Glad to have made a few of you happy with my documentation of my swap. I am hold on the swap till I have tools arrive, and my 82 camaro seals arrive for modification into fiero seals.
As much as I would love to do a choptop on it, I do not have the requisite skills to do it, or the knowledge on where to get custom glass for when its done.
Well, as I now have more cash to devote to this project, I now am in the process of gathering the needed tools to do the T-top conversion. I still have to gather the 1/4in riveter, the recipricating saw blades, and a hand grinder. I also need to purchase the camaro seals to modify for the fiero usage. If someone could get me the part number on those seals it would be a major help. As long as I can start getting the tools, I should be able to resume my conversion in a few days.
Good info in this thread. Makes it easier for me to do the easy part of this swap on my 87 Coupe A/T this summer. My favorite Fiero is the one they didn't make in 88, the SE. It should have been the Formula with the fastback clip and more standard options like the GT. At least power windows, all Fieros should have power windows .My donor car is a front total 86GT A/T that I bought for $50 . Good low mile motor, fastback clip and loaded doors that I'll just swap the Coupe skins onto. Plus lots of other goodies, so the whole car will be stripped. Everybody's tastes are different, but the main reason I only own notchbacks is because I think the GT's look too 'heavy' with the aero package.
This is the color I want to paint my car. It's a Fiero sold in NJ on Ebay about three years ago. I don't know the color but it's close to the color used on GM trucks. and the other pic is of a Saab at Carlisle that the owner told me was 'Electric blue'. It's close but just is 'missing' something, I'll probably have to get a shop to match it from the Fiero picture.
------------------ Notchbacks RULE
"Let a man drive a Fiero and he'll own one. Teach a man to fix a Fiero and he'll own eight....errr...nine."
[This message has been edited by Fierobruiser (edited 07-05-2008).]
Well I have now absolutely committed myself to doing the T-Top, as I have just spent the money to get all of the necessary tools. Now all I need is someone to get me the exact part number of the 82 Camaro t-top seals and I shall be ready to roll.
I have also had a new "Show Plate" made by Lyn Englert of Creative Graphics & Engraving( www.cgengrave.com ) and am impressed with the results. Just ignore the clouds on the surface of the plate, as it is a mirrored plate and I had to face it toward the sky to get a good pic.
If someone can get me that part number, this shall proceed apace.
But I am confused, why does your 88 coupe have bumper pad bumpers and ribbed moulding? Also didn't 88 has a one color dash? I noticed the photo of your engine bay and I can see what looks like an 88 suspension so I at least frame of your car is correct.
Am I just off my rocker? Didn't the 88 coupes look like a Formula?
But at least your changing the body!! It looks great so far!!
To solve your confusion, Half of the car is original. The other half had the body replaced when the previous owners daughter got into an accident. He then assumed that the parts were the same and pulled them from an earlier model base. I am also pretty sure the dash had been replaced with that 2 color one that is in there. So no you aren't off of your rocker.
To solve your confusion, Half of the car is original. The other half had the body replaced when the previous owners daughter got into an accident. He then assumed that the parts were the same and pulled them from an earlier model base. I am also pretty sure the dash had been replaced with that 2 color one that is in there. So no you aren't off of your rocker.
Well for the next week, I shall mostly be consolidating parts and getting everything ready to go. Befoer I can do tht T-top, I need to get the last mechanical bug in my engine worked out, and I need to have my drivers side door hinges installed. Also, Does anyone know what prep work is required to be able to paint the decklid vents? I want to be able to paint them the same color as my decklid.
Well the rear bumper is now off the parts car, but I have discovered that not only does it have a spot where the sun is eating a gole through it, but the exhaust has burned a hole where it was not attached properly. I figure I shall only use this bumper till I have another one shipped to me. If there is a way to do the fastback without totally prying off the roof, then I shall start that conversion after I have had the GT tail light harness cleaned up and jumpered to work with the coupe systems.
Todays chore is to take out the INterior. At this point I only have to take out the map light,3rd brake and the headliner to be able to release the 3 studs for the notchback. I am readying it for the time when I can do a quick swap as soon as I get 2 days off and my harness back.
I shall do a writeup on the interior as soon as I am done testing my interior paint.
My favorite Fiero is the one they didn't make in 88, the SE. It should have been the Formula with the fastback clip and more standard options like the GT. At least power windows, all Fieros should have power windows .
My Forumla has pwr windows and pwr mirrors. I have never been told that they are not stock.
Edit: to finish the message off.
[This message has been edited by AndrewZ (edited 07-08-2008).]
Anyways to avoid a long annoying writeup since I have a heck of a headache, The best thing to use to dissasemble the interior to get at where the bolts for the fast back are, is to use buddycraigg's videos. They are posted on this forum: //www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/092740.html I will say have a T-50 torx bit handy as this is what is required to get the seatbelts loose.
I have at this point followed my own earlier instructions on the removal of the fastback to get off my notchback clip. Unfortunately, 2 of the 3 bolts decided they would turn in their mounts, causing me to get frustrated and rip them out of the clip. I shall eventually restore the clip by fiberglassing the posts back in, but that shall be a ways away. Tomorrow shall begin the install of the fastback clip onto my ex-notchie.
