My names Greg and ive always wanted a fiero and i finally got not one but two! i have a fully running and functional (minus the e brake) '88 gt v6 5speed, and a non running '86 gt v6 auto. the '88 is very clean inside and out top to bottom. the '86 on the other hand not so much. the motor turns over but does so at a snails pace. the body is decent but needs to be painted. the interior isnt great but could isnt trashed either. the underbody definitely needs a refresh. i havent really decided if i want to tear into the '86 yet. moneys tight and im more of a motorcycle mechanic then a car one but relatively speaking a car is two bikes side by side lol (not really). if anything ill probably part the '86 out and sell stuff to whoever needs parts on here. if i were to keep the 86 together id have to fix the weak spots in the engine cradle and id like to swap in a turbo 3800. but i think thats just pipe dreaming right now.
while waiting for activation on here, i got the motor out of the '86 gt. unfortunately i had to sawzall the engine cradle away from the k frame but the cradle was shot anyways. i searched in the for sale section and found a member near me with some spare cradles so i might get one off him. still debating whether or not to rebuild the 2.8 or do a swap. ive researched a lil on the 3800 swap doesnt seem all to difficult but i also work alot and money is short lol.
I'd pick up the cradle but keep it out of the car while you round up a 3800 motor/trans. mounts, wiring etc. It'll take a year or two anyway and since you have a running 88 you won't need the 86.....unless of course the swap is meant for the 88.
------------------ 1986 Fiero GT fastback SC3800 3.4 pulley, LS1 TB 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee with "big boy" 5.9 motor 1983 Honda Goldwing 1100 Interstate
Welcome to the forum, and congrats on your purchase(s).
A thought. You may want to combine the best parts into the 88. For example, there may be some iffy parts on the '88 that are better on the '86. Doesn't sound like it, but make sure the '88 has all its screws and whatnot. My '86 had better switches, cruise cannister, etc that my '88. Sometimes, this is due to replacements be the previous owner.
thanks for the interest guys. i thought it over and im just going to part out the 86. its more of a project then i need right now lol. the 88 is good to go. only thing wrong with it is it needs a header. anyone with input on west coast fiero's long tube headers? i like to purchase those and the flow master muffler to give it some growl. ive read all the engine swaps but never seem to find any research on building up a 2.8. is it not worth it? can it not handle much? im not looking to do 10 sec 1/4 miles but id like a lil more pep in her step. i was thinking of maybe port and polished heads, a cam, exhaust, msd ignition, coils, wires, distributor, injectors, tuned ecm, and a built trans with axles. i think that would be plenty enough fun for what it is. once i get her scootin i thought about the cosmetics like amida's g1 dash, and a front and rear bumper and maybe some wide body hips, wheels and tires etc. any thoughts on those ideas?
Hmmm. That doesn't look like an '88 GT. Is that a fastback conversion, or were the bumpers changed & the ground effects removed? '88s were monotone. The rocker panels should match the body color. '88 GTs had the aero package. There shouldn't be any pontiac lettering on the bumper. Is the beltline molding smooth or notched? It looks smooth. Looks as if the steering wheel has been changed. I didn't see the GT emblem obove the right of the rear bumper. Might want to pull a rear reflector from the '86.
It is a nice-looking car. Good idea, not getting the sunburn roof. My shiny plate gets well done in my Fiero, unless I wear a hat. But every Fiero I've owned has had a sunburn roof.
[This message has been edited by tshark (edited 08-03-2014).]
i suppose i could always run the VIN. well i got it plated and resgistered yesterday. took it out for the maiden voyage. all was fine and dandy till i returned home and noticed the one spoiler mount had broken. so that put a damper in my spirits but i still had my whole car to love. i decided to drive it out to the girlfriends house cuz she wanted to see it. an entire hour of driving and all seemed well but my oil pressure gauge kept fluctuating. in lower rpm it would dip below 40 in 5th gear. all other gauges were reading fine and then my service engine soon light came on. the temps never got hot so i kept going. i stopped at a gas station got gas got back in and started it and the light was off???? other then that everything seemed fine. left for work this morning and after pulling off her street it no longer shifted into 1st 3rd or 5th. that made a fun ride back home.....not. so hopefully i get lucky and maybe the linkage came loose or just needs adjusting cuz laast night it shifted find and everything. anyone have input ? similar circumstaces?
As for verifying the '88 - if the 4th and 5th digits in the VIN are PG, then it's a real GT. If they're PE, then it's a coupe/Formula (they had the same codes).
