quote Originally posted by madcurl: What is our forum member getting under the hood, LS engine? Enquiring minds would like to know.

uuummmmmm! That sure looks familar. A recent e-bay acquistation perhaps?

contact the new residents and see if they know if a fwd or change of address from those people.

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1987 Fiero GT built by my brother, merlot566jka, 3500 LX9 from 06 Malibu, WOT-TECH.com 1280 grind stage 3 cam, LS6 valve springs, 1227730 ECM conversion, Darrel Morse solid aluminum cradle mounts, Truleo headers modified to fit the 3500, 36# inectors, 70mm 4.3 throttle body adapted to 3500 intake, ported heads, upper and lower intakes, lightly polished, tcemotorsports.com crank trigger wheel, CenterForce dual friction clutch, Flowtech Afterburner muffler, 2.5" piping, cat deleted, EGR deleted, SinisterPerformance tuning, C6 Corvette exhaust tips. projected to be 35 MPG with a guesstimate of 250 hp to the wheels

quote Originally posted by Archie: Our latest V-8 swap car arrived at the shop Saturday. It's an 87 4 cylinder 5 speed coupe with only 37000 miles. It's owned by a member of this Forum. What make this one notable in my book is that he is the original owner & bought the car new in 1987. Now the part that is strange to me is that it's a 4 cylinder coupe but came brand new with the Aero body style like 1986 SE only with the black paint on the lower aero trim. I've been around Fieros for 20+ years & never saw an 87 Aero Coupe with a 4 cylinder engine in it. Someone tell me I'm not crazy. Archie

im not qualified to say if your crazy or not, BUT 45% of the production 87 models were maroon, thats a staggering amount of maroon fiero's in 1987......

there were approx 2000-2500 4cyl 87SE's made, maroon with black/charcoal ground effects was actually a common 87SE color, the 4cyl part makes it alittle more rare, id guess around 500-750 maroon 87SE's were produced in 87 just going by the numbers.

all 86-87 SE's had black/charcoal ground effects from the factory, dealers could have changed them, but they were all black from the factory.

the strangest 87SE ive seen was a blue 87SE 4cyl 5 speed with t-tops, it didnt have air or anything else, just t-tops.

it was very rare, also very wrecked.

matthew

quote Originally posted by Archie:

WOW! That dude got the deal of the decade and will no doubt become one of the badest V8's on the block. Any other additions like body mods, brakes?

Give it up for factory dual exhaust on a 4 banger

[This message has been edited by Archie (edited 08-05-2008).]

I had heard you could order duals on the 4 banger, and of course the Indy came that way automatically.

Are you keeping that motor? A low miles duke is not exactly an LSx but it's probably worth something to someone.

Archie,

Do you have any build pics of this car on Ebay?? He says you did the install.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymot...DVW#ebayphotohosting

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quote Originally posted by Falcon Fiero: Archie, Do you have any build pics of this car on Ebay?? He says you did the install. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymot...DVW#ebay photohosting

That the guy that owns 300Below http://www.300below.com/

We did the original engine swap to the chassis 2 or 3 years ago. Someone else did the body install & interior install.

I'll look around & find some pics today.

That was our 1st TPI car with the intake turned around.

I'll look up more details later.

Archie

Hey archie, What is he going to do with the poor old duke? i could use one.

[This message has been edited by Finally_Mine_86_GT (edited 08-07-2008).]

quote Originally posted by Finally_Mine_86_GT: Hey archie, What is he going to do with the poor old duke? i could use one.

The has told me that the engine & transmission are both for sale.

39066 total miles on them.

We're open to offers.

Archie

quote Originally posted by Falcon Fiero: Do you have any build pics of this car on Ebay?? He says you did the install.

I work in the town where this car is located. If you wanted more info on the car I would be more than happy to make arangements with the guy to go by and take a look at it one afternoon as I would like to see it as well.

Archie

id also like to point out that ALL aero body'd 4cyl car's had dual exhaust from the factory, that would be the 84 indy, 86SE and 87SE

all the show of the v6's car's and just none of hte go.

id love to have the 4cyl motor shown above, but id need a wiring harness and ECM too

then id have to figure out how to get it here, and by that time i could probably have just swapped in another motor.

matthew

quote Originally posted by Archie: The has told me that the engine & transmission are both for sale. 39066 total miles on them. We're open to offers. Archie

39000 miles on it? wow... too rich for what i am looking for but thank you.i only need a driveway pounder. in and out of the garage.