Well time to show off my todays/tonights work. The notch is off and the fastback is sitting in place. Tomorrow shall see final install of it.
No Clip
Broken Studs
Fastback On
Tomorrows Work
Here's to doin my best to get this baby up and running exteriorwise for the Run To The Keys this October. at the rate I am going, it shall at least all be pieced together, but it sure wont be pretty.
[This message has been edited by 88Slayer (edited 07-08-2008).]
My Forumla has pwr windows and pwr mirrors. I have never been told that they are not stock.
Edit: to finish the message off.
Anybody else have a question for me send a PM. I'll take them out of 88slayer's thread. Sorry Slayer, my post was mainly to see if that color blue was more to your liking and thanking you for this post of useful info for me. BTW I just saw it today at the yard on a 80''s/ 90's GMC Safari AWD and it's not Nassau blue. but I couldn't find the paint code..
The Formula was supposed to be a Coupe with the V6. As such, like the Coupe, there were few 'standard options' in the Formula package. Tilt wheel, the wing, black wheels and the V6 were the 'package'. It had Coupe seats, two Coupe tailpipes.. AC is on a lot of Fieros but that was an 'option'. on the Formula. As today, a lot of cars are delivered to the dealer with 'options' as trim level packages;. SE, SL,etc. I imagine AC might be just an add on to most cars but you would still pay for it on the 'sticker as an individual option. Fastback GT's seem to generally come loaded with all the options and the dealers moved them. Your Formula was most likely ordered by an individual or the dealer with those 'options'.
[This message has been edited by Fierobruiser (edited 07-08-2008).]
Don't worry Fierobruiser, people responding to your post in my thread is not a problem. I actually enjoy people making this thread a bit more lively. Besides, I tend to get new ideas from such offtopic posts as that.
Beautifully done slayer, I'm loving how its coming along. Again, I'm sure I'm not the only one who can say this is motivation for us all to do what we've wanted to do for a while, and you're taking the steps to make it alot easier for us, and boost our confidence in the matter.
I gotta say though, that though I will be doing pretty much the exact same thing, except I'll be using Archies Rockers for the sides to make it look pretty sweet, I'm not gonna touch anything until I've also got the money together for a paint job. The car as it sits is beautiful and the paint job is great on it, no sense ruining that until I'm ready to go the full mile right? I am gonna buy a parts car when I get back from iraq (in december I hope) and pull the parts I need.
Are you planning anything for the interior, maybe a swap?
I was originally going to get Archies IRM rockers, but I have yet to decide if I want those or stay simpler. Either way, this car wont hit paint for almost another year. As to the Interior, I am not doing so much a swap as a total refinish. I will be placing orders for Mr Mikes seats and recovering for the door panels. I will be getting the wraparound dash from PISA. Past that I have yet to decide.
Well hit a couple of snags. Turns out that the mount point of the gt vents won't transfer from an 87 to a 88. I shall have to have a welding shop weld the notchback and festback pieces into a working flange for the new vents.
I also found out that the lock for the trunk is totally bad. So I am having to open the trunk by carrying around the turn rod that opens the locking mechanism. It works,just not something I want to do Permanently. I will also have to get a new power trunk solenoid and a switch for it if the one from my donor car is toast. At least all 88's have that wiring in place.
Also, I shall Have to have the 87 harness rewired, as it does not seem to want to work correctly with my 88 C500 terminal. At least I knew I would encounter some problems with this swap, so I had cash set aside to deal with those issues.
[This message has been edited by 88Slayer (edited 07-09-2008).]
The fastback is now totally secured except for a couple of screws that I shall put in as soon as I can figure out where I put my 10mm wrench. I still have to put the gas door back on, and finish getting the harness redone from the gt. I have the Fastback Lights in and running off of the standard coupe harness which means it is functional(barely) but looks like sh!t.
[This message has been edited by 88Slayer (edited 07-09-2008).]
When I bought my wing, I had forgotten that the fastbacks seem to have difference in the mounting holes than the 85 SE did that this winf came from. Oh well, just means a couple more holes to be drilled.
Originally posted by 88Slayer: Well tomorrows job will be to install the passenger side quarter and ground fx. Then I shall have to start the rear bumper switch after I fix the hole in it.
And for those wondering, that is a 1975 MGB the part is sitting on. Thats the other car I fix in my spare time.
Dude, what are you doing?! You're going to scratch the paint!
I now have the wing mounted to my car. As this wing was from an 85 SE, the mounting ppoints were slightly differnet than the holes already drilled in my 87 GT decklid. This problem was solved by drilling 2 new holes for the 2 different stud locations. This unfortunately placed the outside stud in the middle of a raised portion on the underside of the lid. In order to allow me access to the bottom of the stud, I drilled a 1 inch hole for each stud. This allowed me to get the new washers and nuts onto the stud and fasten the wing.
The installation is very strong and I doubt I shall encounter problems with it. I shall try and find 1 inch circular blanks to cover the holes eventually.