The Fiero - the perpetually needy car! to be fair any car of this age needs TLC - OFTEN. Can't say much about the shifting, I've had two fieros both automatics. I've only bought a couple small items from WCF and got them quickly. some have complained, my experience has been fine. The oil guage fluncuation is pretty normal. usually it dips so low during low speed and idle the warning light comes on, even though pressure is good. usually the sender is bad and some folks replace theirs with the 88 to make it work better. warning light sounds like EGR. you could go through checking the code but it will come up 32. again typical to have it come on after driving a bit and then not come on after turning the motor off and back on. when I swapped in a 3.4 I had the EGR deleted. can you be satisfied with the 2.8 with mods? maybe for awhile but many folks (me included) go from the 2.8 is ok, thinking a 3.4 out of a 94 camaro with better cam, gasket matching, hogged out intake and exhaust will make them happy to wanting a 3800SC, or V8 and maybe that's not enough and go further. Beauty is you get to match your pocketbook with how much speed you can afford. I did like the slightly modified 3.4, like the 3800SC better. You've already got a 5 speed so it's not revving so high that's good. enjoy, fun car. I do hope you're mechanical.
------------------ 1986 Fiero GT fastback SC3800 3.4 pulley, LS1 TB 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee with "big boy" 5.9 motor 1983 Honda Goldwing 1100 Interstate
Thanks for some excellent advice. I did fix the shifting issue. The C clip that holds the cable in place under neath the center console had popped off so that was an easy fix. To be honest if I want to go real fast I'll just on the bike. I'm not looking for much for I have too many projects as is lol. I'm just looking for a lil more grin on my face. It's already fun in the corners. Basically intake, cam and valve train, port & polish, .30 over, fuel, exhaust, and trans. And then making it look good.
I think with those changes you'll get a grin. if you haven't google it to look for Dawg's intake modification to get more breathing room on the top end, maybe a bored throttle body from Steve Monroe in Oklahoma, look for a thread on porting the exhaust logs (that's worth 8-10 hp) 260 or 272 cam (if you don't mind a lopey idle) and the .30 over. It'l be peppy. I do like the look of that nose on your car.
Thanks again . I'll start researching those threads. I'm partial to that front bumper. I have the gt front end I might swap over. Any interest in buying the formula nose?
fair enough on the bumper. seeing as both cars are white ill probably swap them out this weekend maybe. i checked the VIN and its PE. so i have a coupe formula then? any distinct difference between the gt and formula besides body and trim?
fair enough on the bumper. seeing as both cars are white ill probably swap them out this weekend maybe. i checked the VIN and its PE. so i have a coupe formula then? any distinct difference between the gt and formula besides body and trim?
I believe that they should be the same suspension/engine. Only differences are the interior trim and body panels, maybe also the exhaust tips but I can't remember.
i think this is everything i'd want to get from fierostore.com Part # Qty Description Unit Price Discnt Total Remove 51065 MSD 85-88 High Performance Ignition Coil MSD ~ $59.95 52807 CHROME030 85-88 V6 Piston Rings .30over ~ $76.95 52880 85-88 Performance Cyl Head Set ~ $649.95 52862A 1 Refund. Cyl. Head Core Charge ~ $100.00 52816 85-88 V6 Head Bolt Set ~ $33.95 52828 152 85-88 Competition Cams Roller Tip Rockers ~ $159.95 52865 ROLLER 85-88 V6 Roller Timing Chain Set ~ $144.95 52259 85-88 V6 Timing Chain Dampner $11.95 ~ $11.95 52868 HIVOL 85-88 V6 high volume Oil Pump ~ $125.95 52422 17LB 85-88 V6 Accel Performance Injectors 17lb. ~ $344.95 68758 RETURN 85-88 V6 Stainless Steel & Braided feed ~ $89.95 68758 FEED 85-88 V6 Stainless Steel & Braided return ~ $99.95 52895 260H 85-88 V6 Performance Camshaft 260H ~ $219.95 54003 HD 86-88 V6 5spd heavy duty Clutch Kit ~ $246.95 52729 SET 85-88 V6 Heads up Gaskets ~ $99.95 Sub Total: $2465.30
Total: $2465.30 everything from WSF>COM
(p/n ISHPIM) - Intake manifold $700.00 (p/n ISTPCC) - Top intake plenum core charge $200.00 Fuel enrichment system add-on Includes extra injector and Computer Controller for the 7th injector (does NOT replace factory ECU) (p/n ISFES) $55.00
(p/n H2834L) - Long Tube headers with "Y" pipe (Steel) $595.00 (p/n HHB8x12) - Header bolts (set of 12) $12.00 (p/n EXMF) - Flowmaster muffler $170.00
so prolly close to five grand after labor and a few other parts i have to source out but thats basically a build list for the next year. then its purely cosmetics after that. what do you guys think?
