Contained within, you will witness the transformation of a stock 87 GT into a top notch Show Car.
Story...
Back in July my girlfriend and I went to Orlando to buy an 87 GT. The trans is shot and the motor just doesn't run right. We bought the car for $900 with the intention that I was going to fix it up for her to be her daily driver. Her current daily driver, 87 Coupe, was going to become my daily driver and my current daily driver, 86 GT 3800SC, was going to become a Show Car only.
The plan for my 86GT 3800SC was to do a Chop Top, pull the motor to re-wire and repaint it, and completely detail the "entire" car.
The plan for the new 87GT was to replace the motor & trans with another 2.8 that I got from Infinitwill here on the forum. Add GT Style #1 Side Scoops, Hood Scoop & GT Style #1 Sail Windows. Basically making it a clone of my car body wise. It was going to get the same paint scheme that my car has except it was going to be Pink with a Black fade instead of Blue with a Black fade.
While sitting on the pot thinking, I said to myself... "I'm doing a lot of extra work here". My solution? Give her my 86GT 3800SC and build myself a show car out of the 87GT. That way, the only thing I will have to do to the 86GT is re-paint it to Pink with a Black Fade.
My plans for the 87GT... GT Style #1 Side Scoops, Hood Scoop, GT Style #1 Sail Windows (modified for Chop Top), Custom 1 off modified front & rear bumpers, Suspension upgrades, Lebaron Brakes, Mr. Mikes Leather Seats with custom embroidery, Re-do entire interior, Chop Top, 18" Wheels and 3800SC with lots of "Go Fast" Goodies.
The 87 Coupe is going to get the 2.8, I got from Infinitewill, put in and that will be my daily driver.
My 86GT 3800SC (now my girlfriends car)...
The planned paint scheme for the 86GT 3800SC... keep in mind, this is photoshopped and will be a darker pink...
The 87GT (My new project Show Car) as it sits right now...
The 87 Coupe (My new daily driver) Soon to get a 2.8
My new daily driver will eventually get new paint (current paint looks girlish) but its not a top priorty at the moment.
My girlfriends mother normally spoils me to death at Christmas time. This year was no exception. With help from joesfiero, my girlfriend and her mother conspired to get me an awsome Christmas gift this year.
What was the gift you ask... An Archie Chop Top Kit!!!!!!
Unfortunately, the rear glass got broken during shipping
No problem though. Archie turned in a claim and refunded the money for the rear window which I will have made locally instead.
I took the door glass and had it tinted
Drilled, slotted and zinc coated Lebaron Rotors
Brake conversion brackets
Lip spoiler from Fiero Warehouse
The lip spoiler will be molded in instead of just bolted on.
[This message has been edited by JimmyS (edited 01-11-2011).]
I know you have been looking forward to this for a long time, can't wait to see this one come together. Man that sure was some Christmas present.
I tease my fiancee all the time about getting me a widebody kit for my birthday and Christmas, but so far no go. A little out of her price range sorry to say, but i know she would if she could.
Why did you buy an engine from NY when you are in Florida? Were you not able to find something closer to you?
I was very specific in what I wanted to buy. I wanted as low a mileage motor as I could find. I searched Car-Part.com and everything I found was over 20,000 miles and $1,200 or higher. I then searched ebay and came across this motor with a buy it now price of $500 + $150 for shipping and a 6 month warranty. It was the best deal I found so I bought it.
NIC Cam Double roller timing chain Ported heads Gen 5 ported blower Northstar throttle body 2.8 pulley 42.5lb injectors 130# springs Headers True dual exhaust
Be sure to add a Wideband O2 and a DHP or HP tuner. Using that 2.8 pulley, and no IC you will need an excellent tune. Why did you choose the NIC cam? Also, who is doing your wire harness?
I was very specific in what I wanted to buy. I wanted as low a mileage motor as I could find. I searched Car-Part.com and everything I found was over 20,000 miles and $1,200 or higher. I then searched ebay and came across this motor with a buy it now price of $500 + $150 for shipping and a 6 month warranty. It was the best deal I found so I bought it.
Good choice Jimmy. I look forward in seeing your build completion. Oh yeah, thread "saved" as favorite.
Could someone convince my wife for the same kind of Xmas next year? I would LOVE to have a choptop kit and brake conversion... you must be very happy. PLEASE photodocument every step of he mods.. I want to see lots of pictures!
Originally posted by nosrac: Be sure to add a Wideband O2 and a DHP or HP tuner. Using that 2.8 pulley, and no IC you will need an excellent tune. Why did you choose the NIC cam? Also, who is doing your wire harness?
Wideband O2... Check joesfiero has HP Tuner and will be doing my tune ZZPerformance recommended the cam. NIC is... Non Intercooled Cam I will be doing my own wiring harness.
quote
Originally posted by johnyrottin:
Alright...I'll ask for all the chickens...does your wife have any girlfriends or sisters???
