The repainted dash went back in today. Routing the pigtail for the rally guages was a pain. I don't ever want to have to do that again, but I probably will. I might start putting the center console back in before I go to work.
The past two days were spent putting in new wire and old amps. Got everything done. Pretty happy with the outcome. Took my time and did it right.
Then I spent about an hour tuning everything. Let the motor run so as not to drain the battery. Decided to turn on everything electrical to check my power draw. When, what do you know, my heater core took a pisser. Nice sweet smelling steam emulating through the vents. Ah, the joy of Fiero ownership. I had planned on going about an hour and a half away to play airsoft today. Thank god I decided to stay home and play with my Fiero.
Sat and stared at the front end of my 86' SE for about 45 minutes trying to decide which way I was going to go with modifications. Removed aero nose and started cutting it up for modification. Found some front signal lights from an unexpected source that will fit the contour of the aero nose almost perfectly. Will reveal the source when I have pictures. Put the front of the car on jack stands to access nose mounting hardware. Found a broken bolt in the clamp that secures my rack and pinion on the drivers side. Reinstalled the bumper support under the bumper cover. One side was hanging down.
Sewed up a few small holes in my driver's seat before they became too large to do something about.
Hopefully I will be able to afford replacement covers someday, and then I won't have to have large iron-on Harley Davidson patches on the seats, which the previous owner seemed to think was a good idea.
I finally got around to installing my stainless Borla exhaust on the '88 "Formula!" To be honest, the power is not noticeably improved...but the sound!! WOW!!! At idle it sounds perfect! When you stand on the gas it is AWESOME sounding! It is a tad bit louder than I had hoped. To solve this I am thinking about adding some of the C-6 tips.
Not today, but 2 days ago, (Friday), I took my car to see the PCMDOC in Morristown. He made a bunch of corrections and modifications to my engine's computer. He worked on the car for a full 5 hours. With a little luck we'll get the LS3 running right. Time will tell whether or not it needs more tuning or tweeking, but right now it seems to be a bit quieter, somewhat smoother, and more tractable. I just need to put a few miles on the car, (that's the fun part!)
~Bob
------------------ "Its nice to be important. Its more important to be nice."
Took my 87 GT Auto on its first road trip since I bought the car and rebuilt the engine. went from from Rochester NY to Akron Ohio and back went all 600 miles broke the 1000 mile mark on the engine got a max of 28.6 mpg and had no problems other than a small coolant leek I fixed.
------------------ "willing is not enough, we must do. knowing is not enough we must apply" -Bruce Lee-
Friday: Pulled it out of storage and drove it to my parents place. Then I pulled the factory sub and started on the console.
Saturday: Pulled the remainder of the console and then the dash. Installed new 5 1/4" components following FieroSounds "Fool Everyone thread". Didn't get a chance to finish the sub when I moved my daily driver Olds to find a large puddle of ATF under the car decided I better get the Fiero back together which took longer then expected as my Console skeleton is fubar, a little JB weld qwik got it held back together well enough to do reinstall.
Sunday: Installed the new Alpine deck and reinstalled the rest of the console and enjoyed some improved sound, will be much better when I get the sub and rear speakers done. Pulled the Fiero out and put the jack under the Olds to find that all the transmission pan bolts were loose, not sure how lucky a guy can be. Tightened the bolts and 1.5 L of ATF later and it should be ready to go. I still left it there and drove the Fiero the 3 hours to get back home.
Overall very good weekend been looking forward to getting the Fiero back on the road. Stupid Winter.
tore apart the rear end to replace tie rod ends, ball joints, struts, and control arm bushings, got the control arms off and one knuckle, had to buy a 29MM socket to pull the spindle nut off, and the other side is not a 29MM. i think its a 30MM. so gatta find out what size it is and get 2 new ones so i can just use the same socket size and not 2 different ones. gatta get 10 new lug nuts one rounded off and the others were starting to round but didn't make it all the way. im glad that only one rounded off but only half of it did was able to get a better grip deeper on and get it off. oh its not fun replacing factory ball joints - gatta drill em out.
