Just picked up an 87 SE basket case (Page 2/37)
Raydar APR 03, 05:41 PM
Good luck with your endeavors!
I almost bought a similar car, about a year ago. (Medium red is about my favorite color on a Fiero. Add that to an aero notchie - like yours - and it's nearly a slam dunk.)
The main reason I didn't was because it had an automatic.
I've gone to enough trouble, converting two other cars to manual, that I've started passing up the automatics, even if they're "keepers", otherwise.
78_elky APR 03, 07:07 PM

quote
Originally posted by 2.5:

Welcome to the forum
Have you checked for bad rust, such as in the frame? Looked under the trunk carpet yet? You mentioned it had some rust.



The previous owner had the whole drive train cradle out and he media blasted it and painted/under coated it. The rails under the car look Ok as does the trunk from the inside. The inner fender area under the battery is bad, but I dont know the true extent until I start stripping backcthe rust and paint. There isn't a battery box left it's just one rusty side piece. The metal trim with rubber bumpers in between the trunk hood and bumper is Rusted away. All the exposed metal in the cabin and doors has surface rust even. And I honestly haven't looked under the front sub frame yet.

To me the pressing issues are getting all the cradle; engine mounts; rear suspension; and brakes figured out and safe. Then I'll try to make sense of the hoses under the hood and reattach the exhaust he cobbled together and see how that works. Then I guess I'll regroup and see where it leaves me (Probably buying tires/wheels)

Cleaning the car did get me $4.53 and that's my record for most loose change found :-)

Jessica
BrittB APR 04, 02:35 PM
Just sent you a pm, possible parts source near you.

http://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum4/HTML/065189.html

[This message has been edited by BrittB (edited 04-04-2015).]

78_elky APR 06, 07:32 PM

quote

Just sent you a pm, possible parts source near you.
]http://www.fiero.nl/forum/F.../065189.html



Thanks, I have to look into that. There is a guy I'm dealing with in Vancouver right now with some parts so I've got a line on a lot of what I need but its still up in the air what all he needs to keep for his kit car fauxrarri...

I have been continuing to pull things out just to see if I can find a good starting point. Like pulling back layers of an old onion to see if anything is good in the center. Luckily I've found some good things, the floors are seemingly solid (at least what I've looked at looks brand spanking new). The front truck now latches thanks to the new latch and cable I got. I also was able to remove both the torsion bars and I am planning to get some gas shocks for the deck lid.

I cleaned and scrubbed the interior carpet and seats and now they look good and don't smell!
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My pile of parts is growing but I'm hopefully going to have a really nice driver once I'm done with all this



I also pulled the dash and hopefully the steering wheel today or tomorrow so I can install the new used ones I'm getting.


I'm going to replace both doors with much less rusty ones and I think I'll just gut the red ones and keep the power accessories as spares. The hood will also be replaced with one that doesn't have any body work issues. Mine has some very large holes that go pretty deep into the fiberglass mat. They are also very mossy, because Oregon.

I was looking down in the engine bay the other day and also noticed that the front drivers side lower trailing arm (sub frame mount) isn't bolted in, it has a bolt there but it is completely backed out and its not at all attached. So I'm going to be going over the car with a fine toothed comb to make sure everything is right before I drive it.

Jessica

[This message has been edited by 78_elky (edited 05-01-2017).]

tshark APR 06, 07:46 PM
Holy cow! You're going through this thing fast! I'm feeling like an incompetent slug about now. Most of my work is contemplation & planning.

Since I'll likely never seethe car, keep posting progress & pics.
78_elky APR 07, 12:13 PM

quote
Originally posted by tshark:

Holy cow! You're going through this thing fast! I'm feeling like an incompetent slug about now. Most of my work is contemplation & planning.

Since I'll likely never seethe car, keep posting progress & pics.



To be honest I'm kind of feeling like the project has stalled because I'm waiting for parts to arrive so I can put it back together. Not to derail the thread but my other project is a '78 El Camino that is getting a 6.0L LS engine with an LS3 top end a 4L80e trans and a 9" rear. Right now I just got the 12" LS1 Camaro disc brakes and 9" rear under the car. The next part is to replace the floor pans. So that seems like a lot of work to me, and I've been putting in a few hours here and there on the fiero to get it just kind of together so I can limp it to DMV to do the VIN inspection and then I won't feel like I'm doing work on a car that isn't even mine yet.

