Messages

1

The Market / Re: need a cpuple things

« on: September 23, 2015, 01:08:02 pm »

that is fine for now, as long as it has orange lighting.    The one in my SE has orange except for a green display ehich drives me crazy.   A newer one would be nice but honestly I never listen to CDs I use my Iphone and an FM transmitter

2

Tech Tips, Tech Questions / Re: wider rear tires

« on: September 23, 2015, 01:04:24 pm »

thank you for the info
I will check on prices and see what I can afford at the moment

3

General Fiero Discussion / Re: Have you seen a Fiero today?

« on: September 23, 2015, 02:26:46 am »

I as at the fall rod runs in Pigeon Forge Thursday through Sunday. I saw one black one fastback with no wing going the opposite direction. Since most people just cruise up the strip and turn around. I pulled onto a lot and waited for anout an hour.  never saw it again.
I did have to tell several people what kind of car mine was.   

4

Tech Tips, Tech Questions / Re: wider rear tires

« on: September 23, 2015, 02:15:41 am »

looks like I will end up getting a set of coilovers.
Anyone know the best place to get them.   
I have a set of corvette wheels but the bolt pattern is not the same.
Looks like I will be getting a set of wheels and tires.
I would like something on the rear as wide as possible but want to keep the front a couple inches narrower
I want to stagger the wheel size also with 18s on the rear and 17s on the front.

5

General Fiero Discussion / Re: anyone know anything about this Fiero

« on: September 23, 2015, 02:09:06 am »

It definitely has more power than the car can handle as it is right now.
I took it down to an airport runway that is closed at night but a buddy is part owner and I am allowed to take a car down there every once in a while as long as I do not make a habit of it.
I put it through some tough turns and the rear got loose several times.
I put it into a sharper turn at about 90 and the rear end passed the front so I dropped a gear and gunned it and headed the other way.  Any faster and it would have been more than a 180  degree slip.
The narrow tires do not have the grip needed for the power of the engine.

For the record I had a helmet as well as a 5 point harness on.
I have a bad habit of wanting to push any car I own to its limit just to see what it can do.

6

The Market / Re: need a cpuple things

« on: September 23, 2015, 01:55:11 am »

1.  The luggage rack was specific to the Fiero.  Strips from others won't match up in length or mounting attachments.  That's because the spacing has to clear the reinforcement ribs underneath the lid.  The only source is from another Fiero.  Once you locate them, I can help you source the well nuts needed to attach it to the deck lid. 

2.  I have an OEM radio with volume and tune knobs, equalizer and cassette player.  $20 and shipping.

4.  Turn signal cam and springs are available at Advance.  They're shown in the side bar in the link below.  Dorman products.  Most parts stores carry the Dorman line.  The horn ring is used on many GM vehicles.  It's not listed for the Fiero but the S10 uses it.  The white one is for tilt columns, the green for non-tilt.  http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/dorman-help-turn-signal-cam-83232/17190463-P# I know it says it won't fit a Fiero, but it does.  I have two in use at the present time.

5.  The fiberglass headliner board is common to all Fieros.  The only variation is with or without sunroof and the later model with the 3rd brake light.  The fabric to cover the fiberglass board can be found at Hancock Fabrics.  Almost a perfect match for the stock color, and it's really really cheap.  Cracked boards can be taped on the upper side with Duct Tape or Gorilla Tape to keep sections together, then using a bristle brush, lightly brush all the loose material off the surface where the fabric glues to.  It takes less than 2 yards of fabric to completely do a headliner.  There's no special mounting hardware except on the sunroof models, there's a welting that presses into a body groove to hold the edges of the fabric.  That welting is available at The Fiero Store.  They also have an ABS headliner that can be installed as is or with fabric.  Removing the side trim, especially along the A-pillar is touchy.  The tabs built onto the back can be easily broken off, if not careful.

thanks for the info.
Do you have an estimate for shipping the radio?  The zip is 37877
It is for a Pontiac correct?  I have always loved the orange dash and instrument lights on Pontiac's
The one in it now all works except the display that shows time and station.   I can hold a flashlight to it and read it to set the presets but would rather have a working one.
 
The radio is the only thing for the GT   The rest of the stuff in for the SE that is not being driven at the moment
I went to move it yesterday and a starter bolt broke off.
IT will be a few weeks for I can fool with it anymore.
I think that car hates me.    The sad thing is when it is running it has a higher top end speed than the V6 GT.
It may take it 5 times as long to get up there but when it does I can coach 125 to 130 from it  but the V6 would be hitting the limiter at 120 ith the tach past the 8000 redline.

