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Rickady88GT V8 build thread by Rickady88GT
Started on | : 06-10-2009 08:55 PM |
Replies | : 418 (48764 views) |
Last post by | : Rickady88GT on 07-30-2022 12:02 PM |
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Jun 10th, 2009
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Rickady88GT Member Posts: 10649 From: Central CA Registered: Dec 2002
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OK, I took out the 3.5 V6 Short Star to put in a 5.3 LS4 V8.     This V6 swap was smog legal in CA so the plan is to do the V8 smog legal using the same stratagy. Basically, I will just put everything from the donor car in the Fiero.  I will not repaint the car.  But I will change out the entire interior.  The new interior will not look like a Fiero at all.  I got a dash from a 08 Malibu. But will not use any of the electronics or switches from it. Well, I will use the adjustable electric pedals. _1.JPG) So the list of "options" will look like this: 1988 Fiero GT 4 speed automatic 5.3 LS4 V8 power steering (2000 Camero 2.5 turns lock to lock) 12" C4 Corvette brakes 08 Malibu dash 08 Malibu steering wheel with "tap shift" electrically adjustable pedals dual climate control A/C 6 disk in dash CD with Sat and Ipod 1000 watt10 speaker sound system Driver information center SRT4 seats Blacked out interior with blue suede Mote Carlo gauges with Malibu dash custom center console and door panels Keyless entry Keyless remote start with preheat or precool HVAC system Anti theft system drive by wire I will edit this first post MANY times to add info. ------------------  [This message has been edited by Rickady88GT (edited 06-11-2009).]
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08:55 PM
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PFF
System Bot
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Jncomutt Member Posts: 8902 From: Charlotte, NC Registered: Apr 2001
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Can't wait to see the progress on this. The detail on that V6 was amazing and the build enjoyable to follow.
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08:59 PM
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Tony Kania Member Posts: 20794 From: The Inland Northwest Registered: Dec 2008
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Total ratings: 305
User Banned
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I have read some of your prior posts concerning this car. Your work is spectacular.  This will be a thread to watch people. Good luck with her. ------------------
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09:11 PM
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Rickady88GT Member Posts: 10649 From: Central CA Registered: Dec 2002
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Thank you, I wanted to get close to driving the car before the thread. Now that the car runs and the intirior is looking better, I decided to start the thread.
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09:50 PM
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Rickady88GT Member Posts: 10649 From: Central CA Registered: Dec 2002
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The V6 came out after I got a smog cert. This way I can drive the V8 for two years without the smog reff. I now have two years to "work out the bugs" before the next smog check. I got an LS4 with the 4T65EHD and the entire electrical syetem. The system was so complete that all I had to do was add a Battery and a fuel tank to run. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOL9BeC4dyAI used the stock MoteCarlo dash and gauges to run the engine. .JPG) I will use ALL of the electronics to run the drivetrain. I just need to adapt them into the Malibu dash.
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10:01 PM
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Raydar Member Posts: 41092 From: Carrollton GA. Out in the... country. Registered: Oct 1999
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| quote | Originally posted by Rickady88GT: ... I will use ALL of the electronics to run the drivetrain. I just need to adapt them into the Malibu dash.
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PCM, BCM, gauges... What else?
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10:11 PM
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Rickady88GT Member Posts: 10649 From: Central CA Registered: Dec 2002
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| quote | Originally posted by Raydar:
PCM, BCM, gauges... What else? |
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I will also use the ALBCM, HVAC, antitheft system. I have the Sat and OnStar sysem instaled too.
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10:16 PM
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MordacP Member Posts: 1300 From: Clovis, California, US Registered: Sep 2007
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The malibu dash is VERY nice. Where do you keep getting this stuff? The SRT-4 seats, now the malibu dash.... The short star is pretty cool, what are you plans with it?
I'm gonna have to come see when you're done!
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10:23 PM
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Rickady88GT Member Posts: 10649 From: Central CA Registered: Dec 2002
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Before I could start the engine I had to fix the broken anti theft system. It got damaged in the crash. .JPG) With out the stock donor key and pick up the engine would not run. After I got it fixed I put it back into the Monte Carlo steering columb and adaped the system into the Malibu dash.
