I've been spending the last couple of months working on installing an Olds Achieva dash in my '86 GT. While parts scrounging yesterday, I found a complete '92 Grand Am SE Sport Sedan dash. Since it's another N-body, and I already have the wiring done, I asked the guy at the yard what he wanted for it. $20 later, I did some trimming and "tossed" it in. I think it's going to stay.
If you look closely, you'll see some extra goodies that really drove this swap. Gauges are wired, HVAC conversion to rotary is done. This is not an easy swap. Major wiring changes and some minor cutting of the Fiero chassis are required. Plus, the N-body dash is about 3" too narrow. All of that gap is on the passenger side. I need to do some 'glassing when it warms up.
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05:31 PM
PFF
System Bot
FIERORICE Member
Posts: 383 From: San Antonio, TX Registered: Jul 2002
I LOVE the stock dash! ABSOLUTELY the ONLY modification of the dash itself that I will ever do would be a Pisa addition. But the Pisa stuff is just a different style of the stock dash, so I guess that's why...
------------------ Custom Console Subwoofer K&N Filter in Edelbrock open air setup Splitfire Wires piston bore: 4.030
[This message has been edited by Oslo (edited 02-10-2003).]
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01:19 AM
jscott1 Member
Posts: 21676 From: Houston, TX , USA Registered: Dec 2001
The stock dash is okay if you like platform shoes, gold chains and wide lapels on loud colored shirts...good in it's day but horribly dated.
LOL...But, that's part of the soul of the Fiero. It visually says "Fiero"! Why change it? I don't see many 69' Camaro owners swapping out their dashes because they look hideously dated!
LOL...But, that's part of the soul of the Fiero. It visually says "Fiero"! Why change it? I don't see many 69' Camaro owners swapping out their dashes because they look hideously dated!
You have a point, but my cars are daily drivers and I need modern conveniences like cupholders, glove compartments and believe it or not, controls that I can reach without unbuckling my seatbelt.
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05:34 PM
Gary W Member
Posts: 1092 From: Cape Coral, FL Registered: Oct 2001
For me, the ergonomics of the stock interior just suck. If I get the seat in the right place for the pedals, the wheel's too close. The column is too low and I bang my leg on it getting out. You have to do yoga exercises to tune the radio. If I'm cruising along at 85, I need to look around my hands to see speed & RPM's, and halfway across the car for oil pressure. And who came up with that shifter in the 4-speed?
I've been driving for so long, my brain is tuned to just glance down to see the speedo. I literally have to search for it every time with the stock dash.
Mine was all peeling anyway, so I figured why not improve on what's there. I started with the Olds dash, which looked OK, but the old 70's column just killed the look. So, I got the column out of the Olds, and grafted it in. The N-body has no headlight switch on the dash, so it also solved that problem. By shortening the column, I now have the wheel where I want it, and this column mounts almost 2" higher than stock with the bracket I welded up. I was actually getting the column switches out of the Grand Am when I decided to just rip the whole dash.
I'll put up some more details on the wiring as I progress if anybody's interested. The column is getting a little involved, and is not fully wired yet, but mechanically it's done. I think it will be worth the effort.
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05:38 PM
Gary W Member
Posts: 1092 From: Cape Coral, FL Registered: Oct 2001
Here's a shot of the two steering columns. The N-body column has been shortened 2", and the end of the steering shaft has been re-shaped to fit the Fiero spider. I have a spare Fiero mounting bracket set in place prior to welding. You can see the marks where the N-body upper bracket was ground off.
Shot of the end of the column, re-using the Fiero end bearing and bracket.
And the completed HVAC controls. This will plug into the existing harness. (Many thanks to Roy for the wiring diagrams) The original N-body switch was vacuum. I saved the detents and fan controls built into the switch, and added a 3-deck rotary switch behind it to control the airbox. The rear defrost button will pop the decklid.
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08:46 PM
Gary W Member
Posts: 1092 From: Cape Coral, FL Registered: Oct 2001
I dont like the stock Fiero dash and look forward to seeing ANY dash swaps in Fieros. I hope that dude lost his job......LOL he may be one reason people did not buy them.