7

General Fiero Discussion / Re: anyone know anything about this Fiero

« on: September 21, 2015, 08:16:08 pm »

I'm happy that you got this car, and that it's a good one. (I knew not much about it, other than his thread on Pennocks.)
I'm also encouraged hearing about how much power the swap has, since I am planning something similar.

The engine in the car as it is right now has too much power.    It either needs a much higher gear ratio or a very wide soft rear tire.  If I could get it to hook up and not just burn the rubber I could really take the smiles off most of the mustangs and stock C4 and some C5 Vettes in a 1/8 maybe 1/4 but my top speed can be 140 in 5th and that is hitting the rev limiter which I think is 8600-9000 RPM which it has no problem doing that is with my far @$$ in it.
Put a skinney guy in it and it would no doubt go faster.   I am considering buying as several sand bags and weighing the rear don more to try and get a better grip till I figure something else out.    as far as looks, the engine looks natural back there but it has a nice sound that I was surprised to hear  coming from a V6.  Not as mean sounding as my vetter with headers and straight pipes back to the quad tip borla mufflers.   The interior is pretty nice with a new headliner and seats reupholstered.  there are some crack in the lower part of the driver side dash near the Vent             
I personally would like a higher gear for gas and top end speed.

8

Tech Tips, Tech Questions / wider rear tires

« on: September 21, 2015, 02:35:45 am »

Anyone know what the widest rear tires I can fit without making any mods to the car?
I would like to use 18" wheels and low profile tires.  maybe 17's on the front but not as wide.
The 86GT I bought with the LX9 engine will not hook up with the stock tires.  All I do is burn the rubber off sitting still if I try an aggressive start, gets sideways going to 2nd and barks them in 3rd.

It is geared too low really.  I may have to try and find something with a much higher gear.  Right now it is redlined at 8000RPM at around 120MPH   My 4cyl SE has a higher top end speed.

9

The Market / need a cpuple things

« on: September 21, 2015, 02:27:56 am »

I need a couple things, checking to see if anyone has them and their asking price.

1st.   The strips used for a luggage rack on cars without the spoiler.  I need the strips and attaching screws/nuts/washers/seals ect.....

2nd.  An OEM style radio from a Pontiac cause of the orange lights that I really like I want one of the higher end ones with the EQ and cassette.   I have saw a couple with Cassette and CD's both but I think they came from newer cars.  The ones I have saw were in a Grand Prix and a Firebird.

3rd.  Steering wheel like in the GT, with a round horn button

4th  Turn signal cam with the horn button, I also need springs and other hardware that goes in the turn signal cam I think it is 2 small springs and 2 small metal strips. (I think I can get the cam at autozone but not the horn button)

5th   Headliner for the 86se   right now it has nothing but bare fiberglass. so I need any special mounting hardware that is needed to install it if there is any.

Message me back or email jeffilson34@hotmail.com if you have any of the above for sale and your price plus shipping to the 37877 zip code

10

The Market / Re: 87-88 headlight system

« on: September 21, 2015, 02:12:06 am »

if you still have them if and after I get the rear harness in my SE correct I want them. 
I just do not want to put too much cash into it till I get the wiring issues in the rear corrected

11

Club News / Re: Re: 20TH ANNIVERSARY RUN FOR THE HILLS PICTURES

« on: September 21, 2015, 02:06:45 am »

I can not believe I missed this.  I was thinking it was next week.   I have been doing other stuff and not had time to get on the computer in the last week much.   
I bought  an 86FT with a LX9 V6 in it and have been playing around in it in my spare time.   
I got the SE with the wiring issues working well enough to drive,  I had planned on hooking up with you guys at the dragon, my wife was going to be driving the SE because it is an automatic and she hates stick shifts.
The rod runs were in pigeon forge this past weekend and we always have a room there but I would have still met up at the dragon.  I could have crossed the mountain into Cherokee NC and the drive to the dragon is not that far from there.

12

General Fiero Discussion / Re: anyone know anything about this Fiero

« on: September 21, 2015, 01:56:26 am »

