Thanks Shem i can't wait to get it done but i know i am going to be taking a break from it soon as i need to get the 88 cougar repaired so i can sell it and i need to fix up my house so i can sell it so i can move to Sebring FL to get away from winter weather
Today wanted to set the windshield but none of my parts suppliers had the rubber molding but they had windshield weld so i will have to wait for friday and go to a glass shop to get the molding . everyone have a great 4th of July and stay safe
i am thinking maybe i will be able to drive it this next week even though it won't be done but i have the windshield back in and the hood bolted on and tomorrow i am going to try and modify a seat so i can sit in it at the right height and maybe just a bit smaller steering wheel so i can move the seat forward but lean it back more and i think that will get me sitting the way i want in it
well i had to buy a racing seat to get my seating position where i want it and i am not sure when it will be in as i ordered it tonight maybe the end of the week but i think it will show next week
today in my spare time i started to make my windows as i have one cut out close to the shape but still needs some work then i can copy it to the other piece of plexiglass and cut that out then i need to heat them and bend them
Ok i have one window cut out now to just copy it then i need to figure out how i am going to put the curve in them what i am thinking is lay them on a old side window and heat them this will get the really close then install them and put heat to them right at the top door edge and bend the just a little more i just don't know yet what i want to use for the heat source as a heat gun will work but take a long time
That stuff looks familiar, Just bought more poly last weekend to do my windows(again). If its 1/8" the heat gun will work, if its 1/4" u need a heat gun on both sides or itll bubble one side before it gets hot enuf to bend. Spray w water to hold the shape after. good luck
it is 3/16 thick so tomorrow i will use the old side windows to get them close by laying the plexi on them and heating it all up . i bought a seat that i am pretty sure is going to work for me and i am trying to get my steering wheel so it has a quick disconnect but they are sending me the wrong part or they are not even sending them at all i never had problems like this buying from ebay as i must send back a steering wheel as it is not what i ordered and before that the guy didn't send it so i asked what was going on he said they were defective i think i am going to amazon to get the steering wheel i want as i am sick of these people on ebay
i did not play with the windows today but i did with the new seat and it looks like i am going to need to drop the floor 2 inches at the back and just take the front down the same . here are pictures of the seat i bought i it fits me nice and is comfortable to sit in
today i cut the floor and welded some angle iron and dropped the rear of the floor 1 1/2 inches about and the front 1 inch by cutting it sides and rear of the floor now the seat sits in there the way i want and at the hight i want i just need to finish the tin work
well i haven't worked on the car for a few day as work has been going good and now i need to repair a enclosed trailer i just bought for cheap money and i am going to go look at a 1976 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible if the 1 guy before me does not take it that car is for my dad if i can get it
Engine Man- I just had an AHA! moment! Last October I bought a Formula and I've been debating what to do with it. So I'm sitting here at work and I remembered that I had a spare transmission from a 2000 Passat that's been sitting in my garage for 10 years. I was going to convert my old Passat to an electric vehicle but I thought better of it and the parts that I bought are all still sitting in the garage. It just occurred to me that the Passat is FWD but longitudinally mounted which means... I HAVE A TRANSMISSION IN MY GARAGE THAT MIGHT LET ME MOUNT AN ENGINE IN MY FIERO THE RIGHT WAY!!! So I got on Pennocks and searched "VW Passat transmission" and your post came up. But I'm thinking there must be a way to make an engine adapter that will allow me to connect a 3800SC or a DOHC3.4 (or maybe Aurora 4.0 V8 though it might be too long) to the VW transmission. I'm going to go and read through your post but off the top of your head, what would be required to setup a clutch, pressure plate and TOB for a GM engine with the VW transmission?
Much props to you for forging ahead with this dream, very inspiring!
Thanks Engine Man, Good to know those folks are out there. One of the parts I have from the electric conversion is a big aluminum plate for making my own adapter plate so I'll probably use that. I suspect I'll need the clutch and TO bearing from the VW and the 88 flywheel from my Fiero?