Picked up my '86 SE after having the air conditioning compressor replaced. After being Fieroless for a few days, I fell back in love as soon as I pulled out into traffic. Damn I love this car!
My 87 GT was picked up and sent to Orlando early yesterday morning. Sent it to a friend's shop for final engine tuning and suspension work I can't do here. He called a few hours ago when it arrived; the car is smoking heavily and misfiring, and has an extra 61 miles on it I told the shippers not to drive the car, at all, due to going lean and overheating. But no, they didn't listen. We pushed it up into the trailer and it was pushed out of the trailer at my friend's shop, as I told them it was not running. Apparently they had to get a car ahead of it out, so they pulled it out; according to the dispatcher/service rep. Well, looks like they drove it out and tore it up racing around in Atlanta. The other car they had in the trailer has some new issues, that car's owner called them earlier to complain. Then called me. His clutch was blown and it barely started, he has a very nice Lancia Monte Carlo. Sent it to Atlanta to some specialist for rust repair, and wants me to work on his Jags and BMWs. yay, new customer. Anyways, don't know what to do, I'll over-night my computer to get some information from the car and see what is what. If it was abuse, which I am positive it was.... not yet sure if I will allow them to make it right or just take them to court. Sucks too, because they handle all of my shipping needs and who knows what they did in some of my customer's cars And I was really looking forward to driving this car.
I had a chance to tinker over the weekend a little more putting this engine together. Ran into a dilemma on the 3.4 oil pan with the 88 mount not fitting. I didn't want to bash the corner in with a hammer so I reverted back to the 2.8 oil pan with the 3.4 pump and pick-up. Worked great after I cut out 1.5" x 3" rectangle out the the front baffle section close to the drain plug. I don't think my cutting will harm anything either as for the function of the pan. I then cleaned it up, wire wheeled it, paint a high heat silver and then a high heat clear. It's drying now. Here's a look of my weekend progress... I also relocated the starter to the other side.
Put second coat of clear on the door panels and front and rear facia. Put ground FX back on the door panels and front fenders.
I ordered about 60 plastic rivots from the Fiero Store that do not fit either of my rivot guns. Must be a in between size bigger than 3/16 smaller than 7/16, what a PITA. Had to go buy some rivets and washers at the hardware store.
Touched up the black trim on the T-Top, had a minor scratch or two in both sides. Sitting to much crap on top while working on other things.
I need to get the tires put on tomorrow, but I'm going over to help Thomas get his seat skins put on in the morning. Still gives me a good day to get the hood finished and other things.
Edit to add a couple of pics
[This message has been edited by Earl-R (edited 04-22-2009).]
Started cutting out the patterns in cardboard that I will be using to make the contours for the hood blisters and custom nose I am creating. Pictures to follow once I get a card reader for my desktop.
I did nothing to my GT.......after helping Sphynx do his seats. I ended up at the father-in-laws doing work around his house that I've been putting off. He has alzhemiers(sp), it's really really sad.
[This message has been edited by Earl-R (edited 04-22-2009).]
My stinking throttle cable is sticking again.....Spent 2 hours looking it over - nothing out of place?
Pat
Not good... I lost my first fiero to that... It was an 88 coupe. Later discovered the cable was routed under the air intake snorkel. It was hitting the exhaust. At the time, I didn't know how to work on a fiero and had taken it to a mechanic to have some work done. The mechanic routed it wrong, and I didn't know any better. It ended up in 6 trees on a windy mountain road.
