Greets!

It's been over 5 years since my last post. The old thread can be found here:
//www.fiero.nl/forum/A...090907-2-090296.html

There's some background there as well as the long, sad story of my car. I've had it for 16 years, see, since 1997, and I've barely driven it for a year if even that. Then in 2008 I took it in to start getting it restored, and get the engine replaced, but it just wasn't to be.

First off, I had just started going into the project at the same time I was starting a new business and the economy was going down the toilet. I had already purchased most of the parts and had my car at a shop ready to get the work done. However, I don't think the mechanic really knew what he was getting into, because he just kept putting me off. At first that was okay because I really had no business getting into a project like that being in such an unstable financial situation like I was. Finally around this time in 2011, about 3 years down the road, I finally got out of my business and got into enterprise I.T. support for a Wal-Mart contractor. Not making "fat stacks" but definitely in better shape now, and ready to get back in the game.

It got so frustrating calling the shop that had my car - the mechanic always had one excuse or another, and yet always promised he'd get the engine dropped in "next week" or "at the end of the week". Every. Single. Time. Finally I started calling around (there aren't many shops willing to take on a custom project like that) and found a place in another town. I met up with the new mechanic (a British guy named Neil, real nice chap) and we took his trailer out and picked it up. We literally had to winch it out of the mud, since it had been sitting in the back of this other shop for five years. The old 2.5 was already out, a lot of the wiring had been ripped out, and there were a lot of hoses and random bits strewn all over the interior.

The links to the pics I had in the old thread are gone, but the poor old thing looks even worse than it did before. It does have new 17" wheels on it though.

Here's what it looks like now:

https://lh3.googleuserconte.../20131022_113549.jpg

https://lh5.googleuserconte.../20131022_113607.jpg

https://lh3.googleuserconte...w1358-h764-no/13+-+5

https://lh4.googleuserconte...w1358-h764-no/13+-+4

https://lh5.googleuserconte...w1358-h764-no/13+-+3

The place I have it now decided it would be best to go ahead and get the paint and body work done first, and then do the engine and interior work. It's going into the body shop this week to get all that done. At first I thought I wanted to convert it from the 2m4 look to more of an SE or GT style, with skirts and such. However, I've decided to stick with the underdog look it came with, albeit a few "enhancements" like the wheels and a spoiler.

What I love about this particular project; not only is the Fiero an underdog in general, but for those, everyone just wants the SE (2m6), GT, or maybe even the Formula. Nobody wants a 2m4, especially not as a platform for a resto/mod. I've already had the suspension redone with new springs, anti-sway bar, new struts, etc. The brakes are going to be redone as well to be more high-performance, with a few race quality parts. The plan is to give this car a new chance at life - bringing it back from the dead not once (it sat in a junkyard for a while before I got it) but twice (got shuffled around for 8 years, sat behind a shop sinking in the mud for another 5 years).

I was hoping to have it finished in time for the show back in 2008. Alas, it wasn't to be. However, I do hope to make it to at least one event in 2014. I think there's a good chance it might actually be done by then.

Wish me luck, and I'll keep this spot updated with progress pics.

[This message has been edited by Zanriel (edited 11-11-2013).]

Just a quick update... not much really. Last I checked my car was still in the paint & body shop. As of early last week, they've finished patching it up and now they're applying the paint job itself. Unfortunately I don't have any new pictures at this point. The shop I took it to said they'd send me some pictures of the paint job but they've been short handed this past week at the same time they've gotten overloaded with new jobs. It's just one guy, his wife, and an assistant mechanic, so there you go. I'm planning on following up tomorrow morning to find out if there's been any new progress.

I did update my Google Plus page with most of the pictures I took in 2008 from the old thread. The album can be found here:

https://plus.google.com/pho.../5941311856361639617

It has detailed shots of the interior, some of the external damage, the old engine, etc.

In the meantime, I've been pondering what to do with the L36 (3800 Series II NA) engine, wondering if I should leave it as is, or if I should have them tweak it a little. From what I hear there's not a lot you can do with one of those. There's a rocker mod, possibly installing a turbo, doing a rebuild/cleanup, and/or replacing the 2002 Impala computer and injection system with an aftermarket unit like this one: http://www.summitracing.com/parts/acc-77012

Or perhaps just leave it as is and just get the car cleaned up, fixed up, and running for now. I'm leaning towards the possibility of replacing the ECU/DFI though, because I hear tell that opens up a few more options for future upgrades, and may make the conversion easier. I'll run the idea by Neil, my mechanic, and see what he thinks.

Until next time!