Club's Formula Fastback

[GTRS Fiero]

LOL!  It's like changing a lightbulb.  I'd have been in the third row.  No, that's not true.  I'm usually in the way middle.

[GTRS Fiero]

Well, Sarge, it took a lot of searching, but I finally found the previous itty-bitty pic of your Fiero.  I see that the headlight doors are on.

Whose nice '70's Chevy pickup is that?

[GTRS Fiero]

The map pockets and steering wheel appear to be from earlier year Fieros.  Is that correct?

[GTRS Fiero]

I understand that additional issues were discovered with the fastback Formula.  Any details?

[GTXVette]

  Like most 40 Y O's   Sure there are some. Over all not a bad  Car Too restore.
   Theoretacle Question ?.      so I work On Mostly restored or being restored Cars "American Muscle" ,  I was talking once about what we Pay for a Paint job . And Linda said someone does their's for 1000.00 Dollars,  so it's a LARGE spread from what we Pay.
 Question is, 
    If we added up all the parts to Make (Example) The club Fast back Like a New car to Get the CLUB a Maximum Return , What do the Parts add up to.  The folks I am Familiar with Spend 20 to 50 Thousand on a Fully restored Muscle Car (Make, Model) Lots of that is Labor, But we (Gafiero)do it ourselfe's,
 So In Your mind Go through each part of a Car wnd write down ALL the parts that always Must be Replaced And 20 or 30 Little pieces that mostly get replaced, Map Pockets door latches seat covers,  NOT To Make a car that needs work But a Like New Fiero. I say 10 to 15 Grand.
Now,  What Would you Pay for a New Fiero,  25-35 Or would we lose money on the deal.
 I myself would like ya'll to Submit your List's here so we can discuss, Take a few Day's Think about the Little pieces. First list er start the thread. "Final Countdown" or some clever Title,

[Fierofool]

The only thing I can address is the other problems we found with the fastback. 

The front swaybar end links have no bushings on them.  I don't know if that's the way it was installed, or if they've rotted and fallen off, but the lower end of the bushing doesn't appear to be properly attached to the lower control arm.  The end of the link is slipped through an opening and a large washer perilously holds it in that opening.  The car most likely needs an alignment, too. 

[GTRS Fiero]

If it needs front end links, it probably needs rear end links.  I have Rodney's, but the TFS end links are probably the way to go.  May as well do the sway bar bushings while you're at it.

BTW, the TFS front sway bar bushings do not stay in place; use Rodney's.  The TFS rear sway bar bushings work fine.

Before doing an alignment, you may as well check the ball joints, control arm bushings, and tri-link bushings, if you haven't done so.  My tri-links looked good, but when we took them apart, they were done.  The new tri-links plant the rear end a lot better.

[TopNotch]

I have rubber sway bar end link bushings on my yellow car that I got at Napa. They seem to work just fine.

[GTRS Fiero]

You only replaced the bushings on your end links, or the whole end link assemblies?

I know in the '90's I purchased end links for a mazda, and had to assemble the end links and adjust the length.  I didn't like the swaybar angle at stock length, nor how the car mis-handled, so I adjusted the end links about 1/2 inch longer.  Actually, after I put a better front sway bar in that POS, added a rear sway bar, upgraded the shocks, welded the control arms for strength, upgraded the brakes, wheels, and tires, fixed the steering rack, upgraded the ball joints, upgraded the springs, welded the frame for strength, fixed the steering geometry, upgraded the bearings, upgraded the axles, and welded the uprights for strength, it was still a slow POS, but I learned that my while my welding will hold, it will never look good.  My welding isn't smooth or straight; you can see every time I hesitate, because the bead is thicker there.

[Fierofool]

The complete front end link kits are available at the auto parts stores.  Bolts, washers, spacer and bushings as a kit.  I think the only critical things are the length of the bolt and the length of the spacer. 

[GTRS Fiero]

Is there any benefit to not replacing the entire end link, bushings and all?  I got 3 of 4 out intact, over probably 6 hours' work spread out over several days.  First the fronts, then the rears.  I soaked them, then slowly, then worked on the fronts.  I didn't lift the Fiero up, so it was hard on my arms and back.  I had to rest a lot.  I did lift the rear and put it on jack stands, but almost pulled the Fiero off the stands.  The end link I broke on one end was due to impatience.  It was being stubborn, and I got tired of the soak and wait routine.  In retrospect, I'm not sure they were reusable, anyway.  The bushings were starting to deteriorate, and clearly the shafts were weakened by rust.

In the process, I discovered that up and down are not interchangeable on the end links.

My front sway bar bushings were OK, but I replaced them, anyway.  New sway bars were suddenly unavailable, or I'd have gone up one size on both.

[Fierofool]

The bolts and all are rusty and I think one of the bolts was bent, so it would be best to just replace it as a kit.

[GTXVette]

yes,  In which case the quicker you break the darn Bolts off the faster you Finish! I like my 3/8 Impact for this.

[scottb]

But a hot wrench is more funner

[GTXVette]

  Let me put this up front once again.     How Much To Fix this one up and what can the Club expect to get in return upon a Sale.