for.
The Aurora has a smaller bore than the Northstar and the same stroke. That works out better for emissions. The Shortstar has a different bore and stroke than both of them.
What do you want for pistons? I just put in an order with Ross for a set of Northstar pistons...
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09:09 AM
GSXRBOBBY Member
Posts: 3122 From: Southern Indiana USA Registered: Aug 2003
I was just looking for a replacement piston that wouldn't have cold piston slap from the skirt, I have found a place that sells a 10 over piston with a coating that helps the piston last an easy 100,000 miles but they don't share any info. on the coating? And if I am paying a bore fee I would like to go bigger the just 10 over. But I dont know if the block would allow that? I am slit 50/50 right now, half wants to just refresh the motor and the other half of me is saying if its going to be pulled apart build it right.
Well the good and bad news is it looks like I am going to have room again soon in the garage so I can get back to work at getting this motor mounted, the bad news is the guy that was going to rebuild the motor hurt his knee at work a few days and is going to be off work for 2 to 3 weeks. So after this weekend I hope to mount the motor and do the cradle so I have everything ready so when he is up for the extra work I can just remove it from the cradle and hand it over, when I get it back everything else should be done or close to it. The other good news is the guy that is rebuilding the Northstar for me works with the guy helping me with the wiring so before I even get the motor back we are going to go through the wire harness. That way I can hit the ground running.
My Mr. Mike seats came in today. I am not going to install them just yet, I am thinking about installing seat heaters along with his seats. Here is his install kit, foam padding, needed tools, even came with leather cleaner Extra padding A can of spray glue They are inside out so they are easier to install
Here in my parts shelf all ready to go: I need to get off my ass we had the city police dept. stop by today and that was painful. We had 6 car here and only one was drivable.
Originally posted by GSXRBOBBY: I need to get off my ass we had the city police dept. stop by today and that was painful. We had 6 car here and only one was drivable.
Don't you wish they'd just @#%#@ing leave you alone? We have whiny cry-baby neighbors who don't appreciate our car habit...
Things are falling into place for this swap other then all the snow we are going to get here soon. I now don't have to go shopping for a GT rear and I will have a back up trans. Since he has an 88 coupe that he was installing a 4.9L in, I hope he doesn't mind seeing his old car getting a Northstar 
Now I just need to get my 86GT done and sold so I have more room around here. Ashley "girlfriend" is getting he newer Blazer in a few months and if she has to park it on the street I am going to be in trouble! 
Don't worry guys I will grab a camera for the road trip!