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10:32 PM
Feb 11th, 2003
jscott1 Member
Posts: 21676 From: Houston, TX , USA Registered: Dec 2001
And the completed HVAC controls. This will plug into the existing harness. (Many thanks to Roy for the wiring diagrams) The original N-body switch was vacuum. I saved the detents and fan controls built into the switch, and added a 3-deck rotary switch behind it to control the airbox. The rear defrost button will pop the decklid.
Completely awesome work!! Inspired in some part by the firebird swap. The environmental controls were my least favroite part of my swap. You have done a great job. I have to post the wiring for my 7 relay setup that I have. And my defroster button turns the A/C on and off and doubles as a radiator fan switch.
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12:44 AM
Smoooooth GT Member
Posts: 8823 From: Lake Palestine, Texas Registered: Jun 2001
And my defroster button turns the A/C on and off and doubles as a radiator fan switch.
LMAO... Sound's like something I would do....
------------------ In memory of the family's, friend's and especially the 12 children of the Crew Member's of The Space Shuttle Columbia. February 1, 2003
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01:56 AM
mrfixit58 Member
Posts: 3330 From: Seffner, Fl, USA Registered: Jul 99
Looks like a lot of hard work - looking forward to more pics of the project.
The Fiero ergonomics have always been perfect for me... I'm 6'2", slim, with long arms and legs. I sit with the seat all the way back, tilted back one notch against the firewall, my left elbow on the door armrest, my right elbow on the center console, and everything falls within my reach. I guess I'm one of the lucky ones who doesn't 'get in' to the car - I 'put it on'.
------------------ Patrick W. Heinske -- LZeitgeist@aol.com 1988 Red Fiero Formula - 1st Place - Stock Coupe - FOCOSEVA 2000 - 3rd Place - Stock Formula - FOCOA Nat'l 2001 - Class Winner - 1982 to Present - Tarheel Tigers All-Pontiac Show 2001 - Class Winner - Fiero: All Years - Tarheel Tigers All-Pontiac Show 2002
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09:44 AM
PFF
System Bot
Dennis LaGrua Member
Posts: 15164 From: Hillsborough, NJ U.S.A. Registered: May 2000
I greatly appreciate the creativity and work that went into the Fiero dash swaps and think that they look terrific. It undoubtedy makes the Fiero look more modern with more features. On the other side of the argument we have the simple classic look that retains the original character of the car. I believe that it boils down to a matter of taste and how much time one has to do a complex upgrade like this.
Looks like a lot of hard work - looking forward to more pics of the project.
The Fiero ergonomics have always been perfect for me... I'm 6'2", slim, with long arms and legs. I sit with the seat all the way back, tilted back one notch against the firewall, my left elbow on the door armrest, my right elbow on the center console, and everything falls within my reach. I guess I'm one of the lucky ones who doesn't 'get in' to the car - I 'put it on'.
exactly the same thing I was thinking while reading this post.
I'm 6'4", slim long arms and legs.. exact same setup.. I'm looking forward to getting the short throw shifter to lose the dogleg in the shift to move it away from me.
Its funny, cause the biggest question I get driving my car is, "how do you fit in there?" guess the original interior is suited more for the tall, than the short, refreshing change from my perspective. :-D
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10:26 AM
ryan.hess Member
Posts: 20784 From: Orlando, FL Registered: Dec 2002
So I take it all the gauges work? Grand Am's are a dime a dozen over here - and their dashes don't look too much different from the firebird. $20 is a steal though, I'd probably be out more like $100... Nevertheless, excellent work!
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11:30 AM
jscott1 Member
Posts: 21676 From: Houston, TX , USA Registered: Dec 2001
...The Fiero ergonomics have always been perfect for me... I'm 6'2", slim, with long arms and legs. I sit with the seat all the way back, tilted back one notch against the firewall, my left elbow on the door armrest, my right elbow on the center console, and everything falls within my reach. I guess I'm one of the lucky ones who doesn't 'get in' to the car - I 'put it on'.
