1986 Fiero
Black w/ silver skirt
Mostly complete 3800 (L67) swap w/ 4t64eHD
In McDonough GA
Lots of little things, I guess the most major is the following:
(the good stuff, I guess)
3800 Series II from 2001 Bonneville w/ 76,000 miles on it (was running strong when pulled)
Custom axles
Custom engine mounts
Custom wiring
Custom exhaust (borla XR1 @ $145 x2 w/ chrome tips @ $60 x2. I'll be honest it is a little rough in spots, the welds are good but I didn't do a good job as far as flow is concerned in two areas. The mufflers and tips can be salvaged though, there is plenty of material left)
Walbro 255lph pump
Optima red top
Custom mail-in tune by Ryan from Sinister
West coast fiero's custom shifter bracket
Rust free car
(the not so good)
Rod Knock
No interior past seats and gauge pods (I have the pieces but they aren't worth using I don't think)
5 year old tires (still hold air and don't show any dry rot, they were brand new with about 50 miles on them when I started working on the car)
Stock gauges, don't think the oil PSI gauge is to be trusted
I've got a lot of time and love in this car. It was my first project car and unfortunately life is calling me in another direction I think. I love to tinker but I just can't find the time and funds to do it the way I want and it's gone from hobby to chore for me. I've had the car for 6 years, I drove a year with the 2.8 and 3sp auto and decided I wanted more. I, like many of you, fell in love with the platform, styling, and uniqueness of the fiero so I stuck with it and decided to try my hand at a swap.
I spent the next years pulling the 2.8, building my own axles (had to have one half shaft machined for me), figuring out all the wiring and little things associated with a swap. I was generally lazy through out the process only finding a little time here and there between school and work to put time in on it. I eventually finished everything, got it running about a year ago. I'd driven it for about 3 hours before I finally got all the little things buttoned up and put insurance on it and got the title transferred into my name (it had been in my mom's name for years since when I originally got it I was living with her and on her insurance) only a couple months ago.
The weekend I got insurance I took it for a drive with my wife for about an hour. I had changed the oil several times at this point just because I'd had the lower-intake & supercharger off at one time and it had been sitting a lot over the years. I'd say I was on my 3rd or 4th oil & filter change. Generally changed it every time I drove it around the neighborhood or had it running for any significant time. Anyways I noticed the oil pressure was a little higher than normal, around 65-70psi when cold when normally it was around 55-60psi. I'd been told that the l67 uses a high pressure-low flow system and that high oil pressure was pretty normal so I decided not to pay much attention which was my mistake. I let it warm up and it went down to about 50-55 when normally it's around 30-40ish. We went on our drive anyway and I noticed it spiking to 80psi a lot when I got in the gas. When we got back to the house I decided to change the oil since I had some around and an extra filter on hand. Then I cranked it back up and pretty much had the same experience. I figured everything was ok since nothing had happened and I let it idle for awhile while I wiped it down and waited for a friend to come over.
My buddy got there and we were headed to a house-warming party about an hour and a half away and I planned to take my baby on her first adventure. Well only about 10 minutes into my drive I heard knocking. I knew what it was right away since I've had rod-knock in two other cars (both brought back from the grave) so I am pretty familiar with it. I pulled over and had the car towed home. I found metal shavings in the oil. I was profoundly depressed and still am. I haven't moved the car since they put it in my garage.
I am unsure what caused the oiling issue. At least I am fairly sure it was oiling. The engine is stock beyond intake and exhaust. I don't have a wide band on it so I don't know if it might have detonated or something similar. I am fairly sure it didn't as it sounded really healthy before the knock.
Here's a few pictures of the car and two videos of the car running below.
(when I first got it)
A sample of one of the mounts I made:
Before the first drive I took
How the engine sits in the bay
The day I trashed a bearing
10:30 mark is when I started hearing and and if you watch till around the 11 minute mark when I pull in the gas station you can hear it really well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-83XzNTO3yo#t=83sWhen I first got the car running again, this is without exhaust. The smoke in video is thanks to the car sitting for 5 years without running a whole lot. Lots of gunk, dust, dead moths & spiders and such behind the exhaust heat shields and everywhere else
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzO1d7q3rf0#t=19sI know some people might feel that $4,500 is a lot to ask for a non-running car that you can pick up for a couple hundred bucks. You have to understand I bought the car 6 years ago for $3,500, I paid through the nose trying to get the 2.8 running right, I bought the L67 at a higher price ($1,700) when they weren't as common as they are know and I got it from a donor instead of a motor that was already pulled so I knew that what I was getting was in running condition. Then there is the time spent and all the little things I've done along the way I know this doesn't mean anything to the next owner since it doesn't benefit them at all. I want to try and squeeze every penny from this car as I don't really want to let it go but I know it is time. I truly loved this car and enjoyed the time I spent with it, especially when it was driving. I'll entertain other offers that people think are fair, but I have to do myself some justice in starting the bar high.