I think you'll get many comments saying before spending $5,000 do a swap to a 3800SC or a V8. my suggestion is find someone near you that has a 2.8 or 3.4 with at least some mods and a 3800 and take a drive. I think for $1,000 you could do a 3.4 you'd be happy with. There was a fellow out west selling a really beefed up 3.4, I'd have to look and find his contact info. he would ship and it was way under $5,000.
grantman that would most certainly be the wise choice to take. im familiar with freight shipping so that would be a breeze. i just dont really wanna do a motor swap lol im sure its not all that hard espcially with the knowledge base and tech savy gurus like you here. and its prolly way cheaper too. the way i look at it is if i rebuild the 2.8 out of the gt parts car, ill know its been done right, ill know everything is up to snuff and ill have a spare motor that i can drop right back in place should something go wrong. i will give the motor swap some more thought though and i appreciate the continuous advice. just fyi this isnt something i plan on doing till probably next year. right now im just trying to get my knowledge up, get my current kinks worked out, strip the 86, get my list off parts with prices and save duckets lol. and also tear down the spare 2.8 and see what its gunna take. once i get my 5k and i find that id rather do a motor swap then ill be chatting you guys up about it lol.
in other news i got the front and rear bumpers off the 86. front and rear fenders are almost off. trying to decide what all i want to take off of it and whats salvagable. is there a wanted section on this forum>?
Is it possible to change the headers without dropping the motor? I need to change the header opposite the trunk (the one towards the front end of the car).
You are about to throw a lot of money down the toilet on the 2.8.... Do a lot of research here before going ahead with that shopping list. You can get a far better motor installed for similar pricing. Fieros are very common and are unlikely to go up in value, so if you are after more performance, might as well put a better motor in it instead of trying to keep it original and spending a ton of money on bolt-ons that don't really do much other than lighten your wallet
Reread my last two posts lol. I'm acquiring a 3800 out of a lumina if it will bolt right up to my stock 5 speed trans. I'm going the turbo 3800 swap route and ditching the 2.8. I'd like to be in the 400 to 500 hp range and be reliable. I don't want to snap axles or burn up a trans so I'd be happy if I hit 400hp with a reliable setup. Is that plausible?
So the motor is a 3800 series II out of a lumina. If that will bolt up to my fiero 5 speed, I will be using it for my turbo swap. My plan of action is to get all the parts together before and go for gold. I don't want to do any fabrication, rewiring etc etc. I plan to purchase bolt on swap parts and get a tune and such. I'd much rather pay someone else for parts than go thru the headache like rewiring the harness and stuff. I realize I'm going to have to cut my trunk open a bit to clear the turbo. Other then that I would like to be able to just hook it all up and turn the key.
[This message has been edited by mxgreg207 (edited 08-20-2014).]
As mentioned earlier, you may want to do some research. Most of the "bolt on" parts you are hoping to buy are not available for sale. Use the search button and you will find all the info you need on the swap
Well not much to report on the 88. Only few things I've done are front sway bar links, got my trunk switch working, swapped out some dash vents, cigarette lighter 12v works now, found out the PO had the radiator fan running on a switch but he never finished wiring it up but i can turn it on now ! Spray painted the rims black because I personally like black rims. Things I still need to fix are the droopy headliner, fix leak in exhaust manifold, find a rear bumper reflector for drivers side, and start collecting inventory for my turbo 3800 swap.
couple questions.....i have the 87 gt with the sunroof and was wondering if i disassemble the top off the car can i put it on the formula body? or is the unibody not the same? would there be no rectangular hole in the roof of the formula for the 87 gt sunroof? also im tired of hearing my god forsaken header leak. it drives me bananas. im doing a 3800 II turbo swap so im not about to drop 600$ on headers for this motor to only be taken out next year. is it possible to remove the header closest to the front of the car with the engine in place? and if yes can the headers be welded ? i have access to certified welders will can weld it for me.
another thing is when it rains my serp belt squeals like a pig if the blower is on and i downshift a lil on the hard side. i put a lot of tension on the belt when i put the new one on while tightening the alternator in place. other then the fabulous "belt dressing" any suggestions?
couple questions.....i have the 87 gt with the sunroof and was wondering if i disassemble the top off the car can i put it on the formula body? or is the unibody not the same? would there be no rectangular hole in the roof of the formula for the 87 gt sunroof? also im tired of hearing my god forsaken header leak. it drives me bananas. im doing a 3800 II turbo swap so im not about to drop 600$ on headers for this motor to only be taken out next year. is it possible to remove the header closest to the front of the car with the engine in place? and if yes can the headers be welded ? i have access to certified welders will can weld it for me.
another thing is when it rains my serp belt squeals like a pig if the blower is on and i downshift a lil on the hard side. i put a lot of tension on the belt when i put the new one on while tightening the alternator in place. other then the fabulous "belt dressing" any suggestions?
The roof can be swapped over, all Fiero's have a hole in the space frame for a sunroof. The belt squeal is very common. I had THIS pulley from Rodney Dickman, and a Goodyear Gatorback belt and the squeal went away for ever, no matter how wet the belt was
[This message has been edited by 85sliverGT (edited 09-10-2014).]