The Fiero ergonomics don't work as well for me with respect to the dash. I have unusually long legs for my height, so I sit with the seat all the way back but the dash is way too far away for me.
My Firebird swap works good for me because it moves the dash several inches closer. I can adjust the radio and enviromental control without taking my hand off the shifter. I like that a lot.
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03:05 PM
87FastbackHartz14 Member
Posts: 352 From: Hershey, PA, USA Registered: May 2002
Looks like a lot of hard work - looking forward to more pics of the project.
The Fiero ergonomics have always been perfect for me... I'm 6'2", slim, with long arms and legs. I sit with the seat all the way back, tilted back one notch against the firewall, my left elbow on the door armrest, my right elbow on the center console, and everything falls within my reach. I guess I'm one of the lucky ones who doesn't 'get in' to the car - I 'put it on'.
I couldn't agree more. I am 6'1" and change, slim, and with relatively long arms and legs. My seat is the whole way back, and since the seat doesn't stay when you recline it fully against the firewall, it is one click up. I sit with my elbow on the door armrest, and my fingers hooked over the left steering wheel spoke. I rest my right arm on the console, comfortably I might add. My Fiero is one of the few cars that I feel is an extension of my body. The radio controls are a little far. And down too low.
Solution: My Alpine head unit has a faceplate that turns up at an adjustable angle. I have it one setting up from flush, and it stares right at me! And as for the distance to reach to adjust controls, I have only one word . . .
REMOTE!!!
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03:25 PM
Gary W Member
Posts: 1092 From: Cape Coral, FL Registered: Oct 2001
So I take it all the gauges work? Grand Am's are a dime a dozen over here - and their dashes don't look too much different from the firebird. $20 is a steal though, I'd probably be out more like $100... Nevertheless, excellent work!
It took some looking to find one with full instrumentation. Most of the clusters get snagged early. The only ones I've seen are speedo and fuel, maybe a temp gauge.
The gauges are all plug & play, except the speedo. This would be the case with just about any updated dash. You need to keep the circuit board from the old cluster buried in the dash, and feed a wire to the new speedo. Around 1990, GM started getting the speed signal from the ECM, not directly from the trans as the Fiero does. Strangely, the N-body has no replacement for the "AJAR" light, so I plan to use the ABS light in place of it. It does have a shift light, but I haven't decided on that one yet.
The column controls are another matter. only the direction signals work with the Fiero. Headlights, wipers, ignition switch all need to be re-engineered. I've only got the wipers left to figure out.
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09:12 PM
Feb 19th, 2003
ryan.hess Member
Posts: 20784 From: Orlando, FL Registered: Dec 2002
Strangely, the N-body has no replacement for the "AJAR" light, so I plan to use the ABS light in place of it. .
The firebird doesn't have an "ajar" light either so I use the "low trac" as my ajar light. Strange that the 80s cars seemed pre-occupied with telling you the door is ajar. I remember some even had a voice that would tell you (in a japanese accent) that the door is ajar. By the 90s that feature was completly gone.
I hope you figure out all the other stalk controls that would be really cool.
------------------ If you find my advice useful, then please give me a positive rating, thanks...
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09:00 PM
Dslice Member
Posts: 465 From: Rockford,MN,USA Registered: May 2001
Your work, your adaptability, your dedication is excellent and I applaud your effort.
However, I like my stock Fiero interior, just like I like that 1985 SE "nose" that so many want to replace with the "aero" version, just like I like the original engine's compromise of economy/durability/performance. That "original balance" is what makes my Fiero "My Fiero".
Isn't it great that the car is adaptable to BOTH of our tastes?? Even at the age that many other cars are a dim memory??
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"Your Door is Ajar!" ??? Isn't that a "Polymorph any Object" AD&D spell??
[This message has been edited by Tryxalon (edited 02-19-2003).]
In memory of the family's, friend's and especially the 12 children of the Crew Member's of The Space Shuttle Columbia. February 1, 2003
