Somehow I think the Bus has yet to see its best days. BTW Pat, quit throwing money at that coupe! It'll just be more outta my pocket when I come get it!
If only those were Boston subs ! Personally I think pyle puts too much magnet and no performance, I hate them :P Though I did use them in my fiero a while back and they performed mediocre to well...
You brought back the Short Bus? I haven't caught this thread in a minute. She is progressing nicely. Cool pic that I saw yesterday with all the Fieros filling up the street. You guys seem to have a really great group of Fiero enthusiasts down there. It reminds me of our close knit community here in the Inland Northwest. Best of luck with the rest of the build.
Hey Tony,
I am pretty lucky to have these Fiero fanatics here in El Paso and New Mexico. They are a great group and between all of us, there are 7 different projects going on. Keeps us pretty busy. We are having a blast.
Originally posted by exoticse: Congratulations on landing the Bus ! What are your plans for her ?
Well the Bus is not mine - or at least not yet? There was a lot of "horse" trading that went on about a week ago. I am still not exactly sure who is going to end up with what. We know Carver1 got a 4.9 to stuff in his 88 GT - I think he will have it running this weekend! There are a few swaps coming up between the Bus and another Fiero - not sure what the fate of the Bus will be just yet - you never know - it could end up with a V8? regardless, it will be on the road - some new paint and wheels - some suspension work and a little tweaking here an there. As soon as we have Jeff's 88 3800 SC swap done, the Bus will be coming in the garage. I'll start a thread for it here in the next few weeks. Got a lot going on right now and it's hard just keeping it all moving forward.
Well I forgot to post an update on the Coupe. Saturday - during the intermission between finishing Jeff's car and starting on the Bus, we tinkered with the V8 Coupe a little. Pulled the plugs to check check the dizzy position/timing stuff and found that the number one plug was up against the alternator? Could not remove the bot or the plug without removing the alternator? Found that the boot had a hole wore in it and was shorting out on the alternator! No wonder it was running like caca. I will have to relocate the alternator. After we put it back together - with the new plug boot "wearing" on the alternator, we messed with the carb a little and the timing and I took it for a drive. What a difference one cylinder makes! It's a whole nother animal now. Still got some bottom end noise so I will drop the pan and check the bearings. Just another project in the pipeline!
Tomorrow the Bus will be finished (running and driving again!) and the V8 Coupe will be coming in so I can drop the pan and check out the crank. I also will relocate the alternator and rework the exhaust. Should have some pics tomorrow!
Nope - not me - that's Jeff - he owns the 88 GT that we just swapped a 3800 SC into. You will notice in all of my threads - all of the pics I post, you will never see a picture of me doing anything....lol!
Nope - not me - that's Jeff - he owns the 88 GT that we just swapped a 3800 SC into. You will notice in all of my threads - all of the pics I post, you will never see a picture of me doing anything....lol!
Pat
That's, because you are always taking pictures.....
I would love to come down to Texas one day, and witness this nothing. You all seem like a very fun group.
Pat, I watched something on the tube the other night about trains. I thought of you when they were testing the tracks for cracks and abnormalities. Pretty important stuff.
YES SIR!!! YES SIR!!! Oh...wait...we're not wrenching now....it was just a nightmare. whew!
Been busy of late, and slightly out of commission at the moment, but shall return soon. We have cars to build
Hope you feel better soon. You have got to go for a ride in the Mera. Plus, I want to see the new wheels on the Vette. Did you see Tom's new Vette yet? It looks familiar for some reason..........
So here's an update. After much deliberation, it looks like the V8 Coup is next on the list for some much needed work. As mentioned, there seems to be a bottom end knock in the 350 so my plan was to pull the car in the garage, drop the pan and inspect the rod bearings and mains. I have also been in the process of rebuilding my 70 Monte Carlo but just can;t seem to get it finished (too many Fiero projects). No matter how hard I work at it, I just can't seem to "finidh" any of my projects. Main reason is becuase I have too many! I have always wanted to do a complete rebuild of the Monte and build a "pro touring" car out of it. The direction I was heading in was just not ever going to accomplish that. I have decided that the Monte will become a long term porject and I will build it the way I want - regardless of how long it takes.
So, the V8 Coupe will be getting the freshly rebuilt 350 for the Monte. I was reluctant to put another motor in this car simply because I could not justify putting a 2500.00 motor into a 2000.00 Fiero - especially when it already has a 2000 mile 350 in it. After the V8 Coupe if insihed and running, I will check out the bottom end of the 350 I take out of the Coupe, repair/rebuild what I need to and put it in my 47 Chevy truck that I will sell once it is up and running.
