So I had been carrying around a "spare" since one of my tires was questionable... though brand new... and it got me to thinking, has anyone attempted to enlarge the front compartment to carry a full size spare? Mine was 13 while the tires I had on were 14. Is there enough room to drop the panel down that the spare sits on to accomodate a tire of that size?
Or...
Would it be better to carry a tire that size in the rear and modify the front compartment to act more like a trunk rather than carrying a spare? I know you would want as much weight in the front as possible, but does the factory spare even make that much difference? I haven't really ever noticed. To be honest, carrying a larger tire in the rear makes sense on a few levels:
1: you wouldn't have to look at the engine to get your milk
2: A larger tire is always better than a spare (though this 13" is quite noticeable in terms of handling)
3: The front is bigger anyway and could be carpeted really easy to cover the other components
4: Even with the tire in the rear, you'd still have some room for items to carry besides the jack
If this is a possible project, could this be something others would be interested in?
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04:14 PM
PFF
System Bot
Unsafe At Any Speed Member
Posts: 2299 From: Cheyenne, WY Registered: Feb 2003
I thought about it. I get jealous everytime I see a Porsche Boxter/Porsche Cayman load up at a hotel. They have 2 trunks. :jealous:
Just using MINI "goo" instead of a spare.*
here is the Pontiac G6 version:
yes it does not protect you all the time, but it'll get you home most of the time. Besides people with big brake kits can't use the stock spare anyways. So it's pretty much a papeweight.
For the blowouts that the goo won't fix, there is always AAA. (which probably most Fiero owners consider roadside "insurance" )
For even more front trunk space (more work): One could probably gain an even bigger front trunk "tub" by removing the center radiator and installing Porsche style twin smaller radiators.
Or one could route the air that would go under the car (reason why the Fiero trunk is shaped the way it is) through a hood scoop. Then the trunk can be flat like in the Fiero mockup. (before Pontiac had a prototype.) Sorry don't have pictures of the book scanned.
Keep in mind, the Fiero depends on some air routed underneath the car to cool the engine. (you'll probably have to add bigger side scoops to bring in fresh air from the side behind the doors then.)
I still don't know if the Fiero spare tire serves as accident protection. (I think the jury is still out on that one.) Do people have pictures of heavy front end damage, where one can tell if/and how the tire is deformed. (i.e.: surprise meets with trees, or other cars. ) Maybe that would help.
____________ * The "goo" works much better than the crappy spray can stuff sold at gas stations. (The gas station version is 0 for 2 so far from personal experience, as it didn't seal the leaks enough for me to get home.) MINI Cooper owners found the "goo" to be a much better alternative to the expensive (and un-patch-able) runflat tyres (it's "British" ) I think the '07 and up version have the "goo" now instead factory runflats. (many other manufacturers followed the same route, as runflats are expensive and the ride is VERY harsh. Most customers hated it, and some didn't buy the cars. They blamed the car itself for the harsh ride. )
[This message has been edited by Austrian Import (edited 11-16-2008).]
Spare removed, insert extra large can of non-flammable flat fix, insert AAA card in wallet, insert well-equipped tool bag and OEM shop manual in place of spare, and never leave home without a fully charged cell phone. Never had a problem that any of that couldn't handle.
lol, I'm not worried so much about getting stuck, I'm thinking about this as a way to make something different for the car becuase it seems like such a waste of space up front and there's more than enough room for a full size tire.
My problems though, I can get towing on my insurance, but what's the sense in being stranded if you don't have a way to call anyone (cell phones don't always work everywhere and it could be up north somewhere with no phones... and yes I've been that far north), also, anything to fix a flat doesn't work in the winter becuase the contents freeze and running the car to try an unthaw it would just waste gas. I'd prefer a full size spare becuase getting a new tire isn't always an instant solution when you don't have the funds at that moment and a spare is only temporary.
I can picture modifying the rear to hold a tire in place, hold a jack, and still have room for small things in the rear and have more room up front to carry things... maybe not a whole lot more, but every few inches in these cars counts toward something.
99% of the flats I have had I was able to deal with on the side of the road with a pair of dykes, a plug kits, and a portable air compressor plugged into the cigarette lighter. The other 1%, AAA worked out fine.
?? sorry, whats the point of your post? I think i missed something.
quote
Originally posted by Austrian Import: I still don't know if the Fiero spare tire serves as accident protection. (I think the jury is still out on that one.) Do people have pictures of heavy front end damage, where one can tell if/and how the tire is deformed. (i.e.: surprise meets with trees, or other cars. ) Maybe that would help.