Archie,

Any chance you could do a pictoral how to on installing the troyboy style lambo hinges ?

[This message has been edited by exoticse (edited 08-19-2008).]

ooops

double post.

[This message has been edited by exoticse (edited 08-19-2008).]

quote Originally posted by exoticse: Archie, Any chance you could do a pictoral how to on installing the troyboy style lambo hinges ?

I would be interested as well. I talked to you and Dr CPU and I am getting the same set for mine and would like to see the mods that need to be done to make them fit the fiero
as well as the install. I will do mine myself because I know how much Archie loves these hindges. hahahaha!

quote Originally posted by whodeanie: I would be interested as well. I talked to you and Dr CPU and I am getting the same set for mine and would like to see the mods that need to be done to make them fit the fiero as well as the install. I will do mine myself because I know how much Archie loves these hindges. hahahaha!

That sounds like a good idea.

We'll be putting a set on DrCPU's Fiero starting in about 10 days.

We'll try to get some good pics of the mods as we do it.

Archie

quote Originally posted by Archie: That sounds like a good idea. We'll be putting a set on DrCPU's Fiero starting in about 10 days. We'll try to get some good pics of the mods as we do it. Archie

thanks that would be great. that way I dont have to reinvent the wheel!

quote Originally posted by Archie: That sounds like a good idea. We'll be putting a set on DrCPU's Fiero starting in about 10 days. Archie

Here's another good idea...add a link at www.V8archie.com for

[ ] Fiero Vertical Door bolt-on kit <<< Add to Cart >>>

Freakin amazing how fast you work!

quote Originally posted by DrCPU: Hey Archie! Does that mean I need to return the TAZ to you this fall for an LS and flywheel upgrade? =8^) From a cheeky little monkey!

Dave, are you upgrading?

A couple of weeks ago, I sold my Finale Roadster.

Last weekend Chuck (MotorTV) & I drove to the NorthEast to deliver it to the new owner.

It now lives on a lake in NH with a Ram-Jet power Cameo, a 1969 Camaro 'Vert, a 1967 427 Vette 'vert & some German car.

It already is starting to like laying on the beach.















Archie

quote Originally posted by madcurl: Mark looks like actor who plays Scotty (the warp-Drive engineer) from Star Trek.

I hope not...The rocket carrying Scotty's ashes into space exploded over the Pacific. Mark looks much better than twice burned ashes.

You haven't seen me first thing in the morning. I clean up ok, but Kristie is a saint for dealing with the horror every morning.

DrCPU is here & we're starting on the installation of his 2nd set of Vertical door hinges.





Archie

quote Originally posted by Archie: DrCPU is here & we're starting on the installation of his 2nd set of Vertical door hinges. Archie

Great! I have been wanting to see this. Thanks Archie

Proper tools;

1. Best shop to have the work performed
2. Determined car owner.

Yep. All good in my book.

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"Friends don't let friends drive stock"

[This message has been edited by madcurl (edited 09-02-2008).]

quote Originally posted by whodeanie: Great! I have been wanting to see this. Thanks Archie

I'll be posting this up in a new thread in a few days with pictures & explaination of what & why. I'm also taking video of it too & I'll post a video up on UTube once we get done & I figure out how to link the pieces of video together.

Then everyone can see how dificult it is to make these hinges work on the Fiero.

I just reviewed the changes we had to make on Troy's hinges & it is a lot of work & welding.

Archie

Archie,

do you guys have a pattern or a jig you use on these particular hinges ?

Someone enlighten me here. If you can take a set of hinges and modify them to work "properly" on a Fiero, why is so difficult to produce a bolt on kit? I would venture to say that once you have a working set then all that would need to be done is to reproduce it?

You see this is like a $700 or $800 set of hinges that Dave bought.

Then we're doing a lot of modifications to the mounting areas to make them a bolt on.

Dave, (DrCPU) who has already tried the off brand type of hinges, bought the same hinges we put on Troy's car as recommended by Troy & Curley.