I will start on the Coupe project this weekend - plan is to drop the 350 out and get it on the cradle stand. I need to do an alternator relocation as it is interferring with the number one spark plug/boot so I will mock it up on the old engine. I will also work on the water pump setup? Not sure exaclty what I am going to do but I do not like the pulley hanging out in the fenderwell. I have an idea using a variable speed electric motor to spin the h2o pump - just have to think it through. I'd also like to upgrade to a 5 speed but I like the "streetability" of the 4 speed? Another thing to think through. Should be a pretty quick turn around. The new motor is ready to go with the exception of the Intake which I can throw on in under 30 minutes.
I guess I should add that it is currently in several pieces!
Here's how it sits today:
I have all the parts to put it back together. All new glass, rubber, bolts, hinges, yada yada yada.... Just need to get off my Fiero addiction and do something different!
I pulled the Coupe in the garage this afternoon and started pulling the motor. This is the first "major" mechanical work that I have done on this car since I picked it up last year. Other than the interior work I did last Winter, all I have really done is start it and drive it around a little. The plan is to drop this 350 out and install a fresh built 350 I have in the garage.
Ran into a few issues that have caused me a little giref. First off, after looking at it, I do not see any other way to drop the cradle without removeing the water pump. Not a big deal other than access to one of the water pump bolts is a PITA. My son CJ was able to get his mits in there and he removed the pump. The other issue is that the Torx bolts that hold the e brake cable to the calipers are stripped out! I got aggrevated and gave it up for this evening. Tomorrow I will weld a nut to each and take them out that way. I alos have a set of those "bolt" extractors. I may give those a try first.
Set her up!
Wrestle with the H20 pump a little! I love it when the boys want to jump in and help. Of course he thinks this is "his" car.
More tomorrow,
Pat
[This message has been edited by katatak (edited 10-23-2010).]
Pat, glad the Formula is not clunking anymore. That V8 car is going to be a hoot! I am stuck doing honey do's today, but I am off Thursday. Will you be here. I can come over and wrench.
Pat, glad the Formula is not clunking anymore. That V8 car is going to be a hoot! I am stuck doing honey do's today, but I am off Thursday. Will you be here. I can come over and wrench.
I get home Thursday morning. I think we are going to make a big push to finish the Bus Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Going to try and "borrow" a paint booth for some finish work - it's just too much work trying to paint outside! I'll do a little tinkering with the Coupe in the evenings after dark. I have to weld some nuts to some stripped bolts in order to get the calipers off. That's all that's left to drop it. Everything will be soaking in PB Blaster till I get home Thursday. Sitting in the Ariport in Houston right now - I'd rather be home working on the Coupe!
Hmmmmmm.....while it's down, it needs a Getrag transplant as well.
I was going to "search" for a non e 4t60 this week - it will have to wait till next weekend! Maybe we can "Make a Deal"? Man that sounds a lot like another project to me!
I was going to "search" for a non e 4t60 this week - it will have to wait till next weekend! Maybe we can "Make a Deal"? Man that sounds a lot like another project to me!
Yeah....this madness has to stop. Cruising is much more fun than wrenching.
Got home from Omaha this afternoon and just could not stand it so I went to work on the Coupe. I had a problem with a stripped out torx bolt that holds the left side ebrake cable to the caliper. I had an old rounded off #45 torx bit so I welded it to the torx bolt and she bakced right out. After I removed the caliper, I pulled the rotor off and had a nice Haloween scare. A very large Black Widow Spider was hiding behind the hub! One of the biggest Black Widows I have ever seen. My wife told me that she seen the spider hanging from her web the night before and tried to spray here with some killer but missed and she got away. Let's just say that spider did not get away this time.
I went around to the other side - and now I was on "spider" guard. Got the passenger side apart and then slid underneath to get the sway bar and the exhaust out of the way.
Check out this fine exhaust system: No wonder this thing sounded so ill!
Anyway, after a little work, the old 350 nearly fell out.
Raise the car up to the cieling and roll the heart out:
Wow Pat....you barely had time to slip into the phone booth and come out in your Superman cape See you tomorrow for the Jan-o-thon
Some folks drink warm milk when they can't sleep, others count sheep - I swap motors in Fiero's - it's therapy! I'll be there tomorrow - sometime after 10am.
I haven't caught this thread in a minute. She is progressing nicely. Cool pic that I saw yesterday with all the Fieros filling up the street. 
You guys seem to have a really great group of Fiero enthusiasts down there. It reminds me of our close knit community here in the Inland Northwest. Best of luck with the rest of the build.