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10:26 PM
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Rickady88GT Member Posts: 10649 From: Central CA Registered: Dec 2002
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| quote | Originally posted by MordacP:
The malibu dash is VERY nice. Where do you keep getting this stuff? The SRT-4 seats, now the malibu dash.... The short star is pretty cool, what are you plans with it?
I'm gonna have to come see when you're done! |
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You can come see it any time  The Short Star is for sell. I did take some parts off of it to put into the LS4, so it does not run at this time. I got the stuff from the net. Just keep an eye out for it.
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10:30 PM
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Rickady88GT Member Posts: 10649 From: Central CA Registered: Dec 2002
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10:35 PM
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PFF
System Bot
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Rickady88GT Member Posts: 10649 From: Central CA Registered: Dec 2002
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10:39 PM
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Rickady88GT Member Posts: 10649 From: Central CA Registered: Dec 2002
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10:45 PM
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unboundmo Member Posts: 2242 From: California Registered: Sep 2006
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WOW Rick... Had the smog legal 3.5 now you've one upped us again.... STOP! [This message has been edited by unboundmo (edited 06-10-2009).]
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10:48 PM
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Rickady88GT Member Posts: 10649 From: Central CA Registered: Dec 2002
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Rickady88GT Member Posts: 10649 From: Central CA Registered: Dec 2002
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| quote | Originally posted by unboundmo:
WOW Rick... Had the smog legal 3.5 now you've one upped us again.... STOP!
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Ha Ha, this is NOT my "dream Fiero" and will not be the last. I plan to sell this Fiero and build a smog legal manual LS3  I will drive this one tell I get an offer that will pay for the next Fiero.
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10:55 PM
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Rickady88GT Member Posts: 10649 From: Central CA Registered: Dec 2002
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The SRT4 seats move a few inches more than the Fiero seats. I now can sit closer to the steering wheel or further away from it with the new seats. I have at least two extra inches of foot room now. I dont have the stock carpet on the rear fire wall. I used a thinner "system" so the seats could move a little further rearward than stock. I also moved the pedals further forward than stock. The two moves get me A LOT of "extra" leg room [This message has been edited by Rickady88GT (edited 06-10-2009).]
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11:05 PM
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Rickady88GT Member Posts: 10649 From: Central CA Registered: Dec 2002
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I could not use the stock Malibu gauges because the incompatable electronics. But they sure are cool looking  .JPG)   So I need to get the Monte gauges to fit into the Malibu cluster. BUT the Monte gauges are larger than the Malibu. So I had to "stretch out" the Malibu pods. I used a heat gun and a drinking glass. I heated up the plastic and the glass then slid the larger glass thru the smaller plastic to get the size I wanted. Malibu .JPG) MonteCarlo
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11:40 PM
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Rickady88GT Member Posts: 10649 From: Central CA Registered: Dec 2002
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11:51 PM
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Rickady88GT Member Posts: 10649 From: Central CA Registered: Dec 2002
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Jun 11th, 2009
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Rickady88GT Member Posts: 10649 From: Central CA Registered: Dec 2002
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I looked at getting a gauge over lay? I like it but not sure yet?  I do want to get a set of gauges to put on top of the dash.  I want to put this set o gauges in the center pod.   The Malibu has a glove box in the top/center of the dash. I plan to make a twin gauge pod for the set of scan gauges. .JPG) [This message has been edited by Rickady88GT (edited 06-11-2009).]
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12:39 AM
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PFF
System Bot
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whodeanie Member Posts: 3819 From: woodstock,Ga.,USA Registered: Jan 2008
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Unsafe At Any Speed Member Posts: 2299 From: Cheyenne, WY Registered: Feb 2003
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I love the 'factory' look and feel you give to your car. I'm looking forward to updates. Oh yeah, you can pick up Evo Brembos (same front calipers as the V, two piston in the rear) for cheap. I picked up a set of four for my Talon for $450. ------------------ My Build Thread[This message has been edited by Unsafe At Any Speed (edited 06-11-2009).]
