Do you have enough room there for the linkage arm? Looks tight but it may just be the angle of the photo
It's very tight, but yes I do have room. I have a couple of options on how to run the linkage bar, one way has lots of room but gets really close to the hood hinge, the other way stays clear of the hood hinge, but it'll be much more complicated to put together. My biggest problem i actually interference with the hood itself. I ended up dropping the driver's side support plate down a 1/4" and that seems to have helped...but still close.
The wipers aren't aligned in the pics, and aren't fully pushed down onto the posts, so there will actually be a little more room...but still tight. I would have been happier if I could put it an inch closer to the windshield, but there isn't room, especially once the linkage bar is considered.
The most important thing is to get the alignment correct with the windshield. Proper alignment will ensure even pressure through the full arc of travel....don't need the wiper lifting at any point.
[This message has been edited by Neils88 (edited 12-02-2024).]
The most important thing is to get the alignment correct with the windshield. Proper alignment will ensure even pressure through the full arc of travel....don't need the wiper lifting at any point.
I would not worry about proper alignment.... you do know that no matter what you do, the ONLY streak on the windshield will be right in your line of view...HAHA
I would not worry about proper alignment.... you do know that no matter what you do, the ONLY streak on the windshield will be right in your line of view...HAHA
Lol....
Ok...change in plan. Fiero wiper arms look too wimpy. Sorry to be one to have to say it... Once warmer weather comes by, I'll make a trip out to the local Kenny's Pick 'n Pull and see if I can find some arms that look more up to challenge. Of course what are the odds that they will fit the wiper posts that I have (tacked) in place? Are there any vehicles that are compatible with the post diameter and splines? I doubt I have that much luck....which means I'm stopping construction of the wiper system for now until I get new arms and posts (I'll keep using the motor I have).
Today, having put the wiper system aside for now, I carried on with some sheet metal work. I had removed a lot of material from the Fiero, and this left lots of little openings and unfinished areas. The biggest area of concern is the area around the two new A-pillars. Without lots of work, the areas are completely open to water and air coming into the inside of the car. I have now sealed up the area of the wheel well underneath the windshield and A-pillar and closed it up such that when the fiberglass roof panel gets secured in place, the upper portion of the car will be sealed. Of course the forward part of the dash will be welded in to seal the area between the A-pillars (once the wipers and HVAC have been sorted out).
[This message has been edited by Neils88 (edited 12-02-2024).]
Finished up the driver's side A-pillar. I added a full frame for the front quarter glass. Also made good progress on the passenger side...should be able to finish it up tomorrow. The downside with using flux core welding wire....lots of work to dress it up properly. All this stuff may be covered, but I just can't leave it looking a mess. I'll have to spend some time with the grinder to make it all pretty...
I also decided to do a strength test of my skull. I reached for a piece of metal stock and managed to bump a wooden crate off an upper shelf. Of course it landed on my head. ...no stitches, but lots of blood and a nice bruise. Ouch! Ok. Let's not do that again...
[This message has been edited by Neils88 (edited 12-02-2024).]
A little fiberglass work today. This is the scuff plate that goes under the rocker panel. Once it cures, I'll trim the edges and cut a couple of openings; one for extra airflow to radiator and a second for drainage after the radiator.
[This message has been edited by Neils88 (edited 12-02-2024).]
With all that fiberglass and filler, you probably can never walk into your garage without a full breathing apparatus on It would drive me nuts to have that much debris dust on everything all the time. Still do great work though.
With all that fiberglass and filler, you probably can never walk into your garage without a full breathing apparatus on It would drive me nuts to have that much debris dust on everything all the time. Still do great work though.
I'm normally a neat freak....so you can't imagine how much my garage bugs me. Too small to keep tidy, and yes, that layer of dust over everything drives me nuts! I am really looking forward to the day the bodywork is finished so I can scrub everything down.
I popped the bottom panel out of the mold today, but never had a chance to do anything with it yet. Tomorrow I'll try to get everything trimmed and the holes cut.
[This message has been edited by Neils88 (edited 12-02-2024).]
I took some time trimming the edges of the driver's side bottom panel. I left the outer edge until I get the panel properly secured. The edge of the panel will slot into a groove along the bottom of the rocker panel, so I'll make sure the panel is properly in place before I try to trim it to fit. I drilled a series of holes in the bottom of the rocker frame and used the panel adhesive to secure the bonding bolts to the panel, with them sitting in the holes to ensure they are lined up properly. I cut the rear vent holes as well, but still need to do some finish filing before I put the vent grills in place. I have to decide how I'm going to secure the grills....I could use the panel adhesive and make them permanent, or I could rig up some securing mechanism to allow the grills to be removed if needed....just not sure why I'd ever want to remove them...
[This message has been edited by Neils88 (edited 12-02-2024).]
