This weekend I took a trip up to Richmond VA to visit a few junkyards to find some parts to sell and to see something new, and I found out they had a 1991 Sunbird, looked like a turbo with the boost gauge (although it would've been the newer version with less hashmarks indicating the RPMs), in the yard. I head up there and sadly they crushed the car the day before I arrived (I checked the inventory the previous day and it was still on the website but when I got to the yard it was deleted) and unfortunately left empty handed. In my frustration I looked on Row52 in the parking lot and a 1988 Sunbird turbo was just put into a PNP in Calgary the day prior. I called them up and the cluster was there and they sent me a photo of it. A parts puller was able to pull it for me and he's in the process of shipping it next week. I've been looking for this for years. Unfortunately it's not in PSI but I don't care, each segment is 3psi so the conversion is easy, I'm just glad I have it. This is my first part acquisition for a 3800SC swap.
I'm super intrigued... what is it you plan to do with this? Will that gauge fit in place of the Pontiac Fiero's tach? That is super cool looking.
Also... it makes me incredibly sad to see cars like this get crushed. Believe me, I get it... but I saw so many fantastic cars get scrapped over the years in the local junkyard... just pains me.
Total tangent here, but the overwhelming vast majority of cars today seem like absolute garbage... as in, nothing that anyone would want to actually keep or restore in the next 25 years. But I suspect people said this in the 70s too... I don't know.
I'm super intrigued... what is it you plan to do with this? Will that gauge fit in place of the Pontiac Fiero's tach? That is super cool looking.
Also... it makes me incredibly sad to see cars like this get crushed. Believe me, I get it... but I saw so many fantastic cars get scrapped over the years in the local junkyard... just pains me.
Total tangent here, but the overwhelming vast majority of cars today seem like absolute garbage... as in, nothing that anyone would want to actually keep or restore in the next 25 years. But I suspect people said this in the 70s too... I don't know.
You can convert it from a 4cyl tach to a 6cyl tach. I plan to install it in the Fiero cluster and you can hook it up to measure boost. So I need to swap in a 3800SC lol but in the meantime it can measure vacuum on an NA engine.
I've seen a few of those in the junkyard over the years, but it's been at least a decade since the last one. All the junkyards around here have moved on to much newer stuff.
I love factory-looking mods like that. I'd never get a digital dash or aftermarket gauges but that gauge looks so cool I always wanted a turbo for the car just so I could use it with the gauge.
I've seen a few of those in the junkyard over the years, but it's been at least a decade since the last one. All the junkyards around here have moved on to much newer stuff.
I love factory-looking mods like that. I'd never get a digital dash or aftermarket gauges but that gauge looks so cool I always wanted a turbo for the car just so I could use it with the gauge.
There is a junkyard near me, my absolute favorite, that is like a parking lot. Most of the cars are still extremely complete and the cars look like they just arrived. They don't strip any parts off nor do they charge insane prices and they rarely junk cars so you can always find something cool. I couldn't find any Sunbird turbos but they do have an old V6 Sunbird that is very complete.
A Sunbird actually ended up in a nearby junkyard, their inventory doesn't specify anything other than the year, make, and model so I had to see if it was turbo'd or not.
Luckily it was.
So I grabbed the cluster out of that as well, so now I have two. One in Freedom units, and the other in Metric. Only 80k miles on the poor car.
I found these seats to be fascinating with the adjustable bolsters just like the Trans Am. I believe they were used in the 2+2 Fiero.
A Sunbird actually ended up in a nearby junkyard, their inventory doesn't specify anything other than the year, make, and model so I had to see if it was turbo'd or not.
What kind of power did those 2.0 Turbos make? I know they'd hoped to put those into the Fieros originally, but it never happened.
Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]: What kind of power did those 2.0 Turbos make? I know they'd hoped to put those into the Fieros originally, but it never happened.
Did you end up getting the seats?
Google says 165hp and 175tq.
No, I didn't grab the seats. No room and no desire. I already have 987 seats.
While that speedometer/boost gauge really looks cool, and will fit well; I believe a separate stand alone vacuum/boost gauge with a wider 360* scale will provide finer and more accurate readings. A Steward Warner vacuum/boost unit mounted on the left side of the gauge console works here.
------------------ " THE BLACK PARALYZER" -87GT 3800SC Series III engine, custom ZZP /Frozen Boost Intercooler setup, 3.4" Pulley, Northstar TB, LS1 MAF, 3" Spintech/Hedman Exhaust, P-log Manifold, Autolite 104's, MSD wires, Custom CAI, 4T65eHD w. custom axles, Champion Radiator, S10 Brake Booster, HP Tuners VCM Suite. "THE COLUSSUS" 87GT - ALL OUT 3.4L Turbocharged engine, Garrett Hybrid Turbo, MSD ign., modified TH125H " ON THE LOOSE WITHOUT THE JUICE "
No, I didn't grab the seats. No room and no desire. I already have 987 seats.
I can see why the engineers wanted it in the 84 Fiero on release... how cool would that little motor have been in the Fiero? It's 25 more hp over the Fiero's V6 in stock form... it probably would have run mid 14s all day long. I wonder what the fuel economy was?
Not horrible. Oh well. Would you be willing to share the information for this junkyard? Will they ship a motor? I might just buy the motor to save it...
Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]: I can see why the engineers wanted it in the 84 Fiero on release... how cool would that little motor have been in the Fiero? It's 25 more hp over the Fiero's V6 in stock form... it probably would have run mid 14s all day long. I wonder what the fuel economy was?
Not horrible. Oh well. Would you be willing to share the information for this junkyard? Will they ship a motor? I might just buy the motor to save it...
Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]: What kind of power did those 2.0 Turbos make? I know they'd hoped to put those into the Fieros originally, but it never happened.
A few years ago, a Turbo Sunbird GT showed up at the PNP where I live. I did not grab the boost gauge as the instrument cluster had major cracks in the bezel / faceplate and being it was a convertible and the top down, it had been in the weather. Here are two pics of it….
A few years ago, a Turbo Sunbird GT showed up at the PNP where I live. I did not grab the boost gauge as the instrument cluster had major cracks in the bezel / faceplate and being it was a convertible and the top down, it had been in the weather. Here are two pics of it….
Kit
Sad to hear, the gauge most likely would have been fine as only the gauge itself would need to work! But interesting find!