BTW: I drove my current fiero today. Been two weeks since I drove it... Always brings a smile to my face when I drive it...
drove to get cleaning supplies, and must of been Fiero Wednesday in Batavia, Ohio; ended up seeing two other Fieros in all. first a red GT which had one head light up (been there), then while at a stop light a Farrari replica drove by. really love windy roads, just not the people that drive 20 around them. maybe i will actually use the things i got tomorrow, usually ends up being raining, but this weekend i get weather in the 80s, an serious improvement from low 50s. painted the front speaker covers with some black fabric paint i found, need to stop looking around in parts stores, it is costing me to much.
anyone have a recommendation on new shocks, and struts, need to change the stock ones this summer, they are from what i have been told original. just want to know a good brand, keeping the stock setup.
My stinking throttle cable is sticking again.....Spent 2 hours looking it over - nothing out of place?
Pat
I have actually had carpeting cause a sticky gas pedal. Different car, but drove me nuts for weeks. I could never find out why my throttle would get stuck. Then one day I noticed that the carpet was all bunched up under the dash. Spent more than a minute scratching my receiding hairline.
cleaned the car, looks amazing, used compound and everything, will finish the waxing tomorrow. don't know why every one finds it necessary to honk at me while i am working outside, didn't know most of the people honking eather, maybe it was for the car. one problem i found was that the sound diffuser thing under the deck lid, cant think of the real name, wire broke off, that's probably why my stereo sounds like it is iddeling. might decide to clean the entire interior tomorrow, don't know how much time i will have.
Wednesday: -Took it to the shop and had them replace the front sway bar links, passenger side one broke and was making noise since Sunday, also had them Tighten the alternator belt, got tired of it squealing every time the weather temps went nuts. -Washed it, it had been raining since last Saturday and the car was a mess -Two coats of swirl remover
Thursday: -2 coats of Zymol wax -Detailed the exterior and engine bay.
Tomorrow: -Detail interior -Detail front compartment
Might be a show tomorrow in Gurnee. They really don't officially start until May unless the weather is nice, but they did one last Friday and with the 85-degree temps and sunny weather forecast for tomorrow, they're nuts if they don't do a show.
I have actually had carpeting cause a sticky gas pedal. Different car, but drove me nuts for weeks. I could never find out why my throttle would get stuck. Then one day I noticed that the carpet was all bunched up under the dash. Spent more than a minute scratching my receiding hairline.
I hear you Tony. I think I found it. The cable must be stretched. It has a plastic thingy on the end of the cable where it attaches to the peddle. That plastic thingy has a collar on it that fits into the hole in the peddle rod. I think that when I let off the throttle, that little plastic thingy comes out of the hole and the collar hangs up on the rod. When I give it a little tap, the plastic thingy aligns itself and lets the TB close. Of course this is just a theory cause I really don't want to crawl back under the dash and fight with the cable.
Headed for the Round Up in San Antonio tomorrow o I spent the day putting a spit shine on the Formula. Now I get to drive 600 miles and kill a million bugs with it........Why did I bother cleaning it?
Installed a new alternator for the second time in 2 weeks…wish me luck in the morning when I hook up the battery and start her up…I really hope this has fixed my problem, because we have the Round Up this weekend.
Ah, the joy of Fiero ownership. I had planned on going about an hour and a half away to play airsoft today. Thank god I decided to stay home and play with my Fiero. 
I told the shippers not to drive the car, at all, due to going lean and overheating. But no, they didn't listen. We pushed it up into the trailer and it was pushed out of the trailer at my friend's shop, as I told them it was not running. Apparently they had to get a car ahead of it out, so they pulled it out; according to the dispatcher/service rep. Well, looks like they drove it out and tore it up racing around in Atlanta. The other car they had in the trailer has some new issues, that car's owner called them earlier to complain. Then called me. His clutch was blown and it barely started, he has a very nice Lancia Monte Carlo. Sent it to Atlanta to some specialist for rust repair, and wants me to work on his Jags and BMWs. yay, new customer. Anyways, don't know what to do, I'll over-night my computer to get some information from the car and see what is what. If it was abuse, which I am positive it was.... not yet sure if I will allow them to make it right or just take them to court. Sucks too, because they handle all of my shipping needs and who knows what they did in some of my customer's cars 