Minor work done today. I managed to break off one of the bonding bolts on the bottom panel. Damn. Easy fix, but it'll have to wait until I'm ready to use another nozzle for the adhesive applicator gun. They're not that cheap and I don't want to use up one nozzle for a single bolt...so I'll wait until I'm ready to bond a bunch of panel bolts. I finished filing the vent holes in the panel, making them nice and square. I have to install the forward OEM vent tunnel...but it will involve a lot of alignment and fiberglassing, which I wasn't in the mood for today. I did however finally order a number of items to finish up the mechanics of the door post...all needed before I can seal up the rocker panel area (door poppers, locks, emergency release handles etc).
Lot's of progress today. A lot of metal had been cut from the lower part of the B-pillar while fitting the panels and creating the framing for the door opening and support. Due to the material being removed, and the placement of the new door opening with respect to the original Fiero door opening there is a lot of open space around the pillar. I spent the day rebuilding the pillar to match the new opening and seal up the opening to make everything weather tight.
[This message has been edited by Neils88 (edited 12-02-2024).]
Now that I am sealing up the B-pillar and getting ready to start getting panels put in place, I have to deal with the door lock mechanism. The car uses poppers with OEM electronic switches on the door. The interior handles are mechanically connected to the latch so you don't get locked in should the battery fail (but hey...I've you have to be stuck somewhere, where better than in a Lamborghini ) Of course, if you are outside of the car and the battery fails, there has to be a way to get into the car. Keeping with the OEM method, there is a small cover plate that is just behind the door (in from of the main side vent). Since the panel curves out at the top, it is actually slightly hidden from view. If you pull this little cover plate off, you have access to a small mechanical release handle and a mechanical lock.
I wasn't able to buy the OEM Aventador system, so I made my own box with handle and lock. I still need to strip it apart and paint it. I'll add a bracket and secure it to the frame, but make it removable to help if I need to remove the main latch mechanism. I next have to add the popper, interior handle, lock and connect all the cabling. I also have to adjust the opening slightly and smooth it out. I'll have to make a router jig to help make the perfect cut.
[This message has been edited by Neils88 (edited 12-02-2024).]
I spent about 5 hours at the Pick n Pull today picking up what I need. Why is it secret you ask? That way when I crash and burn with the project I can make up all kind of lies and not admit to what I was trying to do... Hopefully I'll have a good idea tomorrow if this will work or not. Now off to look for a wiring diagram....
Ok...time to let you all in on the secret project I've been working on... (I've held you all in suspense long enough...)
Despite people here telling me not to attempt this, I decided to go ahead and upgrade the HVAC system to a non-Fiero system. My Fiero did not have AC and being a summer driven car, it is definitely a required feature. One option was to simply swap out the Fiero heater unit to a Fiero AC unit, but there were several factors that made this a bad choice. First of all, because of all the metal removed from the dash area, I have a structural beam that lays over top of the existing HVAC system output. Trying to get air out of it nicely just really wasn't an option. Secondly, I plan on integrating the HVAC system with an OEM Aventador HVAC control system, and while I could automate the cable system of a Fiero, it would be expensive and not a simple option. Lastly, since the windshield on my build has been moved about 2 feet forward, it is very difficult to get the defrost output anywhere near where it needs be.
So....against eveyone's advice...I decided to install the full HVAC system from a 2004 Grand Prix. Be aware...this is not a project for the faint of heart! (...but I'm not the first to install something like this)
Less text...more pics....
So this is the stock heater unit in place. Note the new windshield line several feet forward.
Here you can see how the top of the existing unit is blocked by the structural beam.
So...off to the local Pick 'n Pull....this is what a 2004 Grand Prix looks like once you tear out...everything.... (I purchased the full heater/AC box, ducting, controller and cabling for $50 Cdn. )
Once the Fiero system is removed, this is the nice opening that you are left with...
Unfortunately I forgot to take some good pics of the 2004 Grand Prix HVAC system before "preparing it"...but this is what it looked like before I made a critical cut...
So, of course a Fiero and a Grand Prix are far from compatible. I couldn't use the whole system without major alterations. The major change is that I need to separate the main unit from the blower motor.
Now that I have some space and a smaller unit to deal with, I test fit it in place...
You can see that the floor vents actually sit in the perfect location...
Lots of room around the unit, so I know I'm on the right track with this...
I also decided to remove a little extra metal from the dash. The flat section between the firewall and the new structural beam have now been removed to make room for the new duct work that will eventually find its way there. No structural concerns, since the whole dash between the bottom of the windshield and the firewall will be connected with an 18 gauge sheet metal plate. The structure will actually be quite beefy. You can see in the pic that I've also started to box in the HVAC unit. Essentially the HVAC unit sits inside the car...the housing is completely sealed externally and only opens through the firewall.
The unit will sit in a box that can be opened from the front. The cover plate can be removed (after removing the forward trunk box) and the whole HVAC system pulled out very quickly. This makes life simple if I ever need to replace the evaporator, the heater core, actuators, etc....
Here's the box with the unit removed....
Lastly...here's a pic showing the air distribution ducting starting to be built up...
The front part of the air distribution ducting splits in 3 parts, driver's side and passenger's side vents, plus the central vents. The forward opening is the defrost system, and will have the main windshield defrost vents (basically right above) and two side ducts that will run through hoses to the side window defrost vents. Of course the floor vents are already in place. I was planning on using the oem Grand Prix duct work (cut and glued as required) but will likely just use some HVAC flex hose (from Summit Racing) since it is easier to work with.