[This message has been edited by Hudini (edited 11-16-2008).]
I say GOO, all the way. Save space, reduce weight. And if you don't mind the occasion for a bit of exercise, just keep a mini hand tire pump instead of a compressor, also less weight and potentially smaller.
-Michael
------------------ "A guy know's he's in love when he loses interest in his car for a few days." -Tim Allen
I have thought about this as well and my current idea is to redo the front trunk so that the spare would lay flat(er) and also put the battery low in the front (for more even weight distribution). This would be accomplished by removing the current plastic liner that directs air coming through the radiator downwards and replace the angled portion with a part that would angle forwards to the bottom of the radiator and add a hood vent for radiator air to flow through.
My intent would be twofold: more forward weight, and lower CG (put the battery as low as possible) and improve aero by reducing the front end lift the shape of the front trunk causes. I am not concerned with a full size spare since my Formula specs different rims and tires F/R so I'd really need two. I'll just get home on the doughnut and get the tire fixed/replaced. However, you could take the same principle, leave the battery in the stock location and put the spare in the back if you want to focus more on storage space.
------------------ '88 Formula. 2800/automatic
The rest of the garage: '92 LeBaron sedan: 3.0V6/5sp '77 Camaro: 350/4sp '71 Fiat Spider: 1800/5sp '71 Mercedes 220D: 2.2L/4sp '70 DeVille: 472ci/TH400 '62 DeVille: 390ci/Hydramatic Jetaway
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03:13 PM
Nov 18th, 2008
Fierology Member
Posts: 1195 From: Eastern Tennessee Registered: Dec 2006
Somewhere someone mentioned that the air that rushes under the car is intended to cool the engine when it gets to the back. If this is how it functions, directing and air away w/o giving another source for the engine might mess w/ cooling. Personally, I'm not sure this makes so much sense, but it's good to consider.
The spare weights almost as much as a battery,, I do not think my 15 inch tire would fit in the rear trunk,,not sure about 14 steel rim?? for around town fix a flat,needle nose or diagonal cutters, plug kit & small harbour freight compressor will do.. you do need one of the lite weight japanese jacks they come in mazda 626 and other cars ,it looks like 1/2 a jack!! but is small and compact, lite weight,, you store kit behind passenger seat.or in area where the jack normally is.. inside a bag purchased at thrift store.. the jack is just to lift pressure from tire making it easier to inflate,on a long trip you should have a spare ..in case you have a flat in flying bat or zombie country and need to exit as quickly as possible some nissan trucks & cars from the 80,s have a tough sissor jack ,it has a top piece that fits the fiero jack lift most excellent when you run with out a spare , you should have good tires You can eliminate compressor & jack and carry 2 cans of fix a flat and hope for the best
Somewhere someone mentioned that the air that rushes under the car is intended to cool the engine when it gets to the back. If this is how it functions, directing and air away w/o giving another source for the engine might mess w/ cooling. Personally, I'm not sure this makes so much sense, but it's good to consider.
-Michael
I always thought the radiator was there to cool the engine? Haven't had the Fiero for long, but just looking at the shape of the car, the low pressure zone behind the rear glass should pull air up and through the engine compartment grilles regardless. It's not like there will be no air under the car with a hood vent. At worst, one could rig up a small fan for the engine bay hooked to a thermostatic switch like the MR2 used.
I'll probably find out first with my daily driver, it is front engined, but I am contemplating a ducted hood vent for it as well for the same aero reasons as on a Fiero. (less drag, less front end lift)
I've heard that as well. But just how much air really cools it? I'm not even sure you need a fan on the radiator... either my fan doesn't work or the extra distance the coolant travels is enough to cool, but I have never had my fan turn on, I just don't think it works becuase it won't spin very easy. My temp stays constant and has never overheated, even on hot days. Also, since I'm running a 4cyl, maybe it doesn't require much to cool as maybe a 6cyl?
Originally posted by cujoe_da_man: I'm not even sure you need a fan on the radiator...
The fan is only needed when stopped in traffic. When you are moving at anything more than about 20mph, the motion of the car get more air through the radiator than the fan will. Not having the radiator next to a hot engine has to help as well (how close is the exhaust to the radiator in most FWD cars?)
)
) I think the '07 and up version have the "goo" now instead factory runflats. (many other manufacturers followed the same route, as runflats are expensive and the ride is VERY harsh. Most customers hated it, and some didn't buy the cars. They blamed the car itself for the harsh ride. )