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01:03 PM
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katatak Member Posts: 7136 From: Omaha, NE USA Registered: Apr 2008
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Very nice Rick. Can't wait to see the finished product..... By the way, what are your plans for that "short star"?
Pat
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01:06 PM
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RUNDLC Member Posts: 802 From: Elk Grove, California Registered: Jul 2005
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Next time I get down to Fresno I have to stop by and see this! Way cool.
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04:52 PM
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Jun 13th, 2009
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Rickady88GT Member Posts: 10649 From: Central CA Registered: Dec 2002
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Thanks for the comments. To get the steering wheel controles to work I had to do some surgery. NOT FUN The stock Mote steering wheel has 11 functions but the Malibu has 10 not counting the tap shift. The extra function is the cruse cancel. I can live without it. .jpg) This is the tap shift and right control.  GM uses resistors to very the volts when the buttons are pressed. Basicaly the BCM is an OHM meter and will perform diferent functions when it sees the values it has in its memory. The problem is that the Malibu has much diferent resistance values than the Monte has. So the steering wheel is not a direct swap for the Monte BCM. I had to remove all of the resistors from the Monte and Malibu controles and put the proper resistors from the Monte into the Malibu steering wheel. The problem is that this is MUCH easier said than done. This is one of the two controls from the Malibu. BTW the HUGE black resistors are NOT the ones I need to mess with. The Blue ones are the ones I need to change .JPG) This is one of the 13 or so resistors needed to run the steering wheel functions. _(2).JPG) [This message has been edited by Rickady88GT (edited 06-13-2009).]
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02:41 AM
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Rickady88GT Member Posts: 10649 From: Central CA Registered: Dec 2002
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I did not use the Malibu steering columb with the Malibu Dash and steering wheel because the electronics, key and contoles were all not compatable with the Monte. So I used the Monte columb and mounted the light controles on the dash. This is the stock Malibu Lower driver side dash ( kick panel ) with the dimmer and pedal switch removed. .JPG) I made a fiberglass insert to mount the Monte head light switch and the Malibu electric pedal controle switch. .JPG) On the left is the pedal switch and the right is the Monte head light switch. .JPG) .JPG) I had to use parts of the stock switch plates to hold the switches to the new plate. I glued them to the new plate. .JPG) Test fit, the celphone,sunglass box is a very close fit. .JPG) Looks ready to go? I now have my Monte Carlo head light switch, gas and brake pedal adjustment switch, dash dimmer, traction controle and trunk switch in the lower left side of the dash. .JPG)
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03:09 AM
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Rickady88GT Member Posts: 10649 From: Central CA Registered: Dec 2002
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Before I got he dash I had some crazy ideas that GM would use some "off the self" parts on the Monte AND the Malibu that were compatable......The radio and heater controls look alike.....right? Just a color change? .jpg)  NO not the same  I had hoped that I could just mount the Mote stuff in the Malibu dash. But I had to modify the heater controles and radio to fit. BUT that was easy. the trim plates were the kick to the nuts. The Malibu radio looks VERY close to the Monte but the truth is that the Monte radio and heater controles are curved and the Malibu is totoly flat. So the trim pieces need to fill gaps and blend high spots. Stock Mote trim  Stock Malibu trim  Modified Monte trim (not done yet)  The modified Monte trim and stock Malibu side by side.  New trim ready to go. .jpg) You should note that the Malibu trim is MUCH taller than the Monte trim. This is because the Malibu dash will not be as low in the center when in stalled in the Fiero. I had to cut down the center hight to fit the center gear shift area of the Fiero. The stock Monte hight seemed to fit good. [This message has been edited by Rickady88GT (edited 06-13-2009).]