The blower motor (to be installed shortly) fits just behind the glove box with a duct connecting the blower output and the main unit that runs down the side of the main unit housing. The fresh air intake is located at the firewall and will be protected with a small "tortuous path" system to remove any water and a grating to protect from debris.
The oem Grand Prix controller uses a single wire DLC data communication system from the BCM. I have no intention of trying to decipher the data between the BCM and the HVAC controller since I have no intention of using it anyway. Instead, I have set up an Arduino controller (with full DAQ capability), using an Adafruit 4 channel motor controller connected to the individual vent actuators and the blower motor controller. From testing, I have full control of all features of the HVAC system, but do still need to finish writing the software to set the vent positions at the various switch positions. Since everything worked perfectly during testing, I'll hold off on finalizing this until I'm working on the cars electrical system.
Hopefully in the next couple of days, I will have the air distribution box finished and the dash closed up from the firewall to the bottom of the windshield. The last two key parts will be to install the blower and the ducts.
[This message has been edited by Neils88 (edited 12-02-2024).]
Hey wait...not everyone recommended you stay with the fiero set up....hmmmmmm
ok seriously, this is looking good.... the next project is moving that master cylinder forward... really going to suck if you ever need to add fluid or even replace it....
Originally posted by GlennGdman: the next project is moving that master cylinder forward... really going to suck if you ever need to add fluid or even replace it....
I actually looked at that very closely. First, I checked that I can reach every bolt from the front with the trunk removed. Filling the reservoir won't be easy, but I plan on building a funnel specifically designed to make it manageable. Moving the clutch master cylinder is just not an option. I'm comfortable that I'll be able to deal with this. I even have a small boroscope so I can see everything easily...bought specifically to make life easier for working in that area.
Great stuff, Neil. Any reason you chose the GP HVAC over something else? Even a vintage Air setup (other than cost)?
Bob
I looked at the shape / size of pretty well every system available. I ended up going with the Grand Prix unit for several reasons. First, I wanted to stick with something that would be readily available from the Pick n Pull that I use. Parts for the Grand Prix are relatively cheap should I want to buy parts new, but easy to find at the yard if necessary. The unit is actually one of the more compact units, and with the blower separated, it fit the space that I had available really well. The configuration of actuators and the blower controller were also very simple for me to connect and control using my own Arduino controller. I looked at the Vintage Air system (and several other similar systems). They had a few advantages...but the cost was definitely too high. Admittedly, the Vintage Air system might have been a little simpler to install, but there would be fabrication work either way. Weighing all the options, once the housing is complete, I think the Grand Prix unit is far superior. (...and labor is free )
I managed to finish putting together the air distribution manifold. Just needs a cover plate on top and then a rear plate to attach the duct flex hoses (which I still have to order).
[This message has been edited by Neils88 (edited 12-02-2024).]
Slow day today. I didn't get as much done as I had originally planned. I did manage to get the the cover plates put onto the air distribution manifold. That includes an opening for the windshield defrost that will be hooked up once the actual dash gets put in place. Side window defrosts are now routed to the rear edge of the manifold, along with the driver's and passenger's middle and side vents. I still need to make the panel that closes the rear opening of the distribution manifold and allows the duct hosing to be hooked up. I ordered the necessary ducting from Summit Racing (2 sizes...2.5" for the vents and 1.5" for the side window defrost), and will make the final panel once it shows up.
[This message has been edited by Neils88 (edited 12-02-2024).]
Because of the location where I had cut the main housing in half to separate the blower motor, the blower motor housing didn't have anything holding it together other than two clips at one end. After demonstrating my skill with a drill, I installed a single bolt at the other end. The housing is now secured and ready to be installed. Time to take a break.
The hose ducting came in today. I made the connectors for the various outlets (driver and passenger main panel vents, side panel vents and side window defrost). I'll weld it all up tomorrow and create the outlet panel.
[This message has been edited by Neils88 (edited 12-02-2024).]
Lol...I guess that was obvious. Actually, I made those by rolling sheets of 18 gauge steel to the right diameter...sort of...actually making the larger ones oval to fit the space better. The defrost tubing isn't as flexible so those have to be round.
Once warmer weather comes by, I'll make a trip out to the local Kenny's Pick 'n Pull and see if I can find some arms that look more up to challenge. Of course what are the odds that they will fit the wiper posts that I have (tacked) in place? Are there any vehicles that are compatible with the post diameter and splines? I doubt I have that much luck....which means I'm stopping construction of the wiper system for now until I get new arms and posts (I'll keep using the motor I have).
...no stitches, but lots of blood and a nice bruise. Ouch! 
....and I managed to do it without dropping anymore heavy weights on my head...
It would drive me nuts to have that much debris dust on everything all the time. Still do great work though.
Hopefully I'll have a good idea tomorrow if this will work or not. Now off to look for a wiring diagram....
)