With the initial cost of the hinges & the cost of the labor to make these mods to the hinges, would make the total cost of a set of "Bolt on" hinges a lot higher than most Fiero owners would want to pay. I already catch enough heck for being over priced, so I'm doing this video so people know what all is needed before buying a set of hinges.

We don't have a set of jigs for the mods to the hinges. It would take the building of 4 or 5 cars to prove out a set of jigs for the necessary modifications to ensure they would be a bolt on for every buyer.

To be honest, IMHO, because of the costs involved, there would not be enough serious buyers to make it worth all the developement we'd have to do & all the flack I'd have to take from the usual croud of jerks to make it worth the effort & expense to sell complete packages.

That's why we're making up a video on this build. Then the people who want vertical doors on their Fieros would have a clue what it would take to put them together.

When you see the video you'll see just how much work & fabrication it takes to make them work correctly.

Today when we were about half way thru doing the 1st hinge, DrCPU said to me that he nexer would have thought that it would be that labor intensive to make the hinges a bolt on.

Here are the hinges we used.....



Archie

Archie,
Please don't think I was knocking you in any way. That is not the case. I understand that he bought hinges and now they have to be modified. My question mainly pertains to... people have tried to produce their own hinges (from scratch) as a bolt on kit and it always fails. I'm just curious as to why it always fails.

If an existing kit is able to be modified to work then why can't a "from scratch" built kit be made?

[This message has been edited by JimmyS (edited 09-03-2008).]

quote Originally posted by JimmyS: Archie, Please don't think I was knocking you in any way. That is not the case. I understand that he bought hinges and now they have to be modified. My question mainly pertains to... people have tried to produce their own hinges (from scratch) as a bolt on kit and it always fails. I'm just curious as to why it always fails. If an existing kit is able to be modified to work then why can't a "from scratch" built kit be made?

There's no question that a scratch built kit could be made.

However, remember that there is more than one patent on this VDC kit & the company has been very active in protecting it. If you look closely at the hinge pivot thingie on these hinges, it is real unique & well done & I'm sure specifically patented.

I really feel that if someone took that idea & made his own hinges for Fieros in any quantity at all it would get the attention of tha Patent holder.

So the alternate would be to develop your own design & your own hinge pivot joint to make it wll work.

Honestly, if a guy was going to go to all that trouble, he would design & market his 1st set of hinges to the import tuner guys & the cars they drive. If he marketed to the much smaller Fiero crowd 1st or exclusively, he couldn't make enough $$$ to hire the lawyers to protect his Patent

Archie

It's day two at Archie's and we should finish up later today.

There is another option to the recent question above.

I could call VDI and ask them if they'd like to get my finished hinges for THEM to take measurements and then produce a FIERO only hinge. I'll probably contact them after everything is said and done to see if they are interested in this proposition.

I don't have space to work on my car where I live and my car would need to be stored safely for a few months while VDI had my hinges. This would make for a real good winter project and I am getting very experienced at taking off and reinstalling all the items before you can get at the hinges.

Maybe someone in my neck of the woods would be interested.....

This way the pattents are protected, we are supported by a bonafide business and the community benefits. I'd expect they'd charge a few more dollars to recoup the cost of modifying their own build jigs, but the cost would be well worth it for anyone who isn't real smart, or does not have all the tools or knowledge to modify the universal kit hinges (and yes, I'm included in that list).

Rob and Chris could have done the work in a day. That's two man days of work, with no breaks. At $100 bucks an hour (Archie does not charge this - I'm using it as a number because I'm simple) you are looking at $1,600 to modify each set. That does not include my labour to prep and button things up - and I'm even more expensive than Archie!. Good Grief I hope Archie does not read this!! Need I say anymore?

Just to be clear, the Video that Archie has taken slowed Rob down. I spent the better part of 5 hours stiching it together into a single video - 22 minutes long so far.

I'm targeting to get the video finished before Friday. Archie will post it as it's his work.

What say you guys?

[This message has been edited by DrCPU (edited 09-03-2008).]

It is very labor intensive to do the mods but well worth the effort IMO
this is why I am glad Archie is going to post this. I am a Fabricator and can do the mods but it is always great to have something to go by.
I dont think Archie could sell a set at $1600.00 and have many people buy them even at that price it would be almost cost with the price of the hindge and labor.
I think he is doing a great favor by sharing the mods with us at no cost. this is what makes the Fiero people so great by helping others.