I'm not married, she is my girlfriend of almost 6 years. She has no sisters or brothers.
She is spoiled and her mother loves to spoil me.
Keep in mind though that I gave her my 86GT with the 3800 SC Series II
I have a little over $20 grand into that car.
[This message has been edited by JimmyS (edited 01-12-2011).]
When this car is done, I plan on shooting a video using this song. I have had ideas for the video running through my head for the past 6 months! I am seriously considering having it professionally done. Just like the car, the video will be "Bad Azz".
Ever thought about a contract along the lines of a Pre-Nuptual type in case of a breakup? Be a shame to see that car go bye-bye. Also, with all the nice goodies you are adding to the engine, is there a reason you aren't installing an inter-cooler?
------------------ 87 GT Maroon 3800SC & White Formula
surprised you arent tossing in a ported LIM too...i am in my upgrade this spring...our list are identical cept i am going with an xp hot cam not the nic...tim
My girlfriends mother normally spoils me to death at Christmas time. This year was no exception. With help from joesfiero, my girlfriend and her mother conspired to get me an awsome Christmas gift this year.
What was the gift you ask... An Archie Chop
That gal of yours and her mother are truly a keepers!
surprised you arent tossing in a ported LIM too...i am in my upgrade this spring...our list are identical cept i am going with an xp hot cam not the nic...tim
From what I was told, you only need the ported LIM if you are going intercooled.
Ever thought about a contract along the lines of a Pre-Nuptual type in case of a breakup? Be a shame to see that car go bye-bye. Also, with all the nice goodies you are adding to the engine, is there a reason you aren't installing an inter-cooler?
I was going to install the Short Stack Intercooler but was talked out of it by WCF. I was told that I would only see a 7-10 HP gain and its $700.
I don't want to do full size Intercooler cause I want to keep the decklid in tact without moddding it.
From what I was told, you only need the ported LIM if you are going intercooled.
If you were doing some extreme heads, you might want to make the LIM ports a bit bigger, it probably doesnt matter much though.
The majority of the power in this car will lay in the exhaust, and octane. Dealing with 300 degree intake air does not leave you many options, the NIC offers an intercooling effect and a decrease in cylinder compression due to the fact that it pushes some combustion air through the cylinder to the exhaust. This obviously increases some requirements of the exhaust to be nice and free flowing.
Since the balance shaft gets disabled when installing a double roller timing chain, I removed the balance shaft.
When the balance shaft and bearings are removed, it becomes necessary to plug the oil hole in the hole where the back bearing was. The oil hole is a 5/16 hole. Using a 3/8-16 tap made a perfect fit for a short plug that uses an allen wrench to tighten.
After some teflon tape and some thread locker, the hole is plugged.
Timing cover and 8 rib crank pulley all installed.
In case anyone is interested, The balance shaft gear, shaft and bearings weigh 4lbs 9.4ozs
I have not bought mounts or the parts for the top half of the motor yet.
NIC = non intercooled cam. You could change it out, but you would also need to do some minor headwork so you can run a cam worth swapping to. The headwork is pretty cheap so you could easily do it if you have them off still. You would also need 130# springs.
Why is the balancer shaft disabled with a roller timing chain? I see the shaft is powered by a gear that most likely meshes with the cam gear, is that removed with a roller timing gear? Also, does removing the shaft make any difference?
[This message has been edited by mattwa (edited 01-15-2011).]
NIC = non intercooled cam. You could change it out, but you would also need to do some minor headwork so you can run a cam worth swapping to. The headwork is pretty cheap so you could easily do it if you have them off still. You would also need 130# springs.
I had originally planned to install the SSIC with the NIC Cam. I have not purchased the heads yet but I will be installing the ZZP Stage 3 heads with 130# springs. I could very easily keep to my original plan and use the SSIC but I am still debating whether or not the benefits of installing it is worth the $700.00.
Why is the balancer shaft disabled with a roller timing chain? I see the shaft is powered by a gear that most likely meshes with the cam gear, is that removed with a roller timing gear? Also, does removing the shaft make any difference?
You are correct. The balance shaft meshes with the cam gear and that gear is removed when installing the double roller. The shaft can be left in but it becomes non functional. If left in, it becomes a free swinging pendulum so to speak.
The balance shaft is there to cancel out second and third order harmonic vibrations. The balance shaft spins at crank speed and offsets the roughness of the crank counterweights.
By disabling the shaft, you will notice that the motor has a little more vibration at rpms under 1800. If you remove the shaft all together, is lessens those vibrations a little cause it is not there to be a free swinging pendulum. Removal does not eliminate the vibrations it just reduces them a little. Plus you shed almost 5lbs of DEAD weight.
[This message has been edited by JimmyS (edited 01-15-2011).]