I also still need to get a new trunk lock and rod in order to avoid having to use my "trunk opener" any more than I have to.
As I am staring to run low on funds and time, I shall have to hold off on the T-top for a few months until I can secure enough time to install it. During the intervening months, I shall endeavor to complete the rest of my exterior and interior work. I shall also keep this thread updated with pictures and writeups of all of that work.
Since I have the interior off for the moment due to having changed the rear clip, I decided to go ahead and change the color of the interior pieces. The original color was light gray and since I will be switching both the exterior and interior to blue, I decided the trim had to be changed as well.
I started by going to Autozone and seeing what they had in stock that might work. The had the whole line of Dupli-Color products, so I bought 3 cans of blue Vinyl and Fabric Coating.
I then proceeded to scrub the various parts until they were as clean as scrubbing could get them. This is what they looked like before scrubbing:
And after scrubbing and painting, they look somewhat like this:
Yes I know one is drivers side and the other is the opposite side. I have yet to paint that last piece as I ran out of the coating.
Ouch! Guess you didn't know that you could just have relocated the wingstand stud to the GT hole and not cut up the decklid. For those doing this in the future late model wing stands have three holes, the outer set is for the GT and inner set for the Coupe.
Problem is, I was unable to relocate the studs without the very real possibility of ruining the stand, so I deemed it easier to just drill the new holes.
I am now back to working on my swap now that my foot has healed. I was down for a few days due to a nail goin through my foot.
Anyways, I managed to finish painting the interior parts that are going to be staying throughout the interior swap.
As there are a couple of people who are interested in my original bumper, I took the time to pull it.
As I did not detail the process when I pulled the one from my GT, I shal endeavor to do so now.
You can actually start pulling in any of 3 places. I started with the boottom and worked up. The rear bumper is held on at the bottom, top, and both sides. The top and bottom use the same fasteners. I do recommend that you go to your local autostore and get some extra, as I doubt that all will be salvageable.
The bottom is held on by 7 fasteners.
The top is held on by another 7 fasteners. To get to these, you will have to pull the tail lights.
Then, take out the 3 screws holding the wheelwell liner to the inside of the bumper, and the 2 that hold it to the fastback/notchback section. Repeat for the other side and you are almost done.
The last part is rather simple, unplug the license plate lights. The bumper is now able to be pulled off.
I have now also installed my GT bumper which has a few issues.
Otherwise, I dont have much left to do exteriorwise for a couple of months.
I have been busy with work, college, and my girlfriend that I have had no time to work on my conversion. TS Fay did not help much as it decided to sit on top of my town for almost 36 hours. I had to drive through 2 1/2 feet of water to get to work, and managed to find that i have a bad passenger door seal around the bottom of the door. My drivers side is just peachy. Looks like I get to swap carpet alot sooner than I wanted to, though I shall wait till end of hurrican season so that I dont ruin new carpet.
love this thread ill be doing the conversion shortly i too changed my interior im glad im not the only one to do it. i used the same paint i can give you tips donw the road when or if you paint the center console and dash. i also redid the speedo cover and the map lights up by the sunroof. i used a black vinyl paint with a light overcast of metal flakes.
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[This message has been edited by 86stealthfiero (edited 12-29-2008).]
Glad to see someone else has had good results with the color change Stealth. I have everything that shall be kept a nice electric blue. I have to find a good condition lower door trim piece for my passenger side, as mine is cracked rather horribly. As to the dash ,center console, and computer cover, I shall be installing the PISA Wraparound dash conversion. It shall be covered in the same electric blue that MrMike offers for his seats. I also have to decide on wether I want to go with the Euro Door panels with same color, or go the MrMikes route with those as well. For that I hope to see if people can send me some pictures to help decide. Hopefully I shall be able to start on this again once I find out about a promotion at work. This is where I wish I had some massive inheritance or won the lottery . Well if wishes were fishes I'd still go hungry.
I shall keep y'all updated on any progress I make. This is sure fun to type with a cat playing swat the fingers.
As I have always liked the GT look better than the coupe, I have always wanted to own one. I have just put about $3k into my current 88 4cyl Coupe to fix various mechanical problems, and do not want to part with it as it was my very first car. I have decided to therefore start a swap of body panels in order to get the appearance of the car to my own liking. This car will be a work in progress for the next few months as I have to raise money and put in the time to work on it between my job and college. Here are a couple of pictures of the coupe that will be the base.
I'm just curious, but are you saying that the red Coupe that you have shown in the pictures is an 88? From all the angles that I can see, it's definitely an 84 Fiero. The body panels are those of an 84-86 "2m" Coupe, and the interior is the very light grey / medium grey that was very typical of the 1984 model year (non SE). Including the light tweed carpet color on the doors and floor. Also, the gold Fiero emblem on the nose is also indicative of the 1984 model year.
Although, the sail panels do not appear to be the 84 sail panels (since in 84, they were made of glass).
Was this car worked on before and were all of those panels swapped out?
. Well if wishes were fishes I'd still go hungry.