I looked at the VW tranny that I have in my garage from a 2000 4-cylinder Passat. I measured from the flat edge of the bell housing to the centerline of the axle output and it measured 7 inches. The picture you show in your post looks like the axles bolt up almost right at the edge of the bell housing which would give you more room to put an engine in the Fiero engine bay than the transmission I have. Are there axle location differences between the 4-cyl and the 6-cyl models that would make my transmission not work for this project? I hope that makes sense, it's hard to describe. Thanks.
i am thinking of doing a longitudinal Ls engine with manual transmission no stretch by using a 1990 Acura Legend 5 speed the picture is a automatic but as you can see the differential is way forward
[This message has been edited by engine man (edited 08-08-2019).]
i did a small amount on the floor of the car today but i just have zero motivation or interest in working on the car as i walk under it all day long while it is up on a lift all week long i thought by running the engine a few weeks back it would get me back excited about it but it did not .
[This message has been edited by engine man (edited 08-11-2019).]
Well today i got up off my @ss and finished the drivers floor and seat mounting now i just need to put down seam sealer and blt the seat belts and seat in that should happen tomorrow
i did a small amount on the floor of the car today but i just have zero motivation or interest in working on the car as i walk under it all day long while it is up on a lift all week long i thought by running the engine a few weeks back it would get me back excited about it but it did not .
I've found that on personal projects, you have to go with the flow. Trying to get something done when your not into it just makes more work down the line.
Not everybody is the same, and Mark is a do-er. I find when you don't feel like doing part of a project and you push yourself to just do a little piece of it that it reinvigorates you. Some people will spend eleven years and never finish a project and just punt to a different one. That's actually how I don't get things done too.
Looking good buddy! I like what you did w the seat, was anything underneath the pan that needed to be moved? Im thinking aabout doing the same to my project. I was thinkin about the kennedy trans too but I think the ls motor will be too far back and mess w the weight of the car. Keep up the killer work!
Tomorrow's agenda is to get the tail lights in and putt the gauge pod back in and swap my doors out for the power window doors not sure i will get all that done as someone might come in and need some work done but August is a slower month due to vacations and school shopping
tail lights are mounted and gauge pod is mounted but for some reason the headlight are not working not sure why as they worked before i must have a bad connection i will have to play around with it and get them working
well today i replaced 1 door with a power window door and made bubbles in plexiglass as i screwed up one side window oh well i will buy some more plexi and then i will have to make some sort of oven to heat it to make my door windows
Dont worry I burned sooo many windows making mine. U gotta use 2 heat guns like john wayne, one on each side moving in circles to warm the plexi. I thought about making an oven, seen it done on tv w propane bbqs, has to be super clean. Cant heat the windows w the film on and they attract dust like a magnet. Im using polycarb and I couldnt get it to bend even w 2 heat guns without some bubblage. Wound up using 1/8, flimsy but got really strong after the bending.
i was thinking building a box with lid and hole sawing two holes to put 2 heat guns in trapping all the hot air getting close to the temp i need the the 2 heat guns working from bottom to top
I was thinking of tryinh the box w the bbq underneath, too much other stuff to do. Polycarbonate is better than acrylic, it doesnt shatter, is uv resistant to yellowing, and thinner poly is stronger than acrylic. It costs a bit more too and the thicknesses available are limited to 1/8" increments and not as many shade color options. Race cars use poly because it wont shatter like old style glass.
poly is stronger than acrylic but it is not as clear and scratches easier than acrylic and both are stronger than glass but glass is most resistant to scratches but acrylic can be sanded and polished to remove scratches so they all have there plus and minuses . today i put the other power window door on and got the rear lights working i might even take it for a drive this week even though it is not fully done
worked on the exhaust and got some hangers on it and then i did one of the fastback inner trim parts that needed t be cut down i have not finished it yet but it is put back together using K tool Q-bond it works great i will do the driver side trim part tomorrow then all i need to do is make sure i smooth them out with filler and paint them with trim paint
today i did the driver side fastback trim and now i just need to do all the body work them to smooth them all out then prime them and spray with trim paint