I bought it last week.   the paint job is a bit cheap but everything else is done very well
It runs much better than I expected.  The power it has took getting used to.  I squealed the tires several times the day I got it.
I am very happy with it
 I have owned 6 Fieros,  two 87GT's (2008-2010 traded one for a Vette and the other caught fire and burned the right front  from nose to windshield.   We were on vacation  and had been gone for 3 days when it caught fire. No one including insurance investigators or police arson could find a cause.  Caught fire in the middle of the day and when I got home and put the key in she started up and the engine sounded fine)  an 86 2m4 (actually my 1st what I call real  car back in 1987 I had a few junkers like a 71 maverick that was more rust than car before ) an 84 base (bought it cheap back in 1990 and did some body work, replaced a fender and a cheap paint job then sold it for a nice profit.  I also currently own an 86 SE 4cyl that that had and still has some of worst redneck engineering I have ever saw.
I have tried off and on for a month to get it right. and still it only half works.  I unhook the battery every time I park it because I just know I will come out and see it in flames.  See my other posts about it.
Back to this one.  I am very impressed with his work in getting everything to work.  Not to mention the power.  It took me a while to get used to it after having driven the others.  I smoked the tires several times not to mention hitting the rev limiter accidentally a few times  not just in 1st gear but in 2nd and 3rd.
I am a big guy and add extra weight to it but it still pulls up fairly steep hills in 5th without any problems. 
There is no doubt in my mind that if it had much wider tires on it so that it would hook up it would embarrass my c5 vette that has well over 400HP.
 When I did a burnout meaning to, just to see what it would do, it would hit the limiter while smoking the tires with very little forward movement and my foot off the brake the whole time. 
I may look into trying to put a higher gear in it because now in 1st it hits the limiter before making it halfway across an intersection,
I had it in Pigeon Forge this past weekend for the rod runs and it got lots of attention.  Just listing to people walk by it not letting on that I owned it I was surprised at how many younger people did not know what it was.  Most thought it was a newer Honda or Toyota at 1st then they saw antique tags on it and I heard more than one say that there was no way that new of a car qualified for antique tags.

13

Tech Tips, Tech Questions / Re: really odd electrical issues tonight

« on: September 15, 2015, 01:46:21 am »

The car only has 85,xxx miles and that is actual according to car fax.
I think I know why, it can only be driven about 50 miles before spending 2 days trying to figure out what is wrong with the electrical system.
 Seriously I think the only hope for it is a custom wiring harness.  Doing one component at a time and triple checking it before permanently  installing it.
I have had 3 friends that have worked on cars most their life, one of them works at a place that customizes anything from cars to motor-homes  doing most of the wiring on the installs, he spent over 8 hours on it labeling wires after tracking them to their source with a probe that would beep when he found the  correct wire.  after he finished some of it worked and some did not.  Some of the wires that showed continuity did not after we put the battery back in and drove it around the block.   
He thinks there is some wires somewhere that have rubbed something and are grounding out on the frame or each other somewhere.   But he is open to it being haunted and suggested an exorcist.

I dropped it off at a local repair shop today because after all the wiring issues the frigging thing broke a starter bolt I do not have the tools nor a lift to get it up high enough to get the broken one out.  Plus he is going to look at the wireing harness.   He has access to all the schematics and diagrams through some service  on the web that he pays for monthly.  He said he can put the VIN number in and should be able to get the correct diagram.  I have a feeling it will not be as easy as he thinks. 

Good thing is I am heading to Charlotte  to look at and possible but an 86GT.  If I get it and it runs well after a month I may try and sell the SE wiith all the lighting issues.  Anyone want to make an offer?

14

Tech Tips, Tech Questions / Re: really odd electrical issues tonight

« on: September 14, 2015, 12:24:59 pm »

LOL   
I would not know because I stopped and tried to figure out things several times.
Think I will call MUFON and see if there were any reports of UFOs in my area.  Although they were not very happy with me a while back when a semi private video of mine was taken and edited and used as what was said was proof of UFO's
http://www.isaackoi.com/ufo-videos/koi-ufo-video-096.html

It really was odd though.   I mean nothing but static on AM and FM.   AT night I normally can pick up several AM stations from cities very far away.  I get 1510 from Nashville very clear about an after after sunset every night alomg with a station from New York and one from Chicago.   My Phone also had no signal but that I attributed to the rural area I was in was nothing but farm fields with the occasional building or farmhouse.

The radio has worked fine since then.  It was raining and I could see lightning lighting up the sky off in the distance.   Maybe it was not Lightning.    (insert X-files music here)

15

General Fiero Discussion / Re: anyone know anything about this Fiero

« on: September 14, 2015, 01:08:19 am »

I was or am but I can not find one in my price range that is worth buying.   That one has a pretty well documented engine  swap and brake upgrade.

The handling and suspension on an 88 may be better but even though the older years were based on older cars not meant to be sports cars, just the nature of the way the Fieros are set up makes them great handling cars.   The only things I have driven with better handling are a C5 Corvette and a Sprint cup car at Daytona  which could easily go up or down the track in the corners at 180MPH and not even feel loose.    Never had the Vette at Daytona but I did have it at Bristol where 125 through the turns  was easy on the car but almost broke my neck trying to hold my head straight.
The spring cup car my head could not move more than an inch in any direction because of the safety straps and seat.