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03:37 AM
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Rickady88GT Member Posts: 10649 From: Central CA Registered: Dec 2002
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One more mod I need to do to the steering wheel was to replace the air bag. I did not want an explosive in my face that had no use. So I made a new horn buton out of fiberglass. First I made the shape I wanted out of green foam. Then covered it with cling wrap and a layer of fiberglass. .JPG) After I cut off the flash and sanded it, I test fit it to were the buton needed to be thicker. .JPG) Some bondo and primer. Then I cut a recess for a stock Fiero horn buton badge. I sanded off the back ground color from behind and repainted it the same color blue as my Fiero. .JPG) Some paint and it looks ready to go. .JPG) a little story behind the color, I wanted to paint it exactly like the Fiero but my wife did not want it so bright or bold. So we compromized and I got my racing stripes and she got the colors she wanted. It blends in much like the stock airbag, but with stipes  The new buton looks "at home" on the new wheel.
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04:32 AM
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Rickady88GT Member Posts: 10649 From: Central CA Registered: Dec 2002
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04:39 AM
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Rickady88GT Member Posts: 10649 From: Central CA Registered: Dec 2002
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This interior was as hard to do as the engine swap. That is not an exageration. The HVAC was a NIGHTMARE. The shifter was brutle and all the "small stuff" to blend it all together  The blower is one of the most powerfull I have seen. WOW I have wind in the car. ------------------
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04:49 AM
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PFF
System Bot
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Tony Kania Member Posts: 20794 From: The Inland Northwest Registered: Dec 2008
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Total ratings: 305
User Banned
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Shaking my head in awe!
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10:55 AM
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Rickady88GT Member Posts: 10649 From: Central CA Registered: Dec 2002
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I cant tell you how many times I shook my head, but not from awe  Thanks. This how the new beam looks. .jpg) .jpg) but to get it to this point, many sleepless nights
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12:20 PM
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kevin Member Posts: 2722 From: Elk Grove, CA USA Registered: Jan 2000
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Rick, Will you be at WestFest? I can't wait to see your work---real close. I appreciate your attention to detail  Cordially, Kevin
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04:53 PM
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unboundmo Member Posts: 2242 From: California Registered: Sep 2006
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sorry for the language but ... f*ck off rick... What the hell.... Damn that looks good... I wasn't sure of the color orangish but now with the blue sued... Damn... And this picture below.. How do you explain yourself?
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05:15 PM
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MordacP Member Posts: 1300 From: Clovis, California, US Registered: Sep 2007
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11:21 PM
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Jun 14th, 2009
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mcaanda Member Posts: 3652 From: Grand Junction Colorado Registered: Mar 2003
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Been waiting till you put a build thread together. My super secrete squirrel photo folder was getting pretty full!
Looks good buddy...
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12:47 AM
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exoticse Member Posts: 8655 From: Orlando, Fl Registered: Jun 2003
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WOW,...just WOW !!
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01:08 AM
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JenzGT2 Member Posts: 318 From: Central CA Registered: Oct 2005
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I do believe the hvac unit was harder than the engine swap, but in the end it will be a very cool or toasty warm Fiero! Rick didn't mention that we did a lot of cutting and using hvac ducting from 3 different systems to make this custom one. We had hoped that we could use the Malibu's hvac since it already fit in the dash, but again the electronics in that unit would not work with the Monte and we even tried putting the motors from the Monte onto the Malibu hvac, that was a no go too. So we trimmed the Monte hvac to fit and then plastic welded ducting to make everything line up on the dash. We used Monte hvac, ducting from the Malibu and Monte and Fiero ducting for the defrost vent. Here are a few pics, we didn't get many pictures as it was just very tedious work and not exciting. Malibu and Monte hvac .JPG) Sizing up the Monte hvac in Malibu dash .JPG) Welding the plastic ducting together Underneath view of ducting .JPG) Backside, showing defrost vent .JPG) Test fit in car.. .JPG) After all that it is still not done, we still need to show how we did the fresh air intake and how we handled the panel between the spare tire area and passenger compartment.  I'll let Rick discuss that!
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01:57 AM
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carbon Member Posts: 4767 From: Eagan, MN Registered: Apr 2004
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02:13 AM
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