87 GT 5 speed Northstar swap questions (Page 1/1) walt_s23 SEP 03, 10:54 PM Hi guys, I'm looking at an 87 5speed GT on Craigslist with intentions of doing a Northstar swap and possibly keeping the Getrag trans. I did a 4.9 engine/trans swap years ago and it went pretty easy. I understand there will be a little more cutting/welding of things to make the N* engine fit. I have been away from the Fiero scene for about a decade so I need to be caught up. I plan on using the stock Caddy ECM for the swap and i'm sure it will have to be flashed to delete the A/T and body control stuff. Can anyone point me in the right direction of someone who does the flashing or where I can get the software myself? Also, what year engine/ecm work best for the swap? OBD 1 or 2? I'm fine with doing all my own fabrication, wiring and adding circuits to overcome VATS, etc. My ultimate goal is a cheap/reliable weekend driver. I also should ask anyone who drives a Northstar with 5speed if they like it? I think the 5speed would be fun but I like the idea of the MPG with the auto. Also, Legal smog in CA requires I use the A/T from the Caddy. I haven't decided for sure on the transmission yet and I'm open to any suggestions. Thanks in advnace wftb SEP 03, 11:05 PM There are quite a few Northstar threads out there. Scroll down the construction zone and just look for Northstar in the title. Here is an old thread but one that got completed: http://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum3/HTML/000030.html Patrick SEP 03, 11:23 PM quote Originally posted by walt_s23: I think the 5speed would be fun but I like the idea of the MPG with the auto. Sorry, I'll be of no help to you with your swap questions... but the quote above intrigues me. Are you implying that an automatic tranny would give better MPG than a 5-spd manual? I'd find that incredibly difficult to believe... unless driving a Northstar powered 5-spd Fiero is so much more fun than driving a slush-box that your right foot gets real heavy.