Here is a semi recent shot of the elky.
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And one of the engine just because I think its pretty


I'm picking up a hood, a drivers side door, a new dash, a gt steering wheel and maybe some other bits and pieces today. The brakes I ordered came yesterday but they sent me '88 rotors...the vents were a dead giveaway so I'm waiting for replacements now.

Jessica
78_elky APR 08, 10:37 AM
So yesterday I picked up my parts and I'm still slammed at work so I've not gotten any time to work on the car. I am hoping I can get some time this Friday or Sunday to do a little bit.

I got new un-cracked side panels a GT steering wheel and my new rear hubs arrived along with the TB gasket. Which I can not believe was so hard to find locally. In fact one parts store told me its discontinued; so I ordered 2.
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I also got the dash, and it doesn't have any cracks that I can see. I am going to dye it a different grey but I'm still pretty thrilled its so nice. It also has some decent speakers (unfortunately still 4x10) so thats an upgrade from the stock delco ones in my original dash.
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I also got the hood and other door along with the power mirror switch and plug, I'll have to make up most of the harness but it should be easy if I decide to use the power mirrors on this car.


I'm looking at a set of 16" subaru wheels and tires this weekend so I'm thinking I'll take the hub with me to be sure they are right; and if they are that'll mean no more flat tires!

The only other trim I need but don't have is the console skeleton and a less moldy headliner/visors. But that may not be too hard to figure out on my own. I also still need to sort out the battery tray.

Jessica

[This message has been edited by 78_elky (edited 04-08-2015).]

78_elky APR 09, 12:03 AM
I got a few minutes to work on the car between rain and mowing the lawn so I tried to be really efficient. I also got a new set of louvers for the deck lid with all the tabs intact but they are missing two of the screws. I'll have to figure something out I guess, or just run one screw on each for a bit.

The GT wheel is installed; I looked under the dash and saw a lot more surface rust than I'd like to see on the bottom of the column so I think it'll be coming out in the near future but its easier to install the wheel in the car.


then as the rain started to fall I got the idea to really see what to do about the battery tray and all that mess. Here is the aftermath of pulling the sound and heat shielding mat out.


Its not exactly what I would call great. the metal around the hole is pretty solid, the main frame rail is solid still and the area that attaches to the fender is more or less intact its just what was under the battery that is missing. So I am thinking I will cut out the worst of it and use some rust converter on the stuff I can't cut out and then seal up the whole thing and leave the hole (but a lot less jagged and ugly) as an air intake much like on the drivers side. I plan to buy new side scoops at some point so it will even be a little functional. I'll just have to weld up a battery tray out of angle iron or something. I am a little concerned about the metal that attaches to the firewall. Hopefully the rust doesn't turn out to be much worse than what I can see right now.

Jessica
bjc 350 APR 09, 11:56 AM
I second BrittB's endorsement of Lucas as a used parts option. His prices are pretty good. That area under the battery tray looks like a bit of work, but doable. Great to see others want to save the Fiero from the wrecking yard, too!
78_elky APR 10, 10:58 AM

quote
Originally posted by bjc 350:

I second BrittB's endorsement of Lucas as a used parts option. His prices are pretty good. That area under the battery tray looks like a bit of work, but doable. Great to see others want to save the Fiero from the wrecking yard, too!



Yeah as I get further into the project I'll probably have to give him a call on the parts I really can't find anywhere else or repair. I am going to try and repair my destroyed console skeleton soon (maybe this weekend if I find some free time). Also i need to dye the dash and door panels I bought so I can start to put some of the interior back together. I've really not had any time to work on the car. I did clean up that rust and spray some rust converter on it last night, but then I had to leave and I honestly don't know how it turned out yet. One nice thing is that I've been dealing with a very reasonable guy on the parts I have bought. I paid $40 for the hood and $40 each for the complete doors with the door panels and they are power everything doors, so either way I just picked up spare motors and actuators for cheap.

I should have some time to devote to it tonight after work and Sunday so I'm hoping that I can get some good progress made.

Jessica